Wednesday in Holy Week

 

Today is Wednesday in Holy Week as we prepare to observe our Lord’s death and resurrection for us.  The season of Lent will conclude tomorrow on Maundy Thursday as the Triduum begins – the services that run over the course of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  On Wednesday in Holy Week, the Gospel reading is the Passion of Our Lord according to St. Luke (Luke 22:1-23:56).

Scripture reading:

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

            Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

            Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

            And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

            A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

            “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

            “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

            And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

            And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

            While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

            Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

            Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

            When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

            Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

            When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

            Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him.”

            But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

            And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

            Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

            One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

            It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

            Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

            On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.           

Collect of the Day:

Merciful and everlasting God, You did not spare Your only Son but delivered Him up for us all to bear our sins on the cross. Grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we fear not the power of sin, death, and the devil; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Tuesday in Holy Week

Today is Tuesday in Holy Week as we prepare to observe our Lord’s death and resurrection for us.  The season of Lent will conclude on Maundy Thursday as the Triduum begins – the services that run over the course of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  On Tuesday in Holy Week, the Gospel reading is the Passion of Our Lord according to St. Mark (Mark 14:1-15:47).

 

Scripture reading:

            It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”

            And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

            Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.

            And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

            And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

            And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

            And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

            And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

            And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.

            And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

            And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows.

            And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

            And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.

            Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” And Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

            And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

            And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

            And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

            There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

            And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

 

(Mark 14:1-15:47)

 

Collect of the Day:

Almighty and Everlasting God, grant us by Your grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s passion that we may obtain the forgiveness of sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

 

 

Monday in Holy Week

 

Today is Monday in Holy Week as we prepare to observe our Lord’s death and resurrection for us.  The season of Lent will conclude on Maundy Thursday as the Triduum begins – the services that run over the course of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  On Monday in Holy Week, the Gospel reading is John 12:1-36.

 

Scripture reading:

            Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”

            When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

            The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

            “Fear not, daughter of Zion;

            behold, your king is coming,

                        sitting on a donkey's colt!”

            His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

            Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

            “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

            When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.  (John 12:1-36)

 

Collect of the Day:

Almighty God, grant that in the midst of our failures and weaknesses we may be restored through the passion and intercession of Your only-begotten Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one  God, now and forever.

 

 

Sermon for the Sunday of the Passion - Zech 9:9-12

 

                                                                                    Sunday of the Passion

                                                                                    Zech 9:9-12

                                                                                    3/28/21

 

            Life in Jerusalem and Judah around 520 B.C. was a discouraging time.  The southern kingdom of Judah has been conquered by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The Babylonians had destroyed the amazing temple that King Solomon had built. They had torn down the walls of Jerusalem.  They had taken all but the very poorest of the land into exile in Babylon.

            Yahweh had promised through the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah that he would bring the people back to the land.  The exile dragged on. But then, unexpectedly, Yahweh fulfilled his promise.  The Persians led by Cyrus defeated the Babylonians in 539 B.C.  The next year, Cyrus issued an edict that allowed the Judahites to return to their land and rebuild the temple.

            After decades living in Babylon, not everyone decided to return. They had developed a life in that land and did not want to leave it in order to return to the unknown situation in Judah.  However, many did and what they found was discouraging.  Other peoples had moved into the area and were a threat to the Judah.  The city of Jerusalem had no wall to protect it. Judah was no longer its own nation.  Instead, it was one small province in the massive Persian empire.

            The people started in on rebuilding the temple. When the foundation was laid, those who remembered Solomon’s temple wept because the replacement was going to be so much smaller and inferior to what had been destroyed.  Work made little progress. Around 520 B.C., eighteen years after Cyrus had issued his edict, the temple remained unfinished.

            God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to encourage the people to finish the work.  Zerrubabel, a descendant of King David, was the one appointed by the Persians to oversee the affairs of the Judahites. Through Zechariah, Yahweh told the people that Zerrubabel was a reminder of how God would fulfill his promises about David.

            It was in this setting of discouragement that Zechariah wrote the words of our text.  In the preceding verses, Yahweh had said that he would defeat the enemies of his people.  He said, “Then I will encamp at my house as a guard, so that none shall march to and fro; no oppressor shall again march over them, for now I see with my own eyes.”

            How was this going to happen?  Zechariah went on to write in the words of our text, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

            This was good, though puzzling, news.  Judah’s king was coming, and this could only be the Messiah promised by God. He would be righteous and have salvation. He would be mounted on a donkey, which in itself was not surprising since this type of animal had long association with royalty in Israel.  But he was also described as “humble.” This was not a description one expected of a mighty king who would bring God’s rescue.

            It was more puzzling still, because of what Zechariah went on to say: “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” This king was going to be the instrument through which Yahweh was going to bring peace and rule over all.

