THIS WEEK'S TEXT
- Revised Common: Isaiah 9:2-7 · Titus 2:11-14 · Luke 2:1-20
- Roman Catholic: Isaiah 9:1-7 · Titus 2:11-14 · Luke 2:1-14
- Episcopal: Isaiah 9:2-4, 6-7 · Titus 2:11-14 · Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
COMMENTARY
Lesson 1: Isaiah 9:2-7
This lovely poem was composed at a time of historical darkness. The Assyrians had defeated Zebulon and Naphtali, taking them captive in 734 B.C. The threat of national annihilation was very real. Nevertheless, Isaiah holds high the light of hope, anchored not in humans but in God's deliverance. The Messiah, the ideal king and servant of God, becomes the object of that hope. Through this "Anointed One" God will usher in permanent peace with righteousness. Christians have long maintained that Jesus, the Christ, fulfills that hope.
Lesson 2: Titus 2:…
CSS Publishing Company, LECTIONARY PREACHING WORKBOOK, by Russell F. Anderson