GOOD FRIDAY
The Wonderful Cross April 10, 2020
AS WE GATHER
It seems strange to call this day “good.” After all, on this day, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, was tortured, beaten, spit upon, and brutally crucified on a cross. What is good about that? Actually, the goodness of this day is extensive and amazing. At the cross, God’s plan to redeem the world came to full fruition. Rather than ignore our sin, pretend it away, or eternally turn away from us, God became one of us, and in an act of pure self-sacrifice and love, Jesus willingly suffered the worst. For you. For me. For the world. Ours is not a God who says to us, “If you obey Me well enough, then I might love you.” Our God says to us at the outset, “I love you. I willingly gave My life for yours. If you want to see the extent of My love, look to the cross. Let My love draw you to hear and obey Me.” So today’s service is not a funeral for Jesus. It is a way to remember the events of Jesus’ death—including the allusions to it already in the Old Testament. It is an occasion for us to be drawn closer in love to the God who loves us unconditionally. It is an occasion to weep over our sin that made the crucifixion of Jesus necessary. It is an occasion to rejoice in the forgiveness and peace that comes from putting our faith in our crucified Lord. It is an occasion to marvel at the breadth, height, and depth of God’s love for us. Yes, it is Good Friday.
X WORD X
INTROIT Psalm 38:1–4, 18, 22; antiphon: Isaiah 53:5
P: He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities;
C: upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
P: O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger,
C: nor discipline me in Your wrath!
P: For Your arrows have sunk into me,
C: and Your hand has come down on me.
P: There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
C: there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
P: For my iniquities have gone over my head;
C: like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
P: I confess my iniquity;
C: I am sorry for my sin.
P: Make haste to help me,
C: O Lord, my salvation!
P: He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities;
C: upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray. Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (Isaiah describes a suffering servant who has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”)
13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—15 so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. 53:1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
PSALM Psalm 31; antiphon: v. 1
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. 5 Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God. 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; as for me, I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. 10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11 Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors and an object of dread to my closest friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. 12 I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13 For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. 16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. 17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead. 18 Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. 19 How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. 20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues. 21 Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege. 22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. 23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people! The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full. 24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
GRADUAL Hebrews 9:12a, c, 15a; Psalm 111:9a
P: Christ entered once for all into the holy places, by means of His own blood,
C: thus securing an eternal redemption.
P: Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant,
C: so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.
P: He sent redemption to His people;
C: He has commanded His covenant forever.
EPISTLE Hebrews 4:14–16; 5:7–9 (Jesus’ death on the cross for us reveals that He sympathizes with all of our weaknesses and is the source of eternal salvation for all who trust in Him.)
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST John 18:1–19:42
HYMN “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now” [St. 1: LSB 440]
Jesus, I will ponder now On Your holy Passion;
Let Your Spirit now endow Me for meditation.
Grant that I in love and faith May the image cherish
Of Your suffering, pain and death That I may not perish.
P: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John.
READING John 18:1–11 (Betrayal and arrest of Jesus)
18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”’
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 1: LSB 450]
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.
READING John 18:12–27 (Jesus before the High Priest and the denial of Peter)
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people. 15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in. 17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” 18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. 19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” 22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. 23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 2: LSB 450]
How pale Thou art with anguish, With sore abuse and scorn;
How doth thy face now languish, That once was bright as morn.
Grim death with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength, in this sad strif.
READING John 18:28–40 (Jesus before Pilate)
28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” 30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die. 33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” 35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” 36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” 37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” 38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” 40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 3: LSB 450]
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.
READING John 19:1–16a (Jesus prepared for crucifixion)
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face. 4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” 7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 4: LSB 450]
My Shepherd, now receive me, My Guardian, own me Thine;
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O Source of gifts divine,
Thy lips have often fed me, With words of truth and love,
Thy Spirit oft hath led me To heav’nly joys above
.
READING John 19:16b–24 (The crucifixion of Jesus)
16b So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 5: LSB 450]
What language shall I borrow, To thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
Oh! make me Thine forever, And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never Outlive my love to Thee.
READING John 19:25–30 (Jesus’ mother and His death)
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 6: LSB 450]
My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, o leave me no alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!
READING John 19:31–42 (Jesus’ side is pierced)
31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” 38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
HYMN “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” [St. 7: LSB 450]
Be Thou my consolation, my shield, when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfold Thee, who dieth thus dies well.
Silence
HYMN“Behold the Savior of Mankind”
Behold the Savior of mankind Nailed to the shameful tree!
How vast the love that Him inclined To bleed and die for thee!
’Tis done; the precious ransom’s paid; “Receive My soul!” He cries.
See where He bows His sacred head; He bows His head and dies.
But soon He’ll break death’s envious chain And in full glory shine.
O Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever love, like Thine?
Text: Samuel Wesley, Sr., 1662–1735. Public domain.
HYMN OF THE DAY “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth” [LSB 438]
A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of all men bearing;
And laden with the sins of earth, None else the burden sharing!
Goes patient on, grow weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer; Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith, Willing all this I suffer.
This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great friend, The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send To gain for us His favor.
Go forth, My Son, the Father saith, And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation. The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share The fruit of Thy salvation.
Yea, Father, yea, most willingly I’ll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree, I do what Thou demandest.
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done! The Father offers up His Son!
The Son, content, descendeth! O Love, how strong Thou art to save!
