Tenebrae, A Service of Readings

Good Friday

Tenebrae

The Service of Tenebrae

The Offering is collected at the entrance to the sanctuary this evening.

The congregation and pastor enter in silence.

Opening Versicles

P              O Lord, open my lips,

C              and my mouth shall show forth your praise.

P              Make haste, O God, to deliver me;

C              make haste to help me, O Lord.

P              Dearly beloved! We have come together in the presence of God our heavenly Father, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at His hand, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His holy Word, and to ask for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and salvation. O Come, let us worship Him! Let us kneel and bow down before Him. Let us confess our sins with penitent hearts, and obtain forgiveness by His infinite grace and mercy in Jesus Christ.

C:              Almighty and most merciful Father, we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed the devices and desires of our hearts. We have offended against Your holy law. We are by nature sinful and unclean children of Adam. We have done those things which we should not have done, and we have not done those things which we should have done. Have mercy upon us, O Lord! Spare us and restore us, according to the promises You have declared to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For the sake of His sufferings, death, and resurrection grant that we may live godly, righteous, and sober lives, to the glory of Your holy name.

P              Upon this, your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hymn: 292:1-3 Oh, Dearest Jesus

The Readings

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

P              The Passion of our Lord according to the 19^th chapter of St. John's Gospel and the 27^th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel:
¹ So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. (John 19)

C: But He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was bruised for our iniquities;
the chastisement of our peace was on Him;
and by His stripes we are healed. (Is. 53:5)

P              ²And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. ³Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands. (John 19)

C: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. (Ps. 22:6)

P              ⁴Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"(John 19)

C. So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men; (Is. 52:14)

P              ⁶Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."
⁷The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." (John 19)

C: ¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near, for there is none to help. ¹² Many bulls have circled around me; strong bulls of Bashan have surrounded me. ¹³ They opened wide their mouths on me, like a ripping and a roaring lion.(Ps. 22)

P              ⁸Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. (John 19)

C: He was oppressed, and He was afflicted;  yet He opened not His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. (Is. 53:7)

Hymn: 292:4-6

P              ¹⁰Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
¹¹Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."
¹²From then on Pilate sought to release Him.(John 19)

C: ⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. (Is. 53)

P              ¹²But the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
¹³When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
¹⁵But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"(John 19)

C: Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him. (Is. 53:1-2)

P              ¹⁶Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.(John 19)

C:  For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me, They pierced My hands and My feet. (Ps. 22:16)

P              ¹⁷ And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, ¹⁸where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.(John 19)

C: and He was numbered with the transgressors (Is. 53:12)

P              ¹⁹Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
²⁰Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
²¹Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, "The King of the Jews,' but, "He said, "I am the King of the Jews.""'
²²Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." (John 19)

C: So shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider. (Is. 52:15)

Hymn: 292:7-10

P              ²³Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. ²⁴They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: (John 19)

C: "They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots." (Ps 22:18)

P              ²⁴Therefore the soldiers did these things.
²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" ²⁷Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. (John 19)

C: And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was stricken. (Is. 53:8)

P              ³⁹ And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads,⁴⁰ and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” ⁴¹ Likewise the chief priests also mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ⁴² “He saved others, Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. ⁴³ He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him. For He said, 'I am the Son of God.'” ⁴⁴ Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him, saying the same thing. (Matthew 27)

C: ⁷ All those who see Me ridicule Me; they shoot out the lip; they shake the head, saying , ⁸ He trusted in the LORD; let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver him, since He delights in Him! (Ps. 22)

P              ⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" That is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" ⁴⁷ Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" (Matthew 27)

C: “You have brought Me to the dust of death.”(Ps 22:15)
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.(Is. 53:10)

P              ²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!"  (John 19)

C: My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue clings to My jaws. (Ps. 22:15)

P              ²⁹Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. ³⁰So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (John 19)

C:  Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Is. 53:12)

P              ⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
⁵¹ Then, behold! The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matt. 27)

C: By His knowledge My righteous Servant justify many; For He shall bear their iniquities. (Is. 52:11)

