Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord and His Sheep
23 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” (A) This is the Lord’s declaration. 2 “Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who tend my people: You have scattered my flock,(B) banished them, and have not attended to them.(C) I am about to attend to you because of your evil acts”—this is the Lord’s declaration. 3 “I will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands where I have banished them,(D) and I will return them to their grazing land. They will become fruitful and numerous.(E) 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will tend them.(F) They will no longer be afraid or discouraged, nor will any be missing.”(G) This is the Lord’s declaration.
The Righteous Branch of David
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,(A)
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.(B)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us(C)
in the house of his servant David,(D)
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;(E)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(F)
and remembered his holy covenant(G)—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(H)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(I)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,(J)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(K)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high(L) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(M)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
11 being strengthened(A) with all power,(B) according to his glorious(C) might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you[a] to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.(D) 13 He has rescued(E) us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom(F) of the Son(G) he loves.(H) 14 In him we have redemption,[b] the forgiveness of sins.
The Centrality of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God,(I)
the firstborn over all creation.(J)
16 For everything was created by him,(K)
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him and for him.(L)
17 He is before all things,(M)
and by him all things(N) hold together.
18 He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,(O)
the firstborn from the dead,(P)
so that he might come to have
first place in everything.
19 For God was pleased to have
all his fullness(Q) dwell in him,(R)
20 and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace(S)
through his blood,(T) shed on the cross.[c](U)
33 When(A) they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father,(B) forgive(C) them, because they do not know what they are doing.”[a](D) And they divided his clothes and cast lots.(E)
35 The(F) people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing:(G) “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” (H) 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine(I) 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,(J) save yourself!”
38 An inscription was above him:[b] This Is the King of the Jews.
39 Then(K) one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at[c] him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God,(L) since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”(M) 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me[d](N) when you come into your kingdom.”(O)
43 And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”(P)
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