Lenten Worship 2021

The Hands of the Passion – March 10, 2021

Order of Service: Prayer at the Close of Day Compline Service

P: The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.

C: (sing) Amen.

P: It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

C: (sing) To sing praise to your name, O Most High;

P: To herald your love in the morning,

C: (sing) Your truth at the close of day.

P: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

C: (sing) Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Evening Hymn 587 Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow

1 Now rest beneath night’s shadow The woodland, field, and meadow;

The world in slumber lies.

But you, my heart, awaken, With prayer and song be taken;

Let praise to your Creator rise.

2 The rule of day is over And shining jewels cover

The heaven’s boundless blue.

Thus I shall shine in heaven, Where crowns of gold are given

To all who faithful prove and true.

3 Lord Jesus, since you love me, Oh, spread your wings above me

And shield me from alarm.

Though Satan would assail me, Your mercy will not fail me;

I rest in your protecting arm.

4 My loved ones, rest securely, For God this night will surely

From peril guard your heads.

Sweet slumbers may he send you And bid his hosts attend you

And through the night watch o’er your beds.

Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-76, abr.; tr. composite.

Confession of Sins

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord,

C: who made heaven and earth.

P: Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence for self-examination

P: I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault,

by my own fault, by my own grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life.

C: The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins.

P: Amen.

C: I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault,

by my own fault, by my own grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life.

P: The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins.

C: Amen.

Psalm 91

The shelter of the love of God is my refuge and my light:

I trust in him to guide my days and protect me through the night

Because I come to him in love and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name: he shelters me with his wings.

My faith is in the Lord alone, his Word my help and shield.

When thousand stumble by my side, his faithfulness is revealed.

Because I come to him in love and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name: he shelters me with his wings.

Ever safe within his love I'll be secure through all my days,

The wonder of his mighty love always fills my heart with praise.

Because I come to him in love and trust him in all things

He answers when I call his name: he shelters me with his wings.

Lesson (Passion history)

Simon Peter and another disciple kept following Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest, so he went into the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. But Peter stood outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and talked to the girl watching the door and brought Peter in.

The servants and guards were standing around a fire of coals that they had made because it was cold. While they warmed themselves, Peter was standing with them, warming himself too.

One of the servant girls of the high priest came there. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.”

But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you are talking about. Woman, I do not know him.”

When Peter went out to the entryway, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This is one of them. This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

Again Peter denied it with an oath and said, “I do not know the man.”

After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, because even your accent gives you away. You are a Galilean!”

Then he began to curse and to swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about! I do not know the man!”

At that very moment, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today you will deny me three times.” He went outside, broke down, and wept bitterly.

The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in a synagogue or at the temple, where all the Jews gather. I said nothing in secret. Why are you questioning me? Ask those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”

When he said this, one of the guards standing there hit Jesus in the face. “Is that how you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

“If I said something wrong,” Jesus answered, “testify about what was wrong. But if I was right, why did you hit me?”

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” Yet even on this point, their testimony did not agree.

The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these men are testifying against you?” But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I place you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you have said. But I tell you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? See, you have just heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”

They answered, “He is deserving of death!” Then some began to spit on him. They covered his face, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?” The guards also took him and beat him. And they went on saying many other blasphemous things against him.

As soon as it was day, the council of the elders of the people met together, both chief priests and experts in the law. They brought Jesus into their Sanhedrin and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”

But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer me or release me. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?”

He said to them, “I am what you are saying.”

Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth!” Then the chief priests with the elders and experts in the law, together with the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse. He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? That’s your problem.”

He threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put these into the treasury, since it is blood money.” They reached a decision to buy the potter’s field with the money, as a burial place for foreigners. So that field has been called The Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price the sons of Israel had set for him, and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord commanded me.

Early in the morning, the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. They did not enter the Praetorium themselves, so that they would not become ceremonially unclean. (They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal.) So Pilate went out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?”

They answered him, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.”

