We have been reading through Luke's Gospel on Sunday evenings this year and had just arrived at Luke 9, when Jesus steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
In Luke's gospel that journey lasts ten chapters. Our service took us from that verse straight to the arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem.
As we shared the words of the passion and especially as we shared Diana's prayers we were remembering her and her family in our thoughts and prayers.
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Richard
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Welcome
When the days drew near for him to be taken
up,
he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany,
He came to the place called the Mount of
Olives.
As he was now approaching the path
down from the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud
voice
for all the deeds of power 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 heaven!’ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’
He answered,
‘I tell you, if these were silent,
the stones would shout out.’
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Martin
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He
comes in triumph,
to
a city where people are gathered in festival
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Sue
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He
comes to challenge power and vested interests,
To
overturn status and wealth
Come,
Christ …
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Congregation
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Come, Christ in
triumph and sorrow,
Hosanna in the name
of the living God
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Martin
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He
comes in celebration with a royal welcome,
Declaring
God’s reign of love
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Sue
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He
comes to rejection, to the fearful and proud
Who
sacrifice him to preserve their power
Come,
Christ …
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Congregation
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Come, Christ in
triumph and sorrow,
Hosanna in the name
of the living God
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Martin
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He
comes to acclamation, to people waving and Shouting praises,
a
procession of joy
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Sue
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He
comes to abuse, to shouts of crucifixion,
False
trial and the way of the cross.
Come,
Christ …
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Congregation
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Come, Christ in
triumph and sorrow,
Hosanna in the name
of the living God
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Hymn
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Hosanna, loud hosanna
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Mary
C
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As
he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying,
‘If you, even you, had only recognized on
this day
the
things that make for peace!
But
now they are hidden from your eyes.
Indeed,
the days will come upon you,
when
your enemies will set up ramparts around you
and
surround you, and hem you in on every side.
They
will crush you to the ground,
you
and your children within you,
and
they will not leave within you one stone upon another;
because
you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’
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Shirley
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Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
Loving
God,
your
Son called his disciples to go forth with him on the way to the cross.
Since
he first walked that road countless millions have followed him.
In
all that we do, as disciples,
save
us from false familiarity with that journey.
May
we never presume to step into his shoes,
but
make us small enough to fit our own,
and
to walk in love and wonder behind him.
In
this world where goodness and evil continue to clash with each other,
instill
in us, and in all your people,
discernment
to see what is right,
faith
to believe what is right,
and
courage to do what is right.
Forgive
us for what has gone wrong,
repair
in us what is wasted,
reveal
in us what is good.
Nourish
us with better food than we could ever purchase:
your
word, your love, your inspiration,
your
daily bread for our life’s journey,
in
the company of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who
taught us when we pray to say…
Our
Father, who art in heaven ….
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David
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Then he entered the temple
and began to drive out those who were selling things
there;
and he said,
‘It is
written,
“My house shall be a house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of robbers.’
Every day he was teaching in the temple.
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Mary
B
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The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of
the people
kept looking for a way to kill him;
but they did not find anything they could do,
for all the people were spellbound by what they
heard.
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David
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And so the chief priests,
the scribes,
and the leaders of the people
kept questioning him.
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Mary
B
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Who is it that gave you this authority?
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David
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What’s all this about resurrection?
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Mary
B
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And so he told them a story, he told them a parable
…
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David
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‘A
man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants,
and
went to another country for a long time.
When
the season came,
he
sent a slave to the tenants
in
order that they might give him his share
of
the produce of the vineyard;
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Mary
B
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but
the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
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David
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Next
he sent another slave;
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Mary
B
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that
one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.
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David
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And
he sent yet a third;
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Mary
B
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this
one also they wounded and threw out.
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David
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Then
the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son;
perhaps they will respect him.”
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Mary
B
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But
when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This
is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.” So
they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
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David
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What
then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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Mary
B
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He
will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’
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David
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When
they heard this, they said, ‘Heaven forbid!’
