Open Word

FIRST READING

Baruch 5:1-9

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

FIRST READING

Malachi 3:1-4

Verse 1. “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple — the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight — see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. Verse 2. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. Verse 3. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Verse 4. Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.

PSALM

Luke 1:68-79

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,

as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,

the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,

in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,

to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

SECOND READING

Philippians 1:3-11

Verse 3. I thank my God every time I remember you. Verse 4. In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, Verse 5. because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, Verse 6. being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Verse 7. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. For in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel, you are all partners in grace with me. Verse 8. God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Verse 9. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, Verse 10. so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, Verse 11. filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

GOSPEL

Luke 3:1-6

Verse 1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, Verse 2. during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. Verse 3. He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Verse 4. as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Verse 5. Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. Verse 6. And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”