Daily Lectionary

December 29, 2018

December 28, 2018 December 30, 2018

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

Isaiah 55:1-13

Come to the Water

55¹Hey,^[] all of you who are thirsty, come to the water,

even if you have no money!

Come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

²Why do you spend money on something that is not bread?

Why do you waste your labor on something that does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.

Satisfy your appetite with rich food.

³Turn your ear toward me, and come to me.

Listen, so that you may continue to live.

The Creator's Everlasting Covenant

Yes, I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

the faithful mercies promised to David.

⁴Look, I appointed him as a witness for peoples,

a leader and commander of peoples.

⁵Look, you will call out to a nation you do not know,

and a nation that does not know you will run to you,

on account of the Lord your God,

because of the Holy One of Israel,

for he has glorified you.

⁶Seek the Lord while he may be found!

Call on him while he is near!

⁷Let the wicked man abandon his way.

Let an evil man abandon his thoughts.

Let him turn to the Lord,

and he will show him mercy.

Let him turn to our God,

because he will abundantly pardon.

⁸Certainly my plans are not your plans,

and your ways are not my ways, declares the Lord.

⁹Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways,

and my plans are higher than your plans.

¹⁰Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky

and do not return there

unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout,

so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

¹¹in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth

will not return to me empty.

Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please,

and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.

¹²Yes, you will go out with joy,

and in peace you will be carried along.

The mountains and the hills will break out in shouts of joy before you,

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

¹³Instead of thorns, a fir tree will grow up.

Instead of briers, a myrtle tree will grow up.

This will make a name for the Lord.

It will serve as an everlasting sign that will not be cut off.

Luke 1:1-25

Introduction

1¹Many have undertaken to compile an account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, ²an account like those handed down to us by those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word from the beginning. ³For this reason, it seemed good to me also, since I followed everything closely from the beginning, to write an orderly account to you, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things you were taught.

The Angel Gabriel Appears to Zechariah

⁵In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and righteous decrees of the Lord. ⁷They did not have a child because Elizabeth was unable to bear children, and they were both well along in years. ⁸On one occasion, while Zechariah was serving as priest before God and his division was on duty, ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰The whole crowd of people were praying outside the temple during the hour of the incense offering.

¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome by fear. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear a son for you, and you are to name him John. ¹⁴You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵because he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. ¹⁶He will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”

¹⁸Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this, because I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years?”

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you in order to tell you this good news. ²⁰Now listen, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at the proper time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering what was taking him so long in the temple. ²²When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them and remained unable to speak.

²³When the days of his priestly service were completed, he went back to his home.

²⁴After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived. She kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me in the days when he looked with favor on me and took away my disgrace among the people.”