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Mary
B
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But
he looked at them and said, ‘What then does this text mean:
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’ |
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David
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When
the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against
them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the
people.
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Mary
B
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They
no longer dared to ask him another question.
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Hymn
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MTS 15 Meekness and Majesty
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Alison
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Every
day he was teaching in the temple,
and
at night he would go out
and
spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called.
And
all the people would get up early in the morning
to
listen to him in the temple.
Now the festival of Unleavened Bread,
which is called the Passover, was near.
The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a
way
to put Jesus to death,
for they were afraid of the people.
Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot,
who was one of the twelve;
he went away and conferred with the chief priests
and officers of the temple police
about how he might betray him to them.
They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him
money.
So he consented and began to look for an opportunity
to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
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Anne
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Then
came the day of Unleavened Bread,
on
which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
So
Jesus sent Peter and John, saying,
‘Go
and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’
So
they went and found everything as he had told them;
and
they prepared the Passover meal.
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Alison
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A dispute also arose among them
as to which one of them was to be regarded as the
greatest.
But he said to them,
‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;
and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
But not so with you;
rather the greatest among you must become like the
youngest,
and the leader like one who serves.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or
the one who serves?
Is it not the one at the table?
But I am among you as one who serves.
‘You are those who have stood by me in my
trials;
and I confer on you,
just as my Father has conferred on me,
a kingdom,
so that you may eat and drink at my table in my
kingdom,
and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes
of Israel.
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Anne
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He
came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives;
and
the disciples followed him.
When
he reached the place, he said to them,
‘Pray
that you may not come into the time of trial.’
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Alison
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Then
he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw,
knelt
down, and prayed,
‘Father,
if you are willing, remove this cup from me;
yet,
not my will but yours be done.’
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Anne
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Then
an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength
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Alison
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In
his anguish he prayed more earnestly,
and
his sweat became like great drops of blood
falling
down on the ground.
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Anne
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When
he got up from prayer,
he
came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief,
and
he said to them,
‘Why
are you sleeping?
Get
up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’
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Hymn
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Thy will be done
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Mary
C
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Then
they seized him and led him away,
bringing
him into the high priest’s house.
When
day came, the assembly of the elders of the people,
both
chief priests and scribes, gathered together,
and
they brought him to their council.
Then
the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.
Pilate
asked whether the man was a Galilean.
And
when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction,
he
sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
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Martin
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When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad,
for he had been wanting to see him for a long time,
because he had heard about him
and was hoping to see him perform some sign.
He questioned him at some length,
but Jesus gave him no answer.
The chief priests and the scribes stood by,
vehemently accusing him.
Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with
contempt
and mocked him;
then he put an elegant robe on him,
and sent him back to Pilate.
That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with
each other;
before this
they had been enemies.
Pilate then called together the chief priests,
the leaders, and the people
Then
they all shouted out together,
‘Away
with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’
(This
was a man who had been put in prison
for
an insurrection that had taken place in the city,
and
for murder.)
Pilate,
wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again;
but
they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’
A
third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?
I
have found in him no ground for the sentence of death;
I
will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’
But
they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts
that
he should be crucified;
and
their voices prevailed.
So
Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.
He
released the man they asked for,
the
one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder,
and
he handed Jesus over as they wished.
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Hymn
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Go to dark Gethsemane
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Martin
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As they led him away, they seized a man,
Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country,
and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it
behind Jesus.
A great number of the people followed him,
and among them were women
who were beating their breasts and wailing for
him.
But Jesus turned to them and said,
‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me,
but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Two others also, who were criminals,
were led away to be put to death with him.
When they came to the place that is called The
Skull,
they
crucified Jesus there
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Hymn
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My song is love unknown
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Sue
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When they came to the place that is called The
Skull,
they
crucified Jesus there
with the criminals,
one on his right and one on his left.
Then Jesus said,
‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing.’
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Shirley
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After a Pause for Silence, a
Prayer
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us.
Take from our lives, from our souls, from our
consciences
all that has offended you,
all that has hurt others,
and our
blindness to the needs of others.
