Book of Common Prayer

The Messiah and his brothers and sisters

¹⁰ This is how it works out. Everything exists for the sake of God and because of him; and it was appropriate that, in bringing many children to glory, he should make perfect, through suffering, the one who leads the way to salvation. ¹¹ For the one who makes others holy, and the ones who are made holy, all belong to a single family.

This is why he isn’t ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters, ¹² when he says,

¹³ and again,

and again,

¹⁴ Since the children share in blood and flesh, he too shared in them, in just the same way, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and set free the people who all their lives long were under the power of slavery because of the fear of death. ¹⁶ It’s obvious, you see, that he isn’t taking special thought for angels; he’s taking special thought for Abraham’s family. ¹⁷ That’s why he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he might become a merciful and trustworthy high priest in God’s presence, to make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ He himself has suffered, you see, through being put to the test, and that’s why he is able to help those who are being tested right now.

The birth of Jesus

¹⁸ This was how the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph; but before they came together she turned out to be pregnant—by the holy spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her husband-to-be, was an upright man. He didn’t want to make a public example of her. So he decided to set the marriage aside privately. ²⁰ But, while he was considering this, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream.

“Joseph, son of David,” said the angel, “don’t be afraid to get married to Mary. The child she is carrying is from the holy spirit. ²¹ She is going to have a son. You are to give him the name Jesus; he is the one who will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this happened so that what the Lord said through the prophet might be fulfilled: ²³ “Look: the virgin is pregnant, and will have a son, and they shall give him the name Emmanuel,”—which means, in translation, “God with us.”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up from his sleep he did what the Lord’s angel had told him to. He married his wife, ²⁵ but he didn’t have sexual relations with her until after the birth of her son. And he gave him the name Jesus.