Author: admin4ws

The Second Sunday after Christmas takes up themes, and even borrows a reading, from earlier Sundays. It does so to deepen the sense of celebration whenever God is revealed among God’s people. This is especially poignant in the passage from Jeremiah and in today’s psalm. The figure of Wisdom also appears, in readings from the book of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon, conveying how God can become accessible. In the Epistle to the Ephesians, Jesus fulfills the providential purpose of God as the Anointed, while John’s Gospel identifies Jesus as God more emphatically than any other Gospel.

The First Reading
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Celebrate God’s Restoration of the People Israel!

The prophet Jeremiah announces God’s intention to restore the people Israel after they were disciplined in their time of exile. Images of well-being and renewal pile one on top of another to proclaim the Lord’s compassionate rescue of the people from foreign powers. Not only Israel itself, but all the world sees the power and protection that God gives to God’s people.

The Lord declares:

Shout out joy for Jacob and raise a shout over the foremost among the nations!

Announce, give praise, and say: Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel!

Look: I am bringing them from a north land

and gathering them from the far reaches of the land.

Among them are the blind and impaired,

women both pregnant and in childbirth;

it is a great gathering that returns.

They come weeping; at their pleading I will show them the way.

I will lead them to streams of water on a level path—they will not stumble there;

so have I proven to be Israel’s father and Ephraim is my first-born.

Hear the proclamation of the Lord, nations! Declare on the distant shores; say:

The one who scattered Israel will gather them again

and will guard them as a shepherd with the flock.

For the Lord has ransomed Judah and taken them back from a power too strong for them.

So they will come and raise a shout on Zion’s height; they will stream to the Lord’s goodness:

to the grain and to the wine and to the oil, to the flocks and herds.

Their very being will be like a watered garden; never again will they wither.

Then a young woman will dance with joy—young and old men together.

So I will turn their grieving to celebration;

I will comfort them and make their joy greater than their grief.

I will fully satisfy with richness the very being of the priests

and my people will be satiated with goodness

pronouncement of the Lord.

or Sirach 24:1-12
Wisdom’s Dwelling in Zion

The Scriptures of Israel sometimes personify Wisdom, with Wisdom appearing as the feminine aspect of God. The book of Sirach, alternatively called the book of Ecclesiasticus or Ben Sira, describes Wisdom as active in creation along lines similar to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8. In that text, Wisdom states that God created her before the creation of the earth; during God’s act of creation, Wisdom stood beside God, “like a master worker.” Here the author of the book of Sirach more particularly celebrates the deep and joyous association of Wisdom and Jerusalem.
—
Wisdom proclaims herself, she boasts in the midst of her people;
she opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High and boasts in the presence of God’s power:
“I emerged from the mouth of the Most High and blanketed the ground like a mist;
I established a dwelling in the highest skies, and my throne in a pillar of cloud.
I alone encircled heaven’s sphere and walked in the bottomless depths.
Among the sea’s waves, every land, and every people and nation, I staked a claim.
Among them all I considered sheltering—in whose inheritance should I lodge?
Then the creator of all commanded me; the one who created me settled my dwelling.
God said, ‘Establish your dwelling in Jacob and receive your inheritance in Israel.’
Before time, from the beginning, God created me, and I shall not disappear for all time.
I had ministered before God in a holy dwelling, and so in Zion I was established.
Accordingly, in a beloved city God settled me; my authority was in Jerusalem.
I took root among a glorified people, in the Lord’s portion: God’s inheritance.”

The Psalm
Psalm 147:12-20
God Protects Zion and Its Inhabitants

God deserves praise for protecting the people of Israel (verses 12-14), for exerting great power over all creation (verses 16-18), and for revealing the divine law that sets Israel apart from the nations (verses 15, 19-20). Just as God’s power over creation is eternal, so must be God’s protection of Israel and God’s law. That law appropriately shapes the lives of the people of Israel in the same way that God’s word continually orders creation.
—

12. Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem;
         praise your God, O Zion.
13. For God strengthens the bars of your gates,
         bringing blessing upon your residents in your midst.
14. God—who creates peace within your borders,
         satisfying you with choice wheat;
15. who sends divine speech to the land—
         how quickly God’s word runs!—
16. who spreads out snow like wool,
         scattering frost like ashes.
17. God flings down hail like crumbs;
         God’s freezing blast, who can withstand?
18. God issues a word and it melts;
         exhales and the water flows.
19. God declares a word to Jacob,
         statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20. God has not done so for any other nation;
         divine ordinances they know not.
         Praise Yah!

or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21
In Praise of Wisdom for Deliverance and Guidance

Scripture often portrays Wisdom as a feminine figure associated with God in heaven. The following reading praises her as the force behind Israel’s deliverance from Egypt at the Red Sea and as Israel’s guide through the wilderness. Not only does Wisdom accomplish these things for Israel, she also grants Israel the power to sing God’s praise for the victory God has won for the people.
—

15. Wisdom has delivered a holy people and a blameless seed from an oppressive nation.
16. Wisdom entered into the very being of the Lord’s servant—Moses—and stood against fearsome kings by wonders and signs.
17. Wisdom rewarded the upright for their labors, led them in a wondrous way, became protection for them by day and a blaze of stars by night.
18. Wisdom carried them across the Red Sea and led them through overpowering waters.
19. Wisdom drowned their enemies and churned them back up from the bottomless depths.
20. Therefore the righteous laid waste to the ungodly and praised in song, Lord, your holy name and cheered in unison your victorious hand.
21. For Wisdom opened the mouth of the mute and made plain the speech of babblers.

The Second Reading
Ephesians 1:3-14
Redemption in the Anointed

The Epistle to the Ephesians deliberately brings together many themes that the apostle Paul addressed in his correspondence with several communities of believers. The epistle takes a long view, discerning God’s purpose as it emerges over time. God desires the unification of heaven and earth so that the children of God can enjoy their full redemption.
—

God, source of blessing, father of our lord the Anointed Jesus, has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the celestial realms by means of the Anointed. God chose us by means of the Anointed before the foundation of the world, so that we could stand holy and blameless before God in love. God destined us, by the pleasure of the divine will, to be made God’s own children through Anointed Jesus—praise the glory of God’s grace, extended to us by means of the beloved! In the Anointed we have redemption through his blood, forgiveness of transgressions by the wealth of his grace, abounding to us in all wisdom and intelligence. God made the mystery of the divine will known to us by God’s pleasure as set out by means of the Anointed, to bring together everything in him as the fulfillment of time unfolds: everything in heaven, everything on earth, by means of the Anointed.

In accordance with the purpose of the One who effects everything by deliberate intent and will, we, who have long hoped in the Anointed, have been allotted and destined to become the living praise of the divine glory. You also heard the word of truth, the message of your salvation: you believed and were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, which is the initial realization of our inheritance—the accomplished redemption that makes us the living praise of the divine glory.

The Gospel
John 1:[1-9], 10-18
The Word Uniquely Revealing God

The opening of John’s Gospel introduces a theme that became dominant in Christian theology: the understanding that the world encounters the force of its creator in the person of Jesus. For that reason, the Gospel begins with a description of how God shaped the world, stressing that God did so by means of “the word,” a term that in Greek (logos) refers to the meaning and purpose of a speaker’s words. “The word” refers not only to the specific terms a speaker uses but also to the speaker’s choice of language. Here, however, the speaker is God, so that the spoken word brings reality itself into existence. As this reading develops, Jesus is identified as God—first as the “light” and then as the “word” of God, now embodied in a specific person.
—

[At creation: The word, so close to God that it was God. At creation, close to God, everything existed through the word. Apart from it not one thing existed which has ever existed. Life was by the word, and life was the light of humanity. The light shines in the darkness, and darkness does not grasp it.

There was a person sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness, so he could testify concerning the light, so that all would believe through him. He was not the light, but came so he could testify concerning the light.]

The light was true, which enlightens every person coming into the world. It was in the world, but, although the world existed through it, the world did not recognize him. He came into what was his own, and his own did not accept him. Whoever did accept him—to them he gave authority to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were begotten not from bloodlines, nor from the will of flesh, nor from the will of a man, but from God.

The word became flesh and resided among us; we saw his glory, glory as of an only child close to a father, full of grace and truth. John was witness to him and announced: “This is the one of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he was prior to me.’” From his fullness we all received: grace piled upon grace—Law given through Moses, and grace and truth coming through Anointed Jesus. Nobody has ever seen God. The one divine word, cradled in the Father—this one has interpreted God.

