Holy Week Devotional Readings

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” - Luke 9:22 -

Contents

Introduction 3

How to Use this Booklet 5

Palm Sunday 7 Jesus Entered

Monday 11 Jesus Wept and Rebuked

Tuesday 15 Jesus Was Plotted Against

Wednesday 19 Jesus Prayed

Maundy Thursday 24 Jesus Was Betrayed and Arrested

Good Friday 28 Jesus Was Tried and Crucified

Holy Saturday 32 Jesus Was Buried

Easter Sunday 35 Jesus Is Risen!

Resources Cited 39

Introduction

Why did Jesus Christ die? Was it because of the Romans who crucified him? Was it because of the Jewish leaders who rejected him? The answer to both of these is, in part, yes.

But the deepest and darkest reason for the death of Jesus leads us not to blame others but ourselves. As the late John Stott writes:

“Were you there when they crucified the Lord?”

And we must answer, “Yes, we were there.”

Not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining, and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands.

Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance). Indeed, only the man who is prepared to own his share in the guilt of the cross may claim his share in its grace. (The Cross of Christ, 63).

During this week, Holy Week, we set aside time to remember this sobering fact—our sin was placed upon Jesus as he hung from the cross. Yet, as we somberly remember, we prepare to celebrate. As the pastor S.M. Lockridge preached many years ago:

It’s Friday, see Jesus walking to Calvary, his blood dripping, his body stumbling, and his spirit’s burdened. But you see, it’s only Friday, Sunday’s comin’…

It’s Friday, the soldiers nail my Savior’s hands to the cross. They nail my Savior’s feet to the cross. And then they raise him up next to criminals. It’s Friday, but let me tell you something, Sunday’s comin’…

It’s Friday, he’s hanging on the cross, feeling forsaken by his Father, left alone and dying. Can nobody save him? Ooooh! It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’.

On Good Friday, we contemplate the scandalous, yet soul-saving crucifixion of our Lord who gave his life on our behalf. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Satan-conquering, sin-defeating, death- destroying resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“He is risen.”

“He is risen, indeed.”

But here’s the important thing to remember: we contemplate the crucifixion and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus every Sunday! There is nothing intrinsically sacred about “Holy Week” nor inherently extra special about “Easter Sunday.” In Scripture you will find no commands regarding a unique Christian calendar, calling for special observance of select days. These particular days are no more holy than other days for the Christian (cf. Romans 14:5-6; Colossians 2:16-19).

However, this string of days does give us the opportunity to pause and reflect, perhaps in a deeper way, about the person and work of Jesus Christ. As we journey from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem to his gruesome death on a cross to his glorious resurrection, we steadily gaze at the worth and wonder of our Savior.

So as you use this devotional, live in the freedom of knowing that every week we rejoice in the all-sufficient life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, as we wait for his return and restoration of all things. Use this gospel freedom to slow down and intently contemplate the events that have forever changed the world all while hoping in the better world to come.

How to Use this Booklet

This booklet is a devotional guide for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. Each day consists of prayers, Scripture readings, and a devotion with reflection questions. Our hope is that the truths unfolded in this booklet stir your affections for Christ, and the Spirit uses it to cause you to delight in Jesus all the more.

Each day follows a similar pattern, leading you through various aspects of communing with God.

Call to Worship God speaks to us before we speak to him. Worship is ultimately about God, so we desire to have his word be the first thing that enters our hearts and minds. Each day begins with a short passage of Scripture— a Call to Worship—that calls us to remember who God is and what God has done. This Call to Worship helps us to turn from distractions and to set our hearts and minds on revering the one true Lord. As you read this short passage of Scripture, pray that the Spirit would open your eyes that you might “behold wondrous things out of [God’s] law” (Psalm 119:18).

Contemplation Each day, there’s a Scripture reading followed by a brief devotional related to that passage. The purpose of this devotional is to be more meditative than exegetical. That is, the aim is to help you consider the events of Jesus’ final week, pondering his person and work as he willfully headed toward the sufferings of the cross.

After each devotion, there are a few reflection questions to help you further consider how God’s word applies to your life. The devotionals are aimed not only to fill your head but also to inflame your hearts to see and savor our holy and humble Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Like Isaiah when we enter the presence of God we’re reminded of the angels’ chorus: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.” In light of this, we are reminded of our sin. But our sin need not keep us from God. Rather, God invites us to draw near to him in Christ who washes us clean. Confession and repentance should be part of our normal

5 rhythm as Christians. Remember it’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance (cf. Romans 2:4). God, in his grace, convicts us of sin, comforts us with his love, and changes us one degree of glory to another.

