As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, Who have been since the world began,

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.

And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again.

So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.”

for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

Seeking a Sign

And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’

that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.

“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.

Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.

But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

The Scriptures Opened

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”