The calendar we use today, with its marking of a new year on January 1, derives from Roman practice. In particular, in the first century BCE, Julius Caesar introduced the month of January as the beginning of the year (named after Janus, the Roman god of transitions). The widely shared application of this calendar throughout the Roman Empire made it the basis for timekeeping in the church when the Empire became Christian. The readings for today address time as a universal experience but also compare people’s limited, temporal condition to God’s eternity.

The First Reading
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
God Establishes the Rhythms of Life

The book of Ecclesiastes states that, contrary to what we generally imagine, we have little or no control over the world in which we live. Rather, everything that life holds and its opposite has a fixed time, which is determined by God and independent of our own actions and desires. The best we can do, therefore, is to find joy in all we undertake, realizing that everything we achieve is a gift from God, not a necessary consequence of our own labors.
—

1. Under heaven, everything has its season; every purpose, its time:
2. A time to give birth and a time to die.
        A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
3. A time to kill and a time to heal.
        A time to tear down and a time to build.
4. A time to cry and a time to laugh.
        A time to wail and a time to dance.
5. A time to toss aside stones and a time to gather stones.
        A time to hug and a time to keep far from hugging.
6. A time to seek and a time to abandon.
        A time to keep and a time to toss aside.
7. A time to rip and a time to sew.
        A time to keep silent and a time to speak.
8. A time to love and a time to hate.
        A time for war and a time for peace.
9. What do those who work gain by their labor?
10. I have seen the things God gave humans with which to busy themselves.
11. God makes everything beautiful in its season; God placed in the human heart a conception of the whole, even though no person can discover everything that God does from time’s beginning and until the end.
12. I know that nothing is better than to be joyous and do good while alive,
13. and also that, whenever a person eats, drinks, and sees success from labor—this is a gift from God.

The Psalm
Psalm 8
Humankind’s Unique Place within Creation

This hymn of praise recognizes God’s creation of heavens and earth and thanks God for the glorious position granted to humankind, which is given responsibility for all that is in the sky, earth, and sea. The reference to God’s putting an end to “the enemy and avenger” is obscure. The psalm may be referring to God’s conquest of primordial forces of chaos or of the great sea-monsters that are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and in non-Israelite creation narratives.
—

1. To the conductor, on the gittith, a psalm of David.

1. Lord, our master, how glorious is your name throughout the earth,
        for you have placed your splendor upon the heavens—
2.      from the mouths of children and nursing infants.
   You established a refuge on account of your adversaries,
        to put an end to the enemy and avenger.
3. When I look at your heavens,
        the work of your fingers,
        the moon and stars that you set in place—
4. what are humans that you are mindful of them,
        mortals that you pay them any heed?
5. For you made them to lack only a little from divine beings,
        crowning them with honor and splendor.
6. You gave them control over your handiwork;
        you placed all things under their feet—
7.      all sheep and oxen,
        and also beasts of the field,
8.      birds of the heavens and fish of the sea,
        whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9. Lord, our master, how glorious is your name throughout the earth!

The Second Reading
Revelation 21:1-6a
Vision of a New Heaven and New Earth

John of Patmos sees a new heaven and new earth (in language inspired by Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22), which host the advent of a new Jerusalem. The city is adorned as a bride. It accommodates the people of God, offering the spring of the water of life (verse 6, also referenced in John 4:14) and even—in fulfillment of the promise in Revelation 2:6—the tree of life (Revelation 22:2), because this new Jerusalem is the place of God’s servants alone.
—

I saw new heaven and new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had departed, and the sea was no more. And the holy city, new Jerusalem, I saw descending out of heaven, from God, prepared and adorned as a bride for her husband. I heard a great voice from the Throne:

“Look, the dwelling of God is with humanity,
and he will shelter with them,
and they will be his people—
and God himself will be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and there shall no longer be death or mourning
or outcry or pain, because the former things have departed.” 

                 The one who sits upon the Throne said: “Look, I will make everything new.”
                 He said: “Write, because these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me:
                “It has happened. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

The Gospel
Matthew 25:31-46
The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

Jesus appears as “the human one” within the Gospels in two ways. At the end of days he is the divine figure with human traits that judges all peoples, an identification that comes from Daniel 7:13. In his own humanity, however, Jesus can also be seen as “the human one” alongside other human beings—a way of thinking derived from Psalm 8:5. This famous parable attributed to Jesus combines the two usages, presenting Jesus as both the judge and companion of all humanity.
—

“When the human one comes in his glory and all the messengers with him, then he will sit upon a throne of his glory, and all the nations shall be gathered together before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will stand the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, those favored of my father: inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the world’s origin! Because I hungered and you gave me to eat; I thirsted and you let me drink; I was a stranger and you gathered me in, naked and you dressed me; I was ailing and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and nourish you, or thirsty and let you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and gather you in, or naked and dress you? And when did we see you ailing or in prison and come to you?’ The king will reply and say to them, ‘Amen I say to you, as much as you did to one of the least of those akin to me, you did to me!’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me, accursed, into the perpetual fire prepared for the devil and his messengers! Because I was hungry and you did not give me to eat, and I thirsted and you did not let me drink; I was a stranger and you did not gather me in, naked and you did not dress me, ailing and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ailing or in prison and not provide for you?’ Then he will reply to them, ‘Amen I say to you, as much as you did not do for one of the least of these, neither did you do for me.’ And the latter will go away into perpetual punishment, but the righteous into perpetual life.

The Gospel of Luke recounts the naming of Jesus at the time of his circumcision (Luke 2:21), as was the Jewish practice from then until now. The timing of the ritual, on the eighth day of a male infant’s life, is specified in both the book of Leviticus (12:3) and the book of Genesis (17:9-14). The latter explains that circumcision marks God’s covenant in the flesh of the community. Covenantal blessing forms a common theme across the readings for today, the eighth day after Christmas.

The First Reading
Numbers 6:22-27
God Instructs the Priests in Blessing the Israelite Community

As part of the instruction that accompanied the construction of the Israelites’ worship tent in the wilderness, God told Moses the words the priests should speak to convey God’s blessing of the people. Naming the people as the people of God, these words continue today to convey blessing to God’s people in both the synagogue and the church.
—

Then God said to Moses, “Say to Aaron and to his sons: ‘You shall bless the community of Israel; say to them:
The Lord bless you and guard you.
The Lord smile brightly on you and act graciously to you.
The Lord turn toward you and set you at peace.’
So they will set my name on the community of Israel and I will bless them.”

The Psalm
Psalm 8
Humanity’s Unique Place within Creation

This hymn of praise recognizes God’s creation of heavens and earth and thanks God for the glorious position granted to humankind, which is given responsibility for all that is in the sky, earth, and sea. The reference to God’s putting an end to “the enemy and avenger” is obscure. The psalm may be referring to God’s conquest of primordial forces of chaos or of the great sea-monsters that are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and in non-Israelite creation narratives.
—

1. To the conductor, on the gittith, a psalm of David.

1. Lord, our master, how glorious is your name throughout the earth,
        for you have placed your splendor upon the heavens—
2.      from the mouths of children and nursing infants.
   You established a refuge on account of your adversaries,
        to put an end to the enemy and avenger.
3. When I look at your heavens,
        the work of your fingers,
        the moon and stars that you set in place—
4. what are humans that you are mindful of them,
        mortals that you pay them any heed?
5. For you made them to lack only a little from divine beings,
        crowning them with honor and splendor.
6. You gave them control over your handiwork;
        you placed all things under their feet—
7.      all sheep and oxen,
        and also beasts of the field,
8.      birds of the heavens and fish of the sea,
        whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9. Lord, our master, how glorious is your name throughout the earth!

