Second Sunday in Lent

1Verse 1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. 2Verse 2. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3Verse 3. Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4Verse 4. “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5Verse 5. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6Verse 6. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. 7Verse 7. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 15Verse 15. Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah. 16Verse 16. And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”

13Verse 13. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14Verse 14. For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless, 15Verse 15. because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 16Verse 16. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17Verse 17. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist. 18Verse 18. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19Verse 19. Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. 20Verse 20. Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21Verse 21. being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised. 22Verse 22. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23Verse 23. Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, 24Verse 24. but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited— for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25Verse 25. He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.

31Verse 31. Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. 32Verse 32. He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33Verse 33. But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 34Verse 34. Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 35Verse 35. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. 36Verse 36. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Verse 37. Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38Verse 38. If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

2Verse 2. After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. 3Verse 3. His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them. 4Verse 4. And Elijah and Moses appeared before them, talking with Jesus. 5Verse 5. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters — one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6Verse 6. For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say. 7Verse 7. Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him!” 8Verse 8. Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus. 9Verse 9. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus admonished them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.