Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Servant Brings Salvation
49 Coastlands,[a] listen to me;
distant peoples, pay attention.
The Lord called(A) me before I was born.
He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.(B)
2 He made my words like a sharp sword;(C)
He hid me in the shadow of His hand.(D)
He made me like a sharpened arrow;
He hid me in His quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are My Servant, Israel;(E)
I will be glorified in him.”
4 But I myself said: I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and futility;
yet my vindication is with the Lord,
and my reward is with my God.
5 And now, says the Lord,
who formed me from the womb to be His Servant,
to bring Jacob back to Him
so that Israel might be gathered to Him;
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God is my strength—
6 He says,
“It is not enough for you to be My Servant
raising up the tribes of Jacob
and restoring the protected ones of Israel.
I will also make you a light for the nations,(F)
to be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”(G)
7 This is what the Lord,
the Redeemer(H) of Israel, his Holy One, says
to one who is despised,
to one abhorred by people,[b](I)
to a servant of rulers:
“Kings will see and stand up,
and princes[c] will bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel(J)—and He has chosen you.”(K)
Psalm 71
God’s Help in Old Age
1 Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
2 In Your justice, rescue and deliver me;
listen closely to me and save me.(B)
3 Be a rock of refuge for me,
where I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
for You are my rock and fortress.(C)
4 Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.(D)
5 For You are my hope, Lord God,
my confidence from my youth.(E)
6 I have leaned on You from birth;
You took me from my mother’s womb.(F)
My praise is always about You.(G)
7 I have become an ominous sign to many,
but You are my strong refuge.(H)
8 My mouth is full of praise
and honor to You all day long.(I)
9 Don’t discard me in my old age;
as my strength fails, do not abandon me.(J)
10 For my enemies talk about me,
and those who spy on me plot together,(K)
11 saying, “God has abandoned him;
chase him and catch him,
for there is no one to rescue him.”(L)
12 God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.(M)
13 May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed;
may those who seek my harm
be covered with disgrace and humiliation.(N)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise You more and more.(O)
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.(A) 19 For it is written:
20 Where is the philosopher?[b] Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age?(C) Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish? 21 For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached. 22 For the Jews ask for signs(D) and the Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified,(E) a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.[c] 24 Yet to those who are called,(F) both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, 25 because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Boasting Only in the Lord
26 Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective,[d] not many powerful,(G) not many of noble birth. 27 Instead, God has chosen(H) what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world(I)—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one[e] can boast in His presence.(J) 30 But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became God-given wisdom for us—our righteousness,(K) sanctification,(L) and redemption,(M) 31 in order that, as it is written:(N) The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.(O)[f]
Jesus Predicts His Crucifixion
20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip,(A) who was from Bethsaida(B) in Galilee,(C) and requested of him, “Sir,(D) we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip went and told Andrew;(E) then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man(F) to be glorified.
24 “I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat(G) falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop.[a](H) 25 The one who loves his life will lose it,(I) and the one who hates(J) his life(K) in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant(L) also will be.(M) If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor(N) him.
27 “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me(O) from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name!”[b](P)
Then a voice(Q) came from heaven:(R) “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”(S)
29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for Me, but for you.(T) 31 Now is the judgment of this world.(U) Now the ruler of this world(V) will be cast out.(W) 32 As for Me, if I am lifted up[c] from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.”(X) 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.(Y)
34 Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from the scripture that the Messiah will remain forever.(Z) So how can You say, ‘The Son of Man(AA) must be lifted up’?[d] Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer.(AB) Walk while you have the light(AC) so that darkness doesn’t overtake you.(AD) The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going.(AE) 36 While you have the light,(AF) believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.(AG)
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