Good Friday Worship St. John’s Lutheran Church April 2, 2021 www.stjohnslutheran.com

Welcome To Today’s Worship Service –

THE THEME is quite BASIC. Two thousand years ago the Creator of this world took on human flesh to die for the sins of the very world he created. Those who believe in as their Savior will never face eternal punishment for their sins – but have eternal life. God’s startling, and loving death motivates Christians all across the world to annually gather on this day and hear that the payment for their sins “IS FINISHED!” Thank you for joining us again this year to worship our loving Savior.

THE MOOD is UNIQUE. Dead silence can be awkward and sometimes uncomfortable. The silence today reminds us of how uncomfortable our sins make us… and how sad it was that Jesus had to die for us. Today’s darkness reminds us of the ugliness of sin in general – but our sin especially! Although today’s service is very solemn in nature, we joyfully worship as God’s loved and forgiven people. This is not a funeral service for our Lord. We still worship in adoration and thanksgiving for the perfect life that Jesus offered as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And we will see again this Sunday that tonight is anything but a funeral service… Welcome!

YOU’LL NOTICE that towards the end of the sevice you’ll hear a strange and loud noise called Strepitus (STREP – e – toos) The word is a Latin word meaning, “great noise.” For some, this loud, rumbling noise represents Jesus’ tomb closing shut, symbolizing the seriousness of Jesus’ love in the finality of his death. Others have appreciated connecting the noise to the sound of Jesus’ tomb powerfully tearing open on morning. This is what casts hope through the gloom of reminding us that Christ was raised to life again. Feel free to hear it as it best serves you.

At the close of the service, the church will be very dark. There will be no benediction or greeting. No formal dismissal. Stay as long as you like to meditate on what this all means for you ~ the seriousness of our sin and the extraordinary love of God to suffer it for us. Whenever you’re ready, each person is asked to leave silently.

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GOOD FRIDAY

Song of Love – Jesus, I will Ponder Now

All () Jesus, I will ponder now On your holy passion; With your Spirit me endow For such meditation. Grant that I in love and faith May the image cherish Of your suff’ring, pain, and death That I may not perish.

Make me see your great distress, Anguish, and affliction, Bonds and stripes and wretchedness And your crucifixion; Make me see how scourge and rod, Spear and nails did wound you, How for them you died, O God, Who with thorns had crowned you

We worship the One, True God together today:

He is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

And as we worship Him, we pause to consider an important anniversary. It’s the bitter-sweet truth that Jesus, our Savior, died on this day!

We can mourn why Jesus died, but we rejoice that he died willingly for us.

Today, our eyes are drawn nowhere else but to Jesus’ cross – the only place where our sin meets with God’s amazing grace…

All () Go to dark Gethsemane, All who feel the tempter’s pow’r; Your Redeemer’s conflict see. Watch with him one bitter hour; Turn not from his griefs away; Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

Follow to the judgment hall; View the Lord of life arraigned. Oh, the wormwood and the gall! Oh, the pangs his soul sustained! Shun not suff’ring, pain, or loss; Learn of him to bear the cross. (CW104 vs 1,2)

Today, O God, as we worship you, we are mindful that we have not met the perfect standards for our lives that you rightly demand. We confess to you just how overwhelming our sins are – staining our every thought, word and action.

We often treat our sins so lightly, attempting to excuse or deny them.

We are quick to see the sins of others but we are slow to recognize our own sin!

Lord, our thoughts are filled with selfishness, our words with unkindness, and our actions are empty of love.

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Dear Savior, it was for these very sins that you died on a cross on the first Good Friday.

We are truly grieved by our transgressions, but we do trust you to forgive them all – through your innocent suffering and death. Amen!

Dear ones, this is what Jesus, God’s Son, promises to us all: God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) It is through that perfect sacrifice of Jesus that you and I are fully and freely forgiven for all our sins! He means for us to live in peace and to joyfully praise him with our lives!

All () Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me, Died that I might live on high, Lives that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am his and he is mine!

Only Jesus can impart Comfort to a wounded heart: Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n, Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n, Faith and hope to walk with God In the way that Enoch trod. (CW 385 vs 1,3)

An Prophecy of Good Friday’s Events – Psalm 22 (selected verses)

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, By night, and am not silent.

I am a worm and not a man, Scorned by everyone and despised by the people.

All who see me mock me; They hurl insults, shaking their heads:

“He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

Do not be far from me, For trouble is near and there is no one to help.

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

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My mouth is dried up; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; You lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs have surrounded me; a pack of villains encircles me, They have pierced my hands and my feet.

I can count all my bones; People stare and gloat over me.

They divide my garments among them And cast lots for my clothing.

Our Song of Praise: Glory Be To Jesus (CW 103 vs 1,2,3,6)

All () Glory be to Jesus, Who in bitter pains Poured for me the lifeblood From his sacred veins.

Grace and life eternal In that blood I find; Blest be his compassion, Infinitely kind.

Blest through endless ages Be the precious stream Which from endless torments Did the world redeem.

Lift we, then, our voices, Swell the mighty flood; Louder still and louder Praise the precious blood!

