Good Friday April 10, 2020

Good Friday April 10, 2020

Prayer of the Day

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

¹³ See, my servant shall prosper;

    he shall be exalted and lifted up,

    and shall be very high.

¹⁴ Just as there were many who were astonished at him

    —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,

    and his form beyond that of mortals—

¹⁵ so he shall startle many nations;

    kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which had not been told them they shall see,

    and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

53 Who has believed what we have heard?

    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

² For he grew up before him like a young plant,

    and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³ He was despised and rejected by others;

    a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces

    he was despised, and we held him of no account.

⁴ Surely he has borne our infirmities

    and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

    struck down by God, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions,

    crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

    and by his bruises we are healed.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;

    we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him

    the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

    yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

    so he did not open his mouth.

⁸ By a perversion of justice he was taken away.

    Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living,

    stricken for the transgression of my people.

⁹ They made his grave with the wicked

    and his tomb with the rich, 

although he had done no violence,

    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. 

When you make his life an offering for sin, 

    he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

¹¹     Out of his anguish he shall see light; 

he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

    The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,

    and he shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,

    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death,

    and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

    and made intercession for the transgressors.

 

THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW

Matthew 26:36-56

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” ⁴⁰ Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” ⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” ⁴⁹ At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” ⁵⁵ At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father:  In your grace, you gave us the gift of your Son, who took on human form and left us a part of his divine being.  Help us to receive this gift with gratitude and hope, so that we will embrace your Son’s call to be servants of all.  This we ask in his precious name.  Amen

Verses 1 & 2

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.       C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 26:57-68

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. ⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, ⁶⁰ but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” ⁶² The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus was silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you,

From now on you will see the Son of Man
    seated at the right hand of Power
    and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” ⁶⁷ Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him,⁶⁸ saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah!  Who is it that struck you?”

Let us pray:

Father God, Your Son has promised us eternity with you.  Through his life and death he has shown the path you have chosen in the world, and in his resurrection you have shown your grace to all.  Guide us this night, as we ponder the mystery of faith, that we will know when to serve and when to defend, when to take nothing and when to secure possessions, so we will be prepared for all that we will face as we follow you.  This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

Where you There?   Verses 1-3

1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
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?

2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
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?

3 Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
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?

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.       C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 26:69-75

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Let us pray:

The great I AM:   Your Son faced denial, accusation, beatings, mocking, and many insults to fulfill your mission.  Bless us with such love and commitment, that we too will not betray our savior, that we will not participate in heaping insult on him or his church.  Guide us to be beacons of light and hope for your kingdom.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

Verses 1 & 2

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.       C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 27:1-14

27 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. ² They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.  ³ When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”⁵ Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. ⁶ But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” ⁷ After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price,¹⁰ and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” ¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” ¹² But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” ¹⁴ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

 

Let us pray:

Ever-living God, creator of heaven and earth, Your Son was betrayed by one closest to him and handed over to the powers of darkness.  Keep the powers of darkness at bay, so that we will not be tempted to betray the one who has secured for us salvation.  Keep our hearts pure and our intentions faithful.  In the precious name of Christ we pray.  Amen

 Go to Dark Gathsemene (ELW # 347)  Verses 1 & 2

1 Go to dark Gethsemane,
all who feel the temper’s pow'r;
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;
oh, the wormwood and the gall!
Oh, the pangs his soul sustained!
Shun not suff'ring, shame, or loss;
learn from him to bear the cross.

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.       C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 17:15-26

¹⁵ Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. ¹⁷ So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  ¹⁸ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. ¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” ²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. ²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” ²³ Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”  ²⁴ So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” ²⁵ Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Let us pray:

Lord of Hosts, Your son was convicted at a false trial and was sentenced to death, while a murder was set free.  The crowd shouted crucify as he was led to his death.  Watch over us that our shouts are not “crucify!” when Your Son calls us into places we would rather not go.  Protect us from our fears and our anxieties that we will follow even to our own death.  In the name of the crucified one we pray.  Amen

Verses 1 & 2

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.      C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

MEDITATION

Matthew 27:27-31

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,²⁹ and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”³⁰ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

 Let us pray:

Benevolent Creator:  All that you have made is good and our sin has tainted that goodness.  Your Son came to make things right and was met with contempt and scorn.  He stood innocent and was treated like a criminal.  He suffered lies and gave no defense.  Watch over us this night, as we witness these events, that we will defend the savior in times of trial, and that we will face our own trial with joy and commitment.  In your Son’s glorious name we pray.  Amen

Verse 3

 L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.      C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 27:32-44

³² As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. ³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; ³⁶ then they sat down there and kept watch over him. ³⁷ Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

³⁸ Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” ⁴⁴ The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

Lord God Almighty, Your Son took his throne between two criminals and suffered abuse and scorn, not praise and adoration.  Open us by your Holy Spirit that we will see beyond our own hurt and pray for forgiveness for our enemies and those who would condemn us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen

Verse 4 

L:  Behold, the life giving cross on which hung the salvation of the world.      C:  Oh, come, let us worship Him.

Matthew 27:45-61

45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

BELL TOLLS 33 TIMES

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

55 Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

P       Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

          C       Our Father, who art in heaven,

                             hallowed be thy name,

                             thy kingdom come,

                             thy will be done,

                                      on earth as it is in heaven.

                   Give us this day our daily bread;

                   and forgive us our trespasses,

                             as we forgive those who trespass against us;

                   and lead us not into temptation,

                             but deliver us from evil.

                   For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

                forever and ever. Amen

All music and liturgy used under permission of One-License #A-701659.