June 24, 2026

1Hear me, coastlands, listen, distant peoples. Before birth the LORD called me, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. 2He made my mouth like a sharp-edged sword, concealed me, shielded by his hand. He made me a sharpened arrow, in his quiver he hid me. 3He said to me, You are my servant, in you, Israel, I show my glory. 4Though I thought I had toiled in vain, for nothing and for naught spent my strength, Yet my right is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. 5For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! 6It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

1Psalm 139 The All-knowing and Ever-present God - For the leader. A psalm of David. I - LORD, you have probed me, you know me: 2you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. 3You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. 13II - You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. 15My bones are not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.

22Then he removed him and raised up David as their king; of him he testified, ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will carry out my every wish.’ 23From this man’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus. 24John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; 25and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’ 26“My brothers, children of the family of Abraham, and those others among you who are God-fearing, to us this word of salvation has been sent.

76And you, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

57When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her, and they rejoiced with her. 59When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child, they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, 60but his mother said in reply, “No. He will be called John.” 61But they answered her, “There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 62So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 63He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. 65Then fear came upon all their neighbors, and all these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea. 66All who heard these things took them to heart, saying, “What, then, will this child be?” For surely the hand of the Lord was with him. 80The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his manifestation to Israel.

4Call of Jeremiah - The word of the LORD came to me: 5Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. 6“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “I do not know how to speak. I am too young!” 7But the LORD answered me, Do not say, “I am too young.” To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you—oracle of the LORD. 9Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying to me, See, I place my words in your mouth! 10Today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, To uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant.

1Psalm 71 Prayer in Time of Old Age I - In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2In your justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me! 3Be my rock of refuge, my stronghold to give me safety; for you are my rock and fortress. 4My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked, from the clutches of the evil and violent. 5You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth. 6On you I have depended since birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers. 15My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds, day after day your acts of deliverance, though I cannot number them all. 17III - God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

8Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls. 10Concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and investigated it, 11investigating the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories to follow them. 12It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you with regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you [through] the holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look.

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5II. The Infancy Narrative - Announcement of the Birth of John. In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. 8Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, 9according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. 10Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, 11the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. 12Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, 16and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”