Advent Reflections – Longing for Irresistibility (Third Sunday of Advent)

Isaiah 61:1-4 Common English Bible (CEB)

Joyful proclamations

61 The Lord God’s spirit is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me
to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release for captives,
and liberation for prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and a day of vindication for our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³to provide for Zion’s mourners,
to give them a crown in place of ashes,
oil of joy in place of mourning,
a mantle of praise in place of discouragement.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
planted by the Lord to glorify himself.
⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
they will restore formerly deserted places;
they will renew ruined cities,
places deserted in generations past.

Isaiah 61:8-11 Common English Bible (CEB)

⁸I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and dishonesty.^[a]
I will faithfully give them their wage,
and make with them an enduring covenant.
⁹ Their offspring will be known among the nations,
and their descendants among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize
that they are a people blessed by the Lord.

¹⁰ I surely rejoice in the Lord;
my heart is joyful because of my God,
because he has clothed me with clothes of victory,
wrapped me in a robe of righteousness
like a bridegroom in a priestly crown,
and like a bride adorned in jewelry.
¹¹ As the earth puts out its growth,
and as a garden grows its seeds,
so the Lord God will grow righteousness and praise before all the nations.

Psalm 126 Common English Bible (CEB)

A pilgrimage song.

126 When the Lord changed Zion’s circumstances for the better,
it was like we had been dreaming.
² Our mouths were suddenly filled with laughter;
our tongues were filled with joyful shouts.
It was even said, at that time, among the nations,
The Lord has done great things for them!
³ Yes, the Lord has done great things for us,
and we are overjoyed.

⁴ Lord, change our circumstances for the better,
like dry streams in the desert waste!
⁵ Let those who plant with tears
reap the harvest with joyful shouts.
⁶ Let those who go out,
crying and carrying their seed,
come home with joyful shouts,
carrying bales of grain!

Luke 1:46-55 Common English Bible (CEB)

Mary praises God

⁴⁶ Mary said,

With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
⁴⁷ In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
⁴⁸ He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
⁴⁹ because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
⁵⁰ He shows mercy to everyone,
from one generation to the next,
who honors him as God.
⁵¹ He has shown strength with his arm.
He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
⁵² He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty-handed.
⁵⁴ He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
⁵⁵ just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Common English Bible (CEB)

¹⁶ Rejoice always. ¹⁷ Pray continually. ¹⁸ Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹ Don’t suppress the Spirit. ²⁰ Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, ²¹ but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. ²² Avoid every kind of evil. ²³ Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. ²⁴ The one who is calling you is faithful and will do this.

John 1:6-8 Common English Bible (CEB)

⁶ A man named John was sent from God. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. ⁸ He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light.

John 1:19-28 Common English Bible (CEB)

John’s witness

¹⁹ This is John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰ John confessed (he didn’t deny but confessed), “I’m not the Christ.”

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

John said, “I?m not.”

“Are you the prophet?”

John answered, “No.”

²² They asked, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied,

“I am a voice crying out in the wilderness,
Make the Lord’s path straight,^[a]

just as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴ Those sent by the Pharisees ²⁵ asked, “Why do you baptize if you aren’t the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”

²⁶ John answered, “I baptize with water. Someone greater stands among you, whom you don’t recognize. ²⁷ He comes after me, but I’m not worthy to untie his sandal straps.?” ²⁸ This encounter took place across the Jordan in Bethany where John was baptizing.