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Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Advent of the Nativity
The Prophet Daniel and The Three Young Men
Scriptural Readings:
December 17th, 2010
Friday of Gaudete (Advent 3)
Daniel the Prophet and the Three Young Men
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
December 17, 2010 - Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 33:1-24; Revelation 5:1-14
Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:11-12)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” So, it is no wonder that the hosts of heaven sing and shout, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” Here we learn that the eternal glory of God is wrapped upon the Lamb who was slain, crucified for us on the altar of the cross of Calvary.
What is central to heaven? The Lamb. What is central to our faith? The Lamb. What is central to our worship? The Lamb and His Body and Blood. What is the proof of sins forgiven? The Lamb slain for us. What is the proof of our triumph over death? The Lamb who is alive and reigns forever. See? Everything is about the Lamb.
Jesus is that Lamb. Jesus is the One who has done all these things for us. He is the One who is the center of our faith and life and worship and eternal life. He is the One who is worshiped in eternity and who is worthy of all of our praise and thanksgiving.
Jesus isn't just the “reason for the season,” He's the reason for all of our hope and joy. He is the source of our life and our champion against sin, death, the devil and hell.
It is the Lamb whose blood has washed us in Holy Baptism and made our robes white. It is the Lamb whose sacrifice has pardoned us from the sentence of death. It is the Lamb whose Body and Blood are eaten and drunk, so that the Angel of Death will pass over us. It is the Lamb who stands eternally and forever alive again to be our peace and comfort and hope and joy. Worthy is the Lamb, indeed! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
The Lamb, the Lamb, One perfect final offering. The Lamb, the Lamb, Let earth join heav'n His praise to sing. Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own! The Lamb is reigning on His throne! (LSB 547:2)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
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Collect
Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Is. 33:1-24
O LORD, Be Gracious to Us
1(A) Ah, you destroyer,
who yourself have not been destroyed,you traitor,
whom none has betrayed!When you have ceased to destroy,
you will be destroyed;and when you have finished betraying,
they will betray you.
2O LORD, be gracious to us;(B) we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble. 3(C) At the tumultuous noise peoples flee;
when you lift yourself up, nations are scattered, 4and your spoil is gathered as the caterpillar gathers;
(D) as locusts leap, it is leapt upon.
5(E) The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high;
he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, 6(F) and he will be the stability of your times,
abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is Zion’s[a] treasure.
7Behold, their heroes cry in the streets;
(G) the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8(H) The highways lie waste;
the traveler ceases.(I) Covenants are broken;
cities[b] are despised;
there is no regard for man. 9(J) The land mourns and languishes;
Lebanon is confounded and withers away;Sharon is like a desert,
and Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.
10(K) "Now I will arise," says the LORD,
"now I will lift myself up;
now I will be exalted. 11(L) You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble;
your breath is(M) a fire that will consume you. 12And the peoples will be as if burned to lime,
(N) like thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire."
13Hear, you who are far off, what I have done;
and you who are near, acknowledge my might. 14The sinners in Zion are afraid;
trembling has seized the godless:(O) "Who among us can dwell(P) with the consuming fire?
Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" 15(Q) He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
who despises the gain of oppressions,who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe,
who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed
(R) and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, 16he will dwell on the heights;
his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks;
(S) his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.
17(T) Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty;
(U) they will see a land that stretches afar. 18(V) Your heart will muse on the terror:
"Where is he who counted, where is(W) he who weighed the tribute?
Where is(X) he who counted the towers?" 19(Y) You will see no more the insolent people,
the people(Z) of an obscure speech that you cannot comprehend,
stammering in a tongue that you cannot understand. 20Behold Zion, the city of our appointed feasts!
(AA) Your eyes will see Jerusalem,
an untroubled habitation, an(AB) immovable tent,whose stakes will never be plucked up,
nor will any of its cords be broken. 21But there the LORD in majesty will be for us
a place of(AC) broad rivers and streams,(AD) where no galley with oars can go,
nor majestic ship can pass. 22For the LORD is our(AE) judge; the LORD is our(AF) lawgiver;
the LORD is our(AG) king; he will save us.
23Your cords hang loose;
they cannot hold the mast firm in its place
or keep the sail spread out.(AH) Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided;
even(AI) the lame will take the prey. 24And no inhabitant will say,(AJ) "I am sick";
(AK) the people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity.
