¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(A) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(B) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(C) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(D)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(E) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(F)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(G) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified^(A)

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.^{(B) 2} The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!”^(C) And they slapped him in the face.^(D)

Paul’s Labor for the Church

²⁴ Now I rejoice^(A) in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions,^(B) for the sake of his body, which is the church.^(C)

²⁶ Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(A) But he has appeared^(B) once for all^(C) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^{(D) 27} Just as people are destined to die once,^(E) and after that to face judgment,^{(F) 28} so Christ was sacrificed once^(G) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(H) not to bear sin,^(I) but to bring salvation^(J) to those who are waiting for him.^(K)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus,^(C) the pioneer^(D) and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,^(E) scorning its shame,^(F) and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.^(G)