The Second Reading
Galatians 4:4-7
No Longer a Slave, but an Heir

In a small segment of a longer discussion, the apostle Paul reminds the Galatians that God has adopted them as children. Henceforth, obligations that previously characterized their slavery to sin no longer apply to them.
—

When the time had fully come, God dispatched the Son, born of a woman, born subject to law, in order to redeem those who are subject to law; so we gain adoption. Because you are now related as children, God has sent the spirit of the Son into our hearts, calling out, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but family; being family, you are also an heir through God.

or Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus Receives the Name above All Others

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians ties Jesus’ name as “Lord” to God’s exalting of him. Israel has long acclaimed “the Lord” as God, and now all of creation joins in this by glorifying God.
—

Have this thinking be among you, which was also in the Anointed Jesus, who, since he was in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to exploit. Instead, he emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, by being in human likeness. And then, being found in human figure, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross. Therefore, God highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is greater than every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee would bow in heaven and upon the earth and under the earth, and every tongue would proclaim that Jesus the Anointed is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The Gospel
Luke 2:15-21
The Shepherds’ Visit in Bethlehem

In Luke’s Gospel, prior to this reading, angels announce to shepherds that Jesus has been born. Luke now depicts the shepherds’ visit to Bethlehem to experience what they heard the angels announce. Luke underscores the truth of the announcement by using its exact words to describe what the shepherds found.
—

When the messengers went away from them to the heaven, the shepherds started to speak with one another: “Now let us go over to Bethlehem and see this announcement made real, which the Lord made known to us.” They hastened and located Mary and Joseph, and also the baby lying in the feed-trough. As they saw they made known the announcement spoken to them concerning this child. And all who heard marveled concerning what was spoken by the shepherds to them, but Mary safeguarded all these announcements together, turning them over in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they heard and saw—just as was spoken to them. When eight days were filled—the time to circumcise him—the child was given the name Jesus, which was given by the messenger before he was conceived in the womb.

Christmas celebrates the birth of a child as a fresh, distinctive moment marking God’s entry into human affairs. The prophet Samuel is recalled as a child who matured in service to God and to the people, Israel, offering a point of reference for Jesus’ development. The distinctiveness of the moment calls for a cosmic celebration, a call that the words of Psalm 148—an ancient song of festivity—voice. Jesus’ young life, which the Gospel reading depicts, is both distinctive and exemplary: for the author of the Epistle to the Colossians, Jesus’ wisdom, stature, and grace model how believers should conduct themselves in the future.

The First Reading
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Service, Blessing, and Growth

Samuel was a prophet destined for the court of Saul, Israel’s first king. Blessings from his mother and from God helped shape his early training. The Bible’s description of his development as a servant of the Lord offered the later gospel writer, Luke, a template for his picture of Jesus’ development.
—

Samuel was in service to the Lord, an apprentice outfitted with a linen ephod. His mother would make a little robe for him and bring it to him year by year, when she went up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife: “May the Lord grant you offspring with this woman in place of the one demanded by God’s requirement.” So they returned to their place…. And the apprentice, Samuel, continued to grow and do well both with God and with people.

The Psalm
Psalm 148
All Creation Must Praise God, Lord of All Creation

The entire range of God’s cosmic creation owes God praise. In the Christmas season, the church can celebrate Jesus as the “horn” God has raised up for the people, giving fresh impetus to their praise.
—

1. Praise Yah!
   Praise the Lord from the heavens;
        praise God in the heights.
2. Praise God, all God’s messengers;
        praise God, all divine armies.
3. Praise God, sun and moon;
        praise God, all bright stars.
4. Praise God, you highest heavens,
        and you waters that are above the heavens.
5. Let them praise the Lord’s name,
        for God commanded and they were created.
6. God established them for eternity;
        God set their boundaries, which no one can violate.
7. Praise God from the earth:
        the sea monsters and all the ocean depths,
8.      fire and hail, snow and storm clouds,
        the raging wind fulfilling God’s will;
9. the mountains and all the hills,
        fruit trees and all cedars;
10. wild animals and all beasts,
         creeping things and winged birds;
11. kings of the earth and all peoples,
         princes and all the land’s rulers.
12. Young men and also young women,
         the old along with the youth—
13. let them praise the Lord’s name,
         for God’s name alone is exalted.
    God’s majesty is upon the earth and heaven!
14. God has raised a horn for God’s people;
         praise for all these faithful,
         for the people of Israel, the people who are close to God.
         Praise Yah!

The Second Reading
Colossians 3:12-17
Forgiving as Christ Forgave Us

The Epistle to the Colossians stresses the feelings of affection that bind together those who share a common faith in Christ. Even though in this letter the author addresses those with whom he disagrees, as compared to earlier epistles, a greater sense of forbearance and compassion runs throughout.
—

As God’s chosen, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with empathy, mercy, goodness, humility, gentleness, patience. Go easy on one another and—when someone has a grievance against another—be gracious with each other. As the Lord has been gracious with you, you also ought to be gracious. Above all else, clothe yourselves with love, which is the unifying bond of mature perfection. The peace of the Anointed, into which you were called together into one body, should hold sway in your hearts: be grateful. Let the word of the Anointed dwell among you abundantly: teach and advise each other in all wisdom; sing psalms, festive songs, and spiritual praises with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And so, in whatever you do—in word or deed—do everything in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

The Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Jesus in the Temple as a Youth

Using the prophet Samuel as a model, Luke’s Gospel presents Jesus as naturally belonging close to God. He prefers to linger in Jerusalem when his parents depart after participating in the festival of Passover, and enters into discussion with teachers in the Temple. At the same time, Luke emphasizes that Jesus spent most of his youth in Nazareth with his family.
—

His parents traveled annually to Jerusalem on the festival of Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the festival custom and completed its days; when they returned, the child Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, and his parents did not know. They reckoned he was elsewhere in the caravan, and traveled a day’s journey; they sought him out among the relatives and acquaintances. They did not find him and returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the holy place, sitting and listening in the midst of the teachers as well as interrogating them. All who heard him were beside themselves over his discernment and replies. His parents saw him and were overwhelmed and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you acted in this way with us? Look: Your father and I are worried sick looking for you!” He said to them, “Why was it that you sought me? Did you not know that it is necessary for me to be among those of my father?” And they did not understand the reply he gave them. And he went down with them and came into Nazareth, and he was respectful of them. His mother kept all the events together in her heart, and Jesus progressed in wisdom and stature and grace with God and with people.

Celebrations of Christmas, as a principal feast of the year, offer variations of readings for each service. Each of the three options, however, follows the same pattern. A reading from the Hebrew Bible looks forward to the consummation of God’s promises to the people, Israel. A psalm particularly focuses on the justice that is involved in the fulfillment of God’s will. The epistle, most often taken from the Letter of Paul to Titus, speaks of Jesus’ coming as a fulfillment of God’s promise, while the Gospel readings relate the significance to humanity of Jesus’ birth.

Nativity of the Lord – Proper I

The First Reading
Isaiah 9:2-7
A Birth Brings Joy and Promise

The prophet Isaiah uses the announcement of a royal birth to anticipate the sovereignty and prosperity that God will restore to Judah and Jerusalem one day. Although a time of discipline and trial lies ahead and the nation does not yet “abound,” nevertheless the prophet sees a day coming when this promise will mature just as a royal infant does. Thus there remains hope for the Kingdom of David, a hope the New Testament writers understood as fulfilled in Jesus.
—

2. This people—those walking in darkness—have seen a great light.
   Those dwelling in a land as dark as death—a light has shined on them.
3. Have you made the nation greater? No! You have increased the joy.
   They have rejoiced in your presence as with rejoicing at the harvest,
   or as they would celebrate in dividing up spoils of war.
4. For their burdensome yoke and the bar on their shoulder,
   the rod of their oppressor, you have shattered—like the Day of Midian!
5. Indeed, every boot tramping in pandemonium and cloak drenched in blood
   will become a conflagration, fuel for a fire.
6. For a child has been born for us, a son has been given to us,
   and power will fall on his shoulder.
   They will call his name Wondrous Guide, Almighty Hero, Enduring Father, Prince of Peace.
7. For the abundance of his power, and for peace, there will be no end—
   on David’s throne and over his government,
   to confirm it and to sustain it
   with justice and with right, from now until forever.
   The fervor of the Lord of heavenly divisions will do this.

The Psalm
Psalm 96
A Call to Worship the Lord

God’s power and justice awaken a response in the form of prayerful praise. The idea emerges in each of Psalm 96’s two sections—first with a call to sing God’s praises (verses 1-6) and then with the command that all peoples and all the earth recognize God’s greatness (verses 7-14).
—

1. Sing to the Lord a new song!
   Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2. Sing to the Lord; praise God’s name!
   Announce God’s deliverance day by day!
3. Recount God’s glory among the peoples;
   among all the nations, God’s wondrous acts.
4. For the Lord is great and highly praised;
   God is majestic above all the gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are weak,
   while the Lord created the skies.
6. Splendor and grandeur go before God.
   Strength and beauty are in God’s sanctuary.
7. Credit to the Lord, families of nations;
   credit to the Lord glory and strength.
8. Credit to the Lord the glory of God’s name;
   bring an offering and enter God’s courts.
9. Bow down to the Lord in holy adornment.
   Let all the land tremble before God.
10. Pronounce among the nations: God reigns!
    Indeed, God established the world; it will not teeter.
    God will judge the peoples equitably.
11. Let the skies rejoice and the earth delight.
    Let the sea and all it contains thunder.
12. Let the fields be jubilant, and all that is in them.
    At that time, let every tree of the forest cry out in joy—
13. before the Lord, for God is coming.
    For God is coming to judge the earth.
14. God will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the nations faithfully.

