Scripture Readings

The First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Baptism of the Lord
For Year B

The color for the Baptism of the Lord is white or gold

Scripture readings are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Old Testament
Psalm
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading

Old Testament

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
—Genesis 1:1-5, NIV

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Psalm

Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones,
     ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
     worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
     the God of glory thunders,
     the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
     the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
     the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
     Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes
     with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
     the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
     and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
     The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
     the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
     the LORD blesses his people with peace.
—Psalm 29, NIV

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Epistle

     While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
     They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
     So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
     “John’s baptism,” they replied.
     Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.
—Acts 19:1-7, NIV

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Gospel

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
—Mark 1:4-11, NIV

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