The Gospel of Luke in the New Testament presents the following account of Jesus’ life from birth to Ascension: During the rule of Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, God sends the angel Gabriel to visit a virgin named Mary in the city of Nazareth in Galilee. Gabriel announces she will give birth to the Son of God and name him Jesus. When the boy is born at a stable in Bethlehem, shepherds in the area spread the news of a savior. Accompanied by his parents, Jesus visits the Judean city of Jerusalem at the age of twelve and impresses the rabbis and elders with his questions and knowledge. Later, as a young man, Jesus arrives at a river where the prophet, John the Baptist, guides followers in the baptismal practice of immersion in water for forgiveness of sins. After Jesus is baptized, a voice from Heaven declares, “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased.” Afterward, Jesus travels to the desert and is tempted by the devil for forty days. Around the age of thirty, Jesus begins his ministry and returns to the place where he grew up, Nazareth, but the worshippers reject his preaching at a local synagogue, and Jesus must leave his hometown. Near the city of Capernaum in Galilee, where the residents are desperate for a savior to free them from Roman occupation, Jesus tells a parable about humility. He fills the nets of fishermen, who have recently been unable to catch any fish. One of these men, Simon Peter, is appointed by Jesus to be a member of the twelve apostles who will assist in disseminating his teachings. After speaking about loving one’s enemies and being merciful, Jesus has dinner at the home of Simon the Pharisee. When a woman, considered an outcast, enters the room and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, Simon and his other guests are shocked that the young prophet forgives her sins. As Jesus travels with the twelve disciples, several women who have been cured of demon spirits, including Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and Joanna, accompany him as well. During the mission, Jesus performs many miracles, such as healing a dying twelve-year-old girl, bringing back to life the only son of a widow, and restoring the sight of a blind beggar. One day, he stands before a large camp of hungry travelers and multiplies five loaves of bread and two fish, so there is enough food for everyone. In the course of his journey, Jesus teaches followers the Lord’s Prayer and tells a parable about a Good Samaritan who nursed a wounded stranger. In Jericho, he dines at the house of a wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus, whom many consider to be a sinner, but Jesus inspires the man to give half of his money to the poor. Meanwhile, Jesus announces to his disciples that he will be rejected by the Gentiles in Jerusalem and put to death, but three days later he will rise to life. Arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus knocks over the wares of the merchants in the marketplace, calling the place “a den of thieves.” As Jesus’ following among the Jews increases, the elder high priests of Jerusalem, Annas and Caiaphas, become more suspicious of the prophet believers call the Messiah. During Passover with the twelve apostles, Jesus states that he has eagerly anticipated this last meal before he suffers, then reveals there is a traitor among them. He does not name the traitor, but later, the apostle Judas Iscariot meets with the council of elders and accepts money in exchange for helping them find an opportunity to arrest Jesus. In prison, the guards mock and beat Jesus, but the apostle Simon Peter, who has also been jailed, pretends not to know the condemned prophet. Weeping, Simon Peter remembers that Jesus predicted he would behave as such, and he asks God to forgive him. When Jesus is brought before the council of elders, they ask if he is the Messiah, then if he is the Son of God, and Jesus simply responds, “You say that I am.” Believing they have enough evidence of Jesus’ guilt as a subversive, the elders take him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate sees no reason to crucify Jesus and instructs Herod the ruler of Galilee to judge, since Jesus is a Galilean. Although Herod mocks Jesus as “King of the Jews,” he sends the prophet back to Pilate for sentencing. The governor is still hesitant to order Jesus’ death, and commands the guards whip him instead. However, the elders and a bloodthirsty crowd of citizens convince Pilate to release a prisoner named Barabbas, and in exchange, sentence Jesus to die. As Jesus walks through the streets of Jerusalem with his arms chained to a post, some people weep, while others spit at him. After the soldiers nail Jesus to the cross and hoist him in front of the crowd, they post a sign above him reading, “King of the Jews.” As some in the crowd taunt him and exclaim that he should save himself if he really is the Messiah, Jesus asks God to forgive his accusers. When Jesus dies, his body is sealed in a tomb, which is witnessed by a group of women who followed Jesus from Galilee. Returning to the tomb three days after the crucifixion, the grieving women find the entrance open and Jesus’ body missing. Two angels appear before the women and declare that Jesus has risen from the dead. Simon Peter then runs to the tomb and confirms the women’s story. Jesus soon reveals himself in the flesh to the women and other mourners, asking why they are “troubled.” He blesses the followers and instructs them to return to Jerusalem and preach his teachings.