GOOD FRIDAY AT NOONDAY: Jesus' Seven Words from the Cross

[To hear the entire Good Friday at Noonday Service, click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/images/aut52/CY2014/GoodFridayatNoonday.mp3]

SENTENCES AND COLLECTS


P: He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised

for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him,
C: and with His stripes we are healed.

P: Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family, for
whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, to be given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death on the cross;
C: who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

P:We all, like sheep, have gone astray;
C: and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

P: Almighty and most merciful God, give us grace so to
contemplate the Passion of our Lord
C: that we may find in it the forgiveness of our sins;
through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

The HYMN, “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded,” LSB # 450, is sung.

COLLECTS ON THE SEVEN WORDS

The HYMN, “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes,” LSB #447, is sung between readings.

THE FIRST WORD: Luke 23:34

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”

P: Lord Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God was taken, and by the hand of wicked men was crucified and slain, and did make intercession for the transgressors, we pray Thee, grant unto us all the blessed assurance that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Thee,

C: and that, if any man sin, we have an Advocate with
the Father in Thee, the Righteous, whose blood speaks better things than Abel’s blood, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE SECOND WORD: Luke 23:43
“Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise”

P: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou merciful King and Prince of
Peace, who didst veil Thy divine glory and was robed in humility, crowned with thorns, nailed upon the tree of shame, and numbered with the transgressors, we thank Thee that Thou hast remembered us in our condemnation and hast translated us into Thy Kingdom of Grace.

C: We pray Thee, rule in our hearts and lives with the
scepter of Thy Word, and when life’s brief day is ended, take us with Thee into Paradise, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE THIRD WORD: John 19:26, 27

“Woman, behold thy son!” – “Behold thy mother!”

P: O Compassionate Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for Thy perfect obedience which Thou did render for us even to the death of the cross. We pray Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that He may write Thy holy Law upon our hearts, so that, following Thy example of filial love and obedience, we may honor and serve our parents, and, from the least to the greatest, may learn obedience and walk in Thy footsteps.

C: And let Thy strength be made perfect in our weakness, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE FOURTH WORD: Matthew 27:46

“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

P: Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Author and Finisher of our faith, who didst tread the winepress of God’s wrath alone and wast made a curse for us on the accursed tree, being forsaken of God, we pray Thee, grant that our faith in Thee may never know doubt or change. Strengthen us in the sure knowledge and confidence that nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Thee and that, though Thy Father hide His face from us in a little moment of wrath,

C: we may never despair of His loving-kindness, for the
sake of Thy bitter agony, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE FIFTH WORD: John 19:28

“I thirst!”

P: O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Redeemer of the world, who on the cross didst endure the pains and anguish of body and soul to accomplish all things for our redemption and in Thy cry “I thirst!” didst reveal Thy fervent desire and zeal to draw all men unto Thyself,

C: grant that the souls of men everywhere may hear Thy
gracious Gospel and drink of the waters of life and be satisfied, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE SIXTH WORD: John 19:30

“It is finished!”

P: Lord Jesus, who on the cross didst cry out: “It is finished!” we thank Thee that Thou didst complete the work which Thy Father gave Thee to do: Thou didst fulfill the Law of God for us; Thou didst bear its curse in our stead; Thou didst reconcile all men to God.

C: Grant that we may with our whole heart believe this and that we may never rely on any work or merit of our own, but always trust in Thy finished work on Calvary, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

THE SEVENTH WORD: Luke 23:46

“Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit”

P: Lord Jesus Christ, who in Thy dying moment didst
commend Thy soul into Thy Father’s hands, thereby assuring us that Thou didst finish the work of our redemption and that Thy Father is well pleased in Thee, we pray Thee,

C: grant us by Thy Holy Spirit such confidence in Thy
redemption that, washed of our sin in Thy blood, we, too, in our dying hour may confidently commend our soul into the Father’s hand, trusting wholly in Thy merits, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

PRAYERS

 

P: O Savior of the world, by Your cross and precious blood You redeemed the world.
C: Save us and help us, we humbly implore You, O Lord.

 

P: We adore You, Lord Jesus, in Your cross and Passion, through which You have brought life and joy into the world.
C: Be gracious to us according to Your mercy and bless us and lift up the Light of Your countenance upon us and give us Your peace.

 

P: Gracious Jesus, our Lord and our God, at this hour You bore our sins in Your own body on the tree so that we, being dead to sin, might live unto righteousness.

C: Have mercy upon us now and at the hour of our death and grant to us, Your servants, with all others who devoutly remember Your blessed Passion, a holy and peaceful life in this world and through Your grace eternal glory in the life to come, where, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, You live and reign, God forever. Amen.

 
P: Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
C: have mercy upon us.

 
P: Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
C: have mercy upon us.

 

P: Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world;
C: grant us peace.

 
BLESSING

 
P: Christ crucified draw you to Himself, to find in Him a sure
ground of faith, a firm support for hope, and the assurance of sins forgiven; and the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you now and forever.
C: Amen.

