Then they watched him carefully and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They wanted to take advantage of what he might say so that they could deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother.

Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.”

Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”

The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”

But Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He bent down and saw only the strips of linen cloth; then he went home, wondering what had happened.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

They were both righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.

Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

When his time of service was over, he went to his home.

After some time his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and for five months she kept herself in seclusion. She said,

to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting.

So the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!

as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

They said to her, “But none of your relatives bears this name.”

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.