January 3, 2026

29If you consider that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him. 1Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. 4Avoiding Sin. Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him.

1Psalm 98 The Coming of God - A psalm. I - Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done marvelous deeds. His right hand and holy arm have won the victory. 3He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4II - Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise. 5Sing praise to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. 6With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy to the King, the LORD.

14And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. 12But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,

29John the Baptist’s Testimony to Jesus. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ 31I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” 32John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. 33I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ 34Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.” The First Disciples.