Walking through Holy Week... Luke's Passion Narrative

Again, it is a massive reading… the story of Christ’s Passion from start to finish is not a convenient read in what we have come to expect from Sunday morning worship. The reading alone would take up nearly half of what we come to expect of the so-called “sweet hour of prayer.” Yet it is too important in our story of faith to read in a few small slices. Today is one of those days that the reading itself is the real message, and almost anything that I offer to say would be redundant. There are dozens of threads that I could draw out, that we could look at, but what we really need to do at this time of year is to look at the whole story… not the individual bits and pieces of it.

Traditionally, we call this sequence of events… this story… as “The Passion.” It is the core story that chronicles the betrayal, arrest, trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus… all setting the stage of what comes at Easter. Like any life-changing story, while the conclusion is ultimately where we’re headed, the journey itself is tremendously important. Yet because time has become our most valued commodity, we’ve developed a tradition of breaking the story down into these tiny components… We presume that everybody knows the story, so we simply read a few touchstones and let everyone fill in the gaps.

The problem is, the story is not as familiar as it once was. Did you know that all four gospels tell the story of Christ’s passion from start to finish, and yet only two of them have Christmas stories? …and even those two stories are different from each other? Yet when push comes to shove, which story is more familiar to us? We are much more likely to know all the words to Away in a Manger by heart than we are Beneath the Cross of Jesus.

Maybe we need to re-learn the story, to let it soak into our consciousness… and walk with Jesus on the road to the cross. Our challenge for the coming week is to take some time to let this story sink in. We gather here on Good Friday morning, to mark the darkest point of the Passion, but there are other opportunities where we can absorb the story. We can read and meditate on it… there are any number of films that follow Christ to the cross.

So today, for this week, we let the story of the passion as a whole can to speak for itself. It makes what we commemorate this week that much more powerful, and when we gather here next Sunday morning, the celebrations mean so much more. Without Christ’s passion, without all that happens between now and next Sunday morning, the celebrations of Easter would be nothing more than another spring festival.
I wish you all a most blessed Holy Week. Amen.
**************************
The following is the written script that was read through the whole service. Drawn from the NRSV translation of the Bible.

The Entry into Jerusalem

Proclamation: Luke
19:28-40

Narrator: ²⁸After [Jesus] had said this,
he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

²⁹When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, ³⁰saying,
“Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there
a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If
anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’“
³²So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. ³³As
they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the
colt?” ³⁴They said, “The Lord needs it.” ³⁵Then they
brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set
Jesus on it. ³⁶As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks
on the road. ³⁷As 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, ³⁸saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name
of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” ³⁹Some
of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to
stop.” ⁴⁰He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones
would shout out.”

Service Continues

Prayer of
Adoration, Confession

Lord’s Prayer
(Sung) #831

Assurance of
Pardon

Psalm 31:9-16

The Passion
Narrative

Luke 22:14-23:56

Proclamation: The
Lord’s Supper Luke 22:14-23

Narrator: ¹⁴When the hour came,
he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵He said
to them,

Jesus: “I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer; ¹⁶for I tell you, I will not eat
it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom
of God.”

Narrator: ¹⁷Then he took a cup, and after
giving thanks he said,

Jesus: “Take this and divide it among
yourselves; ¹⁸for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of
the fruit of the vine until the kingdom
of God comes.”

Narrator: ¹⁹Then he took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,

Jesus: “This is my body, which is given for
you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Narrator: ²⁰And he did the same with the
cup after supper, saying,

Jesus: “This cup that is poured out for you
is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹But see, the one who betrays me
is with me, and his hand is on the table. ²²For the Son of Man is
going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!”

Narrator: ²³Then they began to ask one
another, which one of them it could be who would do this.

Service
continues:

Anthem: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

Proclamation: Predicting
Denial Luke 22:24-38

Narrator: ²⁴A dispute also arose among
them as to which one of [the disciples] was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵But Jesus said to them,

Jesus: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it
over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶But
not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest,
and the leader like one who serves. ²⁷For 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. ²⁸” You are those who have stood
by me in my trials; ²⁹and I confer on you, just as my Father has
conferred on me, a kingdom, ³⁰so that you may eat and drink at my
table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹”Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has
demanded to sift all of you like wheat, ³²but I have prayed for you
that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back,
strengthen your brothers.”

Narrator: ³³And [Peter] said to him,

Peter: “Lord, I am ready
to go with you to prison and to death!”

Narrator: ³⁴Jesus said,

Jesus: “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.”

Narrator: ³⁵He said to them,

Jesus: “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?”

Disciple1: They said, “No, not a thing.”

Narrator: ³⁶He said to them,

Jesus: “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. ³⁷For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless’; and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.”

