Day 2 of 30
The birth of John the Baptist · The birth of Jesus
Also told in Matthew 1:18–25. Open the event on the timeline to read the accounts side by side.
Luke 1:57–80 WEB
57Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.” 61They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marveled. 64His mouth was opened immediately and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him. 67His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, 68“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; 69and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70(as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), 71salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72to show mercy toward our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, 73the oath which he swore to Abraham our father, 74to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. 76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, 78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us, 79to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Luke 2:1–20 WEB
1Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. 2This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. 4Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant. 6While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth. 7She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. 9Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. 11For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.” 13Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.” 15When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough. 17When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. 18All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
Place in the chronology Jesus and the Gospels
On the timeline The birth of John the BaptistThe birth of Jesus
People ElizabethJesusJohn the BaptistJoseph of NazarethMary, mother of JesusZechariah
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