a thread opens
And you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.
The Vigil
Today’s scroll, one verse at a time — each linked to the last by the cross-references rather than by any model of you. The same vigil for everyone, and a different one tomorrow.
But the angel said to him, Do not fear, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
from Luke 1:31
He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD.
from Luke 1:13
God sets the solitary in families: he brings out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
from Psalms 113:9 · a strong link
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands apart.
from Psalms 68:6
O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the son of your maidservant: you have loosed my chains.
from Psalms 107:14
a thread opens
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
from I Corinthians 8:4
But now has he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
from I Timothy 2:5
Who also has made us able ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
from Hebrews 8:6
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
from II Corinthians 3:6
a thread opens
By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you.
from I John 3:16
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a fragrant offering.
from John 15:12
For even to this were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that you should follow his steps:
from Ephesians 5:2
a thread opens
But the anointing which you have received of him remains in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall remain in him.
For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, because, when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which is at work also in you that believe.
from I John 2:27
Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
from I Thessalonians 2:13
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
from Luke 8:11
And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
from I Corinthians 3:6
Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
from Acts 18:4
And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures,
from Acts 17:17
a thread opens
And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, varieties of tongues.
Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
from I Corinthians 12:28
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone;
from Ephesians 3:5
This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which has become the cornerstone.
from Ephesians 2:20
The wicked flee when no man pursues: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
from Acts 4:11
And I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and you shall flee when none pursues you.
from Proverbs 28:1 · a strong link
a thread opens
I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, who are present here, to offer willingly to you.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Look, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
from I Chronicles 29:17
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
from John 1:47
And brings it not to the door of the tent of meeting, to offer an offering to the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed to that man; he has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
from Psalms 32:2
And the uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.
from Leviticus 17:4
a thread opens
Clean out therefore the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
from I Corinthians 5:7
Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
from John 1:29
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
from Matthew 20:28
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Luke 1:31 along this chain. Today’s own vigil is laid separately.
Each verse follows the one before it along the chain a study Bible draws — a century old, public, and compiled by people arguing about Scripture rather than about how long you stay. Every card says which verse it came from and opens the chapter it belongs to. Today’s vigil is the same for every reader and is worked out from the date alone, so there is no account, no counter, and nothing stored in your browser or ours.
The text is the Lantern Modern Standard. The links are openbible.info’s cross-reference set (CC BY), the same apparatus behind the reader’s Echoes drawer. Read a whole book · Today’s table