On this day, at this time,
we accept deeply in our hearts the only words that
can set us free:
the words
‘your sins are forgiven’.
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David
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One
of the criminals who were hanged there
kept
deriding him and saying,
‘Are
you not the Messiah? 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 have been condemned justly,
for
we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but
this man has done nothing wrong.’
Then
he said,
‘Jesus,
remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
He
replied,
‘Truly
I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
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Sue
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After a Pause for Silence a Prayer
Lord,
remember us when you come into your kingdom.
Remember
us,
not
for the things which we hope will appear in our obituaries;
nor
for the virtues we occasionally display.
Remember
us, as one of the guilty community who hung at your side,
and
if life will not let us be in paradise with you today,
keep
a place for us, we pray.
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Hymn
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This is your coronation
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Sue
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It
was now about noon,
and
darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,
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 your hands I commend my spirit.’
Having
said this, he breathed his last.
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Martin
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After a Pause for Silence … a Prayer
Go
…
God
who before birth called you into being, now calls you back …
and
we let you go.
Go
to heaven,
where
you will welcome those who die in your faith,
whose
death, with your death, we remember.
Cheered
by the prospect of the day
when
there will be no more death or parting,
and
all shall be well, and all shall be one,
may
they who have died before us
be
among the first to welcome us to heaven,
where,
with you enthroned in glory,
we
shall share the everlasting feast of your family.
Till
then, keep us in faith, fill us with hope, deepen us through love,
to
the glory of your holy name …. Amen.
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Alison
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As
water to the thirsty,
As
beauty to the eyes,
As
strength that follows weakenss,
As
truth instead of lies,
As
songtime and springtime
And
summertime to be
So
is my Lord, my living Lord,
So
is my Lord, to me.
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Anthem
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As water to the thirsty
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Mary
C
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The Offering and Dedication
Lord,
you are worthy of honour and power,
Yet
you come to us in humility and meekness.
You
deserve worship and glory,
Yet
it is the least thing you ask for.
Accept
our praises this day;
May
they be accompanied by lives of obedience
And
deeds of service in your name.
As
we offer ourselves in service,
We
also offer our gifts of money.
As
we remember the events of our Lord’s Passion
The
gift of his life which he gave,
We
ask your blessing on our gifts now.
Amen.
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Shirley
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By
the time of his death in 1748 Isaac Watts had written about 750 hymns, but
the hymn pronounced by nineteenth century hymn writer and critic, Matthew
Arnold,, to be the greatest hymn ever written in English, was the hymn with
which we are going to close our worship this evening.
The
persona or speaker in this beloved hymn focuses on his own unworthiness in
contrast to the holiness and worthiness of Christ in His death on the cross,
a reflection of Galatians 6:14
May I never boast of
anything
except the cross of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world
has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
Witnessing
the crucifixion of Christ, the speaker joins the apostle Paul in rejecting
any worldly possessions, status or personal pride (Paul called it ‘rubbish)
desiring only His saving blood (verses 1 and 2)
He
marvels at the blend or sorrow and love in that blood (verse 3) and, in
response, he declares himself dead to the world (verse 4)
The
simile in the line ‘His dying crimson like a robe, spreads o’er His body on
the tree’ is among the finest in English poetry.
Realising
the incomparable gift that Christ has
made for him, the speaker recognizes that, even if he possessed all of
nature, it would be ‘far too small’ a
present to offer in return (verse 5).
Rather,
the ‘amazing’ love of Christ demands, not a gift from himself, but the gift
of himself – ‘my soul, my life, my all’.
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Hymn
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When I survey the wondrous cross
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Richard
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The Blessing
May
the Father,
who
so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
bring
us by faith to his eternal life.
May
Christ,
who
accepted the cup of sacrifice in obedience to the Father’s will,
keep
us steadfast as we walk with him the way of his cross.
May
the Spirit,
who
strengthens us to suffer with Christ that we may share his glory,
set
our minds on life and peace.
And
the blessing of God almighty,
the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be
among us and remain with us always.
Amen.
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