Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father.
60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.”
61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.”
62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him.
63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed.
64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God.
65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea.
66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his child David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 46 (NRSV)
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar; the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice; the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations;
I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Scripture Reading: Luke 23:33-43 (NRSV)
33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
[[34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”
36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of
condemnation?
41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”
43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”