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Video
The Palms
*WORDS OF WORSHIP (from Psalm 118)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
*GATHERING PRAYER
We praise you, O God, for your redemption of the world through Jesus Christ, who entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and king by those who spread garments and branches along his way. Let these branches be signs of his victory, and grant that we who carry them may follow him in the way of the cross, that, dying and rising with him, we may enter into your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 21:1-11, NLT
As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey--
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God[d] for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
*HYMN Hosanna, Loud Hosanna #89
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The joyful anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
Passing the Peace
Christ is our peace and bids be at peace with one another.
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
The Passion
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Christ, as we hear once again the story of your passion, may we be reminded that you gave yourself out of love for us, and may we not only receive forgiveness for all our sin, but may we also be encouraged to forgive others and offer your compassion to all. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Philippians 2:5-11
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
*AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:14-25
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:26-30
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us begin our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are always faithful, even when we betray you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you clothe us in your righteousness,
even when we give you a crown of thorns.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE John 6:35
Jesus said: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.
In your wisdom, you made all things and sustain them by your power.
You made us in your image, setting us in your world to love and serve you
and to live in peace with your whole creation.
From generation to generation you have guided us, sending prophets to turn us from wayward paths
into the way of righteousness.
Out of your great love for the world you sent your only Son among us to redeem us and to be the way to eternal life.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the choirs of heaven
and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:
we lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might;
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
You are holy, O God of majesty, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
As one of us, he knew our joys and sorrows, and our struggles with temptation.
He was like us in every way except sin. In him we see what you created us to be.
Though blameless, he suffered willingly for our sin.
Though innocent, he accepted death for the guilty.
On the cross he offered himself, a perfect sacrifice, for the life of the world.
By his suffering and death, he freed us from sin and death.
Risen from the grave, he leads us to the joy of new life.
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread,
Gave thanks to you, O God, broke the bread
And gave it to his disciples saying;
“Take, eat, this is my body give for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup, gave thanks to you, O God,
And gave it to his disciples saying,
“Drink from this all of you, for this is the blood of my covenant,
Poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me.”
Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts,
we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us,
and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ.
Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves,
that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen.
As we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory!
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.
By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name,
that we may be one in ministry in every place.
As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.
Lead us, O God, in the way of Christ. Give us courage to take up our cross
and, in full reliance upon your grace, to follow him.
Help us to love you above all else and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,
demonstrating that love in deed and word in the power of your Spirit.
Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promised day of resurrection,
when, with the redeemed of all the ages, we will feast with you at your table in glory.
Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever.
Amen.
*THE LORD'S PRAYER
As our Savior Christ has taught us,
we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
AMEN
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:31-35
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the
*HYMN Go to Dark Gethsemane #97, v. 1-2
1 Go to dark Gethsemane,
All that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away,
Learn from Jesus Christ to pray.
2 Follow to the judgment hall;
View the Lord of Life arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss;
Learn from Christ to bear the cross.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:36-46
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Prayers
In Christ Jesus, we have a great high priest who knows our weakness and suffering;
therefore, with boldness, let us seek God’s grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer…
(intercessions)
To you, O God, we entrust these prayers, knowing that you alone can provide grace to help in our time of need;
in the name of our great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Savior. Amen.
CRIPTURE Matthew 26:47-56
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let is continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you reach out to us in love,
even when we reject and despise you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:57-68
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the h igh priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
*HYMN Ah, Holy Jesus #93
1 Ah, holy Jesus, how have You offended,
That mortal judgment has on You descended?
By foes derided, by Your own rejected,
O most afflicted!
2 Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon You?
It is my treason, Lord, that has undone You.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied You;
I crucified You.
3 For me, dear Jesus, was Your incarnation,
Your mortal sorrow, and Your life’s oblation,
Your death of anguish and Your bitter passion,
For my salvation.
5 Therefore, dear Jesus, since I cannot pay You,
I do adore You, and will ever praise You,
Think on Your pity and Your love unswerving,
Not my deserving.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:69-74
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let is continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you claim us as your own, even when we deny you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:1-26
Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took the thirty pieces of silver— the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, 10 and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.”
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
HYMN Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed #78
1 Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die!
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I!
2 Was it for crimes that I had done
He suffered on the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut its glories in,
When Christ, the great Redeemer, died
For human creatures' sin.
4 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give my self away;
’Tis all that I can do.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:27-31
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you clothe us in your righteousness,
even when we give you a crown of thorns.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you bless us with your word,
even when we mock and curse you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
*HYMN Oh, Sacred Head Now Wounded #98, v. 1-2
1 O sacred head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down;
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.
