Luke 1:36 - Prayer Tents

1So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of Scripture and history that took place among us,G1895G4183G2021G392G1335G4012G4229G4135G1722G2254

2using reports handed down by the original eyewitnesses who served this Word with their very lives.G2531G3860G2254G3588G575G746G1096G845G2532G5257G3056

3Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story's beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus,G1380G2504G199G3877G3956G509G1125G4671G2517G2903G2321

4so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.G2443G1921G803G4012G3056G3739G2727

A Childless Couple Conceives

5During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth.G1096G1722G2250G2264G935G2449G5100G2409G3686G2197G1537G2183G7G2532G846G1135G1537G2364G2G2532G846G3686G1665

6Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God.G1161G2258G297G1342G1799G2316G4198G1722G3956G1785G2532G1345G2962G273

7But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old.G2532G846G2258G3756G5043G2530G1665G2258G4723G2532G846G297G2258G4260G1722G2250

8It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment,G1161G1096G1722G846G2407G1725G2316G1722G5010G846G2183

9it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense.G2596G1485G2405G2975G2370G1525G1519G3485G2962

10The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering.G2532G3956G4128G2992G2258G4336G1854G5610G2368

11Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense.G1161G3700G846G32G2962G2476G1537G1188G2379G2368

12Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.G2532G2197G1492G5015G2532G5401G1968G1909G846

13But the angel reassured him, "Don't fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you. You are to name him John.G1161G32G2036G4314G846G5399G3361G2197G1360G4675G1162G1522G2532G4675G1135G1665G1080G4671G5207G2532G2564G846G3686G2491

14You're going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you—many will delight in his birth.G2532G4671G2071G5479G2532G20G2532G4183G5463G1909G846G1083

15He'll achieve great stature with God. "He'll drink neither wine nor beer. He'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother's womb.G1063G2071G3173G1799G2962G2532G4095G3364G3631G2532G4608G2532G4130G40G4151G2089G1537G846G3384G2836

16He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God.G2532G4183G5207G2474G1994G1909G2962G846G2316

17He will herald God's arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he'll get the people ready for God."G2532G846G4281G1799G846G1722G4151G2532G1411G2243G1994G2588G3962G1909G5043G2532G545G1722G5428G1342G2090G2992G2680G2962

18Zachariah said to the angel, "Do you expect me to believe this? I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."G2532G2197G2036G4314G32G2596G5101G1097G5124G1063G1473G1510G4246G2532G3450G1135G4260G1722G2250G846

19But the angel said, "I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news.G2532G32G611G2036G846G1473G1510G1043G3936G1799G2316G2532G649G2980G4314G4571G2532G2097G4671G5023G2097

20But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time—God's time."G2532G2400G2071G4623G2532G3361G1410G2980G891G2250G3739G5023G1096G473G3739G4100G3756G3450G3056G3748G4137G1519G846G2540

21Meanwhile, the congregation waiting for Zachariah was getting restless, wondering what was keeping him so long in the sanctuary.G2532G2992G2258G4328G2197G2532G2296G1722G846G5549G1722G3485

22When he came out and couldn't speak, they knew he had seen a vision. He continued speechless and had to use sign language with the people.G1161G1831G1410G3756G2980G846G2532G1921G3754G3708G3701G1722G3485G2532G846G2258G1269G846G2532G1265G2974

23When the course of his priestly assignment was completed, he went back home.[G2532G1096G5613G2250G846G3009G4130G565G1519G846G3624

24It wasn't long before his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. She went off by herself for five months, relishing her pregnancy.G1161G3326G5025G2250G846G1135G1665G4815G2532G4032G1438G4002G3376G3004

25"So, this is how God acts to remedy my unfortunate condition!" she said.G3754G3779G4160G2962G4160G3427G1722G2250G3739G1896G851G3450G3681G1722G444

A Virgin Conceives

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of NazarethG1161G1722G1623G3376G32G1043G649G5259G2316G1519G4172G1056G3739G3686G3478

27to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin's name, Mary.G4314G3933G3423G435G3739G3686G2501G1537G3624G1138G2532G3933G3686G3137

28Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning! You're beautiful with God's beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you.G2532G32G1525G4314G846G2036G5463G5487G2962G3326G4675G2127G4771G1722G1135

29She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.G1161G1492G1298G1909G846G3056G2532G1260G4217G783G3778G1498

30But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you:G2532G32G2036G846G5399G3361G3137G1063G2147G5485G3844G2316

31You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.G2532G2400G4815G1722G1064G2532G5088G5207G2532G2564G846G3686G2424

32He will be great, be called 'Son of the Highest.' The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David;G3778G2071G3173G2532G2564G5207G5310G2532G2962G2316G1325G846G2362G846G3962G1138

33He will rule Jacob's house forever— no end, ever, to his kingdom."G2532G936G1909G3624G2384G1519G165G2532G846G932G2071G3756G5056

34Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."G1161G2036G3137G4314G32G4459G2071G5124G2071G1893G1097G3756G435

35The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest hover over you; Therefore, the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God.G2532G32G611G2036G846G40G4151G1904G1909G4571G2532G1411G5310G1982G4671G1352G2532G40G1080G1537G4675G2564G5207G2316

36"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months' pregnant!G2532G2400G4675G4773G1665G846G4815G2532G4815G5207G1722G846G1094G2532G3778G2076G1623G3376G846G3588G2564G4723

37Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."G3754G3844G2316G3756G3956G4487G101

38And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.G1161G3137G2036G2400G1399G2962G1096G3427G2596G4675G4487G2532G32G565G575G846

Blessed Among Women

39Mary didn't waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country,G1161G3137G450G1722G5025G2250G4198G1519G3714G3326G4710G1519G4172G2448

40straight to Zachariah's house, and greeted Elizabeth.G2532G1525G1519G3624G2197G2532G782G1665

41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit,G2532G1096G5613G1665G191G783G3137G1025G4640G1722G846G2836G2532G1665G4130G40G4151

42and sang out exuberantly, You're so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed!G2532G400G3173G5456G2532G2036G2127G4771G1722G1135G2532G2127G2590G4675G2836

43And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me?G2532G4159G5124G3427G2443G3384G3450G2962G2064G4314G3165

44The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.G1063G2400G5613G5456G4675G783G1096G1519G3450G3775G1025G4640G1722G3450G2836G1722G20

45Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true!G2532G3107G4100G3754G2071G5050G2980G846G3844G2962

46And Mary said, I'm bursting with God-news;G2532G3137G2036G3450G5590G3170G2962

47I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.G2532G3450G4151G21G1909G2316G3450G4990

48God took one good look at me, and look what happened— I'm the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten,G3754G1914G1909G5014G846G1399G1063G2400G575G3568G3956G1074G3106G3165G3106

49the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.G3754G1415G4160G3427G3167G2532G40G846G3686

50His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.G2532G846G1656G5399G846G1519G1074G1074

51He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts.G4160G2904G1722G846G1023G1287G5244G1271G846G2588

52He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud.G2507G1413G575G2362G2532G5312G5011

53The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold.G1705G3983G18G2532G4147G1821G2756G1821

54He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.G482G846G3816G2474G3415G1656

55It's exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.G2531G2980G4314G2257G3962G11G2532G846G4690G1519G165

56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.G1161G3137G3306G4862G846G5616G5140G3376G2532G5290G1519G846G3624

The Birth of John

57When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son.G1161G1665G4130G5550G4130G846G5088G2532G1080G5207

58Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her.G2532G4040G2532G846G4773G191G3754G2962G3170G1656G846G3326G846G2532G4796G846

59On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father.G2532G1096G1722G3590G2250G2064G4059G3813G2532G2564G846G2197G1909G3686G846G3962

60But his mother intervened: "No. He is to be called John."G2532G846G3384G611G2036G3780G235G2564G2491

61"But," they said, "no one in your family is named that."G2532G2036G4314G846G3754G2076G3762G1722G4675G4772G3739G2564G5129G3686

62They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named.G1161G1770G846G3962G5101G302G2309G846G2564

63Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, "His name is to be John." That took everyone by surprise.G2532G154G4093G1125G3004G846G3686G2076G2491G2532G2296G3956

64Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah's mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God!G1161G846G4750G455G3916G2532G846G1100G2532G2980G2127G2316

65A deep, reverential fear settled over the neighborhood, and in all that Judean hill country people talked about nothing else.G2532G5401G1096G1909G3956G4039G846G2532G3956G5023G4487G1255G1722G3650G3714G2449

66Everyone who heard about it took it to heart, wondering, "What will become of this child? Clearly, God has his hand in this."G2532G3956G191G5087G1722G846G2588G3004G5101G686G3813G2071G5124G2071G2532G5495G2962G2258G3326G846

67Then Zachariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,G2532G846G3962G2197G4130G40G4151G2532G4395G3004

68Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free.G2128G2962G2316G2474G3754G1980G2532G3085G846G2992G4160

69He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives, and in the very house of David his servant,G2532G1453G2768G4991G2254G1722G3624G846G3816G1138

70Just as he promised long ago through the preaching of his holy prophets:G2531G2980G1223G4750G846G40G4396G3588G575G165

71Deliverance from our enemies and every hateful hand;G4991G1537G2257G2190G2532G1537G5495G3956G3404G2248

72Mercy to our fathers, as he remembers to do what he said he'd do,G4160G1656G3326G2257G3962G2532G3415G846G40G1242

73What he swore to our father Abraham—G3727G3739G3660G4314G2257G3962G11

74a clean rescue from the enemy camp, So we can worship him without a care in the world,G1325G2254G4506G1537G5495G2257G2190G3000G846G870

75made holy before him as long as we live.G1722G3742G2532G1343G1799G846G3956G2250G2257G2222

76And you, my child, "Prophet of the Highest," will go ahead of the Master to prepare his ways,G2532G4771G3813G2564G4396G5310G1063G4313G4253G4383G2962G2090G846G3598

77Present the offer of salvation to his people, the forgiveness of their sins.G1325G1108G4991G846G2992G1722G859G846G266

78Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God's Sunrise will break in upon us,G1223G4698G1656G2257G2316G1722G3739G395G1537G5311G1980G2248

79Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.G2014G2521G1722G4655G2532G4639G2288G2720G2257G4228G1519G3598G1515

80The child grew up, healthy and spirited. He lived out in the desert until the day he made his prophetic debut in Israel.G1161G3813G837G2532G2901G4151G2532G2258G1722G2048G2193G2250G846G323G4314G2474