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Daily Readings:
Saints/Martyrs/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: the Advent of the Nativity
Scriptural Readings:
December 22nd, 2010
Wednesday of Rorate coeli (Advent 4)
Read today's Higher Things Daily Reflection
December 22, 2010 - Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:1-24; Revelation 9:13-10:11
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,...who was crucified, died and was buried. What does this mean?...who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, (Small Catechism, The Creed, Second Article)
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When Joseph first heard that Mary was with child, he was going to divorce her quietly. But the angel came to him and told him not to fear, but to marry her and to name the child “Jesus”, because “He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). Even among those who celebrate Christmas as a holiday of Christ, there is confusion and forgetfulness as to what it is they're celebrating. The point of Christmas isn't just that Jesus is born. Why is He born? The Creed reminds us: to suffer and die and buy us back from our sins at the price of His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
There is a tendency to make the arrival of our Lord something soft and quiet and peaceful. But it was far from that. A stinky stable, on the run from Herod's soldiers, a life of hardship, and finally an arrest, fake trial, brutal beating, flogging, mockery, crucifixion, suffering and death. And then resurrection and life!
Christmas can't really be celebrated apart from Good Friday and Easter. The Son of God didn't come into the world to look cute and sell holiday cards. He came to suffer and die precisely because you want to make Him into some other kind of God than He is. We want a religion that makes us feel good. Christ is born to give us a religion that saves us and rescues us from sin and death.
And how do you know that price was paid for you? Because that holy, precious blood and that innocent suffering and death are poured upon you at the font, preached into your ears from the pulpit and fed into your mouth in the Supper. The Jesus of Christmas is the Jesus of Good Friday and Easter. He is that Jesus for you. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Hail! Hosanna, David's Son! Jesus, hear our supplication! Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown, Bring us blessing and salvation, That forever we may sing: Hail! Hosanna to our King. (LSB 350:4)
Questions or comments regarding the Reflections may be sent to the Rev. Mark Buetow, Reflectons Editor, reflections@higherthings.org.
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Collect
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Is. 43:1-24
Israel’s Only Savior
1But now thus says the LORD,(A) he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:(B) "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
(C) I have called you by name, you are mine. 2(D) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;(E) when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you. 3For(F) I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.(G) I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and(H) Seba in exchange for you. 4Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life. 5(I) Fear not, for I am with you;
(J) I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you. 6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;bring(K) my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."
8Bring out(L) the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears! 9(M) All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true. 10(N) "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and(O) my servant whom I have chosen,that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.(P) Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me. 11(Q) I, I am the LORD,
and besides me there is no savior. 12I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and(R) you are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and I am God. 13Also(S) henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?"
14Thus says the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:(T) "For your sake I send to Babylon
and(U) bring them all down as fugitives,
(V) even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice. 15I am the LORD, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King."
16Thus says the LORD,
(W) who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters, 17who(X) brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;they lie down, they cannot rise,
(Y) they are extinguished,(Z) quenched like a wick: 18(AA) "Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old. 19(AB) Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?(AC) I will make a way in the wilderness
(AD) and rivers in the desert. 20The wild beasts will honor me,
(AE) the jackals and the ostriches,(AF) for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself(AG) that they might declare my praise.