Hymn: 292:11-13

P              ⁵⁴ So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this One was the Son of God."
⁵⁵ And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, ⁵⁶ among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. (Matt. 27)

C: ¹⁴ Just as many were astonished at You, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; ¹⁵So shall He sprinkle many nations; (Is. 52)

P              ³¹ Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. ³²Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. ³³But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. ³⁴But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. ³⁵And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. (John 19)

C:³⁶For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken."(Psalms 34:20)
³⁷And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."(Zechariah 12:10)

P              ³⁸ After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. ³⁹And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴²So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.(John 19)

C: And they made His grave with the wicked--But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)

Sermon

Hymn: 292:14-15

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

P              O Lord, have mercy on us.

C              Thanks be to God.

Responsory

P              We have an advocate with the Father;

C              He was wounded for our transgressions.

P              Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.

C              He was bruised for our iniquities.

P              Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.

C              The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.

P              But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe.

C              And by His stripes we are healed.

P              Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;

C              Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.

P              But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;

C              The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

P              All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;

C              And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

P              He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

C              Yet He opened not His mouth;

P              He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

C              So He opened not His mouth.

P              He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?

C              For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

P              And they made His grave with the wicked--

C              But with the rich at His death,

P              Because He had done no violence,

C              Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

P              Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;

C              He has put Him to grief.

P              When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

C              And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

P              He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

C              By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.

P              Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

C              And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,

P              And He was numbered with the transgressors,

C              And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Prayers

              P              Lord, have mercy.

              C              Lord, have mercy.

              P              Christ, have mercy.

              C              Christ, have mercy.

              P              Lord, have mercy.

              C              Lord, have mercy.

The Lord's Prayer

             

P              The Lord be with you.

C              And also with you.

P              Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

C              Amen.

The "Strepitus"

(pronounced STREP-ee-toose) means "loud noise" and is signified by the slamming of a book or door toward the conclusion of the Good Friday Tenebrae Service ("Service of Darkness"). The "loud noise" symbolizes the earth shaking and rocks splitting (Matt. 27:51) at Jesus' death, and foreshadows the "violent earthquake" (Matt. 28:2) at the opening of Jesus' tomb on Easter morning.

The Lights are dimmed.

The congregation leaves in silence with minimal light.

Maundy Thursday Service of Readings

The Passover and the New Testament

A Communion Service of Readings

^מג ויאמר יהוה אל משה ואהרן זאת חקת הפסח  כל בן נכר לא יאכל בו ^מד וכל עבד איש מקנת כסף--ומלתה אתו אז יאכל בו ^מה תושב ושכיר לא יאכל בו ^מו בבית אחד יאכל לא תוציא מן הבית מן הבשר חוצה  ועצם לא תשברו בו ^מז כל עדת ישראל יעשו אתו ^מח וכי יגור אתך גר ועשה פסח ליהוה--המול לו כל זכר ואז יקרב לעשתו והיה כאזרח הארץ וכל ערל לא יאכל בו

מט תורה אחת יהיה לאזרח ולגר הגר בתוככם נ ויעשו כל בני ישראל  כאשר צוה יהוה את משה ואת אהרן כן עשו  {ס}

⁴³ And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. ⁴⁴ But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. ⁴⁵ A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. ⁴⁶ In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. ⁴⁷ All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. ⁴⁸ And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. ⁴⁹ One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”
⁵⁰ Thus all the children of Israel did; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. ⁵¹ And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

Introduction

Opening Prayer

We do not presume to come to Your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under Your table. But you are the Lord who desires always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Body of Your dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink His blood, that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us. Amen (ELH p. 40)

313:1-2  (Tune 205) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole:

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

Oh, grant that I in manner worthy
May now approach Thy heav’nly board
And, as I lowly bow before Thee,
Look only unto Thee, O Lord!

Refrain

The Institution of the Passover (Exodus 12):

 ¹ Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³ Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ⁴ And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ⁷ And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ⁸ Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. ¹⁰ You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.
¹² ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. ¹³ Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

313:3-4  (Tune 205) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful Shepherd art:

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

Oh, let me loathe all sin forever
As death and poison to my soul
That I through willful sinning never
May see Thy judgment take its toll!