To help us in our confession and repentance, each day contains a pre- written prayer from a liturgical resource developed by brothers and sisters of the past. As you confess and pray these prayers, do more than thoughtlessly recite lines on a page. Use these times to retune your soul, remembering the call for confession and repentance is not a rude intrusion into your life but a lavish invitation to enjoy sweet communion with our triune God of the gospel. Because God made us for himself, our greatest delight comes when we repent and turn to him.

Assurance of Pardon & Peace In our confession and repentance, God does not leave us wondering if he’s forgiven our transgressions. We are not left questioning if the sins committed against us define us. God assures us that because of the finished work of Christ, we are forgiven from the guilt of our sins, and we are freed from the shame of sins perpetrated against us. Use these short passages of Scripture to rest in the secure hope of the gospel. In Christ, all your sins are pardoned and you have peace with God, who rejoices over you with singing—that’s what ultimately defines you (cf. Zephaniah 3:15-18).

Closing Prayer Using a pre-written prayer from a liturgical resource, there is a closing prayer at the end of each day’s devotion. These prayers should serve as more than a verbatim recounting of words. As you pray these prayers, use them to prompt spontaneous written and/or recited prayers of your own.

A Note on Fasting Some of you may choose to join with the broader church body in fasting throughout this week. If you do, remember what fasting is: voluntarily and temporarily abstaining from something that is good, in and of itself, to express humility before God and deepen hunger for God. In other words, fasting from food or technology or anything else does nothing to earn favor with God or prove you are more spiritual than others. Rather, it's a spiritual discipline that tangibly reminds us of the greater delight and comfort found in Christ Jesus.

Palm Sunday Jesus Entered

Call to Worship Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. [ZECHARIAH 9:9]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” [LUKE 19:28-40]

DEVOTIONAL You can feel the excitement in the air. Jerusalem is abuzz with interest at the arrival of this man (Matthew 21:10). Jesus, the prophet of God, is entering Jerusalem. The crowds are thick, shoulder-to-shoulder, multiple rows deep. You press in to get a closer look. As Jesus passes by, the people around you begin loudly rejoicing and praising God for all the miracles and healings Jesus has performed. The weight of the moment overtakes you, and you join in earnestly shouting “Hosanna!” or “Salvation!” and “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The disciples had placed great hopes on Jesus. Some believed Jesus would bring political change by liberating the Jewish people from Roman rule and restoring their nation. Others saw his power over death and disease and turned to him for healing and comfort. Many undoubtedly understood that Jesus possessed God’s favor and blessing, like David and other past kings of old. They rightly recognized Jesus as God’s appointed King, in their words of worship and by the laying down of their garments (2 Kings 9:12-13). But, Jesus was not the king they expected. Jesus does not look or act like a typical king in this passage. Jesus enters Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, not on a warhorse or a chariot.

The powerful and people of influence—the Pharisees—do not join the worship but rather demand Jesus rebuke those joyfully praising God for sending him. The route is lined with the cloaks of his ragtag disciples rather than the pomp and fanfare of military honors or red- carpet treatment. So, while the crowd’s proclamations and praises were not wrong, Jesus’ followers did not fully appreciate the significance of what was happening (John 12:16).

But not Christ.

He knew all that would happen in the days following Palm Sunday. Mocked. Shamefully treated. Spit upon. Flogged. Killed on a cross. He rides to the city not to rule, but to die. This was the fate that awaited him in Jerusalem. Indeed, Jesus said to the disciples “see, we are going

8 up to Jerusalem” moments before predicting all that he would experience there at the hands of men (Luke 9:21-22, 43-45, 18:31-34). In Luke 9, Jesus explained that the “Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed” (Luke 9:22). And he went anyway.

This is remarkable. And incomprehensible. For you see, Jesus was not merely entering Jerusalem to suffer the schemes of religious leaders who were so in love with their earthly power and position that they felt threatened by the Son of Man. Jesus also entered Jerusalem knowing he would experience the full wrath of God the Father, poured out on him for our sins (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10-11). The prophet Zechariah predicted Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem: “Behold your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” and “he shall speak peace to the nations” (Zechariah 9:9, 10; Matthew 21:4-5; John 12:14-15). Jesus knew his scripture and the cost of this salvation, this peace (Luke 18:31). And he went anyway.

Consider how blessed you are to live on this side of the cross. The Holy Spirit has revealed to you what the disciples who witnessed Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem did not yet fully comprehend. As he entered Jerusalem, King Jesus was deliberately walking to the cross to secure for you, by name, something far better than political liberation or relief from physical affliction in this life. King Jesus went to pay the price for your eternal peace. He suffered and died and accepted God’s judgment that was rightfully yours so that you might instead experience God’s blessings and presence for eternity. King Jesus willingly entered Jerusalem to do this because he loves you. The disciples praised God for all that they hoped Jesus would accomplish.