Thou beddest Him within the grave Whose word the mountains rendeth.
And when Thy glory I shall see And taste Thy kingdom’s pleasure,
Thy blood my royal robe shall be, My joy beyond all measure.
When I appear before Thy throne, Thy righteousness shall be my crown—
With these I need not hide me. And there, in garments richly wrought
As Thine own bride, I shall be brought To stand in joy beside Thee.
SERMON
CREED Nicene Creed
C: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the deadand the life X of the world to come. Amen.
BIDDING PRAYER
P: Let us pray for the Church throughout the world, that churches flourish in their working of connecting people with the love of Jesus.
Father God, by Your Holy Spirit, guide our church to present a clear witness to the love of Jesus. Let unity overcome division, truth overcome error, and love overcome strife; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us pray for the Synod President, Matthew; District President, Paul; for our pastors and teachers; for all servants of the Church; and for all the people of God.
Lord of the Church, You bless our church with pastors and teachers, musicians and custodians, deaconesses and Sunday School teachers, missionaries and theologians, and a wide variety of ministries to extend Your love to communities everywhere. Uphold and guide all whom You call to various ministries, that their work give glory to You and extend Your reign in all communities; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us pray for those who are new to the Christian faith and are preparing for Baptism or confirmation.
Lord God, You bless our church with new people. Guide them as they learn and grow to love You. Protect them from distractions. Help them to find ways to live out their newly experienced faith in acts of service. Help our church to welcome new people with open arms; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us pray for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit would gently guide hearts to the love of God for us in Jesus.
Merciful God, You often work in wonderfully mysterious ways. We ask that Your Spirit move powerfully in the lives of those who do not believe to draw them toward Your love in Christ Jesus. Enable those of us who believe to be good and faithful witnesses to the love of Christ. Keep us from placing unnecessary barriers in the way of the those who struggle to believe. Help us to be ready to rejoice when a lost sheep is found; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us pray for those who serve in public office, that God guide them to lead with wisdom, compassion, and concern for those most vulnerable in our society.
God of power and might, bless the leaders of our nation, state, and local communities. Create in them the humility to lead as those who serve. Protect us from corrupt and unjust leaders. Guide all who serve in public office to seek the peace, well-being, freedom, and joy of the people they serve; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Let us pray for those in need: the sick, the dying, the oppressed, and the vulnerable.
Compassionate God, Your special care of those in difficult circumstances is evident in the mercy Jesus showed to those who were poor, blind, lame, or rejected by the world. Bless those in trouble with healing, peace, and the love of those they need to help them through each day. Help us to notice people’s need and to respond with providing for both their physical and spiritual needs; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Finally, let us pray the prayer Jesus taught us:
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
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.
[A cross, either carried in procession or placed near the altar before worship, is highlighted with lighting, candles, or the slow removal of a veil.]
CONTEMPLATION OF THE CROSS
P: Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.
C: O come, let us worship Him.
P: Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.
C: O come, let us worship Him.
P: Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.
C: O come, let us worship Him.
REPROACH
P: Thus says the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. For I have raised you up out of the prison house of sin and death, and you have delivered up your Redeemer to be scourged. For I have redeemed you from the house of bondage, and you have nailed your Savior to the cross. O My people.
Holy Lord God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer; God eternal, leave us not to bitter death.
C: O Lord, have mercy.
HYMN “Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved” [St. 1: LSB 945]
O God, Father in heaven, have mercy upon us.
Your heart, O God, is grieved, we know, by every evil ev’ry woe; Upon Your cross for saken Son our death is laid, and peace is won.
REPROACH
P: Thus says the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. For I have conquered all your foes, and you have given Me over and delivered Me to those who persecute Me. For I have fed you with My Word and refreshed you with living water, and you have given Me gall and vinegar to drink. O My people.
Holy Lord God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer; God eternal, allow us not to lose hope in the face of death and hell.
C: O Lord, have mercy.
HYMN “Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved” [St. 2: LSB 945]
O Son of God, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upo us.
You arms extend, O Christ, to save fro sting of death and grasp of grave; Your scars before the Father move His heart to mercy at such love.
REPROACH
P: Thus says the Lord: What have I done to you, O My people, and wherein have I offended you? Answer Me. What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? My people, is this how you thank your God? O My people.
Holy Lord God, holy and mighty God, holy and most merciful Redeemer; God eternal, keep us steadfast in the true faith.
C: O Lord, have mercy.
HYMN “Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved” [St. 3: LSB 945]
O God, Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
O lavish Giver, come to aid the feeble child Your grace has made. Now make us grow and help us pray; bring joy and comfort; come to stafy.
CONSECRATION OF THE SACRAMENT Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25
P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My X body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My X blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PAX DOMINI Isaiah 53:5
P: Jesus was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: Amen.
CONCLUDING COLLECT
P: Let us pray. We implore You, O Lord, that Your abundant blessing may be upon Your people who have held the passion and death of Your Son in devout remembrance, that we may receive Your pardon and the gift of Your comfort, and may increase in faith and take hold of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission
Roger says
I need the uplifting message from the Gospel during this time of movement restrictions. I thank you and LOG for this precious time for me to mediate upon your message and Words from the Bible.
Thomas Mulhern says
The Good Friday services always make our Easter that much more glorious. This message was needed more than ever due to our physical separation from our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is such a blessing that we can still receive the Word in these troubled times.
Thank you