The Jews said, “It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death.” This happened so that the statement Jesus had spoken indicating what kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this fellow misleading our nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

“It is as you say,” Jesus replied.

The chief priests accused him of many things. When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

Pilate questioned him again, “Are you not going to answer anything? See how many charges they are bringing against you!”

But Jesus still did not answer anything, so Pilate was amazed.

Pilate went back into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus. He asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”

Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”

“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

Jesus answered, “I am, as you say, a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

“What is truth?” Pilate said to him.

After he said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching all through Judea, beginning from Galilee all the way here.”

When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. For a long time he had wanted to see him, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle performed by him. He questioned him with many words, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the experts in the law stood there, vehemently accusing him. Herod, along with his soldiers, treated him with contempt and ridiculed him. Dressing him in bright clothing, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends with each other on that day. Before this they had been enemies of each other.

P: Into your hands I commend my spirit.

C: (sing) Into your hands I commend my spirit.

P: You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth

C: (sing) Into your hands I commend my spirit.

P: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

C: (sing) Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Hymn 115 He Stood Before the Court

1 He stood before the court On trial instead of us;

He met its pow’r to hurt, Condemned to face the cross-

Our King, accused of treachery;

Our God, abused for blasphemy!

2 These are the crimes that tell The tale of human guilt;

Our sins, our death, our hell-On these the case is built.

To this world’s pow’rs the Lord stays dumb.

The guilt is ours; no answers come.

3 The sentence must be passed, The unknown pris’ner killed;

The price is paid at last, The law of God fulfilled.

He takes our blame, and from that day

Th’ accuser’s claim is wiped away.

4 Shall we be judged and tried? In Christ our trial is done;

We live, for he has died, Our condemnation gone.

In Christ are we both dead and raised,

Alive and free-his name be praised!

Sermon: Hands of Hypocrisy (Caiaphas) Mark 14:55-65

⁵⁵The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they did not find any. ⁵⁶Many testified falsely against him, but their testimonies did not agree. ⁵⁷Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” ⁵⁹Yet even on this point, their testimony did not agree.

⁶⁰The high priest stepped forward and questioned Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this they are testifying against you?”

⁶¹But Jesus was silent and did not answer anything.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²“I am,” Jesus said. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

⁶³The high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”

They all condemned him as being worthy of death. ⁶⁵Then some began to spit on him. They covered his face and struck him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him.

Prayer

P: Hear my prayer, O Lord.

C: (sing) Listen to my cry.

P: Keep me as the apple of your eye.

C: (sing) Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

P: In righteousness I shall see you.

C: (sing) When I awake, your presence will give me joy.

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

C: (sing) Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever.

Amen.

Hymn 714 The Lamb

The Lamb, the Lamb,

O Father, where's the sacrifice?

Faith sees, believes

God will provide the Lamb of price!

Worthy is the Lamb

whose death makes me his own!

The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

The Lamb, the Lamb,

One perfect final offering.

The Lamb, the Lamb,

Let earth join heav'n his praise to sing.

Worthy is the Lamb

whose death makes me his own!

The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

The Lamb, the Lamb,

As wayward sheep

their shepherd kill

So still, his will,

On our behalf the law to fill.

Worthy is the Lamb

whose death makes me his own!

The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

He sighs, he dies,

He takes my sin and wretchedness.

He lives, forgives,

He gives me his own righteousness.

Worthy is the Lamb

whose death makes me his own!

The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

He rose, he rose,

My heart with thanks now overflows.

His song prolong

’Til ev’ry heart to him belong.

Worthy is the Lamb

whose death makes me his own! T Lamb is reigning on his throne.

Gospel Canticle

P: Guide us waking, O Lord,

C: (sing) And guard us sleeping:

P: That awake we may watch with Christ,

C: (sing) And asleep we may rest in peace.

C: (sing) In peace, Lord, in peace you let your servant now depart according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for every people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. In peace, in peace.

Blessing

P: The almighty and merciful Lord - the Father, the Son,† and the Holy Spirit - bless us and keep us.

C: Amen.