22"Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but(AH) you have been weary of me, O Israel! 23(AI) You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.I have not burdened you with offerings,
(AJ) or wearied you with frankincense. 24You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
Cross references:Isaiah 43:1 : Isaiah 44:2, 21, 24 Isaiah 43:1 : Isaiah 41:14 Isaiah 43:1 : Isaiah 45:3, 4; Gen 32:28 Isaiah 43:2 : Psalm 66:12 Isaiah 43:2 : Isaiah 42:25; Dan 3:25, 27 Isaiah 43:3 : Exodus 20:2 Isaiah 43:3 : Isaiah 45:14; 52:3, 4 Isaiah 43:3 : Psalm 72:10 Isaiah 43:5 : Isaiah 41:10, 13, 14; 44:2; Jer 30:10, 11 Isaiah 43:5 : Isaiah 49:12; Isaiah 60:8, 9; Psalm 107:3 Isaiah 43:6 : 2 Cor 6:18 Isaiah 43:8 : Isaiah 42:19 Isaiah 43:9 : Isaiah 41:1, 21, 22 Isaiah 43:10 : Isaiah 43:12; Isaiah 44:8 Isaiah 43:10 : Isaiah 42:1 Isaiah 43:10 : Isaiah 41:4 Isaiah 43:11 : Isaiah 45:21; Hos 13:4 Isaiah 43:12 : Isaiah 43:10 Isaiah 43:13 : Isaiah 41:4; Psalm 90:2; John 8:58 Isaiah 43:14 : Isaiah 43:4 Isaiah 43:14 : Isaiah 47:1 Isaiah 43:14 : Isaiah 23:13 Isaiah 43:16 : Isaiah 51:10; Exodus 14:21, 22; Psalm 77:19 Isaiah 43:17 : Exodus 14:4-9 Isaiah 43:17 : Psalm 76:5, 6 Isaiah 43:17 : Isaiah 1:31; Psalm 118:12 Isaiah 43:18 : Jer 16:14; 23:7 Isaiah 43:19 : Isaiah 42:9; 2 Cor 5:17; Rev 21:5 Isaiah 43:19 : Isaiah 35:8 Isaiah 43:19 : Isaiah 41:18; 48:21 Isaiah 43:20 : Isaiah 13:22 Isaiah 43:20 : Isaiah 49:10 Isaiah 43:21 : Psalm 79:13; Psalm 22:3; 105:1; Luke 1:74, 75; 1 Pet 2:9 Isaiah 43:22 : Mic 6:3 Isaiah 43:23 : Amos 5:25 Isaiah 43:23 : Isaiah 43:22
Second Reading: Rev. 9:13-10:11
13Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from(A) the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release(B) the four angels who are bound at(C) the great river Euphrates." 15So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released(D) to kill a third of mankind. 16The number of(E) mounted troops was(F) twice ten thousand times ten thousand;(G) I heard their number. 17And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire[a] and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were(H) like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.
20The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues,(I) did not repent of(J) the works of their hands nor give up worshiping(K) demons(L) and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, 21nor did they repent of their murders or their(M) sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
The Angel and the Little Scroll
1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with(N) a rainbow over his head, and(O) his face was like the sun, and(P) his legs like pillars of fire. 2(Q) He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3and called out with a loud voice,(R) like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. 4And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying,(S) "Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down." 5And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land(T) raised his right hand to heaven 6and swore by(U) him who lives forever and ever,(V) who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7but that(W) in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled,(X) just as he announced to his servants[b] the prophets.
8Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 9So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me,(Y) "Take and(Z) eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." 10And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11And I was told,(AA) "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings."
Footnotes:Revelation 9:17 Greek hyacinth Revelation 10:7 Greek bondservants
Cross references:Revelation 9:13 : Exodus 30:3 Revelation 9:14 : Revelation 7:1 Revelation 9:14 : Revelation 16:12 Revelation 9:15 : Revelation 8:7 Revelation 9:16 : Ezek 38:4 Revelation 9:16 : Psalm 68:17; Dan 7:10 Revelation 9:16 : Revelation 7:4 Revelation 9:17 : 1 Chr 12:8; Isa 5:28, 29 Revelation 9:20 : Revelation 2:21 Revelation 9:20 : Deut 31:29; Jer 1:16; 25:14 Revelation 9:20 : 1 Cor 10:20 Revelation 9:20 : Psalm 115:4-7; 135:15-17; Dan 5:23 Revelation 9:21 : Revelation 21:8; 22:15; Gal 5:20 Revelation 10:1 : Ezek 1:28 Revelation 10:1 : Revelation 1:16; Matt 17:2 Revelation 10:1 : Revelation 1:15 Revelation 10:2 : Revelation 10:8-10 Revelation 10:3 : Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2 Revelation 10:4 : Dan 8:26; 12:4, 9; Revelation 22:10 Revelation 10:5 : Gen 14:22 Revelation 10:6 : Revelation 4:9 Revelation 10:6 : Revelation 4:11 Revelation 10:7 : Revelation 11:15 Revelation 10:7 : Amos 3:7 Revelation 10:9 : Ezek 2:8; 3:1-3 Revelation 10:9 : Jer 15:16 Revelation 10:11 : Ezek 37:4
Wednesday Father Reading
"What was the most precious of all things to God, that is, His only-begotten Son, He gave for us, His enemies; and not only did He give Him for us, but also set Him for us upon the holy table." [St. Chrysostom. "Homily 25 on St. Matthew." 5th 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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