a thread opens
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented to him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
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.
And it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, so that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
from Matthew 2:11
But I tell you truly, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
from Luke 2:26
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
from Luke 9:27
But emptied himself, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
from Hebrews 2:9 · a strong link
a thread opens
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
from Acts 20:21
As you have given him power over all flesh, so that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.
from I John 5:11
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
from John 17:2
Jesus said to him, You have said: nevertheless I say to you, Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
from Matthew 28:18
Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered, Teacher, is it I? He said to him, You have said.
from Matthew 26:64 · a strong link
a thread opens
Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:
Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
from Acts 13:38
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
from Acts 5:31 · a strong link
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers:
from Luke 24:47
He came to his own, and his own received him not.
from Romans 15:8
And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; and no man receives his testimony.
from John 1:11 · a strong link
Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness.
from John 3:32 · a strong link
a thread opens
Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
from Acts 17:31
But to the Son he said, Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.
from Matthew 25:31
And Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God.
from Hebrews 1:8
a thread opens
For truly against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus.
from Acts 4:27 · a strong link
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
from Acts 4:30
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
from Acts 3:6
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us through your name.
from Acts 16:18
a thread opens
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
For I know your rebellion, and your stiff neck: look, while I am yet alive with you this day, you have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
from Acts 7:51
You have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
from Deuteronomy 31:27
Understand therefore, that the LORD your God gives you not this good land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a stiff-necked people.
from Deuteronomy 9:24
Furthermore the LORD spoke to me, saying, I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stiff-necked people:
from Deuteronomy 9:6
Circumcise therefore your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.
from Deuteronomy 9:13
a thread opens
And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles.
But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
from Acts 22:21 · a strong link
To which I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.
from Acts 9:15
To which I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
from I Timothy 2:7 · a strong link
Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor of which they affirm.
from II Timothy 1:11
But these, as irrational animals, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
from I Timothy 1:7 · a strong link
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as irrational animals, in those things they corrupt themselves.
from II Peter 2:12 · a strong link
That is the whole thread.
Every verse the cross-references reach from Matthew 2:11 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