Advent Readings for December 24th.

Today, we are invited to reflect on the pause of Christmas Eve, the last moments before history was forever changed by the birth of the Savior.

2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

God’s Covenant with David

7 Now when the king was settled in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, ² the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” ³ Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴ But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, ⁵ “Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in?

⁸ I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel, ⁹ and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and be disturbed no more, and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹ from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel, and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. ¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 

¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me.

¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”

Luke 1:67-79

Zechariah’s Prophecy

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.”