Lenten Worship 2022 - The Crucial Hours -Prayer at the Close of Day – March 23, 2022

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

Amen.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praise to your name, O Most High,

to herald your love in the morning,

your truth at the close of day.

Opening Hymn 568 His Robes for Mine

1 His robes for mine: O wonderful exchange!
Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered ’neath God’s rage.
Draped in his righteousness, I’m justified.
In Christ I live, for in my place he died. (Refrain)

Ref I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost:
Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.
Bought by such love, my life is not my own.
My praise—my all—shall be for Christ alone.

2 His robes for mine: what cause have I for dread?
God’s daunting law Christ mastered in my stead.
Faultless I stand with righteous works not mine,
saved by my Lord’s vicarious death and life. (Refrain)

3 His robes for mine: God’s justice is appeased.
Jesus is crushed, and thus the Father’s pleased.
Christ drank God’s wrath on sin, then cried, “’Tis done!”
Sin’s wage is paid, propitiation won. (Refrain)

4 His robes for mine: such anguish none can know.
Christ, God’s beloved, condemned as though his foe.
He, as though I, accursed and left alone;
I, as though he, embraced and welcomed home! (Refrain)

Text: Chris Anderson, b. 1971

Confession

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.

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

Silence for personal reflection

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,

we have sinned against you

in our thoughts,

in our words,

in our deeds,

and in all that we have not done.

Forgive us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Deliver and restore us,

that we may rest in peace.

By the mercy of God we are redeemed by Jesus Christ,
and in him we are forgiven.
Let us rest in his peace until the rising of the sun,
when we shall serve him in newness of life.

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.

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.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Glory to the Father and to the T Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Into your hands I commend my spirit.

Sermon - The Semblance of Legality Luke 22:66 Pastor Rau

Offering

Hymn: 408 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!

Text: Christopher M. Idle, b. 1938, alt.

Prayer

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

listen to my cry.

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings.

In righteousness I shall see you;

when I awake, your presence will give me joy.

P: Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest in your eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Lord’s Prayer (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 525 The Lamb

1 The Lamb, the Lamb,
O Father, where’s the sacrifice?
Faith sees, believes
God will provide the Lamb of price! (Refrain)

Ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me his own!
The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

2 The Lamb, the Lamb,
one perfect final offering.
The Lamb, the Lamb,
let earth join heav’n his praise to sing. (Refrain)

3 The Lamb, the Lamb,
as wayward sheep their shepherd kill
so still, his will,
on our behalf the law to fill. (Refrain)

4 He sighs, he dies,
he takes my sin and wretchedness.
He lives, forgives,
he gives me his own righteousness. (Refrain)

5 He rose, he rose,
my heart with thanks now overflows.
His song prolong
till ev’ry heart to him belong. (Refrain)

Text: Gerald P. Coleman, b. 1953

Song of Simeon

Guide us waking, O Lord,

and guard us sleeping

that awake we may watch with Christ

and asleep we may rest in peace.

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 ev’ry people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.

Guide us waking, O Lord,

and guard us sleeping

that awake we may watch with Christ

and asleep we may rest in peace, in peace, in peace.

Let us praise the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Blessing

The almighty and merciful Lord—the Father, the T Son, and the Holy Spirit—bless us and keep us.

Amen.

Acknowledgments

Prayer at the Close of Day from Christian Worship

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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