+ Procession of Palms +
If the procession begins outside the nave, the congregation gathers around the processional cross. If the congregation is already seated in the nave, it now stands and faces the processional cross at the entrance to the nave.
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna to the Son of David.
Collect
P Let us pray.
Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Psalm Psalm 118:19–29
19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
23This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
26Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the altar!
28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.
29Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Holy Gospel John 12:12–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
P The Triumphal Entry
12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
P Let us go forth in peace,
C in the name of the Lord.
Processional Hymn: 837 Lift High the Cross sts. ref–1, 3, 6
ref Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore His sacred name.
1 Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God. Refrain
3 All newborn soldiers of the Crucified
Bear on their brows the seal of Him who died. Refrain
6 So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory! Refrain
Text: George W. Kitchin, 1827–1912; rev. Michael R. Newbolt, 1874–1956, alt.
Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 130399088
When all have arrived at their places, the procession concludes with the following:
Greeting
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna in the highest.
A time of silence may be observed to highlight the contrast between Jesus’ triumphal entry and His passion.
Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
+ Service of the Word +
Sit
FIRST READER ~ AALIYAH HUNTER
Epistle Philippians 2:5–11
5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
422 On My Heart Imprint Your Image
1 On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessèd Jesus, King of grace,
That life’s riches, cares, and pleasures
Never may Your work erase;
Let the clear inscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope’s foundation,
And my glory and salvation!
Holy Gospel Mark 15:1-47
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
Mark 15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
547 The Lamb, St. 1-2
1 The Lamb, the Lamb,
O Father, where’s the sacrifice?
Faith sees, believes
God will provide the Lamb of price!
ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!
2 The Lamb, the Lamb,
One perfect final offering.
The Lamb, the Lamb,
Let earth join heav’n His praise to sing.
ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!
SECOND READER ~ DORETHA GRIER
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
547 The Lamb, St. 3-5
3 The Lamb, the Lamb,
As wayward sheep their shepherd kill
So still, His will
On our behalf the Law to fill. Refrain
ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!
4 He sighs, He dies,
He takes my sin and wretchedness.
He lives, forgives,
He gives me His own righteousness.
ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!
5 He rose, He rose,
My heart with thanks now overflows.
His song prolong
Till ev’ry heart to Him belong.
ref Worthy is the Lamb whose death makes me His own!
The Lamb is reigning on His throne!
Please Stand
33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.
42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth. 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. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross
1 Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
2 Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Stand
Offertory
3 Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
4 Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.
Prayer of the Church & Lord’s Prayer
PREFACE
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit.
Pastor: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is good and right so to do.
Pastor It is truly good, right, and salutary….
People: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He, blessed is He, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
THE WORD’S OF INSTITUTION & PEACE OF THE LORD
AGNUS DEI
O Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. O Christ the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us. O Christ the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; Grant us your peace. A–men.
The Old Rugged Cross OFH 76
1 On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.
2 O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
to bear it to dark Calvary. [Refrain]
3 In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
a wondrous beauty I see,
for ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
to pardon and sanctify me. [Refrain]
4 To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I’ll share. [Refrain]
Distribution Hymn: #1 456 Were You There
1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh . . .
Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble,
tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
2 Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Oh . . .
Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble,
tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
3 Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh . . .
Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble,
tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
4 Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
Oh . . .
Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble,
tremble.
Were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?
POST COMMUNION PRAYER & BENEDICTION (Numbers 6:24-
27)