Ephesians 3:1-12
New Living Translation

God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed
3 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

Psalm 72:1-7
New Living Translation
​
Psalm 72
A psalm of Solomon.
1 Give your love of justice to the king, O God,
    and righteousness to the king’s son.
2 Help him judge your people in the right way;
    let the poor always be treated fairly.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
    and may the hills be fruitful.
4 Help him to defend the poor,
    to rescue the children of the needy,
    and to crush their oppressors.
5 May they fear you as long as the sun shines,
    as long as the moon remains in the sky.
    Yes, forever!

6 May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,
    like the showers that water the earth.
7 May all the godly flourish during his reign.
    May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more.

Psalm 72:10-14
New Living Translation

10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands
    will bring him tribute.
The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
    will bring him gifts.
11 All kings will bow before him,
    and all nations will serve him.

12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
    he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
    and he will rescue them.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
    for their lives are precious to him.

Isaiah 60:1-6
New Living Translation
​
Future Glory for Jerusalem
60 “Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
    For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
2 Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth,
    but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
3 All nations will come to your light;
    mighty kings will come to see your radiance.

4 “Look and see, for everyone is coming home!
    Your sons are coming from distant lands;
    your little daughters will be carried home.
5 Your eyes will shine,
    and your heart will thrill with joy,
for merchants from around the world will come to you.
    They will bring you the wealth of many lands.
6 Vast caravans of camels will converge on you,
    the camels of Midian and Ephah.
The people of Sheba will bring gold and frankincense
    and will come worshiping the Lord.

Hebrews 1:1-4
New Living Translation
​
Jesus Christ Is God’s Son
1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.


Hebrews 1:5-12
New Living Translation

The Son Is Greater Than the Angels
5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:

“You are my Son.
    Today I have become your Father.”

God also said,

“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son.”

6 And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said,

“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”

7 Regarding the angels, he says,

“He sends his angels like the winds,
    his servants like flames of fire.”

8 But to the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
    You rule with a scepter of justice.
9 You love justice and hate evil.
    Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,
    pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”

10 He also says to the Son,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth
    and made the heavens with your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain forever.
    They will wear out like old clothing.
12 You will fold them up like a cloak
    and discard them like old clothing.
But you are always the same;
    you will live forever.”

Psalm 98
New Living Translation
​
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 Sing a new song to the Lord,
    for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
    his holy arm has shown his saving power!
2 The Lord has announced his victory
    and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
    The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
    break out in praise and sing for joy!
5 Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,
    with the harp and melodious song,
6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
    Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
    Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
9 before the Lord,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
    and the nations with fairness.

Isaiah 52:7-10
New Living Translation
​
7 How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of the messenger who brings good news,
the good news of peace and salvation,
    the news that the God of Israel reigns!
8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy,
    for before their very eyes
    they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem.
9 Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,
    for the Lord has comforted his people.
    He has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The Lord has demonstrated his holy power
    before the eyes of all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see
    the victory of our God.