 

 

+ + +

Received and Delivered

The apostle, Paul, writes: "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you…" 1 Corinthians 11:23–32

This is the life of the Christian—what has been received and delivered from God. We participate in that life by the grace of Go...d, according to the will of the Father. But never forget that the command of Jesus to love one another as He has loved us is fulfilled only in and by Him. It is the benefit of Jesus’ work that we receive and deliver by the work of the Holy Spirit in His holy Christian Church. It is not our will, but the Father’s will accomplished by His Son, and proceeding through the Holy Spirit.

We simply cannot deliver what we have not first received—whether that is life or love. And that is why God gathers us here tonight, to receive the love He commands us to deliver to one another.

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for Maundy Thursday, "Received and Delivered," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3756

+ Graphic design by Rev. John Frasier, Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Louisville, KY.

When Jesus Was Glorified

 

Martin Luther writes: "The Jews were not saved through the Old Testament, for it was not given to them to make them pious; it was given to foreshadow for them the Christ who was to come." -- Luther's Works, AE 30:19, The Catholic Epistles, 1 Peter 1:10-12

Neither do we observe the penitential season of Lent and celebrate the days of Holy Week, or any of the other holy days during the church year, (or even Sundays as the Lord’s Day) with all the associated colors and customs to make us pious, i.e., holy.

It’s not the days, or the colors, or the customs, or anything that we *do.* There is only one way to be made pious, i.e. holy and worthy to live in the presence of God now and forever. That is to be made one with Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God—the fulfillment of all Scripture, the Messiah of God, and "your king [who] is coming to you; righteous and having salvation."

To hear and/or read the entire sermon preached for Palmarum, "When Jesus Was Glorified," click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3747

Jesus Hid Himself

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. John 8:56-59

Ever since God called man out of hiding in the Garden of Eden, He has been hiding Himself from man and for man.

Adam and Eve went into hiding out of shame and fear. God calls them out of hiding to show His mercy and forgiveness and reveal... His plan of Salvation. Then He hides Himself from them, banishing them from the Garden lest they eat of the tree of life and be condemned to live forever as sinners who surely die from the heat of His wrath.

The rest of the story, the rest of Scripture, is the story of God’s coming out of hiding.

To hear the entire sermon preached for Judica, "Jesus Hid Himself" click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3735See More

"Where Are We to Buy Bread?"

Today we see that the kingdom of heaven which Jesus is always bringing to earth and opening up for believers, is about our flesh and blood bodies now, just as well as it is about spiritual things and an eternity that begins sometime after our death. The kingdom of heaven is not some haloed, cloud-hopping karaoke party in the sky—or in the pews.

It is where our Father in heaven gives us our daily bread without fail—for our bodies as well as our souls. It is where God lives and where everything, not just bread, proceeds from the mouth of the Lord and is provided by His Word, and Him made flesh in Jesus.

 

So Jesus answers the question by demonstrating in flesh and blood, that “Where Are We to Buy Bread?” is the wrong question. Ultimately, daily bread—whether for body or soul, flesh or spirit—is from the Lord alone.

To hear the entire sermon preached for Laetare, "Where Are We to Buy Bread?" click on this link. http://lcmssermons.com/index.php?sn=3731See More

Feeding of the 5000 and the Sacrament of the Altar

The 5000 who were listening to the preaching of Jesus all day grew hungry and faint at the end of the day. Just as Jesus miraculously provided bread and fish to strengthen them for the journey home, so too does our Lord miraculously provide His very body and blood for us in the Sacrament to strengthen us in body and soul for our journey home through this cursed world to Him.

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
LAETARE: FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
THE LARGE CATECHISM
PART V: SACRAM...ENT OD THE ALTAR

22] … Christ asks me to eat and drink, so that this treasure may be my own and may benefit me as a sure pledge and token. In fact, it is the very same treasure that is appointed for me against my sins, death, and every disaster.

23] On this account it is indeed called a food of souls, which nourishes and strengthens the new man. For by Baptism we are first born anew (John 3:5). But, as we said before, there still remains the old vicious nature of flesh and blood in mankind. There are so many hindrances and temptations of the devil and of the world that we often become weary and faint, and sometimes also stumble (Hebrews 12:3).

24] Therefore, the Sacrament is given as a daily pasture and sustenance, that faith may refresh and strengthen itself (Psalm 23:1-3) so that it will not fall back in such a battle, but become ever stronger and stronger. 25] The new life must be guided so that it continually increases and progresses. 26] But it must suffer much opposition. For the devil is such a furious enemy. When he sees that we oppose him and attack the old man, and that he cannot topple us over by force, he prowls and moves about on all sides (1 Peter 5:8). He tries every trick and does not stop until he finally wears us out, so that we either renounce our faith or throw up our hands and put up our feet, becoming indifferent or impatient. 27] Now to this purpose the comfort of the Sacrament is given when the heart feels that the burden is becoming too heavy, so that it may gain here new power and refreshment.

Condensed quotations from the Lutheran Confessions from Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, copyright 2005, 2006 by Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lord grant you faith in His grace alone
for your salvation unto eternal life.

[Graphic: Giovanni Lanfranco, "Multiplication of the Loaves"]