This is the night of God's Passover. On this very night, the angel of God passed over Egypt and set God's people free. They set out from Egypt to pass over the sea and to claim God's promises. On this night, as the shadows grow around us, let us remember that the light of God's promise never leaves us.
| Genesis 1: 24-31 (creation) | |
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| 1:24 God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind." It was so. 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth." 1:27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground." 1:29 Then God said, "I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 1:30 And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food." It was so. 1:31 God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day. | God, you placed the light of your own image within us. From the very beginning, your own self has glowed in our living. So much as we live transparently to your light, the goodness of your creation still shines through each of us. Give us the grace of multiplying, not merely our numbers, but also the luminosity of our living. |
| Genesis 9: 7-16 (Noah) | |
| 9:7 But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; increase abundantly on the earth and multiply on it." 9:8 God said to Noah and his sons, 9:9 "Look! I now confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you 9:10 and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you – every living creature of the earth. 9:11 I confirm my covenant with you: Never again will all living things be wiped out by the waters of a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth." 9:12 And God said, "This is the guarantee of the covenant I am making with you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all subsequent generations: 9:13 I will place my rainbow in the clouds, and it will become a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. 9:14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 9:15 then I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures of all kinds. Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy all living things. 9:16 When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth." | All around us you have set shining reminders of your love. The rainbow and the sunrise, the stars and the candle flame, a parent's touch and a believer's heart all shine with the memory of your promises. In the darkening of the coming night, we feel the darkness of the world in which we live. In the brightness of the flames and of each other, we know that your presence continues. |
| Genesis 22: 9-17b (Isaac) | |
| 22:9 When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. 22:10 Then Abraham reached out his hand, took the knife, and prepared to slaughter his son. 22:11 But the Lord's angel called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am!" he answered. 22:12 "Do not harm the boy!" the angel said. "Do not do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God because you did not withhold your son, your only son, from me." 22:13 Abraham looked up and saw behind him a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. So he went over and got the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place "The Lord provides." It is said to this day, "In the mountain of the Lord provision will be made." 22:15 The Lord's angel called to Abraham a second time from heaven 22:16 and said, "I solemnly swear by my own name," decrees the Lord, "that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 22:17 I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore." | In the darkness of our lives, God, we lack the imagination to see the extravagent provision that you make for us and for those we love. We try to live as fully as we can imagine. We think we are trapped in the best that we can do. Help us to look up and see what you are doing for us. |
| Genesis 50: 15-20 (Joseph) | |
| 50:15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay us in full for all the harm we did to him?" 50:16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father gave these instructions before he died: 50:17 "Tell Joseph this: Please forgive the sin of your brothers and the wrong they did when they treated you so badly." Now please forgive the sin of the servants of the God of your father." When this message was reported to him, Joseph wept. 50:18 Then his brothers also came and threw themselves down before him; they said, "Here we are; we are your slaves." 50:19 But Joseph answered them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day. | Our intentions are never pure, Lord. Our actions are bent and twisted in on themselves so that we seldom know why we do any of the things we do. You know that at the best we act with mixed motives. Help us to credit you with intending good for us. Help us to credit your intentions with the power to overwhelm ours. |
| Exodus 14: 15-20 (Moses) | |
| 14:15 The Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 14:16 And as for you, lift up your staff and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites may go through the middle of the sea on dry ground. 14:17 And as for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will come after them, that I may be honored because of Pharaoh and his army and his chariots and his horsemen. 14:18 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I have gained my honor because of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." 14:19 The angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 14:20 It came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp; it was a dark cloud and it lit up the night so that one camp did not come near the other the whole night. | God, we do cry out to you. We do not see the way through the difficulties of life. We ask, we plead with you for the salvation which you have already provided. Tell us to move forward, Lord. Point out for us again the path through the waters. Look past our blindness and our lack of confidence, Lord. Tell us to move forward. |
| 1 Kings 19: 3-13 (Elijah) | |
| 19:3 Elijah was afraid, so he got up and fled for his life to Beer Sheba in Judah. He left his servant there, 19:4 while he went a day's journey into the desert. He went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: "I've had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life. After all, I'm no better than my ancestors." 19:5 He stretched out and fell asleep under the shrub. All of a sudden an angelic messenger touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 19:6 He looked and right there by his head was a cake baking on hot coals and a jug of water. He ate and drank and then slept some more. 19:7 The Lord's angelic messenger came back again, touched him, and said, "Get up and eat, for otherwise you won't be able to make the journey." 19:8 So he got up and ate and drank. That meal gave him the strength to travel forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 19:9 He went into a cave there and spent the night. All of a sudden the Lord spoke to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" 19:10 He answered, "I have been absolutely loyal to the Lord, the sovereign God, even though the Israelites have abandoned the agreement they made with you, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and now they want to take my life." 19:11 The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by." A very powerful wind went before the Lord, digging into the mountain and causing landslides, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 19:12 After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. 19:13 When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden a voice asked him, "Why are you here, Elijah?" | You have called us, Lord. In the midst of floods and fires, you are already calling. In the midst of wars and landslides, we want to hear the soft whisper of your voice. Lead us out, God, lead us out of our caves and help us to know the sound of your calling. |
Lord God, had you created the good earth and not set the rainbow in the sky, that would have been enough.
Had you set the rainbow in the sky and not provided the offering, that would have been enough.
Had you provided the offering and not turned our evil into good, that would have been enough.
Had you turned our evil into good and not led us by the hand into your promises, that would have been enough.
Had you led us by the hand and not whispered to our hearts, that would have been enough.
How grateful we are to you, Lord God, for you have created the good earth as our abode and filled our lives with reminders of your love. You have given us the gifts we offer back to you and from our blind and headstrong deeds you bring good results. You have offered us your hand to lead us into your promises and you have spoken your Word into the depth of our hearts.
| Luke 2: 25-32 (Simeon) | |
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| 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, looking for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 2:27 So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, 2:29 "Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace. 2:30 For my eyes have seen your salvation 2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: 2:32 a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in the world. |
| John 1: 43-46 (Philip) | |
| 1:43 On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 1:44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.) 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 1:46 Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and see." | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in the world. We have come to you. We see your goodness. |
| Mark 1: 14-15 (Jesus) | |
| 1:14 Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 1:15 He said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!" | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in the world. You have come to us. You are near to us. |
| John 16: 32-33 (I have overcome the world) | |
| 16:32 "Look, a time is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me. 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world." | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in the world. You have overcome the world. |
| Matthew 28: 1-8 (the angel) | |
| 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 28:2 Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it. 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 28:4 The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him. 28:5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has been raised, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead. He is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there. Listen, I have told you!" 28:8 So they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in this world. On this very night, you rise triumphant over death. On this very night, you pass over from death into life. |
| 1 Corinthians 15: 16-20 (the resurrection of all) | |
| 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised. 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is useless; you are still in your sins. 15:18 Furthermore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. 15:19 For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone. 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. | The time is come, Lord; your light shines in the world. In this holy night, your light is shining in all your saints. |
How brightly shines this night when Jesus meets our sight.
How wonderful this night when darkness yields to light.
How holy is this night when wrong is set to right.
How awesome is this night when you reveal your might.
How sacred is this night in which our hope shines bright.
This is the night of watching. This is the night of our salvation.
Scripture quotations from the NetBible, http://www.bible.org/netbible/index.htm.