Lessons for December 23, 2008 – Fourth Sunday of Advent

The first lesson

Isaiah 7:10-16
 
    Not long after this, the Lord sent this message to King Ahaz: [11] "Ask me for a sign, Ahaz, to prove that I will crush your enemies as I have promised. Ask for anything you like, and make it as difficult as you want."  [12] But the king refused. "No," he said, "I wouldn't test the Lord like that." [13] Then Isaiah said, "Listen well, you royal family of David! You aren't satisfied to exhaust my patience. You exhaust the patience of God as well! [14] All right then, the Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel—'God is with us.' [15] By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. [16] But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much—the kings of Israel and Aram—will both be dead.  (NLT) 

Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

L.  Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Israel like a flock.
C.  O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
L.  display your radiant glory to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
C.  Show us your mighty power. Come to rescue us!
L.  Turn us again to yourself, O God.
C.  Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
L.  O Lord God Almighty, how long will you be angry and reject our prayers? 
C.  You have fed us with sorrow and made us drink tears by the bucketful. 
L.  You have made us the scorn of neighboring nations.
C.  Our enemies treat us as a joke.
L.  Turn us again to yourself, O God Almighty.
C.  Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. 
L.  Strengthen the man you love, the son of your choice. 
C.  Then we will never forsake you again.
L.  Revive us so we can call on your name once more.
C.  Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God Almighty.
L.  Make your face shine down upon us.
C.  Only then will we be saved.  (NLT)
 
The second lesson

Romans 1:1-7 

    This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. [2] This Good News was promised long ago by God through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. [3] It is the Good News about his Son, Jesus, who came as a man, born into King David's royal family line. [4] And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit. [5] Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. [6] You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ, [7] dear friends in Rome. God loves you dearly, and he has called you to be his very own people. May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  (NLT)
 
The Gospel Lesson

Matthew 1:18-25
 
    Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. [19] Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.  [20] As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. [21] And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22] All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:
 
    [23] "Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
        She will give birth to a son,
    and he will be called Immanuel
        (meaning, God is with us)."
 
[24] When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, [25] but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.  (NLT)