Good Friday: Golgotha
April 15, 2022
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
A warm welcome to all who worship here this day, especially to our guests and visitors. May this hour of worship make us eager to share in the proclamation of the Good News of God’s love in Christ as we enter another week of witness and service in his Name. Guests and visitors, if you have not already done so please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. If you have no church home of your own, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Need more information? Pastor Josh would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Come to worship with us again and often!
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
CHIMES
PRELUDE Were You There? — By Timothy Matthew
Places of the Passion
A Series of Services for Holy Week
Order of Service
And he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
John 19:17
Service of the Word
P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
P Let us ever walk with Jesus.
C To see the depths of his love.
P To behold the gift of his forgiveness.
C To gaze upon the heights of his grace.
P To marvel at the magnitude of his mercy.
C We walk with Jesus to Golgotha.
P That’s Aramaic for The Place of the Skull.
C That’s where Jesus gave us his all.
P Faithful Lord, with me abide.
C I shall follow where you guide!
Prayer of the Day
P Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 50:4–10
A The Old Testament Reading for Good Friday is from Isaiah, chapters 52 and 53.
4The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
5The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
6I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
7But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
8He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
9Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
10Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Galatians 3:10–14
10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
440 Jesus, I Will Ponder Now Stanza 1
P The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew.
Jesus before Pilate and the crowd chooses Barabbas Matthew 27:11–23
11Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 1
Pilate delivers Jesus to Be Crucified Matthew 27:24–26
24So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 2
Jesus is Mocked Matthew 27:27–31
27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 3
The Crucifixion Matthew 27:32–44
32As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 4
The Death of Jesus Matthew 27:45–56
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
51And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
55There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 5
Jesus is Buried Matthew 27:57–61
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 6
The Guard at the Tomb Matthew 27:62–66
62Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
450 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded Stanza 7
Sermon
Special Music When you prayed beneath the Trees — by Lloyd Larson
Alice Turner and Janet Davis, vocal duet, Tatsiana Asheichyk, piano
Prayers
P Onward in Christ’s footsteps treading, pilgrims here, our home above. Full of faith and hope and love. Let us do the Father’s bidding. And so we pray: Dear Lord Jesus, that there had to be a day when you—the eternal Son of God—would be made sin for us, is not good. But at the same time, that you freely and gladly gave yourself for us on the cross, is ultimate goodness. Lord, in your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
P Dear Lord Jesus, from the cross you uttered these two impassioned cries. “Father, forgive them” and “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The first, our forgiveness, required the second, your God-forsakenness. Together, these cries humble our hearts and ignite our faith. Lord, in your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
P Dear Lord Jesus, then you cried, “It is finished.” You left nothing undone. We are redeemed, reconciled, renewed, and resurrection is most certainly coming. You became the Just for the unjust, the Beautiful One for the broken ones, the Way for the lost ones, the Savior for the sinners, the Lamb of God for the rebels from God. Lord, in your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
P Dear Lord Jesus, thousands of years into our life in the new heaven and new earth, we will still be stunned with awe, worship, and gratitude for the greatness of your sacrifice and love for us. R rated, to be sure, because you exhausted God’s judgment against our numberless sins.
C Jesus, let me faithful be, life eternal grant to me. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer (spoken softly)
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
P Jesus invites us to walk with him to Golgotha.
C A place of great suffering.
P And a place of great love.
C We will walk with Jesus all the way.
Removal of the Christ Candle (The removal of the Christ Candle symbolizes that our Savior hung in darkness for three God-forsaken hours before he died for the sins of the world.)
Strepitus (A great noise symbolizes the closing of Christ’s tomb.)
The congregation walks out of the sanctuary and the building silently, contemplating the death of Christ and looking forward to resurrection victory.
The pastor and congregation leave in silence.
Acknowledgments
Good Friday, Chief Service from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, 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.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2022 Concordia Publishing House.