December 28 - Luke 3.21-38, Ezekiel 42-43 and Isaiah 63
December 28 - Luke 3.21-38, Ezekiel 42-43 and Isaiah 63
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The Baptism of Jesus
The Ancestors of Jesus
 23When Jesus began to preach, he was about thirty years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph. But his family went back through Heli, 24Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, 25Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, 26Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda;
27Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, 28Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, 29Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi;
30Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, 31Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, 32Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon;
33Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, 34Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, 35Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah;
36Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, 37Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, 38Enosh, and Seth.
The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God.
The Sacred Rooms for the Priests Ezekiel 42 1-2After the man and I left the temple and walked back to the outer courtyard, he showed me a set of rooms on the north side of the west building. This set of rooms was one hundred seventy feet long and eighty-five feet wide. 3On one side of them was the thirty-four feet of open space that ran alongside the temple, and on the other side was the sidewalk that circled the outer courtyard. The rooms were arranged in three levels 4with doors that opened toward the north, and in front of them was a walkway seventeen feet wide and one hundred seventy feet long. 5The rooms on the top level were narrower than those on the middle level, and the rooms on the middle level were narrower than those on the bottom level. 6The rooms on the bottom level supported those on the two upper levels, and so these rooms did not have columns like other buildings in the courtyard. 7-8To the north was a privacy wall eighty-five feet long, 9-10and at the east end of this wall was the door leading from the courtyard to these rooms.There was also a set of rooms on the south side of the west building. 11These rooms were exactly like those on the north side, and they also had a walkway in front of them. 12The door to these rooms was at the east end of the wall that stood in front of them.
13The man then said to me:
The Size of the Temple Area 15After the man had finished measuring the buildings inside the temple area, he took me back through the east gate and measured the wall around this area. 16He used his measuring stick to measure the east side of this wall; it was eight hundred forty feet long. 17-19Then he measured the north side, the south side, and the west side of the wall, and they were each eight hundred forty feet long, 20and so the temple area was a perfect square. The wall around this area separated what was sacred from what was ordinary.
The LORD's Glory Returns to the Temple Ezekiel 43 The man took me back to the east gate of the temple, 2where I saw the brightness of the glory of Israel's God coming from the east. The sound I heard was as loud as ocean waves, and everything around was shining with the dazzling brightness of his glory. 3This vision was like the one I had seen when God came to destroy Jerusalem and like the one I had seen near the Chebar River.I immediately bowed with my face to the ground, 4and the LORD's glory came through the east gate and into the temple. 5The LORD's Spirit lifted me to my feet and carried me to the inner courtyard, where I saw that the LORD's glory had filled the temple.
6The man was standing beside me, and I heard the LORD say from inside the temple:
The Altar 13According to the official standards, the altar in the temple had the following measurements: Around the bottom of the altar was a gutter twenty inches wide and twenty inches deep, with a ten inch ledge on the outer rim. 14-17The altar rested on a base and had three sections, each one of them square. The bottom section was twenty-seven feet on each side and three feet high. The middle section was twenty-four feet on each side and seven feet high, and it had a ten inch rim around its outer edge. The top section, which was twenty feet on each side and seven feet high, was the place where sacrifices were burned, and the four corners of the top section looked like the horns of a bull. The steps leading up to the altar were on the east side.
The Dedication of the Altar 18The LORD God said:
Ezekiel, son of man, after the altar is built, it must be dedicated by offering sacrifices on it and by splattering it with blood. Here is what you must do: 19The priests of the Levi tribe from the family of Zadok the priest are the only ones who may serve in my temple--this is my law. So give them a young bull to slaughter as a sacrifice for sin. 20Take some of the animal's blood and smear it on the four corners of the altar, some on the corners of the middle section, and some more on the rim around its edge. That will purify the altar and make it fit for offering sacrifices to me. 21Then take the body of the bull outside the temple area and burn it at the special place.
22The next day, a goat that has nothing wrong with it must be offered as a sacrifice for sin. Purify the altar with its blood, just as you did with the blood of the bull. 23Then choose a young bull and a young ram that have nothing wrong with them, 24and bring them to my temple. The priests will sprinkle salt on them and offer them as sacrifices to please me.
25Each day for the next seven days, you must offer a goat and a bull and a ram as sacrifices for sin. These animals must have nothing wrong with them. 26The priests will purify the altar during those days, so that it will be acceptable to me and ready to use. 27From then on, the priests will use this altar to offer sacrifices to please me and sacrifices to ask my blessing. Then I will be pleased with the people of Israel. I, the LORD God, have spoken.
The LORD's Victory over the Nations Isaiah 63 Who is this coming from Bozrah in Edom with clothes stained red?
 Who is this hero marching
in his glorious uniform?
"It's me, the LORD!
I have won the battle,
and I can save you!"
 2What are those red spots?
Your clothes look stained
from stomping on grapes.
3"I alone stomped the grapes!
None of the nations helped.
I stomped nations in my anger
and stained my clothes
with their blood.
4I did this because I wanted
to take revenge--
the time had come
to rescue my people.
5No one was there to help me
or to give support;
my mighty arm won the battle,
strengthened by my anger.
6In my fury I stomped on nations
and made them drunk;
their blood poured out
everywhere on earth."
The LORD's Goodness to His People 7I will tell about the kind deeds
the LORD has done.
They deserve praise!
The LORD has shown mercy
to the people of Israel;
he has been kind and good.
8The LORD rescued his people,
and said,
"They are mine.
They won't betray me."
9It troubled the LORD
to see them in trouble,
and his angel saved them.
The LORD was truly merciful,
so he rescued his people.
He took them in his arms
and carried them all those years.
10Then the LORD's people
turned against him
and made
his Holy Spirit sad.
So he became their enemy
and attacked them.
11But his people remembered
what had happened
during the time of Moses.
Didn't the LORD bring them
and their leaders
safely through the sea?
Didn't he give them
his Holy Spirit?
12The glorious power of the LORD
marched beside Moses.
The LORD will be praised forever
for dividing the sea.
13He led his people across
like horses running wild
without stumbling.
14His Spirit gave them rest,
just as cattle find rest
when led into a valley.
The name of the LORD was praised
for doing these things.
A Prayer for Mercy and Help 15Please, LORD, look down
from your holy and glorious
home in the heavens
and see what's going on.
Have you lost interest?
Where is your power?
Show that you care about us
and have mercy!
16Our ancestors Abraham and Jacob
have both rejected us.
But you are still our Father;
you have been our protector
since ancient times.
17Why did you make us turn away
from you, our LORD?
Why did you make us want
to disobey you?
Please change your mind!
We are your servants,
your very own people.
18For a little while,
your temple belonged to us;
and now our enemies
have torn it down.
19We act as though you
had never ruled us
or called us your people.
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This reading is from The
Holy Bible, Contemporary English Version, copyright © American
Bible Society, 1995.
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