The Second Reading
Titus 2:11-14
Ethical Exhortations while Awaiting the Arrival of Jesus

In this epistle, Paul encourages Titus to maintain an ethically upright life reflective of the grace that he received as he eagerly awaits the arrival of Jesus, God’s Anointed, in the age to come.
—

For the saving grace of God has appeared for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly desires, so that we should live sensibly, rightly, and godly in this present age, as we await the blessed hope and manifestation of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus the Anointed, who gave himself for us in order to ransom us from all lawlessness and cleanse for himself a people of his own, who are passionately committed to good deeds.

The Gospel
Luke 2:1-14, [15-20]
The Birth of Jesus

Among the Gospels, Luke’s Gospel alone relates Jesus’ birth to Roman history through reference to a census that was taken at the time. The triumphant message of angels to shepherds, however, sidelines the power of Rome, insisting that Jesus, born from the line of David, is to be savior of all. Mary, Jesus’ mother, who first appears in the reading in a position secondary to Joseph, emerges at the close of the reading as the person who best understood events.
—

At that same time an ordinance went out from Augustus Caesar for the inhabited world to be registered. This first registry happened while Quirinius governed Syria. All proceeded to be registered, each to one’s own town. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea into David’s town, which is called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s house and paternity, to be registered with Mary, who was contracted in marriage to him, being heavily pregnant. While they were still there, the days were filled for her to bear, and she bore her first-born son, and swathed him, and laid him in a feed-trough, because there was no place for them in the lodging. In the same region, shepherds camped and kept watch at night over their flock. And a messenger of the Lord stood over them, the Lord’s glory shined around them, and they were afraid—with great fear. And the messenger said to them, “Do not fear, because, look: I proclaim to you great joy such as will be for all people, because a savior has been born for you today, who is Lord Anointed, in David’s city. And here is a sign for you—you will find a baby swathed and lying in a feed-trough.” And suddenly there was with the messenger a multitude of heaven’s army, praising God and saying, “Glory is with God in greatest heights, and peace on earth among those God favors.” 

[When the messengers went away from them to the heaven, the shepherds started to speak with one another: “Now let us go over to Bethlehem and see this announcement made real, which the Lord made known to us.” They hastened and located Mary and Joseph, and also the baby lying in the feed-trough. As they saw they made known the announcement spoken to them concerning this child. And all who heard marveled concerning what was spoken by the shepherds to them, but Mary safeguarded all these announcements together, turning them over in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they heard and saw—just as was spoken to them.]

Nativity of the Lord – Proper II

The First Reading
Isaiah 62:6-12
Zion Hears Her Rescue Announced

Jerusalem and the surrounding nations hear the prophet Isaiah announce that God is taking action to restore the city after the long Babylonian Exile. A dramatic picture and a resounding report use images from war, agriculture, construction, and national rescue to convey the excitement of the promise fulfilled: God has not abandoned you.
—

6. On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have stationed guards;
   neither by day nor by night will they ever grow idle.
   O heralds of God, do not fall silent,
7.      nor let God fall silent until God has laid a foundation,
   setting up Jerusalem for praise throughout the land.
8. The Lord has sworn by right hand and strong arm:
   I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies;
   foreigners will not drink your wine for which you have worn yourselves out.
9. Rather, those who gather it shall eat it and praise the Lord,
   and its harvesters shall drink it in my holy domains.
10. Pass on, pass on through the gates; prepare the people’s way.
    Build up, build up the road; clear it of rocks.
    Raise a signal toward the nations.
11. “Here is the Lord!”—announce it to the end of the land;
    say to Zion’s children, “Here, your rescue is coming—
    see, together with reward and God’s benefits in the lead.”
12. Thus people will call them: “The People of the Holy One, Those Redeemed by the Lord”;
    you will be called: “Recovered, A City Not Abandoned.”

The Psalm
Psalm 97
God’s Justice Is Evidenced on Earth

In this reading, God’s justice and power appear in a perfected world in which idolatry comes to an end, as all nations recognize the Lord’s singular might and glory.
—

1. The Lord is king:
   Let the earth rejoice!
   Let the many coastlands be glad!
2. Clouds and storm clouds surround God;
   righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s Throne.
3. Fire goes before God,
   scorching God’s adversaries all around.
4. God’s lightning illumined the world;
   the earth saw and quaked.
5. Before the Lord, mountains melted like wax,
   before the Master of all the earth.
6. The heavens proclaimed God’s righteousness,
   and all the peoples witnessed God’s glory.
7. All who worship idols will be humiliated,
   those who boast of the gods.
   Bow down to the Lord, all you gods!
8. Zion heard and was glad;
   the daughters of Judah rejoiced,
   because of your just acts, Lord!
9. For you, Lord, are Most High over all the earth,
   highly exalted over all the gods.
10. Hate evil, all who love the Lord!
    God protects the lives of the pious.
    God rescues them from the hand of evil-doers.
11. Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
12. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones,
    giving thanks to God’s holy name.

The Second Reading
Titus 3:4-7
God’s Kindness and Generous Love through Jesus the Anointed

This confessional creed serves as a reminder of God’s grace. God’s benevolent love is experienced through baptism and renewal through God’s Spirit, which is poured out by the Anointed Jesus.
—

When the kindness and the benevolence of God our savior appeared, God saved us not because of the deeds which we did ourselves in righteousness, but rather according to divine mercy. God saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal from holy Spirit, which was poured out abundantly upon us through Jesus the Anointed our Savior, so that being justified by God’s grace we might become heirs with respect to the hope of eternal life.

The Gospel
Luke 2:[1-7], 8-20
The Birth of Jesus

Among the Gospels, Luke’s Gospel alone relates Jesus’ birth to Roman history through reference to a census that was taken at the time. The triumphant message of angels to shepherds, however, sidelines the power of Rome, insisting that Jesus, born from the line of David, is to be savior of all. Mary, Jesus’ mother, who first appears in the reading in a position secondary to Joseph, emerges at the close of the reading as the person who best understood events.
—

[At that same time an ordinance went out from Augustus Caesar for the inhabited world to be registered. This first registry happened while Quirinius governed Syria. All proceeded to be registered, each to one’s own town. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea into David’s town, which is called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s house and paternity, to be registered with Mary, who was contracted in marriage to him, being heavily pregnant. While they were still there, the days were filled for her to bear, and she bore her first-born son, and swathed him, and laid him in a feed-trough, because there was no place for them in the lodging.]

In the same region, shepherds camped and kept watch at night over their flock. And a messenger of the Lord stood over them, the Lord’s glory shined around them, and they were afraid—with great fear. And the messenger said to them, “Do not fear, because, look: I proclaim to you great joy such as will be for all people, because a savior has been born for you today, who is Lord Anointed, in David’s city. And here is a sign for you—you will find a baby swathed and lying in a feed-trough.” And suddenly there was with the messenger a multitude of heaven’s army, praising God and saying, “Glory is with God in great
est heights, and peace on earth among those God favors.” When the messengers went away from them to the heaven, the shepherds started to speak with one another: “Now let us go over to Bethlehem and see this announcement made real, which the Lord made known to us.” They hastened and located Mary and Joseph, and also the baby lying in the feed-trough. As they saw they made known the announcement spoken to them concerning this child. And all who heard marveled concerning what was spoken by the shepherds to them, but Mary safeguarded all these announcements together, turning them over in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they heard and saw—just as was spoken to
them.

Nativity of the Lord – Proper III

The First Reading
Isaiah 52:7-10
Your God is King!

