MAUNDY THURSDAY
April 6th, 2023
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
A warm welcome to all who worship with us this evening. Today we gather around Word and Sacrament through which God equips, directs, and supports his people in the mission and ministry of his Kingdom. All that God has promised in his Son, Jesus Christ, come together by the power of the Spirit as we worship. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the church's entrance hall as you leave. If you have no church home, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER - JUDAS ISCARIOT
Betrayed by Judas, one of His twelve disciples. Betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. Betrayed by Judas with a kiss—imagine that, a kiss! Betrayed by Judas in a garden east of Jerusalem called Gethsemane. Betrayed! Jesus was betrayed for us. After betraying Jesus, Judas plunges into the depths of despair. He does not return to Jesus to seek forgiveness. But this Thursday, the night Jesus is betrayed, reminds us of the forgiveness, life, and salvation that Jesus provides for us in the Lord’s Supper. May we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we journey ever closer to the cross.
WELCOME
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
OPENING SENTENCES
As we continue our Lenten journey, we focus on the night when Jesus was betrayed.
We find Jesus’ betrayer, Judas.
Satan leads Judas to this grave sin.
Judas, the thief, betrays Jesus for money,
but Judas isn’t the only guilty person at the table.
All of the disciples abandon Jesus.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Even as Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness, life, and salvation of His disciples, they all still fail Him. Even though we receive the Lord’s Supper regularly for our forgiveness, life, and salvation, we still fail Jesus as well. But our heavenly Father invites us to come to Him with repentant hearts, seeking forgiveness.
Heavenly Father, we have betrayed You in our thoughts, words, and actions. We have pursued other things as being more important than You. Forgive us, Lord, on account of Jesus.
God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith.
Amen
Do you believe that the forgiveness I speak is not my forgiveness but God’s?
Yes.
Though we abandon and betray our Lord, He never abandons or betrays us. Jesus Christ has taken away your sins and failures by His death and resurrection. Let it be done for you as you believe. In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. We are welcomed and forgiven because of Jesus.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. Go in ☩ peace.
Amen
SALUTATION
The Lord be with you.
And also, with you.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
O Lord, in this wondrous Sacrament You have left us a remembrance of Your passion. Grant that we may so receive the sacred mystery of Your body and blood that the fruits of Your redemption may continually be manifest in us; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 12:1–14
The Old Testament Reading is from Exodus, the twelfth chapter.
Israel remembered its deliverance from slavery in Egypt by celebrating the festival of Passover. This festival featured the Passover lamb, whose blood was used as a sign to protect God’s people from the threat of death. The early church described the Lord’s supper using imagery from the Passover, especially in portraying Jesus as the lamb who delivers God’s people from sin and death.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.”
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 11:23–32
The Epistle is from First Corinthians, the eleventh chapter.
In the bread and cup of the Lord’s supper, we experience intimate fellowship with Christ and with one another because it involves his body given for us and the new covenant in his blood. Faithful participation in this meal is a living proclamation of Christ’s death until he comes in the future.
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also He took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 13:21–30
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the thirteenth chapter.
Glory to You, O Lord.
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in His spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom He spoke. One of His disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom He was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is He to whom I will give this- morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So, when He had dipped the morsel, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why He said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON “Judas” Pr. Josh - Series by: Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing
THE SECOND ARTICLE OF THE APOSTLE’S CREED
Redemption
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true.
Lord Jesus Christ, You are the resurrection and the life; give comfort and hope to all those who mourn the death of loved ones. Lord, in Your mercy,
hear our prayer. Amen
PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
OFFERING
OFFERING PRAYER
God of our salvation, all that we have comes from your hand. We bring what you have already given us—bread and wine for your table, and the gifts of all that we are and have for the work of your Kingdom. Most of all we give you thanks for your greatest gift to us in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
PREFACE
The Lord be with you.
And also, with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
PROPER PREFACE
It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome. Therefore, with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow’r and might:
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna. Hosanna.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My ☩ body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My ☩ blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
LORD’S PRAYER
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
THE PEACE OF THE LORD
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen
POST-COMMUNION THANKSGIVING
Let us pray.
Gracious God, our heavenly Father, You have given us a foretaste of the feast to come in the Holy Supper of Your Son’s body and blood. Keep us firm in the true faith throughout our days of pilgrimage that, on the day of His coming, we may, together with all Your saints, celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
STRIPPING OF THE ALTER
Psalm 22 has many connections to Holy Week, particularly to Good Friday and Christ’s sufferings on the cross. The pastor or cantor may choose to pause after verses 5, 18, and 21 as these mark turning points in the psalm.
While the psalm is being chanted or spoken, members of the congregation work methodically to strip the altar area of all its decoration. After the altar is stripped, and the psalm is finished, the congregation leaves in silence.
PSALM 22
My God, My God, why have You for- | saken Me?*
Why are You so far from saving Me, from the words of My | groaning?
O My God, I cry by day, but You do not | answer,*
and by night, but I | find no rest.
Yet You are | holy,*
enthroned on the praises of | Israel.
In You our fathers | trusted;*
they trusted, and You de- | livered them.
To You they cried and were | rescued;*
in You they trusted and were not | put to shame.
But I am a worm and | not a man,*
scorned by mankind and despised by the | people.
All who see Me | mock Me;*
they make mouths at Me; they | wag their heads;
“He trusts in the LORD; let Him de- | liver Him;*
let Him rescue Him, for He de- | lights in Him!”
Yet You are He who took Me | from the womb;*
You made Me trust You at My | mother’s breasts.
On You was I cast | from My birth,*
and from My mother’s womb You have | been My God.
Be not far from Me,
for trouble | is near,*
and there is | none to help.
Many bulls en- | compass Me;*
strong bulls of Bashan sur- | round Me;
they open wide their | mouths at Me,*
like a ravening and roaring | lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all My bones are | out of joint;*
My heart is like wax;
it is melted with- | in My breast;
My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and My tongue sticks | to My jaws;*
You lay Me in the | dust of death.
For dogs en- | compass Me;*
a company of evildoers encircles Me;
they have pierced My | hands and feet—
I can count | all My bones—*
they stare and gloat | over Me;
they divide My garments a- | mong them,*
and for My clothing they | cast lots.
But You, O LORD, do not be | far off!*
O You My help, come quickly | to My aid!
Deliver My soul | from the sword,*
My precious life from the power | of the dog!
Save Me from the mouth of the | lion!*
You have rescued Me from the horns of the wild | oxen!
I will tell of Your name to My | brothers;*
in the midst of the congregation I will | praise You:
You who fear the LORD, praise Him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glo- | rify Him,*
and stand in awe of Him, all you offspring of | Israel!
For He has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and He has not hidden His | face from Him,*
but has heard, when He | cried to Him.
From You comes My praise in the great congre- | gation;*
My vows I will perform before those who | fear Him.
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek Him shall | praise the LORD!*
May your hearts live for- | ever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn | to the LORD,*
and all the families of the nations
shall worship be- | fore You.
For kingship belongs | to the LORD,*
and He rules over the | nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and | worship;*
before Him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep him- | self alive.
Posterity shall | serve Him;*
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming gener- | ation;
they shall come and proclaim His righteousness to a people | yet unborn,*
that He has | done it.
The congregation leaves the church in silence.