FIRST READING:
Isaiah
7: 10
- 14; 8:
10
10
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,
11
"Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or
high as heaven."
12
But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to
the test."
13
And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for
you to weary men, that you weary my God also?
14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall
be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
10
Take counsel together, but it will come to nought; speak a word, but
it will not stand, for God is with us.
PSALM: Psalms 40: 7 - 11
7
Then I said, "Lo, I come; in the roll of the book it is written
of me;
8 I
delight to do thy will, O my God; thy law is within my heart."
9 I
have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; lo,
I have not restrained my lips, as thou knowest, O LORD.
10
I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy
faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast
love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.
11
Do not thou, O LORD, withhold thy mercy from me, let thy steadfast
love and thy faithfulness ever preserve me!
SECOND READING: Hebrews 10: 4 - 10
4 For it is impossible that the blood
of bulls and goats should take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into
the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not
desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
thou hast taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, `Lo, I have come to do
thy will, O God, 'as it is written of me in the roll of the book."
8 When he said above, "Thou hast
neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and
burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according
to the law),
9 then he added, "Lo, I have come
to do thy will." He abolishes the first in order to establish
the second.
10 And by that will we have been
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for
all.
GOSPEL: Luke 1: 26 - 38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel
was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary.
28 And he came to her and said, "Hail,
full of grace, the Lord is with you!"
29 But she was greatly troubled at the
saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might
be.
30 And the angel said to her, "Do
not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great, and will be called
the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34 And Mary said to the angel, "How
shall this be, since I have no husband?"
35 And the angel said to her, "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy,
the Son of God.
36 And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth
in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month
with her who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing will be
impossible."
38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am
the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
And the angel departed from her.
