Read the Gospels in 40 Days

The genealogy of Christ and marriage of his mother Mary. The angel satisfies Joseph’s mind.

1 This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son also of Abraham:

¹⁶ Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born that Jesus that is called Christ.

¹⁷ All the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations. And from David to the captivity of Babylon are 14 generations. And from the captivity of Babylon to Christ are also 14 generations.

¹⁸ The birth of Jesus Christ was this way: When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came to dwell together, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being an upright man, and loathe to make an example of her, was minded to put her away quietly. ²⁰ While he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. For he will save his people from their sins.

²² All this was done to fulfil that which was spoken about the Lord by the prophet, saying, ²³ Behold, a maiden shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which is by interpretation, God with us.

²⁴ And Joseph, as soon as he awoke out of sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bid him and took his wife unto him, ²⁵ and knew her not till she had brought forth her first son, and called his name Jesus.

The time and place of Christ’s birth. The wise men offer their presents. Christ flees into Egypt. The young children are slain. Christ turns in to Galilee.

2 When Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ² saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.

³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And he gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ And they said to him, At Bethlehem in Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶ And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of you shall come the leader who will govern my people Israel.

⁷ Then Herod privately called the wise men and carefully enquired of them when the star had appeared, ⁸ and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child. And when you have found him, bring me word so that I may come and worship him also.

⁹ When they had heard the king, they departed. And lo, the star which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were marvellously glad, ¹¹ and went into the house and found the child with Mary his mother, and kneeled down and worshipped him, and opened their treasures and offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And after they were warned by God in a dream that they should not go again to Herod, they returned into their own country another way.

¹³ When they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and remain there till I bring you word. For Herod will seek the child to kill him.

¹⁴ Then he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, to fulfil that which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, which says, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.

¹⁶ Then Herod, perceiving that the wise men had gotten around him, was exceedingly angry, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all its vicinity – as many as were two years old and under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, ¹⁸ On the hills a voice was heard, mourning, weeping, and great lamentation: Rachel weeping for her children. And she would not be comforted, because they were no more.

¹⁹ When Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead who sought the child’s life.

²¹ Then he arose up and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. After he was warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee, ²³ and went and dwelt in a village called Nazareth, to fulfil that which was spoken by the prophets: He shall be called a Nazarite.

The baptism, preaching, and office of John the Baptist, and how Christ was baptized by him in the Jordan.

3 In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the wilderness of Judea, ² saying, Repent: the kingdom of heaven is at hand! ³ This is he of whom it is spoken by the prophet Isaiah, who says, The voice of a crier in wilderness: Prepare the Lord’s way, and make his paths straight.

⁴ This John had his garment of camel’s hair, and a girdle of skin about his loins. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ At that time Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, went out to him, ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, O offspring of vipers, who has taught you to flee from the vengeance to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore the fruits belonging to repentance. ⁹ And see that you ones do not think to say in yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now is the axe put to the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. ¹¹ I baptize you in water in token of repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹² He has also his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner, and will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John stopped him, saying, I ought to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? ¹⁵ Jesus answered and said to him, Let it be so now, for thus it behoves us, to fulfil all righteousness.

Then John let him. ¹⁶ And Jesus, as soon as he was baptized, came straight out of the water. And lo, heaven was open over him, and John saw the Spirit of God descend like a dove and light upon him. ¹⁷ And lo, there came a voice from heaven, saying, This is he: my beloved Son, in whom is my delight.