            In the reading outside church this morning from the Gospel of John we heard, “And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!’”  Jesus and the other Passover pilgrims had been walking.  But now as he prepared to enter Jerusalem for his passion, Jesus arranged it so that he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  He took care so that his entrance fulfilled what Zechariah had written.

            Jesus was certainly righteous.  As the Son of God who had entered into the world in the incarnation, he had no sin.  During his life he had perfectly fulfilled his Father’s will.  He did indeed have salvation.  He had come to Jerusalem at the Passover to bring salvation for all people.

            He was the son of David, the descendant of the king who fulfilled God’s promise about the Messiah. The donkey was entirely consistent with this.  But Zechariah had described this Messiah as humble.  The kings of Israel’s past certainly didn’t ride donkeys into battle. When they went forth to conquer they rode in a chariot or on a war horse.

            It is in the description “humble” that we understand what the donkey means.  Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to bring salvation. But he does not come in the might and power that the world expects. Instead, he comes humbly, mounted on a donkey.  The means by which he arrives tells us about the way he is going to bring salvation.

            Jesus came to Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week to conquer.  He came to conquer sin, death and the devil. But the way in which he would do this did not look like victory.  It did not look mighty and powerful.  Instead, Jesus had come to suffer.  He had come to be humiliated.  He had come to die a criminal’s death on the cross, even though he was completely innocent.

            Greeted by the cry, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”, on Good Friday he would instead hear the cry, “Crucify him!”  Yet this was the very purpose for which Jesus had come to Jerusalem.  Matthew tells us, “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 

‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.’”

            Our Lord did this because from the moment of his baptism he had taken on the role of the suffering Servant.  Though righteous and without sin of his own, he had come to suffer and die for our sins.  He had come to drink the cup of God’s wrath that we deserved.

            This is not what we would expect. And the manner in which Jesus won forgiveness for us brings with it implications that we don’t like. In Matthew’s Gospel, immediately after predicting his passion for the first time, our Lord went on to say, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

            Jesus walked the way of the cross.  And he has told us that those who follow him must also expect this. The apostle Paul said the same thing when he told the Philippians, “For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”  There is always the temptation to avoid the cross.  There are times we remain silent when we should speak up.  There are times when we go along to get along, instead of acting in a way that confesses the truth of God’s Word.

            In the humility of his suffering and death, Jesus Christ has won forgiveness for these ways that we fail. But that is not all he has done.  Holy Week begins today. It ends with Jesus’ dead body buried in a tomb. But God’s saving action did not conclude at the end of seven days.  Instead, it moved on to the eighth day - to Easter Sunday - to a day of new creation as God raised Jesus from the dead.  Through his Spirit God the Father raised Jesus with a body transformed so that it can never die again.  He defeated death and began the resurrection of the Last Day.

            The resurrection of Jesus gives us the living hope that enables us to face the challenges posed by this world. The Spirit who raised Jesus has made us a new creation in Christ through the water of Holy Baptism. He leads and strengthens us to take up the cross and follow Jesus.  We do so in the knowledge that the final victory is already ours, because we belong to Christ.

            In our text today Zechariah writes, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Jesus came to Jerusalem as the righteous but humble king who brought salvation through his suffering and death.

            But the prophet goes on to say, “I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”  Forty days after his resurrection, our Lord Jesus was exalted as he ascended into heaven and was seated at the right hand of God.

            Yet this is not the end of his saving work.  In the reading of the Passion of Our Lord in Matthew’s Gospel we heard Jesus say to Caiaphas, “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.”  The risen Lord who ascended will return in glory on the Last Day.  He will bring the peace about which Zechariah spoke.  He will enact judgment against all the enemies of God’s people, just as Zechariah said. There will be absolutely nothing humble about his coming on the day when raises the dead, gives us a share in his resurrection, and renews creation. Those of us who believe in the Lord who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday will rejoice as we say, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

 

Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord

 

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord, in which we celebrate the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that the Holy Spirit would conceive within her the Son of God. We observe this feast of the incarnation on March 25, nine months before celebrating Christ’s birth on Christmas Day, December 25.

Gospel reading:

 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Collect of the Day:

O Lord, as we have known the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, by the message of the angel to the virgin Mary, so by the message of His cross and passion bring us to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

 

 

Sermon for fifth mid-week Lent service - 9th and 10th Commandments

 

                                                                        Mid-Lent 5

                                                                        9^th and 10^th Commandments

                                                                        3/24/21

 

            Several trends have been very evident in model railroading during the last twenty years. The first is that far fewer models of engines and freight cars are produced as kits that a person builds, assembles or details.  Instead the models come completely finished and ready to put on the track for operation.

            The second has been that these models have a degree of detail and accuracy that is outstanding.  I mean, these are gorgeous models that are exact representations of the prototype.  Engines now make the sound that a particular diesel engine or steam engine made. When you run them, they sound just like the real thing.