Rescue does not just happen; salvation is not by chance. The prophet Isaiah heralds the moment of rescue and salvation with vivid images of the besieged Jerusalem’s being set free. As word of the victory reaches those who wait for it, the cry goes up that God has acted, that the proper ruler has regained the capital for the kingdom. 
—

7. How delightful on the mountains are the feet of a messenger
   reporting peace, announcing good things, declaring rescue,
   saying to Zion, “Your God is king!”
8. The voice of your lookouts: they raise a shout, together they cry out
   as, one by one, their eyes gaze on the Lord’s return to Zion.
9. They erupt! They shout out together! “O ruins of Jerusalem—
   the Lord has indeed had mercy on God’s people, has redeemed Jerusalem.
10. The Lord has bared the holy arm for all nations to see,
    and the farthest reaches of the land have witnessed the rescue by our God.”

The Psalm
Psalm 98
Let the Entire Earth Celebrate God’s Victory

Psalm 98 is a hymn of praise for the victory instigated by God in days of old. It corresponds to and sheds new light
on the divine victory God has wrought in connection with Christ.
—

1. A psalm.

1. Sing to the Lord a new song,
   for God has performed extraordinary acts;
   God’s right hand brought God victory,
   along with God’s holy arm.
2. The Lord has made that victory known;
   in the sight of the nations, God revealed God’s righteousness.
3. God recalled God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to the House of Israel;
   all the ends of the earth saw our God’s victory.
4. Let all the earth raise a shout to the Lord;
   let them burst forth in a joyous shout, give a ringing cry, and sing in praise.
5. Let them sing praise to the Lord with the lyre,
   with the lyre and sound of melody.
6. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,
   let them raise a shout before the Lord, the King.
7. Let the sea roar, and all that it contains,
   the earth, and those that dwell on it.
8. Let the rivers clap hands;
   together let the mountains give out a ringing cry
9. before the Lord,
   for God is coming to judge the land.
   God will judge the earth with righteousness
   and the peoples with an even hand.

The Second Reading
Hebrews 1:1-4, [5-12]
God’s Son, Greater than the Angels

The Epistle to the Hebrews presents a concentrated consideration of Jesus in relation to God, beginning with a strong, startling assertion of Jesus’ superiority to angels. For the unknown author of Hebrews, only Israel’s Scriptures could undergird such an assertion. The author in this passage, therefore, uses direct quotations from the book of Psalms, building on the Psalms’ imagery of Israel’s royal rulers, in order to express Jesus’ character as the Son of God. The reason for the emphatic contrast of Jesus with the angels is to insist that the Son directly speaks on God’s behalf, while prophetic inspiration derives from intermediary angels.
—
During ancient times, God spoke to the ancestors in many different ways by means of the prophets. In these last days God has spoken to us by means of a Son, whom God made inheritor of all things and through whom God structured time and space:

•      Being the brightness of the glory and the character of God’s nature,
•      upholding every thing by the command of his power,
•      and having made purification for sins,
•      the Son sat at the right of the majesty in the heights.
•      He became as much greater than the angels
•      as the name he inherited exceeds theirs.

[To which of the angels has God ever said, “You are my son; I have begotten you today”? And again, “I shall be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me”?

Moreover, when God brought the first-born into the world, Scripture says, “All God’s angels shall worship him.” And while it says of the angels, “God makes the angels spirits, and the attendants flames of fire,” it says of the Son:

•      Your divine throne endures age after age, and the power of your kingdom is ethical.
•      You love righteousness and hate wrong-doing,
•      so that God, your God, anointed you,
•      with oil of gladness exceeding your companions.

And:

•      Lord, you founded the earth at creation;
•      the heavens are the works of your hands.
•      They shall pass away, but you remain;
•      everything will wear out as a garment;
•      like a cloak you will roll up the heavens and the earth,
•      and as a garment they will be changed,
•      but you: ever the same, and your years will never end.]

The Gospel
John 1:1-14
The Word Become Flesh

The opening of John’s Gospel introduces a theme that became dominant in Christian theology: the understanding that the world encounters the force of its creator in the person of Jesus. For that reason, the Gospel begins with a description of how God shaped the world, stressing that God did so by means of “the word,” a term that in Greek (logos) refers to the meaning and purpose of a speaker’s words. “The word” refers not only to the specific terms a speaker uses but also to the speaker’s choice of language. Here, however, the speaker is God, so that the spoken word brings reality itself into existence. That reality encompasses the making of humanity, and also the redemption that can make people children of God.
—

At creation: The word, so close to God that it was God. At creation, close to God, everything existed through the word. Apart from it not one thing existed which has ever existed. Life was by the word, and life was the light of humanity. The light shines in the darkness, and darkness does not grasp it.

There was a person sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness, so he could testify concerning the light, so that all would believe through him. He was not the light, but came so he could testify concerning the light.

The light was true, which enlightens every person coming into the world. It was in the world, but, although the world existed through it, the world did not recognize him. He came into what was his own, and his own did not accept him. Whoever did accept him—to them he gave authority to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were begotten not from bloodlines, nor from the will of flesh, nor from the will of a man, but from God.

The word became flesh and resided among us; we saw his glory, glory as of an only child close to a father, full of grace and truth. 

The last Sunday of Advent marks a transition from anticipating God’s restoration of God’s people to confidence that this restoration is actually under way. Today’s first reading, from the book of Micah, looks forward to the birth of a child in Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. In the New Testament, Jesus’ Davidic lineage supports his messianic identity. Both options for today’s psalm emphasize God’s exaltation of those who are weak and not highly regarded by others. Today’s second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews pursues the theme of God’s choice of unlikely vehicles of grace, arguing that, in the world to come, Jesus’ crucified body serves just as offerings in the Temple do in this world. Finally, today’s Gospel reading sets out the intimate, prophetic connection between the births of John the Baptist and Jesus.

The First Reading
Micah 5:2-5a
A Davidic King for an Ideal Age

Watching the tumultuous fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, the Judean prophet Micah envisions a period of peace under a new King David who will emerge from Bethlehem—David’s birthplace—and rule in an ideal age. The image of a woman in labor (verse 3) is a common metaphor for the hardships that will befall the people of Israel in immediate anticipation of the messianic age of restoration and peace.
—

2. But you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, insignificant among the families of Judah—
   from you will emerge for me one to rule in Israel,
   whose ancestry is of old, from ancient times.
3. Indeed, God shall leave them be until the laboring woman has given birth,
   when the remainder of his kin return for the sake of the people of Israel.
4. He shall stand and shepherd in the strength of the Lord,
   in the splendor of the name of the Lord, his God.
   But they shall endure, for this time the ruler shall be exalted to the ends of the earth.
5. And this will mean peace.

The Psalm
Luke 1:46b-55
Mary’s Song

Luke’s Gospel attributes this hymn, the Magnificat, to Jesus’ mother, Mary, at the time of her meeting with her cousin, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist). Its title derives from the Latin equivalent of the verb “exalt” in the first line. Anticipating the significance of her child’s birth and her own role, Mary articulates the themes of God’s exaltation of the lowly and rejection of human arrogance. These themes echo those of Hannah’s song, which she sang to celebrate bringing the prophet Samuel into the world (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Thus, the Magnificat appears in the New Testament as a continuation of the psalms and prophecy of the Scriptures of Israel.
—

1. Mary said:
2. 46b. “My soul exalts the Lord,

47.      and my spirit exults in God my savior,
48. since God esteemed me, God’s servant, in humble condition.
    So that, look: From this moment, all generations will consider me favored,
49. because the one who is powerful has done great things for me.
    Indeed, God’s name is holy,
50. and God’s mercy is for generations and generations
    among those who fear God,
51. who has acted with a mighty arm:
    scattering the arrogant in their hearts’ purpose,
52. taking down the powerful from thrones,
    and exalting the humble;
53. who has filled up the hungry with good
    and dispatched the rich away empty.
54. God supported Israel as a child, keeping mercy in mind,
55. just as God spoke to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to Abraham’s seed forever.”

or Psalm 80:1-7
A Plea for the Renewal of the Kingdom of Israel

The psalmist bemoans the Israelites’ loss of sovereignty over their land, with special reference to the Northern Kingdom (including the tribes of Joseph, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh), which was conquered by Assyria in 722 BCE. In the face of this loss, the psalmist pleads for and anticipates God’s renewal of the Kingdom of Israel. We read the psalmist’s message today as supporting the confidence—central on the Fourth Sunday of Advent—that God’s restoration of God’s people is truly under way.
—

To the conductor, according to “lilies,” a testimony of Asaph, an accompanied psalm.

