The Sixth Wednesday in Lent April 1, 2020

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS) 11313 N. Riverland Rd. Mequon, Wisconsin 53092 262-242-6650 www.bslcmequon.com

Philip J. Hillenbrand, Pastor William H. Otto, Pastor Emeritus Brian Mosemann, Organist Gloria Hansen, Vocal Choir Director THE SIXTH WEDNESDAY IN LENT April 1, 2020

Pre-service Music

Call to Worship (Quotations from the book of Hebrews): P: In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, C: BUT IN THESE LAST DAYS HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON. P: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, C: AND SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD. P: Since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assur- ance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled C: TO CLEANSE US FROM A GUILTY CON- SCIENCE. P: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confi- dence, so that we may receive mercy C: AND FIND GRACE TO HELP US IN OUR TIME OF NEED.

Opening Hymn: Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain #435

Invocation, Confession and Absolution P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: AMEN. P: As sinners confronting a pure and holy God, let us rec- ognize, acknowledge, and confess our sins to God our Father. Do you sincerely confess that you have sinned against God and have deserved His wrath and punishment? C: I DO CONFESS.

2 P: Truly, you should confess; for the Bible reminds us: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8–9) Do you repent of all your sins committed in thought, word, and deed? C: I DO REPENT. P: Truly, you should repent; for the Bible reminds us: “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be forgiven.” (Acts 3:19) Do you believe that God, by grace, for Jesus’ sake, will forgive you all your sins? C: I DO BELIEVE. P: Truly, you should believe, for the Bible reminds us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Do you promise that with the help of the Holy Spirit you will try to amend your sinful life? C: I DO PROMISE. P: Truly, you should promise, for the Bible reminds us: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heav- en.” (Matthew 5:16)

Hymn: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed #437 (vv. 1, 2, 5)

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 unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. C: AMEN.

Hymn: Chief of Sinners Though I Be #611 (vv. 1, 3)

3 Prayer of the Day: Dear Lord Jesus Christ, Your body was pierced with a spear, and, as the blood and water flowed from the wound, it proclaimed to all the world that You laid down Your life for sinners like us. We thank You that Your blood continues to flow in forgiveness as we come to receive Your very body and blood in the Holy Supper. May we be strengthened and nurtured, through these most precious gifts, to live out our earthly lives in service and in love. In Your precious name we pray, who with the Father and the Spirit are one Lord, one God. Amen.

1 John 5:5-12 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Any- one who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 19:28-37 28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

4 31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."

Hymn of the day: There Stands a Fountain #506 LW

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

Benediction

Closing Hymn: Now the Light Has Gone Away #887

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LONGINUS AND THE LANCE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longinus

Longinus /ˌlɒnˈdʒaɪnəs/ is the name given to the unnamed Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus

5 with a lance and who, in medieval and some modern Christian traditions, is described as a convert to Christi- anity. His name first appeared in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. The spear is called, in Christianity, the "Holy Lance" (lancea) and the story is related in the Gospel of John during the Crucifixion. This act is said to have created the last of the Five Holy Wounds of Christ.

This individual, unnamed in the Gospels, is further identified in some versions of the legend as the centurion present at the Crucifixion, who said that Jesus was the son of God. Longinus' legend grew over the years to the point that he was said to have converted to Christi- anity after the Crucifixion, and he is traditionally vener- ated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, and several other Christian denomi- nations.

Later legend suggests that Longinus was a blind Roman centurion who thrust the spear into Christ's side at the crucifixion. Some of Jesus's blood fell upon his eyes and he was healed. Upon this miracle Longinus believed in Jesus.

BLOOD AND WATER http://www.cmq.org.uk/CMQ/2013/Feb/Crucifixion.html

To confirm that a victim was dead, the Romans inflicted a spear wound through the right side of the heart. The medi-

6 cal significance of the blood and water has been a matter of debate. One theory (Bergsma) states that Jesus died of a massive myocardial infarction, in which the heart rup- tured which may have resulted from His falling while car- rying the cross. Davis suggested that Jesus' heart was sur- rounded by fluid in the pericardium, which caused pericardial tamponade. Another theory that often heard is that in a sick man (Our Lord was badly beaten) after death, the blood will separate into clot and serum.

We do know that death of the cross occurs from exhaustion and inability to support the weight of the body and to breathe. Once the legs have collapsed, the arms hold the body up and breathing becomes far harder. Some have suggested that that exhaustion along with the immobilization of the arms breadth will lead to the build up of pulmonary edema and pleural effusion, with perhaps pericardial effusion too. So a spear to the heart will bring forth blood and water which is diagnostic of death. But in fact none of this is certain.

The stated order of "blood and water" may not necessarily indicate the order of appearance, but rather the relative prominence of each fluid. In this case, a spear through the right side of the heart would allow the pleural fluid (fluid built up in the lungs) to escape first, followed by a flow of blood from the wall of the right ventricle. The important fact is that the medical evidence supports that Jesus did die a physical death. Even more importantly, St John was ab- solutely clear that blood and water meant death.

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