Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Good News of Deliverance
61 “The Spirit of the Lord[a] is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed
and[b] to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness[c] for the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
the[d] day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a mantle of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”
“Then people will call them[e] “Oaks of Righteousness”,
“The Planting of the Lord”,
in order to display his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore the places long devastated;
they will build again the ruined cities,
they will build again[f] the places devastated for many generations.
8 “For I, the Lord, love justice,
and[a] I hate robbery and iniquity;
I will faithfully present your reward[b]
and make an everlasting covenant with you.[c]
9 Your[d] offspring will be known among the nations,
and your[e] descendants among the people.[f]
All who see them will acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.”
Rejoicing in God’s Deliverance
10 “I will heartily rejoice in the Lord,
my soul will delight in my God;
for he has wrapped me in garments of salvation;
he has arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
just like a bridegroom,
like a priest[g] with a garland,
and like a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For just as the soil brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden makes what is sown within it spring up,
so the Lord God[h] will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all the nations for Zion’s sake.”[i]
A Song of Ascents
The Exiles Restored
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Then Mary said,
“My soul praises the greatness of the Lord!
47 My spirit exults in God, my Savior,
48 because he has looked favorably on his humble servant.
From now on, all generations will call me blessed,
49 because the Almighty has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
50 His mercy lasts from generation to generation
for those who fear him.
51 He displayed his mighty power with his arm.
He scattered people who were proud in mind and heart.[a]
52 He pulled powerful rulers from their thrones
and lifted up humble people.
53 He filled hungry people with good things
and sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful,
55 according to the promise he made[b] to our ancestors—
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
16 Always be joyful. 17 Continually be prayerful. 18 In everything be thankful, because this is God’s will for you in the Messiah[a] Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.[b] 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. 22 Keep away from every kind of evil.
Final Greeting
23 May the God of peace himself make you holy in every way. And may your whole being—spirit, soul, and body—remain blameless when our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[c] appears. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will continue to be faithful.[d]
The Testimony of John the Baptist(A)
19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] sent priests and descendants of Levi to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He spoke openly and, remaining true to himself,[b] admitted, “I am not the Messiah.”[c]
21 So they asked him, “Well then, are you Elijah?”
John[d] said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 “Who are you?” they asked him. “We must give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 He replied, “I am
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those men[g] had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why, then, are you baptizing if you are not the Messiah,[h] or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I am baptizing with[i] water, but among you stands a man whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This happened in Bethany[j] on the other side[k] of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
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