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Order of Vespers
The Hymn.
“A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth”
Text by Paul Gerhardt, 1648; Tune: An Wasserflussen Babylon by Wolfgang Dachstein
Source: Lutheran 1941 Hymnal #142
1 A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men 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;
Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
Willing all this I suffer.
2 This Lamb is Christ, the soul’s great friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
Go forth, My Son, the Father saith,
And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation.
5 Of death I am no more afraid,
New life from Thee is flowing;
Thy cross affords me cooling shade
When noonday’s sun is glowing.
When by my grief I am oppressed,
On Thee my weary soul shall rest
Serenely as on pillows.
Thou art my anchor when by woe
My bark is driven to and fro
On trouble’s surging billows.
6 And when Thy glory I shall see
And taste Thy kingdom’s pleasure,
Thy blood my royal robe shall be,
My joy beyond all measure.
When I appear before Thy throne,
Thy righteousness shall be my crown—
With these I need not hide me.
And there, in garments richly wrought
As Thine own bride, I shall be brought
To stand in joy beside Thee.
The Versicle.
O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord!
The Psalm.
Psalm 25 A Psalm of David.
1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your mercy remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. 8 Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way. 9 The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. 12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. 13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. 15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; bring me out of my distresses! 18 Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies, for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
The Lesson.
Matthew 27:11-31
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” 25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
But You, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to You, O Lord.
The Hymn.
“O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken”
Text by: Johann Heermann, 1630; Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1863
Tune: Herzliebster Jesu by Johann Cruger 1640
Source: Lutheran 1941 Hymnal #143
1 O dearest Jesus,
What law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence
should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast
Thou to make confession—
What dark transgression?
2 They crown Thy head with
Thorns, they smite, they scourge Thee;
With cruel mockings
To the cross they urge Thee;
They give Thee gall to drink,
They still decry Thee;
They crucify Thee.
3 Whence come these sorrows,
Whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for
Which Thou, Lord, must languish;
Yea, all the wrath, the woe,
Thou dost inherit,
This I do merit.
5 The sinless Son of God
Must die in sadness;
The sinful child of man
May live in gladness;
Man forfeited his life
And is acquitted—
God is committed.
15 And when, dear Lord, before
Thy throne in Heaven
To me the crown of joy
At last is given,
Where sweetest hymns Thy saints
Forever raise Thee,
I, too, shall praise Thee.
The Sermon.
“15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!” 22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” 23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” 24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” 25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.” Matthew 27:15-26
After examining Jesus, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, knew that He was not guilty of any crime — especially not of a crime deserving of death. Even his wife knew that Jesus was innocent and begged Pilate to have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus. And so, in an attempt to appease the Jews and release Jesus, Pilate offered to do according to his custom at the Passover and pardon and release one prisoner to the people.
Matthew tells us in verses 15-18 of our text: “Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.”
The choice seemed obvious. Barabbas was a notorious prisoner who was a robber, a rebel and committed murder in the rebellion (cf. John. 18:40; Mark 15:6-7; Luke 23:). Jesus’ alleged crime was His claim to be the Messiah, the true Son of God and the King of a spiritual kingdom made up of all who hear and believe His words.
We read in Luke 23:13-19: “Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, ‘You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will, therefore, chastise Him and release Him’ (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast). And they all cried out at once, saying, ‘Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas’ — who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.”
If you were in the crowd outside the Praetorium on that first Good Friday and you heard these words of the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, offering to release unto you either Jesus or Barabbas, what would you say? Would you ask that Jesus, who was innocent and without sin, who claimed to be the very Son of God, be released unto you? Or would you join the crowd in asking for Barabbas?
And, what would you say after the crowd asked for Barabbas and Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus, who is called Christ? Would you join the crowd in crying out of Jesus, “Let Him be crucified”?
We say that we would not. But, if we remember why Jesus was crucified and condemned, we must admit that every time we sin, we do say of Jesus, “Crucify Him!” When we sin, we add to the burden of His cross!
Now, if you were Barabbas, in a prison cell and chains, expecting to die for your crimes, what would you do if the soldiers came and set you free — if they told you that you had been pardoned by the governor and were free because an innocent man by the name of Jesus was being crucified in your stead? How would you feel?
Isn’t this exactly what has happened to each and every one of us? We are guilty of sin — we have broken God’s Law and are guilty of insurrection (rebellion) against God Himself! Which commandments have we not broken? We deserve to be condemned by God to the eternal fires of hell which He prepared for the devil and his evil angels!
But what has happened? God’s Word of the Gospel has been proclaimed to us — we have been told that God punished His own dear Son, Jesus Christ, in our stead — that Jesus suffered upon the cross the full punishment for all our sins which we deserved (cf. Isa. 53:4-6).
In Galatians 3:10-14, we read: “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Yet the law is not of faith, but ‘the man who does them shall live by them.’ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
And, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, we read: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Instead of condemning us to the eternal fires of hell which we deserve, God instead reaches out to us in mercy and offers and gives to us pardon and forgiveness for all our sins. He offers and gives to us eternal life instead of death and damnation.
