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Fourth Sunday in Lent
First Lesson
1 Samuel 16:1-13
The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have
rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your
way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons
to be king." But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and
kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, `I
have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I
will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."
Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of
the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"
Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he
consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they
arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands
here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his
appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at
the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD
looks at the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of
Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." Jesse
then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this
one." Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to
him, "The LORD has not chosen these." So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the
sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered,
"but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we
will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought
in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the
horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that
day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to
Ramah.
Psalm
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's
sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my
head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Second Lesson
Ephesians 5:8-14
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as
children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,
righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to
do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is
shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything
exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything
visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
Gospel
John 9:1-41
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him,
"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so
that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day,
we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can
work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said
this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on
the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word
means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors
and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man
who used to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was. Others said,
"No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the
man." "How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. He replied, "The man
they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to
Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." "Where is this
man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. They brought to
the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had
made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the
Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my
eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees
said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were
divided. Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say
about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is
a prophet." The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had
received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. "Is this your
son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that
now he can see?" "We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know
he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't
know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." His parents said
this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided
that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put
out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask
him." A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to
God, " they said. "We know this man is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is
a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I
see!" Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your
eyes?" He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do
you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" Then
they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are
disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow,
we don't even know where he comes from." The man answered, "Now that is
remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We
know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who
does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born
blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." To this they
replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And
they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he
found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?"
the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have
now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the man said,
"Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have
come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will
become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and
asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would
not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt
remains.
Prayer of the Day
God of all mercy, by your power to heal and to forgive, graciously
cleanse us from all sin and make us strong; through your Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever.
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Fifth Sunday in Lent
First Lesson
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of
the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led
me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of
the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these
bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Then he
said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, `Dry bones, hear the
word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I
will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons
to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put
breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the
LORD.'" So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there
was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I
looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but
there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath;
prophesy, son of man, and say to it, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they
may live.'" So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them;
they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Then he said to
me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, `Our
bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy
and say to them: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am
going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back
to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD,
when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in
you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will
know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"
Psalm
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more
than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and
with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Second Lesson
Romans 8:6-11
The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is
life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit
to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot
please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the
Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you,
your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of
righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Gospel
John 11:1-45
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of
Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick,
was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her
hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it
is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was
sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples,
"Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the
Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" Jesus answered,
"Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not
stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night
that he stumbles, for he has no light." After he had said this, he went on
to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to
wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get
better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he
meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for
your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go
to him." Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him." On his arrival, Jesus found that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than
two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to
comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was
coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha
said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I
know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again
in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the
resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God, who was to come into the world." And after she had said
this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here,"
she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly
and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at
the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in
the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they
followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary
reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and
said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When
Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also
weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid
him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could
not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone
laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But,
Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad
odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you
that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the
stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have
heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of
the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he
had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead
man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth
around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes
and let him go." Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and
had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, our redeemer, in our weakness we have failed to be your
messengers of forgiveness and hope in the world. Renew us by your Holy
Spirit, that we may follow your commands and proclaim your reign of love;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Sunday of the Passion
Palm Sunday
First Lesson
Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word
that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to
listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I
have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those
who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my
face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will
not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will
not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring
charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him
confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will
condemn me?
Psalm
Psalm 31:9-16
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with
sorrow, my soul and my body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails
because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a
dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken
pottery.
For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire
against me and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who
pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Second Lesson
Philippians 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in
very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a
man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a
cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name
that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Gospel
Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
Then one of the Twelve--the one called Judas Iscariot--went to the chief
priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to
you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas
watched for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you
want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He replied, "Go
into the city to a certain man and tell him, `The Teacher says: My appointed
time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your
house.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the
Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the
Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of
you will betray me." They were very sad and began to say to him one after
the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his
hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it
is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It
would be better for him if he had not been born." Then Judas, the one who
would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered,
"Yes, it is you." While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my
body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not
drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it
anew with you in my Father's kingdom." When they had sung a hymn, they went
out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will
all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "`I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I
have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." Peter replied, "Even if
all fall away on account of you, I never will." "I tell you the truth,"
Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown
me three times." But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will
never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same. Then Jesus
went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them,
"Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of
Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he
said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.
Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his
face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup
be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to
his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me
for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall
into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away
a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to
be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back,
he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them
and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping
and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" While he was
still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large
crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the
elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The
one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
"Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came
for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested
him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out
and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. "Put your
sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword
will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will
at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then
would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" At
that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have
come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple
courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place
that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the
disciples deserted him and fled. Those who had arrested Jesus took him to
Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had
assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard
of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the
outcome. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false
evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not
find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two
came forward and declared, "This fellow said, `I am able to destroy the
temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" Then the high priest stood up
and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that
these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God:
Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you
say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see
the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the
clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has
spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have
heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of
death," they answered. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their
fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him.
"You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. But he denied it before
them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. Then he went
out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there,
"This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." He denied it again, with an oath:
"I don't know the man!" After a little while, those standing there went up
to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you
away." Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I
don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter
remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will
disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly. Early in the
morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the
decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him
over to Pilate, the governor. When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that
Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty
silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said,
"for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they
replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money into the
temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests
picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the
treasury, since it is blood money." So they decided to use the money to buy
the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been
called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the
prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on
him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field,
as the Lord commanded me." Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and
the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it
is as you say," Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and
the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the
testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even
to a single charge--to the great amazement of the governor. Now it was the
governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At
that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd
had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to
you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew it was out of
envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the
judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do
with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream
because of him." But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to
ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. "Which of the two do you want
me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they
answered. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate
asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" "Why? What crime has he
committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder,
"Crucify him!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead
an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the
crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your
responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our
children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and
handed him over to be crucified. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus
into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a
crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand
and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they
said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again
and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own
clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going
out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry
the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of
the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but
after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they
divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch
over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him:
THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him,
one on his right and one on his left. 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," they said, "but he
can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! 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.'" In the same way the
robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. From the
sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About 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 there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine
vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said,
"Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." And when Jesus
had cried out again in a loud voice, he 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!" Many women were there,
watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for
his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and
Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. As evening approached, there came a
rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of
Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it
be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled
a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb. The next
day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went
to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "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." "Take a guard,"
Pilate answered. "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.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take our
flesh upon him and to suffer death on the cross. Grant that we may share in
his obedience to your will and in the glorious victory of his resurrection;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Maundy Thursday
First Lesson
Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you
the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of
Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb
for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a
whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken
into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount
of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. [The animals
you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from
the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the
month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at
twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides
and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same
night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter
herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in
water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave
any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.]
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your
sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the
LORD's Passover. "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike
down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all
the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the
houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No
destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. "This is a day you
are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a
festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance.
Psalm
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your
maidservant ; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD-- in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise
the LORD.
Second Lesson
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord
Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup,
saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you
drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Gospel
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come
for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who
were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The
evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas
Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put
all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning
to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped
a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began
to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to
wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but
later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my
feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with
me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and
my head as well!" Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to
wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every
one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he
said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he
put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have
done for you?" he asked them. "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly
so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an
example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no
servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one
who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do
them. "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God
is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will
glorify him at once. "My children, I will be with you only a little longer.
You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where
I am going, you cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As
I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Prayer of the Day
Holy God, source of all love, on the night of his betrayal, Jesus gave
his disciples a new commandment: To love one another as he had loved them.
By your Holy Spirit write this commandment in our hearts; through your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
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Good Friday
First Lesson
Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12
See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and
highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his
appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred
beyond human likeness--so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut
their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and
what they have not heard, they will understand. Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him
like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or
majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should
desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and
familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him,
and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for
our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by
his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us
has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us
all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was
led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was
taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from
the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was
the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD
makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his
days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering
of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his
knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear
their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and
he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life
unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Psalm
Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving
me, so far from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not
silent.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not
disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men 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."
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my
mother's breast.
From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
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.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of
my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled 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.
But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild
oxen.
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise
you.
You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he
has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those
who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him--
may your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the
families of the nations will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the
dust will kneel before him-- those who cannot keep themselves alive.
Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for he has
done it.
Second Lesson
Hebrews 10:16-25
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the
Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their
minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for
sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy
Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through
the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to
the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider
how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give
up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage
one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Gospel
John 18:1 – 19:42
When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed
the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and
his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the
grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief
priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them,
"Who is it you want?" "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am
he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When
Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked
them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then
let these men go." This happened so that the words he had spoken would be
fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who
had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his
right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, "Put
your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?" Then
the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials
arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the
father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one
who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the
people. Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this
disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high
priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other
disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on
duty there and brought Peter in. "You are not one of his disciples, are
you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had
made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his
teaching. "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always
taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I
said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they
know what I said." When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck
him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong.
But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" Then Annas sent him, still
bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he
was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He
denied it, saying, "I am not." One of the high priest's servants, a relative
of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you
with him in the olive grove?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a
rooster began to crow. Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace
of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial
uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat
the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you
bringing against this man?" "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we
would not have handed him over to you." Pilate said, "Take him yourselves
and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute
anyone," the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken
indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. Pilate
then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the
king of the Jews?" "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk
to you about me?" "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your
chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" Jesus
said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight
to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are
right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for
this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of
truth listens to me." "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out
again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him. But
it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the
Passover. Do you want me to release `the king of the Jews'?" They shouted
back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a
rebellion. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted
together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a
purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the
Jews!" And they struck him in the face. Once more Pilate came out and said
to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find
no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of
thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" As soon
as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify!
Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As
for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." The Jews insisted, "We
have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be
the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he
went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but
Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said.
"Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus
answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from
above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater
sin." From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept
shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who
claims to be a king opposes Caesar." When Pilate heard this, he brought
Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone
Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of
Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate
said to the Jews. But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify
him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We
have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed
him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of
Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which
in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two
others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice
prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF
THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was
crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and
Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The
King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate
answered, "What I have written, I have written." 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. "Let's not tear it," they said to one
another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened
that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments
among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.
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. 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." With that, he
bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 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." Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for
the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because
he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body
away. 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. At the
place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new
tomb, 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.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, we ask you to look with mercy on your family, for whom our
Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and to be given over to the
hands of sinners and to suffer death on the cross; who now lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
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The Resurrection of Our Lord
Easter Day
First Lesson
Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does
not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do
what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel,
telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You
know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the
baptism that John preached--how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were
under the power of the devil, because God was with him. "We are
witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead
on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the
people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the
people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the
living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who
believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
Psalm
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's
right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD's right hand is lifted high; the LORD's right hand has done mighty
things!"
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the
LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Second Lesson
Colossians 3:1-4
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things
above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
Gospel
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary
Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the
entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one
Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we
don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started
for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and
reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen
lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived
and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as
the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up
by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had
reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still
did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb
crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels
in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other
at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They
have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put
him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did
not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is
it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said,
"Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I
will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him
and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said, "Do
not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to
my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to
my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news:
"I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to
her.
Prayer of the Day
O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our
redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power
of death. Make us die every day to sin, so that we may live with him forever
in the joy of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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Second Sunday of Easter
First Lesson
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the
crowd: "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man
accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among
you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to
you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked
men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from
the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for
death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: "`I saw the Lord always
before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore
my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One
see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me
with joy in your presence.' "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the
patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he
would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he
spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the
grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we
are all witnesses of the fact.
Psalm
Psalm 16
Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is
all my delight.
The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour
out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.
LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot
secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a
delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs
me.
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will
not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest
secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One
see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy
in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Second Lesson
1 Peter 1:3-9
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great
mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never
perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to
be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These
have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes
even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise,
glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him,
you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and
are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the
goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel
John 20:19-31
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them
his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am
sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy
Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not
forgive them, they are not forgiven." Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of
the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other
disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to
them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the
nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week
later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.
Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
"Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my
hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and
believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him,
"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the
presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, with joy we celebrate the festival of our Lord’s
resurrection. Graciously help us to show the power of the resurrection in
all that we say and do; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
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