Monday, December 24, 2007

Repentance

From Luke 1:57-80 here:
When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.
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Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her.
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18 When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
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but his mother said in reply, "No. He will be called John."
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But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name."
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So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.
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He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed.
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Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God.
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Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.
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All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, "What, then, will this child be?" For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.
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Then Zechariah his father, filled with the holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
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19 "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people.
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20 He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant,
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even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old:
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salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,
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to show mercy to our fathers and to be mindful of his holy covenant
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and of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, and to grant us that,
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rescued from the hand of enemies, without fear we might worship him
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in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
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And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord 21 to prepare his ways,
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to give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
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because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high 22 will visit us
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to shine on those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
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The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

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