Narrator: ³⁸They said,

Disciple2: “Lord, look, here are two swords.”

Narrator: He replied,

Jesus: “It is enough.”

Service
continues:

Hymn: “An upper room did our Lord prepare” #224

Proclamation: Gethsemane Luke
22:39-46

Narrator: ³⁹[Jesus] came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and
the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰When he reached the place, he said to
them,

Jesus: “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

Narrator: ⁴¹Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,

Jesus: ⁴²”Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”

Narrator: ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. ⁴⁴In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. ⁴⁵When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, ⁴⁶and he said to them,

Jesus: “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

Service
continues:

Anthem: “Thy will be done”

Proclamation: Betrayal,
Arrest, Denial Luke 22:47-62

Narrator: ⁴⁷While [Jesus] was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; ⁴⁸but Jesus said to him,

Jesus: “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?”

Narrator: ⁴⁹When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked,

Disciple1: “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”

Narrator: ⁵⁰Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹But Jesus said,

Jesus: “No more of this!”

Narrator: And he touched his ear and healed him. ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him,

Jesus: “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? ⁵³When 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!”

Narrator: ⁵⁴Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said,

Girl: “This man also was with him.”

Narrator: ⁵⁷But Peter denied it, saying,

Peter: “Woman, I do not know him.”

Narrator: ⁵⁸A little later someone else, on seeing him, said,

Bystander: “You also are one of them.”

Narrator: But Peter said,

Peter: “Man, I am not!”

Narrator: ⁵⁹Then about an hour later still another kept insisting,

Bystander2: “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.”

Narrator: ⁶⁰But Peter said,

Peter: “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!”

Narrator: At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” ⁶²And he went out and wept bitterly.

Service
continues:

Hymn: “Go to dark Gethsemane”
#230

Proclamation: Trials Luke 22:63-23:12

Narrator: ⁶³Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; ⁶⁴they also blindfolded him and kept asking him,

Soldier: “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”

Narrator: ⁶⁵They kept heaping many other insults on him.

⁶⁶When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. ⁶⁷They said,

Chief Priest: “If you are the Messiah, tell us.”

Narrator: He replied,

Jesus: “If I tell you, you will not believe; ⁶⁸and if I question you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

Narrator: ⁷⁰All of them asked,

Chief Priest: “Are you, then, the Son of God?”

Narrator: He said to them,

Jesus: “You say that I am.”

Narrator: ⁷¹Then they said,

Chief Priest: “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

Narrator: ¹Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. ²They began to accuse him, saying,

Chief Priest: “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

Narrator: ³Then Pilate asked him,

Pilate: “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Narrator: He answered,

Jesus: “You say so.”

Narrator: ⁴Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds,

Pilate: “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”

Narrator: ⁵But they were insistent and said,

Chief Priest: “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.”

Narrator: ⁶When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When 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. ⁹He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ¹¹Even 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. ¹²That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each
other; before this they had been enemies.

Service
continues:

Hymn: “Were you there?” #233

Proclamation: Sentence
– Crucifixion Luke 23:13-43

Narrator: ¹³Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them,

Pilate: “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

Narrator: ¹⁸Then they all shouted out together,

Crowd: “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” ¹⁹

Narrator: (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; ²¹but
they kept shouting,

Crowd: “Crucify, crucify him!”

Narrator: ²²A third time he said to them,

Pilate: “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.”

Narrator: ²³But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He 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.

²⁶As 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. ²⁷A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. ²⁸But Jesus turned to them and said,

Jesus: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ ³⁰Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ ³¹For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Narrator: ³²Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ³³When 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. ³⁴Then Jesus said,

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

Narrator: And they cast lots to divide his clothing. ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying,

Chief Priest: “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”

Narrator: ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, ³⁷and saying,

Soldier: “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

Narrator: ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying,

Criminal1: “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

Narrator: ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying,

Criminal2: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Narrator: ⁴²Then he said,

Criminal 2: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Narrator: ⁴³He replied,

Jesus: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Service
continues:

Reflection:
“Walking through Holy Week”

The
morning offering is received, Doxology

Sacrament
of Communion (Insert)

Proclamation: Death
and Burial Luke 23:44-56

Narrator: ⁴⁴It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, ⁴⁵while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said,

Jesus: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Narrator: Having said this, he breathed his last. ⁴⁷When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,

Soldier: “Certainly this man was innocent.”

Narrator: ⁴⁸And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹But all his acquaintances, including
the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

⁵⁰Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, ⁵¹had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. ⁵²This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. ⁵⁴It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. ⁵⁵The women who had come with him from
Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ⁵⁶Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Service
continues:

Hymn: “And can it be” #352