Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Servant of the Lord
49 Listen to Me, O islands. Listen, you people from far away. The Lord called Me before I was born. From the body of My mother he said My name. 2 He has made My mouth like a sharp sword. He has hidden Me in the shadow of His hand. He has made Me a shining arrow, keeping Me in His secret place. 3 And He said to Me, “You are My Servant Israel, in Whom I will show My shining-greatness.” 4 But I said, “My work has been for nothing. I have spent My strength for nothing. Yet for sure what should come to Me is with the Lord, and My reward is with My God.”
5 And now the Lord speaks, Who made Me before I was born to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him. For I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and My God is My strength. 6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the family groups of Jacob, and to bring back those of Israel I have kept safe. I will also make You a light to the nations, so that men over all the earth can be saved from the punishment of their sins.” 7 This is what the Lord, the One Who saves Israel, and its Holy One, says to the hated One, to the One hated by the nations, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up. Rulers will also bow down, because of the Lord Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel Who has chosen You.”
A Prayer of an Old Man
71 I have a safe place in you, O Lord. Let me never be ashamed. 2 Because You are right and good, take me out of trouble. Turn Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be a rock to me where I live, where I may always come and where I will be safe. For You are my rock and my safe place. 4 O my God, take me from the hand of the sinful, from the hand of the wrong-doer and the man without pity. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord God. You are my trust since I was young. 6 You have kept me safe from birth. It was You Who watched over me from the day I was born. My praise is always of You.
7 I have become a wonder and surprise to many. For You are my strong safe place. 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your honor all day long. 9 Do not let me fall by the way when I am old. Do not leave me alone when my strength is gone. 10 For those who hate me talk against me. Those who want to kill make plans together. 11 They say, “God has turned away from him. Run and catch him, for there is no one to take him out of trouble.”
12 O God, do not be far from me! O my God, hurry to help me! 13 Let those who are against me be ashamed and destroyed. Let those who want to hurt me be without honor and covered with shame. 14 But as for me, I will always have hope and I will praise You more and more.
Christ Is the Power and Wisdom of God
18 Preaching about the cross sounds foolish to those who are dying in sin. But it is the power of God to those of us who are being saved from the punishment of sin. 19 The Holy Writings say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise people. I will put aside the learning of those who think they know a lot.” (A) 20 Where is the man who is wise? Where is the man who thinks he knows a lot? Where is the man who thinks he has all the answers? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 In His wisdom, He did not allow man to come to know Him through the wisdom of this world. It pleased God to save men from the punishment of their sins through preaching the Good News. This preaching sounds foolish. 22 The Jews are looking for something special to see. The Greek people are looking for the answer in wisdom. 23 But we preach that Christ died on a cross to save them from their sins. These words are hard for the Jews to listen to. The Greek people think it is foolish. 24 Christ is the power and wisdom of God to those who are chosen to be saved from the punishment of sin for both Jews and Greeks. 25 God’s plan looked foolish to men, but it is wiser than the best plans of men. God’s plan which may look weak is stronger than the strongest plans of men.
God’s Wisdom—Human Wisdom
26 Christian brothers, think who you were when the Lord called you. Not many of you were wise or powerful or born into the family of leaders of a country. 27 But God has chosen what the world calls foolish to shame the wise. He has chosen what the world calls weak to shame what is strong. 28 God has chosen what is weak and foolish of the world, what is hated and not known, to destroy the things the world trusts in. 29 In that way, no man can be proud as he stands before God. 30 God Himself made the way so you can have new life through Christ Jesus. God gave us Christ to be our wisdom. Christ made us right with God and set us apart for God and made us holy. Christ bought us with His blood and made us free from our sins. 31 It is as the Holy Writings say, “If anyone is going to be proud of anything, he should be proud of the Lord.”
The Greek People Want to See Jesus
20 Some Greek people had come to worship at the religious gathering. They were among the others who had come to worship. 21 These Greek people came to Philip. He was from the city of Bethsaida in the country of Galilee. They said to him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus!” 22 Philip went and told Andrew. Then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
The Law of Life
23 Jesus said to them, “The hour is near for the Son of Man to be taken to heaven to receive great honor. 24 For sure, I tell you, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will only be a seed. If it dies, it will give much grain. 25 Anyone who loves his life will lose it. Anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it forever. 26 If anyone wants to serve Me, he must follow Me. So where I am, the one who wants to serve Me will be there also. If anyone serves Me, My Father will honor him.
27 “Now My soul is troubled. Should I say, ‘Father, save Me from this time of trouble and pain’? No, this is why I came to this time. 28 Father, honor Your name!”
The People Hear the Voice of God
Then a voice from heaven came, saying, “I have already honored My name. I will honor it again!” 29 The people heard the voice. Some who stood there said, “It was thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to Him.” 30 Jesus said, “The voice did not come for Me, but it came to be a help to you.
Jesus Tells How He Will Die
31 “Now this world is being told it is guilty. Now the leader of this world will be thrown out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will attract all people toward Me.” 33 He said this to tell the kind of death He was going to die.
34 The people said to Him, “The Law of Moses says that the Christ is to live forever. Why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus said to them, “The Light will be with you for a little while yet. Go on your way while you have the Light so you will not be in the dark. When a man is walking in the dark, he does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the Light, put your trust in the Light. Then you will be the sons of the Light.” Jesus said these things and then went away. He hid Himself from them.
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