Luke 1:26-80

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,

27to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

28Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

30“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

33And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

36What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.

37For the word of God will never fail.”

38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

39A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town

40where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.

41At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

42Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.

43Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?

44When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.

45You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

46Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

50He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.

51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.

53He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.

55For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever.”

56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

57When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son.

58And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

59When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.

60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

61“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

62So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him.

63He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.”

64Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

65Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.

66Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

67Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

68“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.

69He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,

70just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

71Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.

72He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—

73the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

74We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear,

75in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.

76“And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

77You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

78Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

80John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.