…Therefore behold, I will again do marvelous things with this people, wonderful and marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid. — Isaiah 29:9-24 The Lord God knew full well of the sin of his people, as they went through the motions of obedience

And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” – Revelation 20:11-21:8 I believe some may find it disconcerting to hear a reading from Revelation so close to Christmas. But the lectionary will not us forget the real meaning

“He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John…” —John 5:30-47 In our Gospel reading for today, our Lord speaks of John the Baptizer—the forerunner sent to prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah 11:1-9 In

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” – Luke 3:1-9

They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved. – 2 Peter 2:17-22 In our reading from Peter, we hear about those who are newly converted to Christianity, but are once again “entangled” in the defilements and licentious passions of the world. Peter says,

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand… bear fruit that befits repentance…” – Matthew 3:1-12. Today, I visited the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and saw, again, the place where Luther posted his 95 Theses. It causes me to want to

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. – 2 Peter