How much more should we praise God this Palm Sunday for what we know King Jesus HAS accomplished for us? So rejoice, Christian! For Jesus truly is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

REFLECTION • When you celebrate Palm Sunday, do you focus solely on the celebration and triumph and forget to contemplate the weight that Jesus must have felt that day? • This Palm Sunday, spend some time reflecting on Christ’s willingness to pay the cost of the cross for you by name, and

then join with Christians around the world praising God and shouting “Hosanna!” “Salvation has come!”

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Most merciful God whose Son, Jesus Christ, was tempted in every way, yet was without sin, we confess before you our own sinfulness; we have hungered after that which does not satisfy; we have compromised with evil; we have doubted your power to protect us; we have pursued immorality; we have arrogantly judged our fellow church members; we have acted with prejudice; we have impatiently disciplined our children. Forgive our lack of faith; have mercy on our weakness. Restore in us such trust and love that we may walk in your ways and delight in doing your will. Amen. [WSB, adapted]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. [ACTS 10:43]

Closing Prayer Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Monday Jesus Wept and Rebuked

Call to Worship Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! [PSALM 117]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING And when Jesus drew near and saw Jerusalem, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.” And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. [LUKE 19:41-48]

DEVOTION To the people of Jesus’ day, the temple was a symbol of power and prestige; it was categorically impressive. Yet it was more than a building. Rightly understood, it was the place where a holy God met sinful humanity, where men and women in repentance and faith could bring a sacrifice to God and be assured of a right standing with God.

Typically, that offering would have been an animal from one’s own flock or herd: a sheep, a goat, or an ox. Leviticus 14 implies that the offering of a pair of pigeons was an acceptable sacrifice in the case that one could not afford a better offering. It was the sacrifice of the poor and vulnerable—their only perceived way to get right with God.

Perhaps now we understand the anger of Christ. Jesus said the temple was supposed to be a house of prayer, but the notoriously corrupt money-changers and pigeon sellers had made it a den of robbers. The glory of God was being defamed as the religious elite took advantage of the vulnerable poor, all under the guise of God’s name—a righteous reason to get angry. So Jesus rebukes these hypocritical, power-hungry religious leaders and drives them from the temple, destroying their God-belittling schemes.

Sadly, these types of activities are not relegated to the first century. Even today we see people using the name of God to take advantage of others. We see some of those who take the name of Jesus actually defame his name as they seem to hope in and fight for earthly forms of power. Just this past year, we’ve seen circumstances like this play out in churches, in politics, in the news, and on social media. We’ve witnessed those seen as religious leaders succumb to the temptations of power, abusing and heinously sinning against the ones they were called to serve.

Times like these should make us righteously angry too. As Christ demonstrated, the defiling of God’s name demands rebuke. We should not tolerate the misuse and misrepresentation of Jesus, the abuse of power, or the redefining of the gospel to prop up false religion, even if it has the veneer of Christianity.

And let’s also notice what Jesus does before entering the temple. He weeps. Yes, Jesus is angry at hypocritical religion. And he also weeps over the lostness of Jerusalem.

He’s not hard-hearted. He’s heart broken.

True religion isn’t just taking the name of Christ. It’s loving Christ himself. It’s loving what Jesus loves and hating what Jesus hates. It’s being so enamored with Jesus that sin both righteously angers us and makes us weep.

And that includes our own iniquity. The biggest problems aren’t just “out there” in the world, but in the temple of our own hearts. Left to ourselves, we too defame and defile God’s name.

Yet, this is the very reason Jesus came—to cleanse the temple of our own hearts. He came to drive out the idols of power and prestige, and every other idol, enthroned in our lives.

Now, unlike the Pharisees who only pretended to be pious while dead on the inside, we have life that blossoms from the inside out. God’s own Spirit lives inside of us, shaping us into the image of Christ, one degree of glory to another.

We don’t have to act a certain way before others to prove that we are righteous. We are clothed in the indelible robes of Christ’s righteousness, and so are free to pursue justice and righteousness without fear of failure.

When we act hypocritically, we can freely confess our sin and repent, knowing we are not defined by what we do but who we are in Christ. When fellow church members act hypocritically, graciously confront them, while reminding them of who they are in Christ.

The world wants us to believe who we are is reflected in power and prestige. But the gospel tells us who we are and Whose we are. That’s where our power and prestige come from—not from ourselves, but in Christ who loves us enough to die for us.

And not just die for us. Beloved, Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • Are there ways you have given into the lie that we need to seek earthly forms of power and prestige in order to make a difference or have hope? • Consider how your emotions match those of Jesus. Are you righteously angry at sin and injustice? Are you broken over lostness? • Rejoice that Christ cleanses our hearts by the power of the Spirit.

