Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Lord Appoints Isaiah to Speak for Him

6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was seated on his throne. His long robe filled the temple. He was highly honored. ² Above him were seraphs. Each of them had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces. With two wings they covered their feet. And with two wings they were flying. ³ They were calling out to one another. They were saying,

⁴ The sound of their voices caused the stone doorframe to shake. The temple was filled with smoke.

⁵ “How terrible it is for me!” I cried out. “I’m about to be destroyed! My mouth speaks sinful words. And I live among people who speak sinful words. Now I have seen the King with my own eyes. He is the Lord who rules over all.”

⁶ A seraph flew over to me. He was holding a hot coal. He had used tongs to take it from the altar. ⁷ He touched my mouth with the coal. He said, “This has touched your lips. Your guilt has been taken away. Your sin has been paid for.”

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord. He said, “Who will I send? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me!”

A psalm of David.

¹² Brothers and sisters, we have a duty. Our duty is not to live under the power of sin. ¹³ If you live under the power of sin, you will die. But by the Spirit’s power you can put to death the sins you commit. Then you will live.

¹⁴ Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves. Otherwise you would live in fear again. Instead, the Holy Spirit you received made you God’s adopted child. By the Spirit’s power we call God Abba. Abba means Father. ¹⁶ The Spirit himself joins with our spirits. Together they tell us that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the signs you are doing.”

³ Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “They can’t go back inside their mother! They can’t be born a second time!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit. ⁶ People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.”

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus. “Don’t you understand these things? ¹¹ What I’m about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We are witnesses about what we have seen. But still you people do not accept what we say. ¹² I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man. ¹⁴ Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. ¹⁵ Then everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

¹⁶ God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. ¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.