January 8, 2026

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves [also] the one begotten by him. 2In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.

1Psalm 72 A Prayer for the King - Of Solomon. 2I - O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the king’s son; That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, 14From extortion and violence he redeems them, for precious is their blood in his sight. 15IV - Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba, prayed for without cease, blessed day by day. 17May his name be forever; as long as the sun, may his name endure. May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name; may all the nations regard him as favored.

18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,

14IV. The Ministry in Galilee - The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. 15He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. The Rejection at Nazareth. 16He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read 17and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” 20Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. 21He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”