Manuscript for Lenten Service on March 17

 + Evening Prayer +

March 17, 2021

 

430 MY SONG IS LOVE UNKNOWN

1 My song is love unknown,
    My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
    That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
    That for my sake
    My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?

2 He came from His blest throne
    Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
    The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
    My friend indeed,
    Who at my need
His life did spend!

3 Sometimes they strew His way
    And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
    Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
    Is all their breath,
    And for His death
They thirst and cry.

4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
    What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
    He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
    Yet they at these
    Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise

5 They rise and needs will have
    My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
    The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
    To suff’ring goes
    That He His foes
From thence might free.

6 In life no house, no home
    My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
    But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
    Heav’n was His home
    But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.

7 Here might I stay and sing,
    No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
    Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
    In whose sweet praise
    I all my days
Could gladly spend!

Text: Public domain 

 

PSALM 100

¹Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

³Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

⁵For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

 

READING Luke 23:1–25

¹Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ²And 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.” ³And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” ⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” ⁵But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When 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. ⁹So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ¹²And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

¹³Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and 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. ¹⁵Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ¹⁶I will therefore punish and release him.”

¹⁸But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— ¹⁹a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. ²⁰Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ²¹but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” ²²A 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.” ²³But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He 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.

 

CATECHISM REVIEW

The Second Article

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean? 

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

This is most certainly true.

SERMON   The Passion and the Six Chief Parts

 

Fact and Faith

Luke 23:24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 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.

As often as we say the Creed, we recall an otherwise little known governor of ancient history, Pontius Pilate. Pilate was a Roman, appointed by the Emperor to be governor and judge in Judea. Since the time of the Apostles, Christianity has made mention of Pilate and other historically known figures to show that the events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection all, firmly grounded in history.

Not all that long ago, 1961 archaeologists excavated an old theatre in the holy land, that was built when Pilate was governor. They uncovered this rock with  Pontius Pilate’s name inscribed on it, recognizing him and honoring him as the Prefect, or ruler. This was a noteworthy find. It was the 60s when there were people questioning everything. They were questioning government authority, Many were doubting the common sense of traditional moral authority. They were doubting history and doubting religion. But the Christian confession doesn’t have facts that can be doubted or denied. These things are real, written in books from the time, and inscribed in stone that has lasted for millennia.

When we confess that Jesus Christ, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, we are reciting real facts. Some look at religion and suppose that somebody had made it up, trying to manipulate people and take their riches. Of course, that’s not the case. These things are real. God is real. You are real. You’re problems are real. So therefore, God has been at work to fix your problems and save your life in the real events of this world.

Jesus Christ taught and lived and died and rose again, not in some imaginary way, but a very real, historically verifiable way. He was arrested and brought in to the highest court in the land, Pontius Pilate presiding. He was beaten and flogged and crucified in the penal system of the day. He died and was buried in the usual way for that time and place. But history shows that the grave was empty on the third day and we have the eyewitness testimony that He lived again.

This is all a matter of fact. It’s a matter of history. That’s where Pontius Pilate comes in.

But this is also a matter of faith. That’s where you and I come in. The Small Catechism teaches us how to speak about these events. We recite the events of the birth and life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then we say, I believe that this Jesus Christ is my Lord. I believe that He has redeemed me. Purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil. By history we read and hear and learn the facts of Jesus, by faith we are brought into Jesus, into His life, and His death, and His resurrection. By Jesus and those facts He accomplished in history we are saved, redeemed, and have eternal life.

So we can say, “This is most certainly true.” Having heard the facts, we know it’s true. Having heard the Lord’s loving, inviting promise, we believe it is true. Amen.

 

COLLECT FOR PEACE

L O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

LORD’S PRAYER

L Taught by our Lord and trusting His promises, we are bold 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.

 

 

BENEDICAMUS

L Let us bless the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

BENEDICTION

P The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the T Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.

C Amen.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Evening Prayer from Lutheran Service Book

Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2021 Concordia Publishing House.