Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
3 The Lord who rules over all says, “I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for.”
2 But who can live through the day when he comes? Who will be left standing when he appears? He will be like a fire that makes things pure. He will be like soap that makes things clean. 3 He will act like one who makes silver pure. And he will purify the Levites, just as gold and silver are purified with fire. Then these men will bring proper offerings to the Lord. 4 And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to him. It will be as it was in days and years gone by.
68 “Give praise to the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to his people and purchased their freedom.
69 He has acted with great power and has saved us.
He did it for those who are from the family line of his servant David.
70 Long ago holy prophets said he would do it.
71 He has saved us from our enemies.
We are rescued from all who hate us.
72 He has been kind to our people of long ago.
He has remembered his holy covenant.
73 He made a promise to our father Abraham.
74 He promised to save us from our enemies.
Then we could serve him without fear.
75 He wants us to be holy and godly as long as we live.
76 “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him.
77 You will tell his people how they can be saved.
You will tell them that their sins can be forgiven.
78 All of that will happen because our God is tender and caring.
His kindness will bring the rising sun to us from heaven.
79 It will shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
It will guide our feet on the path of peace.”
Paul Prays and Gives Thanks
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy. 5 I am happy because you have joined me in spreading the good news. You have done so from the first day until now. 6 God began a good work in you. And I am sure that he will carry it on until it is completed. That will be on the day Christ Jesus returns.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God’s grace together with me. 8 God is my witness that I long for all of you. I love you with the love that Christ Jesus gives.
9 I pray that your love will grow more and more. And let it be based on knowledge and understanding. 10 Then you will be able to know what is best. Then you will be pure and without blame for the day that Christ returns. 11 You will be filled with the fruit of right living produced by Jesus Christ. All these things bring glory and praise to God.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 Tiberius Caesar had been ruling for 15 years. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. His brother Philip was the ruler of Iturea and Traconitis. Lysanias was ruler of Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. 3 He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. 4 Here is what is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet. It says,
“A messenger is calling out in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.
5 Every valley will be filled in.
Every mountain and hill will be made level.
The crooked roads will become straight.
The rough ways will become smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3–5)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.