2 What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:32-44
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us conclude today’s confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you pour out your grace for us,
even when we give you sour wine.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you give your life to save us, even though we crucify you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Holy God, when Jesus cried and breathed his last
you tore away the ancient curtain between heaven and earth, life and death.
As we turn to face the cross, show us Jesus, in his suffering and glory,
that we may believe and have eternal life;
through Christ, our Son, our Savior. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:45-56
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:57-66
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
62 The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
*HYMN OF THE CROSS Were You There? #102
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?(Were you there?)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?)
2 Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? (Were you there?)
3 Were you there when they pierced Him in the side? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side? (Were you there?)
4 Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? (Were you there?)
*CHARGE & BLESSING
As you go through these sacred days of Holy Week, even in the midst of social distancing, I encourage you to walk with Christ through the events of his passion by rereading the story in any of the Gospels. I encourage you to talk with Christ often by prayers of confession, prayers of surrender, and prayers of intercession for the many needs of the world. I invite you to take your meals reverently as if Jesus were sitting down to eat with you, just as he sat with his disciples. I ask you to remember not only the sacrifice Christ made for us, but also the sacrifices of many workers in your community and around the world right now. I beg you to remember, that the Gospel story didn’t end here and neither does ours. Since you already know the next chapter of the Gospels is the story of Easter, hold on tight to that hope and know that life is still God’s gift to us. As you walk through the Passion of Christ or the pandemic of our present day, look forward to Easter.
May the peace of Christ that passes all our understanding be with you. Amen
This service will take you through the scriptural message of Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. Prayers and hymn text will enhance the journey. We only used hymns that are not copyrighted. Many prayers come for the PC(USA) Book of Common Worship. Scripture is from the New Living Translation. Images are from our subscription to Church Art Online.
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Video
The Palms
*WORDS OF WORSHIP (from Psalm 118)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
and I will go in and thank the Lord.
These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
and the godly enter there.
Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
*GATHERING PRAYER
We praise you, O God, for your redemption of the world through Jesus Christ, who entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and king by those who spread garments and branches along his way. Let these branches be signs of his victory, and grant that we who carry them may follow him in the way of the cross, that, dying and rising with him, we may enter into your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 21:1-11, NLT
As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey--
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God[d] for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
*HYMN Hosanna, Loud Hosanna #89
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The joyful anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
Passing the Peace
Christ is our peace and bids be at peace with one another.
May the peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.
The Passion
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Christ, as we hear once again the story of your passion, may we be reminded that you gave yourself out of love for us, and may we not only receive forgiveness for all our sin, but may we also be encouraged to forgive others and offer your compassion to all. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Philippians 2:5-11
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
*AFFIRMATION Apostle’s Creed, Ecumenical Version
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:14-25
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:26-30
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us begin our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you are always faithful, even when we betray you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you clothe us in your righteousness,
even when we give you a crown of thorns.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
HOLY COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE LORD’S TABLE John 6:35
Jesus said: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,
and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.
In your wisdom, you made all things and sustain them by your power.
You made us in your image, setting us in your world to love and serve you
and to live in peace with your whole creation.
From generation to generation you have guided us, sending prophets to turn us from wayward paths
into the way of righteousness.
Out of your great love for the world you sent your only Son among us to redeem us and to be the way to eternal life.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with the choirs of heaven
and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:
we lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might;
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
You are holy, O God of majesty, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
As one of us, he knew our joys and sorrows, and our struggles with temptation.
He was like us in every way except sin. In him we see what you created us to be.
Though blameless, he suffered willingly for our sin.
Though innocent, he accepted death for the guilty.
On the cross he offered himself, a perfect sacrifice, for the life of the world.
By his suffering and death, he freed us from sin and death.
Risen from the grave, he leads us to the joy of new life.
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took the bread,
Gave thanks to you, O God, broke the bread
And gave it to his disciples saying;
“Take, eat, this is my body give for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup, gave thanks to you, O God,
And gave it to his disciples saying,
“Drink from this all of you, for this is the blood of my covenant,
Poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me.”
Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts,
we take this bread and this wine from the gifts you have given us,
and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ.
Accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as a living and holy offering of ourselves,
that our lives may proclaim the One crucified and risen.
As we proclaim the mystery of faith.
Dying, you destroyed our death; rising, you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory!
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these your gifts of bread and wine,
that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be the communion of the body and blood of Christ.
By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name,
that we may be one in ministry in every place.
As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ in the world.
Lead us, O God, in the way of Christ. Give us courage to take up our cross
and, in full reliance upon your grace, to follow him.
Help us to love you above all else and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,
demonstrating that love in deed and word in the power of your Spirit.
Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promised day of resurrection,
when, with the redeemed of all the ages, we will feast with you at your table in glory.
Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours, almighty God, with the Holy Spirit in the holy church, now and forever.
Amen.
*THE LORD'S PRAYER
As our Savior Christ has taught us,
we are bold to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
AMEN
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:31-35
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the
*HYMN Go to Dark Gethsemane #97, v. 1-2
1 Go to dark Gethsemane,
All that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from His griefs away,
Learn from Jesus Christ to pray.
2 Follow to the judgment hall;
View the Lord of Life arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss;
Learn from Christ to bear the cross.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:36-46
36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Prayers
In Christ Jesus, we have a great high priest who knows our weakness and suffering;
therefore, with boldness, let us seek God’s grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer…
(intercessions)
To you, O God, we entrust these prayers, knowing that you alone can provide grace to help in our time of need;
in the name of our great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Savior. Amen.
CRIPTURE Matthew 26:47-56
47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53 Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let is continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you reach out to us in love,
even when we reject and despise you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:57-68
57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the h igh priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
*HYMN Ah, Holy Jesus #93
1 Ah, holy Jesus, how have You offended,
That mortal judgment has on You descended?
By foes derided, by Your own rejected,
O most afflicted!
2 Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon You?
It is my treason, Lord, that has undone You.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied You;
I crucified You.
3 For me, dear Jesus, was Your incarnation,
Your mortal sorrow, and Your life’s oblation,
Your death of anguish and Your bitter passion,
For my salvation.
5 Therefore, dear Jesus, since I cannot pay You,
I do adore You, and will ever praise You,
Think on Your pity and Your love unswerving,
Not my deserving.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 26:69-74
69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let is continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you claim us as your own, even when we deny you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:1-26
Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. 2 Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”
“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
6 The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.” 7 After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. 8 That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. 9 This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,
“They took the thirty pieces of silver— the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, 10 and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.”
11 Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
12 But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. 13 “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. 14 But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. 16 This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. 17 As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
19 Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”
20 Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. 21 So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”
The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”
But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”
24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
25 And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”
26 So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.
HYMN Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed #78
1 Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die!
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I!
2 Was it for crimes that I had done
He suffered on the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut its glories in,
When Christ, the great Redeemer, died
For human creatures' sin.
4 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give my self away;
’Tis all that I can do.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:27-31
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. 31 When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us continue our confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you clothe us in your righteousness,
even when we give you a crown of thorns.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you bless us with your word,
even when we mock and curse you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
*HYMN Oh, Sacred Head Now Wounded #98, v. 1-2
1 O sacred head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down;
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.
2 What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:32-44
32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it.
35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!”
41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
Let us conclude today’s confession:
Lord Jesus Christ, you pour out your grace for us,
even when we give you sour wine.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Lord Jesus Christ, you give your life to save us, even though we crucify you.
Lamb of God, have mercy on us.
Holy God, when Jesus cried and breathed his last
you tore away the ancient curtain between heaven and earth, life and death.
As we turn to face the cross, show us Jesus, in his suffering and glory,
that we may believe and have eternal life;
through Christ, our Son, our Savior. Amen.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:45-56
45 At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
47 Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 48 One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. 49 But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.
SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:57-66
57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
62 The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
*HYMN OF THE CROSS Were You There? #102
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?(Were you there?)
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Were you there?)
2 Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree? (Were you there?)
3 Were you there when they pierced Him in the side? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side? (Were you there?)
4 Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? (Were you there?)
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? (Were you there?)
*CHARGE & BLESSING
As you go through these sacred days of Holy Week, even in the midst of social distancing, I encourage you to walk with Christ through the events of his passion by rereading the story in any of the Gospels. I encourage you to talk with Christ often by prayers of confession, prayers of surrender, and prayers of intercession for the many needs of the world. I invite you to take your meals reverently as if Jesus were sitting down to eat with you, just as he sat with his disciples. I ask you to remember not only the sacrifice Christ made for us, but also the sacrifices of many workers in your community and around the world right now. I beg you to remember, that the Gospel story didn’t end here and neither does ours. Since you already know the next chapter of the Gospels is the story of Easter, hold on tight to that hope and know that life is still God’s gift to us. As you walk through the Passion of Christ or the pandemic of our present day, look forward to Easter.
May the peace of Christ that passes all our understanding be with you. Amen
This service will take you through the scriptural message of Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday. Prayers and hymn text will enhance the journey. We only used hymns that are not copyrighted. Many prayers come for the PC(USA) Book of Common Worship. Scripture is from the New Living Translation. Images are from our subscription to Church Art Online.
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