Listener's Audio Bible Devotional Podcast

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. \'Come, follow me,\' Jesus said, \'and I will send you out to fish for people.\' At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. \'Come, follow me,\' Jesus said, \'and I will send you out to fish for people.\' At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: \'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.\' At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. \'The time has come,\' he said. \'The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!\'

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: \'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.\' At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. \'The time has come,\' he said. \'The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!\'

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: \'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way\'--\'a voice of one calling in the wilderness, â??Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.\'\' And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel\'s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: \'After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.\'

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: \'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way\'--\'a voice of one calling in the wilderness, â??Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.\'\' And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel\'s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: \'After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.\'

and said, \'Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child\'s life are dead.\' So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

and said, \'Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child\'s life are dead.\' So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. \'Get up,\' he said, \'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.\' So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: \'Out of Egypt I called my son.\'

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. \'Get up,\' he said, \'take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.\' So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: \'Out of Egypt I called my son.\'

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, \'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.\' When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people\'s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. \'In Bethlehem in Judea,\' they replied, \'for this is what the prophet has written: \'â??But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.\'\' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, \'Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.\' After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, \'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.\' When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people\'s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. \'In Bethlehem in Judea,\' they replied, \'for this is what the prophet has written: \'â??But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.\'\' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, \'Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.\' After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord\'s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: \'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.\'

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord\'s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: \'Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.\'

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, \'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.\'