What happensPermalink
The prophecy and birth of John the Baptist. The annunciation of Jesus’s birth to Mary. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. Two hymns: the Magnificat (sung by Mary) and the Benedictus (sung by Zachariah).
Why it mattersPermalink
Luke introduces his story as a formal history, told by eyewitnesses, setting up the best possible account of the gospel. He begins not with Jesus but with the prophecy of the birth of John, who will herald Jesus.
Key versePermalink
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”