The Death of Jesus Christ, True God, Our Savior ~According to the 4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. They said to one another:

“Let’s not tear it. Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said: (Psalm 22)

“They divided my garments among themselves and cast lots for my clothing.”

So this is what the soldiers did. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him: “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! 5

Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:

“Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. He said:

“Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother: “Dear woman, here is your son.” And to the disciple: “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice:

“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – which means: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing near heard this, they said:

“Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A 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. When he had received the drink, Jesus said: “It is finished.”

Jesus called out with a loud voice: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed:

“Surely he was the Son of God!”

When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. 6

Our Song of Praise: Upon the Cross Extended (CW 113 vs 1,3,5)

All () Upon the cross extended, See, world, your Lord suspended; Your Savior yields his breath. The Prince of life from heaven Himself has freely given To shame and blows and bitter death.

’Tis I who should be smitten, My doom should here be written: Bound hand and foot in hell. The fetters and the scourging, The floods around you surging, ’Tis I who have deserved them well.

Your cords of love, my Savior, Bind me to you forever; I am no longer mine. To you I gladly tender All that my life can render And all I have to you resign.

Good Friday Meditation – Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Our Thank Offering “God So loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Our offerings are both an expression of thankfulness for what our Savior has done for us, and a way of supporting the spread of the gospel through the Church’s work. Guests need not feel obligated to contribute.

Ways to Give Electronically Choose one of 3 Simple, Safe Options for Offering Thanks • Text “give” to 651-401-1400 • Go to www.StJohnsLutheran.com/give • Scan the QR code

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Good Friday

Heavenly Father, you are a JUST God who accepts nothing less than perfection from all people. Too often we fail to realize how much our sins offend you. We easily forget that the wages of our sin truly is death. We often live and act as though “hell” is not a real place of lasting punishment. Dear Father, lead us to always see the seriousness of our sins. Humble us to admit our inability to be perfect and holy by our own deeds

Teach us to look to Jesus as the only One who can make us holy and right in your sight.

Today, we are reminded not only of your justice but also of your LOVE. Comfort us with that amazing love, dear Father. Give us real peace through your forgiveness.

When our guilt haunts us – point us to Jesus and his nail-pierced hands and feet. It’s there that our guilt was washed away in Jesus’ blood.

Dear Savior, thank you for paying our debt. Thank you for coming to our world so that we could live with you forever in yours. Thank you for being our perfect Substitute! Teach us to cast the worries of this brief and troublesome life on you and commit our bodies and souls to your care.

Give us the courage to face death, knowing that it is the only gate through which we will finally enter our home with you in heaven.

Hear us, Lord, as we offer our personal thanks for the forgiveness that you have given us and for the home that you have won and prepared for us.

(We pause in silence for personal )

Jesus, your cross was once an instrument of death. It is now a sign of life and victory for all who believe.

We humbly and thankfully bow our heads beneath the power and love of your cross as we pray your prayer:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen!

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Our Song of Praise: The Lamb (CWS 714 vs 1,4)

All () The Lamb, the Lamb, O Father, where’s the sacrifice? Faith sees, believes God will provide the Lamb of price!

Refrain: Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me his own! The Lamb is reigning on his throne.

The Lamb, the Lamb, One perfect final offering. The Lamb, the Lamb, Let earth join heav’n his praise to sing. Refrain

The Lamb, the Lamb, As wayward sheep their shepherd kill So still, his will, On our behalf the law to fill. Refrain

He sighs, he dies, He takes my sin and wretchedness. He lives, forgives, He gives me his own righteousness. Refrain

The Christ, True God, Our Savior ~According to the 4 Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Now 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. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The 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. These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And, as another Scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph took the body. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

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At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden Joseph’s own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there and rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. They said, “Sir, we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate answered: “Take a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

Our Closing Song: Christ, the Life of All the Living (CW 114 vs 1,6,7)

All () Christ, the Life of all the living, Christ, the Death of death, our foe, Who, thyself for me once giving To the darkest depths of woe— Through thy suff’rings, death, and merit I eternal life inherit. Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, Dearest Jesus, unto thee.

Thou has suffered great affliction And hast borne it patiently, Even death by crucifixion, Fully to atone for me. Thou didst choose to be tormented That my doom should be prevented. Thousand, thousand thanks shall be, Dearest Jesus, unto thee.

Then, for all that wrought my pardon, For thy sorrows deep and sore, For thine anguish in the garden, I will thank thee evermore, Thank thee for thy groaning, sighing, For thy bleeding and thy dying, For that last triumphant cry, And shall praise thee, Lord, on high.

Strepitus – This loud noise symbolizes the opening of Christ’s tomb; death was not the end for Jesus, nor will it be the end for us! We hold to the hope of Easter Morning!

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As you sit in silence and darkness, take a few moments to contemplate Jesus’ love for YOU. His love for YOU drove him to the criminal’s death YOU deserve.

Please join us again on Sunday – You won’t want to miss the stunning conclusion to tonight’s service!

Easter Sunrise – 7:00 am Easter Festival Celebration – 10:00 am Easter Refreshments – in between and after services

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