Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁹ How can a young man stay pure? By reading your Word and following its rules. ¹⁰ I have tried my best to find you—don’t let me wander off from your instructions. ¹¹ I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin.

¹² Blessed Lord, teach me your rules. ¹³ I have recited your laws ¹⁴ and rejoiced in them more than in riches. ¹⁵ I will meditate upon them and give them my full respect. ¹⁶ I will delight in them and not forget them.

2 In early October of the same year, the Lord sent them this message through Haggai:

² “Ask this question of the governor and High Priest and everyone left in the land:

³ “‘Who among you can remember the Temple as it was before? How glorious it was! In comparison, it is nothing now, is it? ⁴ But take courage, O Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people; take courage and work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty. ⁵ For I promised when you left Egypt that my Spirit would remain among you; so don’t be afraid.’

⁶ “For the Lord Almighty says, ‘In just a little while I will begin to shake the heavens and earth—and the oceans, too, and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and the Desire of All Nations^[a] shall come to this Temple, and I will fill this place with my glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ^8-9 ‘The future splendor of this Temple will be greater than the splendor of the first one! For I have plenty of silver and gold to do it! And here I will give peace,’^[b] says the Lord.”

²⁰ Another message came to Haggai from the Lord that same day:

²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, ‘I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, ²² to overthrow thrones, destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow their armed might, and brothers and companions will kill each other. ²³ But when that happens, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, and honor you like a signet ring upon my finger; for I have specially chosen you,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

³⁴ “Die?” asked the crowd. “We understood that the Messiah would live forever and never die. Why are you saying he will die? What Messiah are you talking about?”

³⁵ Jesus replied, “My light will shine out for you just a little while longer. Walk in it while you can, and go where you want to go before the darkness falls, for then it will be too late for you to find your way. ³⁶ Make use of the Light while there is still time; then you will become light bearers.”^[a]

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

³⁷ But despite all the miracles he had done, most of the people would not believe he was the Messiah. ³⁸ This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: “Lord, who will believe us? Who will accept God’s mighty miracles as proof?”^{[b] 39} But they couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said: ⁴⁰ “God^[c] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they can neither see nor understand nor turn to me to heal them.” ⁴¹ Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he made this prediction, for he had seen a vision of the Messiah’s glory.

⁴² However, even many of the Jewish leaders believed him to be the Messiah but wouldn’t admit it to anyone because of their fear that the Pharisees would excommunicate them from the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴ Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are really trusting God. ⁴⁵ For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer wander in the darkness. ⁴⁷ If anyone hears me and doesn’t obey me, I am not his judge—for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. ⁴⁸ But all who reject me and my message will be judged at the Day of Judgment by the truths I have spoken. ⁴⁹ For these are not my own ideas, but I have told you what the Father said to tell you. ⁵⁰ And I know his instructions lead to eternal life; so whatever he tells me to say, I say!”