AS WE GATHER All Enter the Church in SILENCE

AS WE GATHER Why has God become man? Why does God have flesh? Why does God have a heart that beats, lungs that breathe, a brain with synapses that fire? For this: to die. His heart beats so that it can stop beating. His lungs draw in breaths and exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide so that they can fill with fluid and stop taking in breath. His brain conducts an electro-chemical symphony so that it can stop abruptly before the final act. His eyes see so that they can be blind. His ears hear so they can be deaf. His hands work so they can be pinned to a wooden cross. His blood courses through His veins so it can flow in rivulets down the post of a torture device and leave a crimson stain in the dirt at a place named “Skull.” God is man so that He can die. For you. All enter the church in SILENCE (Please STAND)

VERSICLES P: O Lord, open my lips. C: and my mouth will declare Your praise. Psalm 51:5 P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me; C: make haste to help me, O Lord. Psalm 70:1 C: Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.

(Please be SEATED)

READING Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 4:14 Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. . . . 5:7 In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. 9 And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.

HYMN OF THE DAY “O Darkest Woe” #448

6 O Virgin’s Son, What Thou hast won Is far beyond all telling: How our God, detested, died, Hell and devil felling.

7 O Jesus Christ, Who sacrificed Thy life for lifeless mortals: Be my life in death and bring Me to heaven’s portals!

SERMON “A God Who Bleeds; A God Who Dies”

HYMN “Jesus, I Will Ponder Now” #440:1

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SERVICE OF DARKNESS FIRST WORD John 19:14-16a; Luke 23:32-34a 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 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.” 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified…23:32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 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. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (The First Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:1-3

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SECOND WORD Luke 23:35-43 36 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!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 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!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (The Second Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:4-6 4 Jesus, pitying the sighs Of the thief, who near You dies, Promising him paradise: Hear us, holy Jesus.

5 May we in our guilt and shame Still Your love and mercy claim, Calling humbly on Your name: Hear us, holy Jesus.

6 May our hearts to You incline And their thoughts Your cross entwine. Cheer our souls with hope divine: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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THIRD WORD John 19:25-27 25 But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. (The Third Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:7-9 7 Jesus, loving to the end Her whose heart Your sorrows rend, And Your dearest human friend: Hear us, holy Jesus.

8 May we in Your sorrows share, For Your sake all peril dare, And enjoy Your tender care: Hear us, holy Jesus.

9 May we all Your loved ones be, All one holy family, Loving, since Your love we see: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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FOURTH WORD Matthew 27:45-47 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

(The Fourth Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:10-12 10 Jesus, whelmed in fears unknown, With our evil left alone, While no light from heav’n is shown: Hear us, holy Jesus. ►

11 When we seem in vain to pray And our hope seems far away, In the darkness be our stay: Hear us, holy Jesus.

12 Though no Father seem to hear, Though no light our spirits cheer, May we know that God is near: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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FIFTH WORD Matthew 10:38-42; John 19:28-29 38 “And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”…19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

(The Fifth Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:13-15 13 Jesus, in Your thirst and pain, While Your wounds Your lifeblood drain, Thirsting more our love to gain: Hear us, holy Jesus.

14 Thirst for us in mercy still; All Your holy work fulfill; Satisfy Your loving will: Hear us, holy Jesus.

15 May we thirst Your love to know. Lead us in our sin and woe Where the healing waters flow: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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SIXTH WORD Hebrews 9:11-12, 15, 27-28; John 19:30a 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption…. 15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant…. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him…. 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” (The Sixth Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:16-18 16 Jesus, all our ransom paid, All Your Father’s will obeyed; By Your suff’rings perfect made: Hear us, holy Jesus.

17 Save us in our soul’s distress; Be our help to cheer and bless

While we grow in holiness: Hear us, holy Jesus.

18 Brighten all our heav’nward way With an ever holier ray Till we pass to perfect day: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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SEVENTH WORD Luke 23:44-46; Matthew 27:54 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 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…. 27:54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

(The Seventh Candle is extinguished)

HYMN “Jesus, in Your Dying Woes” #447:19-21 19 Jesus, all Your labor vast, All Your woe and conflict past, Yielding up Your soul at last: Hear us, holy Jesus.

20 When the death shades round us low’r, Guard us from the tempter’s pow’r, Keep us in that trial hour: Hear us, holy Jesus.

21 May Your life and death supply Grace to live and grace to die, Grace to reach the home on high: Hear us, holy Jesus.

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LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9-13 C: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

CONCLUDING COLLECT P: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You willed that Your Son should bear for us the pains of the cross and so remove from us the power of the adversary. Helps us so to remember and give thanks for our Lord’s passion that we may receive forgiveness of sin and redemption from everlasting death; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. C: Amen. All leave in SILENCE.