Now, we don’t know for certain what happened to Barabbas after this, but we might just consider a couple of hypothetical possibilities. What if Barabbas had rejected Pilate’s offer of pardon and forgiveness? What if he had said, “I want to be tried and judged on my own merits”? There seems to be little doubt but that he would be condemned and probably put to death — possibly even on a cross.
What if he accepted his pardon and went back out robbing and killing and rebelling against the Roman Government? Would he not be arrested again and condemned for his new crimes?
What about us? Christ died for our sins and rose again and God reaches out to us with His offer of pardon and forgiveness when we repent and look in faith to Christ Jesus. What if we say, “No, thanks. I will stand before the judgment seat of God on my own merit”? The Bible is quite clear. If we refuse to accept God’s pardon through faith in Christ, we stand condemned on our own merits and will be punished for not believing on the name of God’s only begotten Son and our Savior.
As John 3:16-18 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
And, what if we accept God’s pardon but then use our gift of freedom to intentionally continue on in our sinful ways? Will we not be judged and condemned of God for continuing to rebel against Him?
The Scriptures leave no question about the end result. Hebrews 10:26-29 says: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”
It is true that we by our sins are guilty of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. With the crowd on Good Friday, we by our sins say of Jesus, “Let Him be crucified!”
But because Jesus went to the cross for us, we, who are guilty like Barabbas, have God’s gracious offer of pardon and forgiveness through faith in Christ Jesus! When we trust in Christ, God graciously forgives our sins against Him, and He offers and gives to us everlasting life with Him in heaven.
Let us give thanks unto our Savior for bearing upon the cross the guilt and punishment for our sins that we might be acquitted and partake of the everlasting blessings of heaven through faith in Jesus’ name. And, let us use our lives here in this world to the praise and glory of Him who has redeemed us and set us free.
Oh, dearest Jesus, we thank and praise You for bearing upon the tree of the cross the guilt and punishment for all our sins that we might be pardoned and forgiven through faith in Your name. Amen.
[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
The Versicle.
Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
The Canticle.
The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
The Prayer.
O Lord, have mercy on us. O Christ, have mercy on us. O Lord, have mercy on us. O Christ, hear us. O God, the Father in heaven: Have mercy on us. O God the Son, Redeemer of the world: Have mercy on us. O God, the Holy Spirit: Have mercy on us. Be gracious to us. Spare us, good Lord. Be gracious to us. Help us, good Lord.
From all sin; from all error; from all evil: Good Lord, deliver us.
From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death; from pestilence and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and rebellion; from lightning and tempest; from all calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death: Good Lord, deliver us.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your holy nativity; by your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by your agony and bloody sweat; by your cross and passion; by your precious death and burial; by your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: Help us, good Lord.
In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment: Help us, good Lord.
We poor sinners pray; Hear us, O Lord God.
And to rule and govern your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of your church in the true knowledge and understanding of your Word, and in holiness of life; to put an end to all schisms and causes of offence; to bring into the way of truth all who have gone astray and are deceived; to beat down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into your harvest; to accompany your Word with your Spirit and grace; to raise up those who fall, and to strengthen those who stand; and to comfort and help the weak-hearted and the distressed; we pray: Hear us, good Lord.
To give to all nations peace and concord; to preserve our country from discord and contention; to give to our nation victory over all its enemies; to direct and defend our president, and all in authority; and to bless and keep our judges, leaders, and all our people: We pray, hear us, good Lord.
To see and help all who are in danger, necessity, and trouble; to protect all who travel by land, air or water; to preserve all women in the perils of childbirth; to strengthen and keep all sick persons and young children; to set free all who are innocently imprisoned; to defend and provide for all fatherless children and widows; and to have mercy on all people: We pray, hear us, good Lord.
To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts; to give and preserve to our use the fruits of the earth; and graciously to hear our prayers: We pray, hear us, good Lord.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God; We pray, hear us. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; Have mercy on us. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; Have mercy on us. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; Grant us your peace.
O Christ, hear us. O Lord, have mercy on us. O Christ, have mercy on us. O Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Collect for Peace.
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto Thy servants that peace, which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey Thy commandments, and also that by Thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Versicle.
The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Benedicamus.
Bless we the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Benediction.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
The Hymn.
“All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night”
Text by Thomas Ken 1695; Tune: Tallis’s Canon by Thomas Tallis 1567
Source: Lutheran 1941 Hymnal #558
1. All praise to Thee, my God, this night
For all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, oh, keep me, King of kings,
Beneath Thy own almighty wings.
2. Forgive me, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done
That with the world, myself and Thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.
3. Teach me to live that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed.
Teach me to die that so I may
Rise glorious at the awe-ful Day.
4. Oh, may my soul on Thee repose,
And may sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that shall me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.
5. When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest.
6. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Silent Prayer.
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