Refrain

The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12)

¹⁴ ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. ¹⁵ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. ¹⁷ So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. ¹⁸ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹ For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. ²⁰ You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

Confession

The Killing of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12)

²¹ Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. ²² And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. ²³ For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. ²⁴ And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. ²⁵ It will come to pass when you come to the land which the LORD will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. ²⁶ And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ ²⁷ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. ²⁸ Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Absolution

The Exodus (Exodus 12)

³¹ Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. ³² Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

³³ And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” ³⁴ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. ³⁵ Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. ³⁶ And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

³⁷ Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. ³⁸ A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. ³⁹ And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

313:5-6  (Tune 111) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee.

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

Weary am I and heavy laden,
With sin my soul is sore opprest;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest.

Refrain

Consecration of the Firstborn (Exodus 13)

¹¹ “And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, ¹² that you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD’s. ¹³ But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ¹⁴ So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. ¹⁵ And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

313:7-8  (Tune 111) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

Thou here wilt find a heart most lowly
That humbly falls before Thy feet,
That duly weeps o’er sin, yet solely
Thy merit pleads, as it is meet.

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

By faith I call Thy holy table
The testament of Thy deep love;
For, lo, thereby I now am able
To see how love Thy heart doth move.

Refrain

Christ Foretells His Death at Passover (Matthew 26)

 ¹ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, ² “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
³ Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, ⁴ and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. ⁵ But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

313:9-10 (Tune 443) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace.

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

This feast is manna, wealth abounding
Unto the poor, to weak ones power,
To angels joy, to hell confounding,
And life for me in death’s dark hour.

Refrain

Jesus Celebrates the Passover (Matthew 26 Luke 22)

¹⁷ Now on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”  ¹⁸ And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”
¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴ When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. ¹⁵ Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶ for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
¹⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; ¹⁸ for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

²¹ Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” ²² And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?” ²³ He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. ²⁴ The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”  ²⁵ Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”

313:11-12 (Tune 443) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

Thy body, giv’n for me, O Savior,
Thy blood which Thou for me didst shed,
These are my life and strength forever,
By them my hungry soul is fed.

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

With Thee, Lord, I am now united;
I live in Thee and Thou in me.
No sorrow fills my soul, delighted
It finds its only joy in Thee.

Refrain

Christ Institutes The New Covenant (Matthew 26)

²⁶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
²⁷ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

313:13-15 (Tune 226) I Come, O Savior, To Thy Table

Who can condemn me now? For surely
The Lord is nigh, who justifies.
No hell I fear, and thus securely
With Jesus I to Heaven rise.

Refrain

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!

Though death may threaten with disaster,
It cannot rob me of my cheer;
For He Who is of death the Master,
With aid and comfort e’er is near.

Refrain

My heart has now become Thy dwelling,
O blessèd, holy Trinity.
With angels I, Thy praises telling,
Shall live in joy eternally.

Refrain

Paul Teaches About Worthy Partaking

²³ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
²⁷ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

The Nicene Creed (p. 47)

319 Just As I Am

Homily

Offering

The Preface

The Sanctus

The Exhortation

The Lord's Prayer

The Words Of Institution

The Agnus Dei

Hymn of Thanksgiving: 593 On My Heart Imprint Thine Image

On my heart imprint Thine image,
Blessèd Jesus, King of Grace,
That life’s riches, cares and pleasures
Have no power Thee to efface.
This the superscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my Life, my hope’s Foundation,
And my Glory and Salvation.

Prayer of Thanks

Benediction

Closing Hymn: 327 O Lord We Praise Thee

O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish.
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary
That our sins and sorrow did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead in all trial, fear and need:
O Lord, have mercy!

Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid; peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!

May God bestow on us His grace and favor
To please Him with our behavior
And live as brethren here in love and union
Nor repent this blessed Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heavenly minded He make us;
Give Thy church, Lord, to see days of peace and unity;
O Lord, have mercy!

Closing Prayer