Footnotes:Isaiah 33:6 Hebrew his Isaiah 33:8 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll witnesses
Cross references:Isaiah 33:1 : Isaiah 21:2; Isaiah 17:14 Isaiah 33:2 : Isaiah 25:9; 26:8 Isaiah 33:3 : Isaiah 17:13; 2 Kgs 19:7 Isaiah 33:4 : Joel 2:4, 5 Isaiah 33:5 : Isaiah 2:17; 5:15, 16 Isaiah 33:6 : Isaiah 39:8 Isaiah 33:7 : Isaiah 36:22; 2 Kgs 18:37 Isaiah 33:8 : Judg 5:6 Isaiah 33:8 : Isaiah 33:1; 2 Kgs 18:14-17 Isaiah 33:9 : Isaiah 24:4; Nah 1:4 Isaiah 33:10 : Psalm 12:5; 68:1; Isaiah 10:26 Isaiah 33:11 : Isaiah 59:4; Psalm 7:14 Isaiah 33:11 : Isaiah 10:16, 17; Psalm 80:16 Isaiah 33:12 : Isaiah 33:11 Isaiah 33:14 : Psalm 15:1; 24:3 Isaiah 33:14 : Isaiah 66:15; Heb 12:29 Isaiah 33:15 : Psalm 15:2; 24:4 Isaiah 33:15 : Psalm 119:37 Isaiah 33:16 : Isaiah 30:23, 25 Isaiah 33:17 : Isaiah 6:5; Zech 9:9 Isaiah 33:17 : Isaiah 54:2, 3 Isaiah 33:18 : Psalm 37:10 Isaiah 33:18 : 2 Kgs 18:14 Isaiah 33:18 : Psalm 48:12 Isaiah 33:19 : 2 Kgs 19:32, 33 Isaiah 33:19 : Isaiah 28:11; Deut 28:49, 50 Isaiah 33:20 : Isaiah 32:18 Isaiah 33:20 : Isaiah 33:6 Isaiah 33:21 : Psalm 46:4, 5 Isaiah 33:21 : Isaiah 2:16; Psalm 48:7 Isaiah 33:22 : Judg 2:16 Isaiah 33:22 : James 4:12 Isaiah 33:22 : 1 Sam 12:13 Isaiah 33:23 : Gen 49:27 Isaiah 33:23 : Psalm 68:12 Isaiah 33:24 : Isaiah 1:5, 6 Isaiah 33:24 : Isaiah 1:25, 26; Jer 50:20
Second Reading: Rev. 5:1-14
The Scroll and the Lamb
1Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne(A) a scroll written within and on the back,(B) sealed with seven seals. 2And(C) I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?" 3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold,(D) the Lion(E) of the tribe of Judah,(F) the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."
6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw(G) a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with(H) seven eyes, which are(I) the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders(J) fell down before the Lamb,(K) each holding a harp, and(L) golden bowls full of incense,(M) which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang(N) a new song, saying,
"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,for(O) you were slain, and by your blood(P) you ransomed people for God
from(Q) every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and you have made them(R) a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth."
11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering(S) myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice,(T) "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13And I heard(U) every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14And the four living creatures(V) said, "Amen!" and the elders(W) fell down and worshiped.
Cross references:Revelation 5:1 : Ezek 2:9, 10 Revelation 5:1 : Isa 29:11; Dan 12:4 Revelation 5:2 : Revelation 10:1; 18:21 Revelation 5:5 : Gen 49:9 Revelation 5:5 : Heb 7:14 Revelation 5:5 : Revelation 22:16; Isa 11:1, 10; Rom 15:12 Revelation 5:6 : Revelation 5:9, 12; Revelation 13:8; Isa 53:7; John 1:29, 36; 1 Pet 1:19 Revelation 5:6 : Zech 3:9; 4:10 Revelation 5:6 : Revelation 1:4 Revelation 5:8 : Revelation 4:10 Revelation 5:8 : Revelation 14:2; 15:2 Revelation 5:8 : Revelation 15:7 Revelation 5:8 : Revelation 8:3, 4; Psalm 141:2 Revelation 5:9 : Revelation 14:3; Psalm 33:3 Revelation 5:9 : Revelation 5:6 Revelation 5:9 : Revelation 14:3, 4; 2 Pet 2:1 Revelation 5:9 : Revelation 7:9; 11:9; 14:6; Dan 3:4 Revelation 5:10 : Revelation 1:6 Revelation 5:11 : Dan 7:10; Heb 12:22 Revelation 5:12 : Revelation 4:11 Revelation 5:13 : Psalm 145:21; 150:6 Revelation 5:14 : Revelation 7:12; 19:4 Revelation 5:14 : Revelation 5:8; Revelation 4:10
Friday Father Reading
"There is only one door to your house, and that house is the temple of God. Therefore it is wrong and completely improper, O man, that through that door by which the King enters, you should bring forth filth and foulness, but rather that you should abstain from all uncleanness, and then you should take the Body and Blood of Christ, and carefully guard your mouth by which the King enters. Never again are you allowed, O man, to utter from your mouth words of uncleanness." [St. James Nisibis. "Sermon III: On Fasting." 4th Century]
All Scripture Readings: English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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