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Awesome and compassionate God, you have loved us with unfailing, self-giving mercy, but we have not loved you or others as we ought. You constantly call us, but we do not listen. You ask us to love, but we walk away from neighbors in need, wrapped in our own concerns. At times, we condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed. God of grace, as you come to us in mercy, we repent in spirit and in truth, admit our sin, and gratefully receive your forgiveness through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen. [WSB, adapted]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified… Let us now with meekness and boldness enter in the most holy place by the blood of Jesus, which he has opened for us. [HEBREWS 10:12-14, 19-20]

Closing Prayer Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Tuesday Jesus Was Plotted Against

Call to Worship The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [PSALM 27:1]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. [LUKE 22:1-6]

DEVOTION Throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus condemns the Jewish leaders for their hypocrisy and predicts that he will be delivered over to them and then crucified (Matthew 20:18-19). But why do the chief priests and scribes seek to put Jesus to death? Instead of seeing Jesus as the promised Messiah, they view him as competition and a threat. They are afraid that they will lose their power in society as more and more people decide to follow Jesus instead of them. Ultimately, they feared the people.

The idea that the chief priests and scribes have about the power of people is misconstrued. In Luke 12:4-5, Jesus explicitly tells his disciples not to fear those who can kill the body, but to fear God, “who after he has killed, has [the] authority to cast into hell.” Despite Jesus’ clear statement to fear him and not man, we can sometimes still have a tendency to operate out of a fear of man.

Perhaps for us, it may not be physical death that drives our fear of man. Maybe you fear man because you are afraid of losing a promotion or a friendship. Or, like the chief priests and scribes, you’re afraid of losing your status or reputation in society. Whatever the root cause may be, when we view someone or something as greater than God, we stop putting our trust in Him and begin hoping in other things.

One reason why we fear man above God is because we are forgetful. We forget who God is, what God has done, and what He has told us. Thus, we forget His greatness and elevate people above him. We are often short-sighted and lack future orientation. A prime example in Scripture of this is in Exodus 32. Aaron, out of fear of the people, builds a golden calf for the Israelites, who had grown impatient waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai. The Israelites had quickly forgotten the true and living God who brought them out of Egypt and decided to worship an idol made by human hands. We too, can quickly turn away from God as soon as we don’t understand or know something, forgetting that the triune God is omniscient.

While we know what great sin can come from forgetting who God is, the act of remembering who God is has the opposite effect. God is faithful, steadfast, just, righteous, patient, forgiving, loving, and a refuge, among many other things. In remembering God and His characteristics, we have the ability to quell our inclination to fear people over God. This is also evident in Scripture. For example, in Nehemiah 4, when faced with opposition for building the wall in Jerusalem, Nehemiah tells his fellow workers this, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome.” Nehemiah fights fear by remembering who God is, leading him to act courageously and remain faithful to what God called him to do.

In order to fight our fear of man, we must know who God is. We need to be deeply rooted in His Word. And we weren’t made to do this alone; we remember together. Thankfully, in the church we’ve been given a community of brothers and sisters who we can pray with and encourage. We get to speak truth into each other’s lives when we’re battling fears and help each other not be forgetful of who God is.

This Holy Week let’s remember together. Let’s remember that because of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we do not have to fear man or anything else that might happen to us.

Do not fear, for your Father cares for you—enough to send his wiling Son to die for you.

And not just die for us. Beloved, Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • Today, how can you practice remembering who God is and what he has done? How can you encourage another church member with these truths? • Read and pray through Psalm 27.

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our iniquity. We repent, O Lord. You alone know how often we have fallen short of your glory, in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in selfishly demanding others serve us, in greedily hoarding up treasures on earth, in using words not to build up but tear down, in forgetting your love and to chasing false loves elsewhere. We repent, O Lord. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry, for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen. [WSB, adapted]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. [1 JOHN 1:5-7; 2:1-2]

Closing Prayer O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Wednesday Jesus Prayed

Call to Worship Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. [REVELATION 5:12]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this. … And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven,

strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” [LUKE 22:14-23, 39-46]

DEVOTION Jesus just finished a meal with his disciples. A meal where he took bread and broke it for his disciples to eat. “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

A meal where he held up a cup that he would pour out for his disciples to drink. “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

Jesus knows what lies before him. Yet, he had set his face like a flint toward Jerusalem. There was no turning back.

We move from the upper room to the Mount of Olives. After commanding his disciples to pray, Jesus walks just a stone’s throw away and begins to pray himself.

What does he pray? “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (vs. 42).

We know from the other gospel accounts, this prayer comes repeatedly. At least three times, Jesus pleads to his heavenly Father. “If you are willing, if you are willing, if you are willing, if there is any other way, remove this cup from me.”

And notice how distraught Jesus is. In verse 44 we learn that he’s in agony. Though the night air was cool, he was under such intense pressure and anguish, beads of sweat fall from his brow as though drops of blood. Matthew and Mark tell us Jesus says, “My soul is sorrowful, even to the point of death.”

There’s no sugar coating the intensity of this moment. Yes, Jesus is truly God. And he’s truly human. The God-man. The infinite clothed in flesh. His divinity does not diminish his humanity. Here in the

20 garden, we see the sinless, fully human, Jesus Christ, deeply troubled and terribly distressed.

Why is Jesus in such agony? So many saints before and after Jesus faced death calmly, with a vein of steel in their soul. What’s going on here? Jesus isn’t agonizing over death. He’s not afraid to die. He’s agonizing over the kind of death he’s about to die. He’ll have to drink the cup.

What is the cup? It’s the cup of God’s wrath. Over and over again Scripture uses the image of the cup to refer to God’s just, settled, divine judgment against sin (cf. Is. 51:17; Jer. 15:15-18; Lam. 4:21; Ezk. 23:31-33; Ps. 75:8).

Jesus knows he is about to bear God’s judgment as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of his people, for all those who would turn from their rebellion and trust in him. The bread he just held up and broke would soon be the reality of his body hanging on a cross. The wine he just poured out would soon be the reality of the shedding of his own blood.

The physical pain of the crucifixion would be intolerable—nails driven into his hands and feet, crushing bones and ligaments as he hung, eventually suffocating on his own blood. Yet this wasn’t what captured his attention.

Not the physical pain, but the eternal death and damnation he was about to face, being relationally forsaken by his Father. Jesus resolved to drink the cup of Godʼs wrath for our rebellion through the experience and limitations of human weakness.

And he cries out, “Father, if there’s any other way.” Yet, God so loved the world that he remained silent. The Father loves us so much, he sent his eternal Son, Jesus, to die for us. Jesus loves us so much that he went willingly to the cross.

And though Jesus had the opportunity in that garden to reject us, beloved, he doesn’t. “Yet, not my will, but yours be done.” His desire to be spared is overcome by his desire to spend eternity with us, with you. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross.

Here’s what we see in this garden: The unmeasurable, lavish love of Jesus in obedience to the Father to bring about the redemption of all

21 those who trust and treasure him. God doesn’t love us because of the cross. There is a cross because God loves us. Let’s remind each other that Jesus took our sin and shame that we might be reconciled back to God and have hope in a world with no sin or shame.

Jesus endured dark hours, experienced deep agony, prayed what seemed like unanswered prayers. Jesus was deserted by his closest friends during his most trying time. Jesus understands our trials and tears, our suffering and sorrow. Jesus saves us and sympathizes with us.

Isn’t it so comforting to know that in a world filled with brokenness, hurt and sorrow, we don’t worship a God who is immune to it? Brothers and sisters, draw near to Christ no matter what troubles assault your soul. As a church family, let’s enter into each other’s hurts and hardships, as Jesus did for us. And don't feel the need to tell them you understand—you probably don’t. But remind them Jesus does. Let’s remind each other Jesus entered the brokenness of this world, that we might have hope in a better world.

Let’s remind each other that Jesus prayed to be spared if there was any other way. But there wasn’t. So Jesus was willing to die for us.

And not just die for us. Beloved, Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • Consider that Jesus’ desire to be spared of the torment on the cross was overcome by his desire to spend eternity with you. • How does the toil and sufferings of Jesus bring comfort when you face agony and grief?

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Wondrous God, who sets suns and moons above us, mountains and valleys beneath us, and friends and strangers among us: how often have we tried to hide from your presence, how seldom have we looked for your creating face and your fashioning hand! Lord, have mercy upon us.

Wondrous God,

22 who took upon yourself flesh of our flesh in Jesus our brother, and being found in human form made the ultimate disclosure of yourself in the face of Jesus Christ: how often we have forgotten you, how seldom have we really loved and followed you! Christ, have mercy upon us.

Wondrous God, who pours out freely the Holy Spirit: how often have we ignored your promptings, how seldom have we asked for your help or accepted your gifts! Lord, have mercy upon us. Amen. [WSB]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. [JEREMIAH 33:8]

Closing Prayer God of our salvation, you have restored us to life, you have brought us back again into your love by the triumphant death and resurrection of Christ: continue to heal us as we go to live and work in the power of your Spirit, to your praise and glory. Amen. [WSB]

Maundy Thursday Jesus Was Betrayed and Arrested

Call to Worship I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. [PSALM 34:1-2]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant[a] of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” [LUKE 22:47-53]

DEVOTION At the last meal Jesus ate before he was betrayed, crucified, and murdered, he offered his disciples a new command: “Love one another.” This new command, or mandatum in Latin, gives Maundy Thursday its name. Traditionally, many churches that held a service on this day would ring church bells for the last time until Easter. The past and present converge on Maundy Thursday, as the church relives the joy and pleasure of eating at the table with the bridegroom before they are swallowed up with sorrow at the pending death of Christ.

The passage we contemplate today brings the disciples’ pain to the forefront. We see Judas turn traitorous, allowing greed to overtake his heart. We see Peter’s anger as he lashes out with blood and steel. And we see the pain of Jesus Christ himself at both of these men, as he rebukes Peter and withdraws from Judas. Mere hours after washing their feet, Jesus sees both these men as opponents to God’s great plan. Although both play vital roles in the plan of salvation, neither demonstrate a heart properly aligned in love and devotion to God.

What a terror! Even the hearts of those who seem close to Jesus can be turned aside by the world. Greed, passion, anger, and selfishness tempt all of us to turn from the call of Christ. Those who Jesus poured his love out over can return that love with vitriol and violence. But how does Christ respond? With gentleness and mercy. With confident obedience in his Father’s plan.

When Judas approaches him, Jesus does not raise his hand. He does not forcefully reject and rebuke him. He simply offers a probing question inviting Judas to search his heart, consider his actions. When Peter slashes the ear of one of the guards who will bring Christ to his crucifiers, Christ heals the guard. And how does he respond to those who have brought this whole horrible moment to bear? “This is your hour,” he says, “and the power of darkness.”

Christ is meek, gentle, and merciful. But he is not a coward; he’s confident.

In this passage, we see Christ courageously face his captors, willingly handing himself over. He does not flinch back from his pending death. He does not engage in a petty skirmish now to avoid hardship later. Instead, Jesus steels himself for the coming storm, the final battle where his heel will be bruised and he will crush the head of the serpent. Peter may have thought he was shirking back from the fight, but he was charging headlong into a much more dire one.

Because of the choice Christ makes here, Peter is forgiven and restored. The betrayal is permitted so the crucifixion can occur, and the crucifixion occurs so the resurrection can follow. Because of the choice Christ made, the church can be built. A body of believers can be assembled together, bound by a new command: “Love one another.” Just as Christ loves his people, so too should we love one another. Take today and meditate on the love of Christ, and how it is expressed even when he is tired, grieved, and suffering at the hands of

25 his beloved friends. It is a love that is at once fierce and gentle, whole- heartedly and selflessly concerned with the welfare of his people. This Maundy Thursday, let yourself be somber and reflective, thinking about how you do and do not live out the new command.

But remember, beloved: Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • Are you an eager, proactive, and joyful practitioner of the new command to love one another? • How do you react when you are sinned against? Like Peter, or like Christ?

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. [Based on Psalm 51:1-6]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight… In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

[EPHESIANS 1:7-8, 13-14]

Closing Prayer Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Good Friday Jesus Was Tried and Crucified

Call to Worship All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all...he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. [ISAIAH 53:6, 12]

Contemplation

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

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” … Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 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. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” … It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 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.

Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. [LUKE 23:13-21, 32-34, 44-49]

DEVOTION Turning to the events of what we call Good Friday, we see the fulfilled prophesy of Isaiah 50-53, wherein the coming Suffering Servant—the only perfect, innocent man—willingly takes upon himself the guilt of those he came to redeem.

Having mocked and beaten Jesus, the temple police hauled him off to a rump session of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s supreme ruling body, which saw Jesus as a threat to their authority and privileges. These desperate, fearful, bloodthirsty men staged an unlawful kangaroo court to get rid of him.

Their hostile interrogation of Jesus was not about seeking truth but fishing for something on which to convict him. So they put the crucial question to him—are you God? He boldly ascribed to himself the Messiah depicted in Daniel 7—the Son of Man who would come in power to judge the world. But the Sanhedrin thought it had the right and power to judge Jesus for blasphemy. They did not get the irony of the moment, that one day each of them would stand before Jesus to be judged guilty for their crimes against him.

Because blasphemy was not a capital offense, the Sanhedrin could not execute Jesus. They hauled him off to Pilate, the Roman Governor, to get him to do their dirty work. To do so, they trumped up charges of crimes against Rome, rebellion, tax evasion and usurpation of Caesar’s throne. In his interrogation however, Pilate quickly concluded, “I find no guilt in this man”—the first of three times he would claim the innocence of Jesus.

When Pilate got wind that Jesus was from Galilee, under King Herod’s

29 jurisdiction, he gladly passed the buck on to him. Herod also interrogated Jesus but he refused to answer, and so he shipped Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate reminded Jesus’ accusers that Herod had found no guilt in Jesus nor again had he. Yet to appease the priests Pilate offered a compromise to physically scourge Jesus and let him go. They would have none of it; they wanted blood!

Reflect a moment on the irony of Barabbas, the convicted rebel and murderer for whom Jesus was made to be a substitute in a prisoner exchange. Jesus was innocent; Barabbas was not. In that prisoner exchange, Barabbas temporarily escaped the punishment he deserved. But for us whom Christ lived for and died in our place, we are free forever from punishment and condemnation.

What freedom this is! Now we are free to come to and enjoy intimacy with God himself. We are free from being defined by the condemning judgment of others. We are free to love and serve as Christ has love and served us.

Good Friday is the story of the worst injustice in human history. Three times Pilate declared Jesus innocent; Herod found no guilt; a dying criminal on a cross next to Jesus declared him innocent; and the Roman centurion in charge of his crucifixion also proclaimed the innocence of Jesus. Yet he was condemned to an ignominious death. The innocent One is treated as guilty so that guilty ones like us may be treated as righteous—and that is the heart of the gospel.

Jesus hung on the cross from noon to 3:00 pm as a strange darkness fell upon the land. It was an ominous darkness foretold in Amos 8:9- 10, as if God said, “let there be no light.” When he turned the light back on, the curse of sin and death had been vanquished by the triumphant, sin-bearing, curse-cancelling work of Christ!

When Jesus had accomplished his mission of redemption, the massive, thick veil in the Temple that separated sinful people from a holy God was torn in two—top to bottom—by the hand of God. Now you, beloved, have unhindered access to the Father through Jesus Christ!

When the battle-hardened centurion who commanded Jesus’ death squad saw all that had happened on Calvary and how Jesus spoke and died, not only did he declare Jesus’ innocence but he praised, not

Caesar, his squad or himself, but Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus’ innocence has been applied to you, and to all who repent and trust in him alone. Your sins, your guilt—past, present and future—were judged on Christ’s cross, covered by his lifeblood and righteousness. Jesus took your shame that you might be set free.

Jesus died so that you might live. It’s Friday. But, beloved, Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • Consider the suffering of Christ. • Praise God that no guilt remains for the sins you’ve committed. Praise God that no shame or uncleanliness remains for the sins committed against you. • How does having unfettered access to God encourage you today?

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Lord, we cry to you to heal our wounds. We call to you in distress and plead for your salvation. We have sinned against your law and failed to do your will; we confess that we’ve disobeyed your holy Word. We pray, purge our hearts of selfishness and our hearts of bitterness. Lead us back to righteousness; save us through Jesus Christ. Amen. [WSB]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace When you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Christ, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. [COLOSSIANS 2:13-14]

Closing Prayer Almighty God, we pray you graciously behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Holy Saturday Jesus Was Buried

Call to Worship But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. [PSALM 38:15]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. [LUKE 23:50-56]

DEVOTION The disciples of Christ did not expect Jesus to rise from the dead. They were preparing to lay his body to rest and for the long process of ritual sorrow. The disciples knew that ahead of them lay months of weeping, fasting, and formal mourning. And if you’ve lost a loved one, you know it takes longer than a month to stop that grieving. If you’ve ever had to plan a funeral, you know just how much has to get done. Jesus’ disciples, specifically these women who were preparing him for burial, had a lot of work before them.

In light of all this, we might wonder why Jesus chose to walk to his death just before the Sabbath, the day of rest. It is fitting that Christ lay in the grave on the same day that God paused from creation, but it

certainly couldn’t have been easy on these disciples who were preparing to embalm their teacher and friend.

It is easy to abandon the Sabbath—we jump at all sorts of reasons to work through our day of worship, and even to put Jesus entirely out of our heads when the world demonstrates competing priorities. When these disciples were confronted with the chance to work—to prepare Christ himself for death and burial—they had every reason to press on and work.

But on the Sabbath, they rested. Though their Savior was buried in the ground and they were pressed into hiding, they continued to follow the pattern set out for them by God himself. When they had every reason to doubt God, they still clung to him in faithful obedience. Their faith was intact, despite the disarray.

It’s not uncommon for Christians to look at the disciples as weak- willed, slow on the uptake, and small of faith. And many times—just like us—they were. But ultimately they did not trust in their ability to understand everything; they rested in the One who plans all things.

We would do well to rest, here, at the end of Holy Week. Reflect on the ways God has and is at work in and through you. Then rest. In the midst of all our busyness, be still and rest knowing that the ultimate work is finished.

Jesus was buried. But, beloved, Easter is coming.

REFLECTION • How has God sanctified you throughout this season? • How does the gospel enable and compel you to practice the spiritual disciplines and enjoy Sabbath rest?

Prayer of Confession & Repentance Father, you tell us in your Word that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. We confess that we have frequently relaxed our faith. We have allowed ourselves to become cynical, and our cynicism has boiled over with slander, criticism, prayerlessness, and pessimism. How easily we’ve allowed ourselves to crumple under the stresses of our lives.

Forgive us for our smallness of faith. In your mercy, hear us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. [WSB]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. [PSALM 145:13-14]

Closing Prayer O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. [BCP]

Easter Sunday Jesus Is Risen!

Call to Worship Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. [REVELATION 1:4-6]

Contemplation

SCRIPTURE READING But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” … As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God. [LUKE 24:1-7, 36-53]

DEVOTION As we read of the first encounters with the resurrected Jesus, we see a wide range of responses. Some are frightened; some doubt; some are struck in disbelief; some are completely blind to who he is; and some marvel or wonder about him. Yet, once Jesus ascends we can see they all “worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (v. 53). What happened to the people who encountered the resurrected Jesus to take them from a place of doubt and wonder to a place of belief and praise?

Belief comes from Jesus himself. He opened their eyes to see (v. 31) and their minds to understand the Scriptures, which testify to him (v. 45). The resurrected Jesus taught those he met that he died to fulfill everything that was written in the Law, the Prophets, and the wisdom literature. Jesus opened their eyes to understand how all of Scripture points to God’s plan of redemption through himself. Jesus opened their eyes to understand that through repentance and faith in Him—in

36 his suffering, death, and resurrection—there is forgiveness of sins. Jesus opened their eyes to see and understand that he was raised to signal the ultimate and final victory over sin and death, just as the Scriptures promised (1 Cor. 15:54-57).

Friends, what is true for the disciples in Luke 24 is true for us as well. On our own we could not see or understand the truth of his resurrection, but he opens our eyes and minds to believe. Just as the disciples received forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in the resurrected Jesus, we too are given the free gift of grace in Christ. Isn’t that amazing news?

But, the resurrection story doesn’t end there. Not only did Christ raise from the dead, he also ascended into Heaven (v. 51) and sent the Holy Spirit to be with us (v. 49). In John 14 and 15, we learn from Jesus that he would leave the world to be with the Father in heaven and prepare a place for us there. And when he left, he would give us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, God is still working out his plan for the redemption of His people. While we wait to join him in Heaven, we have been given the opportunity and mission to join him in the work of proclaiming the Gospel (vs. 47) with the help of the Holy Spirit. This Helper, the Spirit of Truth, is given to us by Christ to remember His words and guide us in the truth that we know and believe. So, when we believe in the truth of the Gospel, we are equipped and encouraged to take action to bring God’s word to the nations. Indeed, Christ himself commands this of us in Matthew 28 just before he ascends into Heaven. Through Christ’s resurrection, we see and understand the truth of God’s work and are called to respond in worship and action.

As we encounter the resurrected Christ this Easter Sunday, let us be spurred on to worship God, hope in Heaven, and participate in God’s plan of the redemption of the nations. Like those who encountered the resurrected Jesus in Luke 24, let us worship the Lord continually with great joy, for He is risen indeed!

REFLECTION • What is your response to reading about Jesus’ resurrection? Is it one of doubt or belief? Is it one of quiet wonder or praise? • When you share the Gospel with both believers and non- believers, is the resurrection a crucial part of what you share?

Or is it a fact you glaze over quickly? How can you reorient the Gospel message in your heart to emphasize the necessity of the resurrection?

Prayer of Confession & Repentance O God, you have shown us the way of life through your Son, Jesus Christ. We confess with shame our slowness to learn of him, our failure to follow him, and our reluctance to bear the cross. Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We confess the poverty of our worship, our neglect of fellowship and the means of grace, our hesitating witness for Christ., our evasion of responsibilities in our service, our imperfect stewardship of your gifts. Have mercy on us Lord, and forgive us. Amen. [WSB]

Assurance of Pardon & Peace There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. [ROMANS 8:1-2, 22-24A]

Closing Prayer Glorious Lord of life, by the mighty resurrection of your Son you overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him. As Christ burst forth from the tomb, may new life burst forth from us and show itself in acts of love and healing to a hurting world. Grant that we who celebrate with joy Christ’s rising from the dead may be raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness, through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. [WSB]

Resources Cited

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.

[BCP] The Book of Common Prayer The Episcopal Church, Oxford University Press, USA. 1972.

[WSB] The Worship Sourcebook Grand Rapids, MI: Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, 2013. Reprinted by permission Faith Alive Christian Resources

[VOV] The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, UK. 2003.