1. Shepherd of Israel—listen!—
   leading Joseph like a flock,
   astride the cherubim,
   unveil your splendor,
2.      before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh!
   Awaken your might,
   and come as deliverance for us!
3. God, restore us;
   shine your face towards us so that we shall be rescued!
4. Lord, God of heavenly divisions, for how long will you remain angry at your people’s prayer?
5. You have fed them the bread of weeping,
   and made them drink a full measure of tears.
6. You have made us an object of reproach to our neighbors,
   and our enemies snicker to themselves.
7. God of heavenly divisions, restore us;
   shine your face towards us so that we shall be rescued!

The Second Reading
Hebrews 10:5-10
Jesus as the Fulfillment of Animal Sacrifice

Today’s reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews argues in detail that the literal requirements of sacrifice set out in the Scriptures of Israel were intended for this world, not for the world to come that Jesus opens up. Even as sacrifices serve effectively to atone for sin in the earthly Temple, they also set the pattern for the offering of Jesus’ body to remove sin entirely for the time that is to come. The word order of Psalm 40, adjusted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews so as to apply to Jesus, provides scriptural support for the argument.
—

Coming into the world, the Anointed says:
Sacrifice and offerings you do not desire; yet you provided me a body. You take no
pleasure in burnt-offerings or sin-offerings. Then I said, “Here! I have come! In a
book-scroll, it is written for me: To do your will, God.”
First he states that God does not want or take pleasure in sacrifices, oblations, burnt-offerings, and sin-offerings, although these things are offered according to the Law. Then he asserts, “Here, I have come…to do your will.” He takes the first away in order to establish the second, with the intent that we be sanctified by the offering of the body of Anointed Jesus once for all time.

The Gospel
Luke 1:39-45, [46-55]
Mary’s Declaration of the Grace of Jesus’ Birth

The Gospel reading for today indicates the context in which Mary declared her song of praise, in addition to repeating the song itself. The song is traditionally known as the Magnificat for reasons explained in the introduction to the first option for today’s psalm. The story here begins just after the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she is to bear a son, whom she should name Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel, the angelic declaration concerning Jesus’ birth is similar to the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth, and in this reading the two mothers meet and acknowledge one another.
—

Mary arose in those days and eagerly traveled into the hills, to a town of Judea; she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby actually jumped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with holy Spirit. She cried out with a great shout and said, “You are blessed among women, and the fruit of your womb is blessed! How can this be, that my Lord’s mother comes to me? Look: As the sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby in my womb jumped in exultation. The woman is favored who believed that there will be

• [Mary said:
• “My soul exalts the Lord,
  and my spirit exults in God my savior,
• since God esteemed me, God’s servant, in humble condition.
  So that, look: From this moment, all generations will consider me favored,
• because the one who is powerful has done great things for me.
  Indeed, God’s name is holy,
• and God’s mercy is for generations and generations
  among those who fear God,
• who has acted with a mighty arm:
  scattering the arrogant in their hearts’ purpose,
• taking down the powerful from thrones,
  and exalting the humble;
• who has filled up the hungry with good
  and dispatched the rich away empty.
• God supported Israel as a child, keeping mercy in mind,
• just as God spoke to our ancestors,
  to Abraham and to Abraham’s seed forever.”]

More than the other liturgical seasons of the year, Advent focuses on the future, when God’s vindication of God’s people will come to fruition. This theme, emerging from Israelite expectations of divine restoration, animates today’s first reading from the book of Zephaniah. That passage looks forward to a divine rescue of the people of Israel, one in which those unjustly humiliated are restored and those driven away are gathered together again. Although God’s gracious action is to culminate in the future, divine mercy is already evident in God’s provision in the present (Isaiah 12:2-6). Paul expresses confidence in that provision particularly in his letter to the Philippians, despite his writing it when he was awaiting Roman trial (Philippians 4:4-7). The Gospel reading for today sets out the ethical imperatives that go along with placing trust in God’s judgment.

The First Reading
Zephaniah 3:14-20
The Joy of Israel’s Restoration

This reading from the book of Zephaniah directs to the people of Israel at the beginning of the seventh century BCE an oracle of restoration and return to their homes and homeland. In the context of Advent, the excerpt underscores the continuity of God’s redemptive purpose.
—

14. Sing out, daughter of Zion;
    raise a cry, Israel!
    Rejoice and exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem!
15. The Lord has overturned your judgment;
    God has turned aside your enemies.
    The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you need not fear evil any longer.
16. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion!
    Let your hands not sink in despair!
17. The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
    a saving warrior.
    God will rejoice over you in happiness;
    God will renew you^[1] in God’s love.
    God will rejoice over you with a ringing cry.
18. Those who suffered^[2] from the appointed time—[when] I punished you—
    were an expiation tax^[3] on Jerusalem, a reproach.
19. At that time, I will act against all who humble you,
    and I will rescue any who stumbles,
    and any who was driven away I will gather up.
    And I will make them an object of praise and a name in all the land in which they were shamed.
20. At that time, I will bring you,
    and at the time I will gather you:
    then I will make you a name and an object of praise among all the peoples of the earth,
    when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.

The Psalm
Isaiah 12:2-6
Joyfully Make Known God’s Works

Writing in reference to the Assyrian invasions of Israel and Judah (eighth century BCE), the prophet Isaiah offers a hymn to God as the one who rescues from trouble. The prophet exhorts the people of God to follow him in trusting God’s deliverance and declaring through song the joy and confidence God’s deliverance brings.
—

2. Behold, God is my rescue!
   I will trust and not fear.
   For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and my song and has been my rescue.
3. In joy you will draw water from the wells of deliverance.
4. And you will say on that day,
   give thanks to the Lord;
   call upon God’s name;
   announce among the peoples God’s actions;
   make known that God’s name is exalted!
5. Praise the Lord with music, for God has acted majestically;
   this is known in all the land.
6. Shout and sing out in joy, inhabitant of Zion!—
   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

The Second Reading
Philippians 4:4-7
Exhortation to Joy and Peace

The Apostle Paul exhorts the believers in Philippi to rejoice and to pray with thankfulness, despite any difficulty or opposition, because the Lord is near. Paul assures them that through prayer they can experience God’s peace as they stand united in the Anointed Jesus.
—

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your considerateness be known by everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything—by prayer and petition with thankfulness—let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which exceeds all human reasoning, will guard your hearts and your minds in the Anointed Jesus. 

The Gospel
Luke 3:7-18
John the Baptist’s Proclamation

Alongside anticipating God’s future acts, John the Baptist set out ethical demands for how people should conduct themselves in the present as they prepare for divine judgment. As presented in Luke’s Gospel in particular, John included even soldiers in his announcement, although they were far from the traditional definition of the people of God.
—

Then he was saying to the crowds traveling out to be immersed by him: “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? So: make fruit worthy of repentance! Do not even begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have a father—Abraham,’ because I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise children for Abraham! The axe is already laid into the root of the trees: so every tree not making good fruit is cut out and thrown into fire.”

The crowds questioned him and said, “So what shall we do?” He answered and said to them, “One who has two tunics should give to the one who has none! And one who has food should do likewise!” Tax-agents also came to be immersed and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” To them he said, “No transactions beyond what is authorized for you!” And even soldiers questioned him, saying, “And what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Extort from no one, and do not gouge! And make do with your wages.” In the people’s anticipation, everyone debated in their hearts concerning John, if perhaps he were the Anointed. John answered them all, saying, “I indeed immerse you in water, but the one stronger than I am comes, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loosen. He himself will immerse you in holy Spirit and fire. His pitchfork is in hand to clear out the threshing floor and to gather the grain into the storehouse, but the refuse he will incinerate with unquenchable fire.” So John exhorted in many other ways and announced to the people.

---

Advent’s emphasis on the finality of divine judgment for the world is deeply embedded in the Scriptures of Israel. Baruch’s prophecy (Baruch 5:1-9) stresses the joy of judgment, because God’s coming for Jerusalem both vindicates and enhances righteousness; Malachi anticipates a heavenly messenger who will announce the full purification that is to come (Malachi 3:1-4), a role assigned to John the Baptist in the Gospels. John, in fact, is the child who lies at the center of the canticle of Zechariah, which serves as today’s psalm (Luke 1:68-79). Paul’s Letter to the Philippians exemplifies how the anticipation of divine judgment in early Christian expectation focused on “the day of the Anointed Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-11), when Jesus, raised from the dead, becomes the instrument of God’s intervention. Today’s Gospel reading places John the Baptist in time, but also stresses his significance for the end of time as anticipated in the Scriptures of Israel.

