Midweek

Welcome to Grace!

Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.

Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at www.GraceLutheranSAZ.org

Season Of Lent

The Lenten Season is observed during the six weeks prior to Easter. The traditional goal of Lent is to prepare believers for a proper celebration of the events of Holy Week, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The purple color of the altar paraments and vestments reminds us that Lent is also a season of repentance. The Bible tells us that repentance is always the divine work of the Holy Spirit through the Law and the Gospel. The Law crucifies the old Adam, the sinful nature within us, and the Gospel raises up the new man, the new creation in us. For us, the Lenten focus on the cross and suffering of Jesus is not aimed at an emotional response. It is a pointed proclamation and confession of the Law and the Gospel, a preaching of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Lent is properly a season of repentance when it brings the cross to sinners and sinners to the cross of Christ as the fountain and source of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

This Lenten season, the theme for our midweek services is “His Final Steps.” Under this theme we are walking with our Savior on the final steps of his journey to the cross. How humbling and comforting to learn that Jesus knew exactly what lay ahead. Yet Jesus took his final steps to the cross for you and for me!

Worship Notes

The order of worship we will follow is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. You’ll notice that the service is a dialogue between God and us, his people. The pastor speaks to God along with the congregation and also speaks the Word of God to the people. The hymns we are using come from the blue Christian Worship hymnal, which is found in the hymnal racks in each pew. LARGE PRINT worship folders are now available for those who desire one.

Those wishing to leave an offering can do so at either exit today or give online at www.GraceLutheranSAZ.org/give. (You can also scan the QR code to the right to access the online giving page.) We would greatly appreciate a record of your attendance in our worship today. Please take a moment to sign the Friendship Register located in the red folder at the end of each row. Thank you!

Parking

There is no cost to park in our parking lot during worship services. If you receive a citation by mistake, please let our office staff know so it can be cleared.

Please stand

Responsive Sentences

Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.

Congregation: Amen.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Confession Of Sin

We confess together:

Father, I have sinned against you and am no longer worthy to be called your child. Yet in mercy you sacrificed your only Son to purge away my guilt. For his sake, O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, and in the joy of your Holy Spirit let me serve you all my days.

Silence for personal examination and confession

Declaration Of Forgiveness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Upon this, your confession, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:9 Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer

Lord God, you are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. Fill us with the peace of your forgiveness so that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Please be seated

Responsive Reading From Psalm 138

I will praise you, L , with all my heart;

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness.

When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

Though the L is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; with your right hand you save me.

The L will vindicate me; your love, L , endures forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord, we bow down to you in thankful praise. You have made your ways known to both lowly and great on the earth. You have not abandoned the work of your hands, but instead you have redeemed us through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PASSION HISTORY ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW’S GOSPEL Matthew 26:1-35

1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. 4They plotted together how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.”

6When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman approached him holding an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? 9This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”

10Jesus was aware of this and said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11You are always going to have the poor with you, but you are not always going to have me. 12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13Amen I tell you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

14Then one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

18He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.’ ”

19The disciples did as Jesus commanded them and prepared the Passover. 20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.

21As they were eating, he said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me.”

22They were very sad and began to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I, Lord?”

23He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

25Judas, who betrayed him, replied, “Surely, not I, Rabbi?”

He said to him, “Yes, you are the one.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 27Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you, 28for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

33Peter answered him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

34Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”

35Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same.

HYMN—Praise Be to Christ

SERMON His Final Steps Led to a Dinner Celebration

John 12:1-11

1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, who had died, the one Jesus raised from the dead. 2 They gave a dinner for him there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him.

3 Then Mary took about twelve ounces of very expensive perfume (pure nard) and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. He held the money box and used to steal what was put into it.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She intended to keep this for the day of my burial.

8 Indeed, the poor you always have with you, but you are not always going to have me.”

9 A large crowd of the Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too, 11 because it was on account of him that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

Confession Of Faith

Luther's Explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles' Creed

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.

He has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, 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.

All this he did that I should be his own, and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he has risen from death and lives and rules eternally.

This is most certainly true.

Prayer

Almighty God, you have given us your only Son that he may be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living. Give us grace that we may always receive the priceless gift of his redemption with sincere thankfulness and daily strive to walk in the blessed steps of his most holy life. Amen.

MORNING PRAYER (10:00 AM)

O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to this new day. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant that this day we neither fall into sin nor run into any kind of danger; and in all we do, direct us to what is right in your sight, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

EVENING PRAYER (7:00 PM)

Lord God, we thank you for this day of grace now drawing to a close. Stay with us and warm our hearts with your forgiving love in Christ. May your Word keep our faith burning brightly that we may walk in the light of your presence through the darkness of this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.