Opening Hymn “Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s2cqnNFlvQ
<OR>
OPENING SONG “Give Us Clean Hands” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezZqkIH5BP0
INVOCATION, PRAYER, AND WELCOME
We begin our worship in the Name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, in Your infinite love You made us and You know our every need. Because of our need, You have ordained times and seasons set aside for Your worship and our good. Bless our observance of this Ash Wednesday and of this season of Lent. Lead us by Your Word and Your Spirit to a knowledge of our sin and Your grace; to acts of our repentance and Your re-creation; to a future of our good and Your glory. Amen.
As we begin our Lenten journey, we focus our attention on various witnesses to Christ in John’s Gospel. We begin with John the Baptist, a man on a mission. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through
him” (John 1:6–7).
John the Baptist’s mission is “to bear witness about the light.” In fact, fourteen times in John’s Gospel, the word witness is connected with John the Baptist. “He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:8–9). John points us to Jesus, who takes away our sin, our guilt, and our shame at the cross.
PSALM 51
Have mercy in Your goodness, Lord, and in Your grace forgive my sin.
Wash me from evil through and through; cleanse me, O Lord, without and within.
All my transgressions, Lord, I know; I see my sin both day and night;
Against You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.
When You speak, O Lord, it is just; Your judgments all reveal the truth;
I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner even from my youth.
For deep within You look for truth; in secret You make me understand.
Purge out my sin and I shall be pure as Your holy law demands.
Tell me of joy and gladness, Lord, and give my broken body ease;
Lord, hide Your face from all my sin; blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, Lord, renew a spirit that is right.
Take not Your Spirit from my life, nor cast me out, Lord, from Your sight.
Glory to the Father and to the Son + and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
+ SERVICE OF THE WORD +
GOSPEL READING: John 1:29-34
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
SERMON HYMN “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry” – LSB 344 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRR-RiH7yoA
VIDEO MESSAGE (please click HERE)
CLOSING HYMN “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary” – LSB 423 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCIisFfZWoI
<OR>
CLOSING SONG “The Wonderful Cross” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h-UsGd7fec
