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The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday |
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Almighty and everlasting God, who, of thy tender love towards mankind, hast
sent thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh, and to
suffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of
his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of
his patience, and also be made partakers of his resurrection; through the
same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. |
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Liturgy of the Palms - Luke
19:29-40 |
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When he drew near to Beth'phage and Bethany, at the mount that is called
Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village opposite,
where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet
sat; untie it and bring it here. If any one asks you, `Why are you untying
it?' you shall say this, `The Lord has need of it.'" So those who were sent
went away and found it as he had told them. And as they were untying the
colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" And they
said, "The Lord has need of it." And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing
their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. And as he rode along,
they spread their garments on the road. As he was now drawing near, at the
descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began
to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that
they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the
Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees
in the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered,
"I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." |
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Lesson -
Isaiah 45:21-25 or Isaiah 52:13--53:12 |
Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this
long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no
other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides
me. "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and
there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in
righteousness a word that shall not return: `To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear.' "Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are
righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed, all who were
incensed against him. In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph
and glory."
or
Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and
shall be very high. As many were astonished at him -- his appearance was so
marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men
-- so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because
of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which
they have not heard they shall understand. Who has believed what we have
heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up
before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no
form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should
desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and
afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us
all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its
shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he
was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut
off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my
people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his
death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his
mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to
grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his
offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in
his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be
satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many
to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I
will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with
the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with
the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for
the transgressors. |
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Epistle - Philippians 2:5-11 |
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Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though
he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in
the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and
became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly
exalted him and bestowed on him the name which 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. |
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Gospel - Luke (22:39-71)
23:1-49(50-56) |
The Passion of Jesus Christ
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and
the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place he said to them,
"Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And he withdrew from them
about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, "Father, if thou art
willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be
done." And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them
sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray
that you may not enter into temptation."
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas,
one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but
Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" And
when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, "Lord, shall
we strike with the sword?" And one of them struck the slave of the high
priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he
touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and
officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, "Have you
come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day
after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour,
and the power of darkness."
Peter Denies Jesus
Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's
house. Peter followed at a distance; and when they had kindled a fire in the
middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a
maid, seeing him as he sat in the light and gazing at him, said, "This man
also was with him." But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him."
And a little later some one else saw him and said, "You also are one of
them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." And after an interval of about an
hour still another insisted, saying, "Certainly this man also was with him;
for he is a Galilean." But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are
saying." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. And
the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the
Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me
three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
The Mocking and Beating of Jesus
Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; they also
blindfolded him and asked him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" And
they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
Jesus Before the Council
When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together,
both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and
they said, "If you are the Christ, tell us." But he said to them, "If I tell
you, you will not believe; and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from
now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of
God." And they all said, "Are you the Son of God, then?" And he said to
them, "You say that I am." And they said, "What further testimony do we
need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips."
Jesus Before Pilate
Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate. And
they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation,
and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is
Christ a king." And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he
answered him, "You have said so." And Pilate said to the chief priests and
the multitudes, "I find no crime in this man." But they were urgent, saying,
"He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to
this place."
Jesus Before Herod
When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he
learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod,
who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very
glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him,
and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some
length; but he made no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by,
vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers treated him with
contempt and mocked him; then, arraying him in gorgeous apparel, he sent him
back to Pilate. And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that
very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
Jesus Sentenced to Death
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was perverting the
people; and after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man
guilty of any of your charges against him; neither did Herod, for he sent
him back to us. Behold, nothing deserving death has been done by him; I will
therefore chastise him and release him."
But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us
Barab'bas" -- a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection
started in the city, and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more,
desiring to release Jesus; but they shouted out, "Crucify, crucify him!" A
third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him
no crime deserving death; I will therefore chastise him and release him."
But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified.
And their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that their demand should
be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for
insurrection and murder, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to
their will.
The Crucifixion on Jesus
And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming
in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.
And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who
bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of
Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your
children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, `Blessed are
the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave
suck!' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, `Fall on us'; and to
the hills, `Cover us.' For if they do this when the wood is green, what will
happen when it is dry?"
Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with
him. And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they
crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." And they
cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the
rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he
is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" The soldiers also mocked him, coming
up and offering him vinegar, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews,
save yourself!" There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of
the Jews."
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the
Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you
not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we
indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this
man has done nothing wrong." And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come
into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will
be with me in Paradise."
The Death of Jesus
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land
until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the
temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father,
into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his
last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, and
said, "Certainly this man was innocent!" And all the multitudes who
assembled to see the sight, when they saw what had taken place, returned
home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had
followed him from Galilee stood at a distance and saw these things.
The Burial of Jesus
Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathe'a. He was
a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to
their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man
went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and
wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one
had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was
beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and saw
the tomb, and how his body was laid; then they returned, and prepared spices
and ointments.
On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment. |
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