“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).  This confession is an axis in the Divine Service, where saints of every land contemplate that Jesus bears the sin for the whole world.  In the aftermath of this Agnus Dei, believers anticipate receiving the bread and wine of the Messiah.  This divine forgiveness food sustains our faith until we, too, are found guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus.   

 

Isaiah 49:1-7

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42a

 

Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“O God of Light”     LSB 836   ( January hymn of the month)

“The Only Son from Heaven”     LSB 402 

“O Love, How Deep, How High, How Broad”     LSB 544

“All Glory Be to God Alone”     LSB 948

“The Gifts God Freely Gives”     LSB 602

“Lamb of God”     LSB 550

“Lamb of God, Pure and Holy”     LSB 434

“O God, My Faithful God”     LSB 696

 

The Baptism of our Lord – Matins

 

The triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, converges on this day of Jesus’ own Baptism – confirming the revelation of the prophet Isaiah.  Behold  Jesus, the servant, claimed by the father as beloved, will now unleash uncommon justice to the earth, its nations, all its inhabitants.  His light will obliterate darkness.  His Word will exonerate guilt.  Resurrection trump death.  The mortal will claim immortality!  All this because Jesus died once for all.   

 

 

Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“O God of Light”     LSB 836   ( January hymn of the month)

“To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord”     LSB 406 

“God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”     LSB 594

 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel”  (Isaiah 7:14).  A stunning truth, unthinkable circumstances for a child, expectant mother, and pensive father.  All are faithful, yet all would be shunned.  And yet no one well intentioned, unnerved, or suspect would redirect God’s plan of salvation.  Mary bore Jesus, Joseph named Him Jesus, and Jesus is the very Son of God – in the flesh, for the salvation of sinners.    

 

Isaiah 7:10-17

Romans 1:1-7

Matthew 1:18-25

 

Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“What Hope!  An Eden Prophesied”     LSB 342

“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”     LSB 338

“The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came”     LSB 356

“At the Name of Jesus”      LSB 512

“Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love”     LSB 900

“How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”     LSB 524

“Arise, O Christian People”     “LSB 354”

 

People lament the arduous task of waiting in the midst of grief, illness, despair, and injury.  To remain steadfast in faith like Job seems unattainable.  Hearts are anxious, tongues muted, ears deafened, and bodies crippled.  Anguish thrives in the hearts, minds, and bodies of men.  Yet followers of Jesus confess and believe the truth – the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and the maimed are healed.  In Jesus, compassion and mercy prevail, as we wait! 

 

 

Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”     LSB 398

“Hark!  A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”     LSB 345

“What Hope!  An Eden Prophesied”     LSB 342

 

 

Second Sunday in Advent – Divine Service 3

 

Wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might are unveiled in Jesus of Nazareth.  In his letter to the Romans, Paul unwraps the complete truth – Jesus embraces even Gentile Nations with divine hope, joy, and peace.  John the Baptist, with his abrasive appearance and unexpected rhetoric, forcefully proclaims both judgement against arrogant Pharisees and the need for repentance.  Ultimately, Jesus alone casts final judgement on the fate of unbelievers and eternally claims salvation for repentant sinners. 

 

Isaiah 11:1-10

Romans 15:4-13

Matthew 3:1-12

 

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“What Hope!  An Eden Prophesied”     LSB 342

“On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”     LSB 344

“When All the World Was Cursed”     LSB 346

“Lo, How a Rose E’re Blooming”     LSB

359“The Night Will Soon Be Ending”     LSB 337

“Prepare the Royal Highway”     LSB 343

“By All Your Saints in Warfare”     LSB 518   sts. 1, 18, 24, 3

 

First Sunday in Advent – Divine Service 3

 

Behold, the Messiah comes to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, and it shall be proclaimed in all of Jerusalem, “This is the prophet Jesus!”  From Mount Sinai to Calvary, the Lord reveals His edicts, His decrees, and that Jesus is the very fulfillment of them all.  Christ is faithful in the midst of faithlessness, humble in the midst of arrogance.  He alone is the rightful prophet, Priest and King.  Hosanna in the highest! 

 

Isaiah 21:1-5

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 21:1-11

 

Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

“Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”     LSB 782

“Savior of the Nations, Come”     LSB 332

“The Advent of Our King”     LSB 331

“O Bride of Christ, Rejoice”     LSB 335

“Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”     LSB 350

“Jesus Came the Heavens Adoring”     LSB 353

“The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns”     LSB 348

Last Sunday of the Church Year – Divine Service 1

 

Christ is everything – making peace by the blood of His cross.  This is the most valuable proclamation for the end of the Church Year.  Jesus holds in balance all things:  the visible and the invisible; the heavens and the earth; the dead and the living; the wicked and the redeemed.  Upon the cross, Jesus utters words that forgive and reserve for repentant sinners eternal paradise.  Through Christ alone, we are declared to be His treasured possessions forever.

 

Malachi 3:13-18

Colossians 1:13-20

Luke 23:27-43

 

Lord Jesus Christ, You reign among us by the preaching of Your cross. Forgive Your people their offenses that we, being governed by Your bountiful goodness, may enter at last into Your eternal paradise; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

 

“Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”     LSB 782

“Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending”     LSB 336

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”     LSB 621

“O God, Our Help In Ages Past”     LSB

733“Jesus Shall Reign”     LSB 832

“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”     LSB 802

“Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle”     LSB 454