The First Reading
Baruch 5:1-9
The Vindication of Jerusalem

The book of Baruch appears in the Apocrypha, meaning that it is part of the Greek version of the Scriptures of Israel (the Septuagint) but is not found in the Hebrew Bible. It presents as though it expresses the perspective of the time of Jeremiah, and its author claimed that the book was written by Jeremiah’s scribe. The book’s author in fact wrote it after the crisis of the second century BCE, however, when foreign rulers threatened to convert the Temple in Jerusalem into a shrine to Zeus.
—

Jerusalem: Remove the clothing of your mourning and affliction; put on the beauty that forever comes from God’s glory. Clothe yourself with the cloak of righteousness from God; set upon your head the diadem of the Eternal’s glory. God will show your splendor to every place under heaven; your name from God will forever be called, “Righteous reconciliation, worshipful glory.”

Arise, Jerusalem: Stand on the height and look towards the east. See your children brought together from west and east by the command of the Holy One, rejoicing that God has remembered. They went away from you on foot, led by enemies, but God will lead them back to you, carried in glory like a royal throne. God has directed every high mountain and ancient hill to be brought low, and valleys to be filled up, making the ground level so that Israel can proceed safely in God’s glory. Forests and every pleasing tree shade Israel at God’s direction. God shall personally lead Israel with joy in the light of his glory, with the mercy and righteousness that come from God.

or Malachi 3:1-4
God Comes with Purifying Power

In the period of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, the prophet Malachi announces the imminent appearance of God, anticipated by a heavenly messenger. When God comes, Temple worship will be restored to its proper practice and purpose.
—

Look! I am sending my messenger who will clear a path before me. Suddenly, the ruler whom you seek will arrive at the Temple. The messenger of the covenant, for whom you yearn—look!—he is coming, says the Lord of the heavenly divisions. Who can endure the day when he comes, and who will stand fast when he appears? For he is like a smelter’s fire and launderers’ lye. He will judge as a smelter, a purifier of silver, to purify the Levites and to refine them like gold and silver, so that they will properly bring offerings to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and of Jerusalem will please the Lord, as in ancient days and former times.

The Psalm
Luke 1:68-79
Blessing God for Present and Future Vindication

Luke’s Gospel uniquely includes a series of canticles—psalm-like poetic compositions—within its narrative of Jesus’ birth. In this case, Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, celebrates John’s birth and anticipates his role in the vindication of Israel.
—

The Lord God of Israel is blessed, having intervened and made redemption for God’s people, and raising for us a horn of salvation in the House of David, God’s servant, just as was promised from the beginning through the mouth of God’s holy prophets:
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, to do mercy with our
ancestors, and to remember the holy covenant. This is the oath that God swore to Abraham, our forefather:
to grant that we, being delivered from the hand of enemies, can without fear worship Godin proper piety and righteousness all our days. And you, child, shall be called Most High’s prophet:
because you will proceed before the Lord to prepare the Lord’s way,
to give knowledge of salvation to the people, by release of their sins,
through our God’s urgent compassion, by which the dawn from on high intervenes for us,
to shine on those in darkness and those residing in death’s shadow,
and to direct our feet into a peaceful way.

The Second Reading
Philippians 1:3-11
Paul’s Prayer of Thankfulness for the Philippian Believers’ Partnership

In the opening of his letter to the believers in Philippi, Paul expresses in prayer his thankfulness for their partnership. Paul’s prayer captures his deep affection for the Philippians and his gratitude for their having partnered with him during his imprisonment and trial in Rome. Paul is confident that their actions will work to their advantage at the coming divine judgment in connection with “the day of the Anointed Jesus.”
—

I always thank my God with every remembrance of you. In every prayer for you all, I make my request with joy because of your partnership in the proclamation of God’s victory from that first day until now. I have always believed that the One who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of the Anointed Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart in that you really are all partakers with me in the grace both of my imprisonment and of my defense and vindication of God’s victory proclamation. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the urgent compassion of the Anointed Jesus. I pray that your love may yet increase more and more, in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve that which is best, and so that you might be pure and blameless for the day of the Anointed, being filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus the Anointed to the glory and praise of God.

The Gospel
Luke 3:1-6
John the Baptist’s Appearance

In all of the Gospels, John the Baptist’s significance lies in how he prepares the way for Jesus, and so prepares the way for God’s judgment. Luke’s Gospel sets the key prophetic statement (from Isaiah 40:3), which Luke attributes to John, in a specific historical context.
—

In the fifteenth year of Caesar Tiberius’ government, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod regional administrator of Galilee, while Philip his brother was regional administrator of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias regional administrator of Abilene, during Annas’ and Caiaphas’ high priesthood, God’s message came upon John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. And he came into every surrounding land of the Jordan, announcing an immersion of repentance for sins’ release. Thus it has been written in the book of the prophet Isaiah’s words: “Voice of one calling in the wilderness—Prepare the Lord’s way; make God’s paths straight. Every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill brought down. And it shall be: the crooked, straight and the rough, smooth ways. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Advent begins the liturgical year of the church. The season focuses on what God does to bring creation to its fulfillment. It builds on the anticipation of Jesus’ birth long ago to suggest what God will do in a future that we do not yet know. In the passage for today from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of himself as coming in judgment as the powers of this world melt away. In today’s passage from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul’s charge to the community of believers in Thessalonica articulates the Advent theme that expectation of God’s action in the future demands ethical engagement in the present. Psalm 25 joins in the living sense of a current connection with God. The Scriptures of Israel are accorded special consideration during Advent because they articulate promises that Jesus and the New Testament insist are in the process of being realized. In today’s first reading, Jeremiah envisions the reconciliation of the peoples of Israel under a descendant of David; the Gospels portray Jesus as that son of David.

The First Reading
Jeremiah 33:14-16
A Promise of Future Restoration

In this reading, the prophet reassures those experiencing the trauma of exile that God’s word of promise is reliable. Despite the inevitability of the humiliation they are facing, the people can count on God’s promise to bring justice and vindication to both the northern and southern kingdoms of biblical Israel through a true, future descendant of King David.
—

Look! Days are coming—word of the Lord—when I will establish the good thing that I have promised to the House of Israel and the House of Judah. In those days, at that time, I will make a true branch sprout for David, who will realize justice and vindication for the country: in those days Judah will be rescued and Jerusalem will rest in safety. So it will be called: “The Lord is our vindication.”

The Psalm
Psalm 25:1-10
A Prayer for God’s Protection and Compassion

Psalm 25 alternates between petitions for God’s compassionate forgiveness of sin and pleas for the divine wisdom to ensure the psalmist will avoid future transgression. This reading is particularly appropriate for Advent, a time of self-correction and instruction.
—

Of David.

1. For you, Lord, I yearn with all that I am!
2. My God, in you I place my trust.
   May I not suffer humiliation;
   let not my enemies exult over me!
3. May those who eagerly await you not suffer humiliation;
   let those who act treacherously be humiliated!
4. Declare your paths to me, Lord;
   teach me your ways!
5. Lead me along your paths of truth;
   teach me, for you are the God of my deliverance;
   I have always eagerly awaited you.
6. Remember your compassion, Lord, and your steadfast love,
   for they are eternal.
7. The transgressions of my youth and my sins remember not;
   in keeping with your steadfast love, remember me,
   on account of your goodness, Lord.
8. Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore God instructs sinners in the correct way.
9. God leads the disadvantaged with justice,
   teaching God’s path to the impoverished.
10. All the ways of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness
    for those who keep God’s covenant and decrees.

The Second Reading
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13
A Prayer for the Believers in Thessalonica

Paul’s prayer for the believers in Thessalonica is an encouragement and example to pray for God’s strengthening of their faith as they continue to love one another, especially in anticipation of the Lord’s arrival.
—

What thanks can we possibly give back to God for you in Thessalonica, for all the joy in which we rejoice before God because of you? We pray earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and provide what is lacking in your faith.

Now, may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus guide our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we do for you, in order to establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the arrival of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. 

