Fourth Wednesday of Lent March 17, :30 AM & 6:30 PM

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Fourth Wednesday of Lent

March 17, 2021 - 10:30 AM & 6:30 PM

AS WE GATHER

If you haven’t been able to join us these last couple of weeks, or if you need a refresher, we are going through Jesus’ Final Days. And we are taking our cue from the Gospels and slowing down to do so. Almost a third of the all of the Gospels are spent on Jesus’ final seven days. So, these Wednesdays of Lent allow us to slow down and take time to uncover all that is going on. Today in the mess and mire of our lives, with COVID and chaos and death and disease, we see Jesus as the uncomplaining Lamb Who goes to the slaughter in silence that His perfect blood may cry out forgiveness for our sins.

GREETING

Pastor: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

People: Amen.

Pastor: This is the day that the Lord has made. People: Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Pastor: From the rising of the sun to its setting: People: the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Pastor: Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful.

People: Slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Pastor: Jesus said, “If any man would come after Me,:

People: let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Pastor: Christ was wounded for our transgressions

People: He was bruised for our iniquities.

OPENING HYMN “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth” [LSB 438, vs. 1-3] Public Domain

Vs.1 A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth, The guilt of sinners bearing And, laden with the sins of earth, None else the burden sharing;

Goes patient on, grows weak and faint, To slaughter led without complaint, That spotless life to offer, He bears the stripes, the wounds, the lies,

The mockery, and yet replies, “All this I gladly suffer.”

Vs.2 This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great friend, The Lamb of God, our Savior, Whom God the Father chose to send To gain for us His favor.

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“Go forth, My Son,” the Father said, “And free My children from their dread Of guilt and condemnation. The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,

But by Your passion they will share The fruit of Your salvation.” Vs.3 “Yes, Father, yes, most willingly I’ll bear what You command Me.

My will conforms to Your decree, I’ll do what You have asked Me.” O wondrous Love, what have You done! The Father offers up His Son, Desiring our salvation. O Love, how strong You are to save!

You lay the One into the grave Who built the earth’s foundation.

PASSION READING #5

Pastor: “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

Women: With one voice they cried out to the governor:

Men: “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”

Women: Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for

murder. Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting,

Men: “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Women: For the third time he spoke to them:

Pastor: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him punished and then release him.”

Women: But the Jews kept shouting,

Men: “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

Women: When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat

known as the Stone Pavement. It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews:

Pastor: “Here is your king.”

Men: “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pastor: “Shall I crucify your king?”

Men: “We have no king but Caesar.”

Women: 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. He said:

Pastor: “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” Men: “let his blood be on us and one our children!”

Women: Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him

over to be crucified.

Pastor: The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large

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number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned to them:

Men: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say,

Women: “Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts

that never nursed!’

Men: “Then ‘they will say to the mountains: “Fall on us!” and to the hills: “Cover us!’” “For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Pastor: Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 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. There they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said,

Men: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Pastor: 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:

Men: “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’, but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

Women: Pilate answered:

Pastor: “What I have written, I have written.” COLLECT

Pastor: Let us pray. Most merciful God, You have called each of us to live holy lives, lives worthy of our calling in Christ. We thank You for the forgiveness that is ours through Jesus. For all those times we set others above You; for all those times we fail to worship and look to others sources for peace and joy, forgive us through the perfect atonement of Your Son, our savior, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

10:30 AM SOLO by Herman Meyer

6:30 PM CONNECT TIME SPECIAL MUSIC

CONNECT TIME

During this time please use your mobile device to fill out the Connect Card online at www.trinitymerrill.com/live, text any prayer requests to 715-200-4546, and text your giving amount to 833-341-0335. You can also visit www.trinitymerrill.com/give to give now and learn more about other ways to support the ministries at Trinity.

HOLY GOSPEL Mark 14:32-43

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark the fourteenth chapter. People: Glory to You, O Lord.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even

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to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY “When You Woke That Thursday Morning” [LSB 445] [Solo vs. 1 & 5, Congregation sings vs. 2-4]

Vs.1 When You woke that Thursday morning, Savior, teacher, faithful friend,

Thoughts of self and safety scorning, Knowing how the day would end; Lamb of God, foretold for ages, Now at last the hour had come

When but One could pay sin’s wages: You assumed their dreadful sum. Vs.2 Never so alone and lonely,

Longing with tormented heart To be with Your dear ones only For a quiet hour apart:

Sinless Lamb and fallen creature, One last paschal meal to eat, One last lesson as their teacher, Washing Your disciples’ feet.

Vs.3 What was there that You could give them That would never be outspent,

What great gift that would outlive them, What last will and testament?

“Show Me and the world you love Me, Know Me as the Lamb of God:

Do this in remembrance of Me, Eat this body, drink this blood.” Vs.4 One in faith, in love united,

All one body, You the head, When we meet, by You invited, You are with us, as You said. One with You and one another In a unity sublime,

See in us Your sister, brother, One in ev’ry place and time. Vs.5 One day all the Church will capture

That bright vision glorious,

And Your saints will know the rapture That Your heart desired for us,

When the longed-for peace and union Of the Greatest and the least

Meet in joyous, blest communion In Your never-ending feast.

SERMON

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THE LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9-13 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.

BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26

Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.

People: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth” [LSB 438; vs. 4] Vs. 4 Lord, when Your glory I shall see And taste Your kingdom’s pleasure,

Your blood my royal robe shall be, My joy beyond all measure!

When I appear before Your throne, Your righteousness shall be my crown; With these I need not hide me. And there, in garments richly wrought, As Your own bride shall we be brought To stand in joy beside You.

Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series B, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2020 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Acknowledgements Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.