A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord."

They both lived good lives in God's sight and obeyed fully all the Lord's laws and commands.

"Do everything that I have commanded you; do not add anything to it or take anything from it.

But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so for now. For in this way we shall do all that God requires." So John agreed.

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law,

to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.

Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem in Judea, the birthplace of King David. Joseph went there because he was a descendant of David.

But when Joseph heard that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. He was given more instructions in a dream, so he went to the province of Galilee

and made his home in a town named Nazareth. And so what the prophets had said came true: "He will be called a Nazarene."