The Gospel
Luke 21:25-36
The Human Being Coming in Judgment

Luke’s Gospel balances two factors in its presentation of Jesus’ speech concerning his coming in judgment. From the outset, Luke insists in Jesus’ name that the powers of the present world are to be set aside. At the same time, this disturbing prospect accompanies the fundamental ground of hope that God’s unfolding intervention in the world signals the vindication of those who are righteous. Keen anticipation of this result encourages prayerful observation and alertness.
—

Jesus continued to say: “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on earth, torment of nations in anxiety at the roar of the sea and the waves, people fainting away from fear and dread of the things coming upon the inhabited world, because the powers in the heavens shall be shaken. And then they shall see this human being coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, straighten up and lift your heads, since your redemption approaches!”

And he offered them a comparison: “Look—the fig tree and all the trees. Once they have put forth shoots, you see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. In this same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Amen I say to you, that this generation shall not pass until all things happen. Heaven and earth will pass, but my words shall not pass. So take heed of yourselves, so your hearts are not loaded down with depravity and drunkenness and everyday worries and then that day bursts upon you, like a trap. For it will come upon all those who dwell upon the face of all the earth. Rather, stay alert at every moment, praying that you are strong enough to flee all these things that are about to happen and to stand at the end before this human being.”

This feast day takes its name from the Latin word for “announcement,” and refers to when, in the Gospel according to Luke, Mary received the news of Jesus’ birth from the angel Gabriel. In the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible, the word commonly translated as “angel” in fact refers to a “messenger” of God, whose purpose is to relate God’s will. Indeed, the name Gabriel itself means “God is my strength” in Hebrew. The readings that culminate in today’s Gospel portion all relate to how God’s might is manifested in birth and marital relations, as well as when people seek to do God’s will.

The First Reading
Isaiah 7:10-14
A Sign of Deliverance

In the first of today’s readings, the nation of Judah and its king, Ahaz, face a profound threat from two kings to their north, Rezin of Syria and Pekah of Israel. In the midst of this political crisis, Ahaz refuses to receive Isaiah’s word, perhaps in fear of its implications. Isaiah nevertheless declares that word—a sign of deliverance from the immediate threat. The promise is set within the span of time marked by a pregnancy and the newborn’s weaning. The fulfillment of that promised deliverance will confirm for the king and people what the child’s name declares, that “God is with us.”
—

The Lord spoke again to Ahaz: “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, be it as deep as Sheol or stretching high above.” But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask, so that I do not test the Lord.”

So Isaiah said, “Listen, then, House of David: Is it not enough for you to exasperate people, that you exasperate my God, too? Therefore, my Lord indeed will give you a sign. Here—this young woman is pregnant and will give birth to a son. She will name him, ‘Immanuel.’”

The Psalm
Psalm 45
A Poem for a Royal Wedding

Psalm 45 extols an unnamed Israelite king and the princess who is about to become his bride. The king is just and powerful; his bride, beautiful and adorned in gold. The reference in verse 6 to the king as God’s anointed is one foundation for the Christian understanding that the king depicted here is Jesus. This interpretation, however, ignores many of the psalm’s other details. The psalm’s distinctive first verse deserves note. Uniquely among the psalms, the author here refers to his own poetic impulse and skill (verse 1).
—

For the director, according to “Lilies,” of the sons of Korah, a poem of discernment, a song of love.

1. My heart is stirred by a good thing.
   I recite my verses to a king.
   My tongue is the pen of a skilled scribe.
2. You are the most beautiful among men.
   Grace is poured out on your lips.
   Therefore, God blesses you always.
3. Strap your sword onto your thigh, mighty one!—
   your splendor and majesty!
4. In your majesty, find success!
   Ride in the cause of truth and righteous humility.
   May your right hand make you skilled in awesome deeds!
5. Your arrows are sharp—
   nations will fall under you!—
   into the heart of the king’s enemies.
6. Your throne—wondrous king!—forever and ever.
   A scepter of fairness is the scepter of your reign.
7. You love justice and hate evil.
   Therefore, wondrous king, your God anointed you
   with oil of gladness, over your companions.
8. Myrrh, aloes, and cassia-cinnamon infuse all your garments.
   From ivory palaces, stringed instruments give you joy.
9. Daughters of kings are among your prized women.
   The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
10. Listen, daughter! Look! Turn your ear!
    Forget your people and your father’s house.
11.      The king craves your beauty.
    Since he is your lord,
    bow to him.
12. With a gift, daughter of Tyre, the richest of people will seek your favor.
13. All-glorious, a king’s daughter is within, her raiment of embroidered gold.
14.      In many-colored cloth she is led to the king.
    Maidens, her attendants, after her are brought to you.
15.      They are led in happiness and joy.
    They enter a royal palace.
16. Your sons will take the place of your ancestors.
    You will appoint them princes throughout the land.
17. I will commemorate your name in every generation.
    Therefore, nations will praise you forever and ever.

or Psalm 40:5-10
Proclaiming God’s Greatness

The psalmist declares the need publicly to extol God’s wonders and mighty deeds that rescue God’s followers from harm. Such public proclamation follows God’s instruction (verse 8) and pleases God even more than animal sacrifice (verse 6). The portion of the psalm in this reading reflects on God’s past actions in redeeming the psalmist from danger. In the verses that follow, which are excluded here, the psalmist sets out the hope that God similarly will offer protection from threats and dangers that the psalmist currently faces.
—

5. Many deeds have you yourself done, Lord, my God—
   your wonderous plans for us!
   None compare to you.
   Were I to open my mouth and speak these things,
   they would be more than can be told!
6. Sacrifice and offerings you do not desire—
   you have opened my ears.
   A burnt- or sin-offering you do not demand.
7. Then I said, “Here! I have come!
   In a book-scroll, it is written for me:
8.      To do your will, my God, is my desire.
   Your instruction is at my core.”
9. I reported tidings of righteousness in a vast congregation.
   I will not restrain my lips,
   you know, Lord.
10. Your righteousness I did not hide within my heart.
    Your faithfulness and redeeming power I have told.
    I have not concealed your steadfast love and fidelity
    for a vast congregation.

The Second Reading
Hebrews 10:4-10
Jesus as the Fulfillment of Animal Sacrifice

The Epistle to the Hebrews argues in detail that the literal requirements of sacrifice set out in the Scriptures of Israel were intended for this world, not the world to come that Jesus opens up. Even as sacrifices serve effectively to atone for sin in the earthly Temple, they also set the pattern for the offering of Jesus’ body to remove sin entirely for the time that is to come. The word order of Psalm 40, today’s alternate psalm reading, adjusted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews so as to apply to Jesus, provides scriptural support for the argument.
—

It is simply impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to remove sin. That is why, when Jesus comes into the world, he says:
Sacrifice and offerings you do not desire; yet you provided me a body. You take no
pleasure in burnt-offerings or sin-offerings. Then I said, “Here! I have come! In a
book-scroll, it is written for me: To do your will, God.”
First he states that God does not want or take pleasure in sacrifices, oblations, burnt-offerings, and sin-offerings, although these things are offered according to the Law. Then he asserts, “Here, I have come…to do your will.” He rejects the first in order to establish the second, with the intent that we be sanctified by the offering of the body of Anointed Jesus once for all time.

The Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
Gabriel’s Announcement to Mary

Gabriel’s visit to Mary focuses attention on Jesus’ identity as God’s son and David’s heir from his birth. Gabriel announces that because holy Spirit will be involved in the conception of the child, the resultant birth is holy. In this section of Luke’s Gospel, as in Jewish tradition, holy Spirit refers to God’s self-disclosure to favored individuals. It is not the same as the later conception of the third component of the Trinity. Similarly, Luke here presents Jesus as son of God in the holiness of his birth, not as divine in trinitarian terms.
—

In the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist], the messenger Gabriel was sent from God to a Galilean town named Nazareth, to go to a maiden contracted in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, from David’s line, and the name of the maiden was Mary. Gabriel went to her and said, “Greetings, God-favored: The Lord is with you!” But she was shaken through at the word, puzzled at what sort of address this could be. The messenger said to her, “Do not fear, Mary, because you have found grace with God. Look: You will conceive in the womb and give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called Most High’s son, and the Lord God will give him his father David’s throne, to reign over Jacob’s house forever; of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the messenger, “How will this be, since I am not intimate with a husband?” The messenger replied and said to her, “Over you holy Spirit will come, and Most High’s power will overshadow you: that which is produced as holy will be called God’s son. And look: Elizabeth is your relative—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who is called barren! Not a single thing God says will be impossible.” Mary said, “Here is the Lord’s servant; may it happen to me according to what you say!” And the messenger went away from her.

See Holy Week Years A, B, & C for Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday