8 1 Final Word: Matthew 27:55-61 55Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and who had served him were Good Friday there, watching from a distance. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons. Tenebrae Service—Service of Seven Words 57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who 58 Emanuel First Evangelical Lutheran Church: Lansing, MI was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then nd Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen April 2 , 2021 cloth, 60and laid it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. He rolled a large stone over the tomb’s entrance and left. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the tomb. Tenebrae means darkness. This solemn service goes back to the ancient Christian Church’s A single candle is relit. observance of Christ’s suffering and death. It impresses on us sinners the crushing consequences of our sins and the staggering price of Christ’s sacrifice for us. *This final Scripture reading is included to remind us that Jesus certainly did die as our substitute for sin. He was placed in the grave that should have been reserved for us. This is As the readings take us through Christ’s suffering and death, the candles will be extinguished assurance that as he restored life to his lifeless body by the joyous miracle we will celebrate one by one, symbolizing the ebbing life of Christ as He hung on the cross. Near the end of the Sunday, so he will raise our lifeless bodies from our graves on the Last Day and welcome our service, the last extinguished candle will be relit, representing our faith in Christ’s resurrection. risen bodies to eternal life with Him. To maintain a solemn atmosphere, we meditate in silence before the service and leave in silence after the service. Lighting is kept at a minimum to remind us of the darkness which covered the Silent Dismissal land during Jesus’ last three hours on the cross. The congregation may begin to disperse quietly. The offering will not be received during the service. You may place your offering with one of You are welcome to remain in silent reflection as long as you would like. the ushers either before or after the service, or place it in the plates near the exits. As you leave, you may place your thank-offering in one of the plates at each door. Call to Worship Go in solemn peace tonight; Psalm 22 (select verses) Return in Easter joy Sunday morning! Psalm 22 is the most cited Psalm of the New Testament. It gives us a detailed picture of the Messiah’s suffering and triumph. In the Old Testament, only Isaiah 53 gives as many descriptions th Two Separate Services for Easter Sunday Worship (April 4 ) of our Savior’s suffering. Easter Dawn Service—6:30am M: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Coffee and donuts available between services, as well as an Easter activity for kids C: My groaning does nothing to save me. Easter Day Service—10:30am M: My God, I call out by day, but you do not answer. C: I call out by night, but there is no relief for me. M: I am a worm and not a man, C: scorned by men and despised by the people. M: All who see me mock me. They sneer. Artwork: Paramentics © 2014 Ian M. Welch. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved; © 2019 Northwestern Publishing House, C: They shake their heads. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Used by permission. All rights reserved. M: They say, “Trust in the LORD. Scripture taken from: The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2019 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved. www.wartburgproject.org. Used with permission. C: Let the LORD deliver him. Let him rescue him, if he delights in him.” Liturgical settings from The Common Service, Christian Worship M: Like water I am poured out. All my bones are pulled apart. The music included in this folder is covered under Onelicense.net, license # A-715881. C: My heart has become like wax. It has melted in the middle of my chest. 2 7 M: My strength is dried up like broken pottery, and my tongue is stuck to the roof of my Words of Institution: mouth. M: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had C: You lay me in the dust of death. given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my M: I can count all my bones. body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” C: They stare and gloat over me. Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of M: They divide my garments among them. you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the for- C: For my clothing they cast lots. giveness of sins. Do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” M: But you, O Lord, do not be distant. The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: O my Strength, come quickly to help me. C: Amen. M: You who fear the Lord, praise him! C: All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Stand in awe of him, all you descend- ants of Israel! M: For he has not despised nor detested the affliction of the afflicted. C: He has not hidden his face from him, but when he cried out to him, he heard. M: You are the source of my praise in the great congregation. C: I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who fear him. M: The poor will eat and be satisfied. C: Those who seek him will praise the Lord — may he live in your hearts forever! M: All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, C: and all the families of the nations will bow down before you. M: For the kingdom belongs to the Lord, C: and he rules over the nations. M: All the rich of the earth will eat and bow down. C: All who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. M: Descendants will serve him. C: For generations people will be told about the Lord. M: They will come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet to be born — C: because he has done it. Psalm Prayer: Father, when your Son hung on the cross, he cried out to you in agony and Distribution: grief. You gave him the strength to endure so that death might be destroyed and life A note about our Communion practice: If you are a communicant member of Emanuel or anoth- restored. Have mercy on us all our days and preserve us in true faith unto life everlast- er WELS congregation, we invite you to share this Sacrament with us. If you are not a member of our church, we ask you to honor our Biblical practice of close communion and refrain from ing; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. coming forward until you have completed doctrinal discussions with one of our pastors. The C: Amen pastors would be eager to speak with you about this if you have any questions. We welcome the opportunity to share with others our faith and our fellowship. (Please read “Attending the Choir Anthem: There Is a Green Hill ELS grades K-3 (1:00pm) Lord’s Supper” for more information. Pamphlets are in the Capitol Ave. entryway.) Soloist: Were You There (6:30pm) 6 3 Prayer: Sermon: Luke 23:32-34 Heavenly Father, you are a just God who accepts nothing less than perfection. All too 32 often we fail to realize how much our sins offend you. We forget that the wages of sin Two other men, who were criminals, were led away with Jesus to be executed. truly is death. We forget that there actually is a hell. Lead us to recognize the 33When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him there with the seriousness of our sinfulness. Lead us also to admit our inability to make things right with you. criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Today we are reminded not only of your justice but also of your love. You did not spare 34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” your own Son but gave him as a ransom for each one of us. Comfort us with the knowledge of this great love. Give us the peace that the forgiveness of sins brings. NAIL-PIERCED HANDS When we feel our guilt, point us to the cross, where our guilt was washed away in Jesus’ blood. Prayer: God Most Holy, look with mercy on this your family for whom our Lord Jesus Son of God, you offered up your body as an unblemished sacrifice for sin and Christ was willing to be betrayed, be given over into the hands of the wicked, and suffer commended your spirit into the hands of your Father. Teach us to cast the cares of this death upon the cross.