            The third probably won’t surprise you.  If the manufacturer does all the work of assembly and detail, and provides a model that is far more detailed and accurate, the price is not going to get any cheaper.  Instead, prices have skyrocketed to the point that when it comes to engines, it really doesn’t matter what comes out because it is going to be too expensive for me to buy.

            Prices have gone through the roof.  But manufacturers continue to produce new models because there are people buying them.  Matthew and I always marvel at this, and it usually leads to the observation: “There are people out there who have a lot more money than we do.”

            There are indeed people out there who have a lot more money than I do.  They can buy these models, when I really can’t.  Now would I like to have some of these models? Yes.  Do I really need these models – well, not really.  Do I already have many nice models to run and enjoy?  Certainly yes.  This raises the issue of whether I am going to be content. I have every reason to be – I mean I am really blessed have my model railroad equipment and the layout on which to run them.  But boy, I’d love to have a trio of Rapido RS-11’s to pull my freight trains.  And I know there are people out there who get to do this.

            The Ninth and Tenth Commandments both state that we are not to covet.  The Ninth Commandment says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.”  The Tenth Commandment says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”  It’s not a perfect division, but we usually think of the Ninth Commandment as dealing with things, and the Tenth Commandment as dealing with people.

            To covet is to envy what belongs to our neighbor.  We want to have it.  It is to begrudge the fact that they have it and we don’t. We are upset because it seems unfair that they have something that we want, but don’t have.  And it is the action by which see seek to get it from our neighbor – especially in a way that only appears to be right.

            The Ninth and Tenth Commandments deal with God’s gift of contentment. The apostle Paul told Timothy in his first letter, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

            God teaches us to contemplate the blessings that he has given to us.  We must recognize that the only thing God has promised to us is daily bread – those things that are needed to support our body and life.  And then, God has blessed us with so much more than that!  He has provided us with every reason to be content when we consider all that he has given to us.

            Of course, the old Adam in us is never satisfied.  He is always looking to have more – to have better. He looks around and zeroes in on the things that other people have – the things that we don’t.  He sees the things and people in the lives of other that are better than in ours, and causes us to ignore the great blessings that we do have.  He kindles dissatisfaction with our lives, and prompts us to consider how we can get what others have.

            This is a great challenge for us because we live in a world that is constantly telling us that we need more and we need better.  The advertising industry has finely tuned methods by which it delivers this message to us – by which it dangles things in front of us.  Our culture which is so void of spiritual substance knows little else than those things that will make for the “good life.”  But the good life is an ever moving target as a continual flow of new products, renders what we have dated, obsolete and unacceptable.

            What the world teaches us about things it also does with people – especially our spouse.  The world’s view of relationships is that “it’s all about me.” My happiness, my satisfaction are all that matter. If those aren’t sufficient, then surely there is someone else out there who will fix that.  It teaches us to think nothing of leaving our spouse in order to be with someone else – even that if that person is someone else’s spouse. 

            The Small Catechism explains the Ninth Commandment by saying that we are not to “scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right.” It explains the Tenth Commandment by saying that we are not to “entice or force away” those in the life of our neighbor.  Luther emphasizes that these actions may not appear to be stealing.  They may be strictly speaking “legal.”  But he says, “It might not be called stealing or cheating, but it is coveting – that is, having designs on your neighbor’s property, luring it away from them against their will, and begrudging what God gave them.”

            Naturally, there is a similarity with the Seventh Commandment as it forbids stealing.  And just as in the Seventh Commandment, so also in the Ninth and Tenth Commandments the positive action that is inherent in keeping the commandments is to help our neighbor keep what they have.  We are to “help and be of services to him in keeping it.”  We are to urge the people in our neighbor’s life “to stay and do their duty.”  We help our neighbor and treat our neighbor just as we would want to be treated.

            We do covet.  We fail to embrace contentment in the recognition of God’s many blessings.  Because of this our sin, the Son of God gave up the greatest possible contentment of the divine life of the Holy Trinity in order to suffer and die for us.  Paul told the Philippians, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

            Christ loved us. He did not seek something better for himself. Instead, he gave up all in order bring us into the fellowship with God.  He humbled himself by being obedient to the Father to the point of death – even the humiliating and shameful death of the cross.  He did this in order to reconcile us to God – to win forgiveness by which we have been restored to the status of being children of God.

            Our Lord Jesus submitted himself to suffering and death for us.  But he did so in the knowledge that thereby he was also giving us life.  He entered into the world in the incarnation in order to die.  But as he told his disciples during his ministry, he also came to be raised from the dead. He came to defeat death and begin the resurrection of the Last Day.

            On Easter we will celebrate that Jesus has risen.  He lives! Because he does, we will live too, even if we die.  Paul said in the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”  Because our Lord has risen we know death cannot separate us from him. And we also know that he will yet give us something even better.  He will give us a share in his resurrection.  He will give us physical life that will never know suffering, pain or sickness - life that will never die.  As Paul told the Philippians, “we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”  On that day, we will know contentment that has no end.