On Eagles' Wings

Text of the week:

those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

   they shall walk and not faint.

Welcome to our services today … and a special welcome to any worshipping with us for the first time.  Next Sunday is a special day in our church calendar as it is our Gift Day. As a church we do not have any source of funding from beyond our own church. Our Gift Day is one of a couple of occasions in the year when we have the opportunity to make a special gift for the mission project we have undertaken for a number of years now, employing our Children’s worker, Andrea. Please remember all we do as a church in your prayers and make a special gift for our Gift Day. If you are able to you can Gift Aid your gift by placing it in a Gift Aid envelope and filling in the details. We will be joined in the morning by Mark and Denise Evans and Samuel. It’s the start of the Christian Arts Festival with a wonderful array of events through the town in the next fortnight. Francophonia, the first of our films is on Tuesday evening. On Thursday morning we will be hanging an exhibition of art works from one of the classes that meets at Highbury and previewing the show on Friday at 7-00. On Saturday afternoon Marguerite is hosting a felt-making workshop from 2-00 to 4-00.

Welcome and Call to Worship

Praise and Worship

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

On Eagles’ Wings

Introducing the Christian Arts Festival – Mary has been working with Cooler – share their picture – with prayer activity.

Reading: Isaiah 40:28-31 – Kate

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

A Hy-Spirit Song

Activities for all over 3

Resurrection Power

Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23 - Marguerite

Did you have a good Easter?

Lots of chocolate? Time with the family?

Easter is about hope … what is the hope of Easter for you?  What is the hope of the cross and the resurrection?

A moment or two to introduce yourself, say hello to someone near you – and then share – what for you is the Easter hope?

A couple of minutes of sharing.

Hold on to those thoughts for a moment or two.

You look and look but don’t see – one of my frustrations when I was little.  Look, there it is!  But I can’t see it!

The Lady of Snowdon

It really is as vivid as that.

It was when I was a child.

It still is!

Once you have seen it you always see it!

Maybe you can think of something – can you see?  No, I can’t.  There it is – yes! I can see it.

It’s what Jacqui shared when she shared her paintings – just for Easter and into the art exhibition we are having from Friday –

What do you see in a painting – comments about her painting – lots of things she has put in …

I love the way Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus from his imprisonment in Rome …

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

In my mind’s eye I see Paul praying for us … giving thanks for the faith we have in the Lord Jesus and for the love we have for each other.  That’s encouraging.

Then Paul makes his prayer for the people in Ephesus

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

What did you come up with when you shared – what was that hope you sensed you had.

Time to feed back some of those thoughts about Easter Hope

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

I love that phrase … may he give you ‘a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that with the eyes of your heart enlightened …

One of our students is ministering in hospital chaplaincy and in church ministry in Dundee, I think it is. She shared with us at our course just before weekend a song by a singer-songwriter Godfrey Birtill, a friend of hers. It was just before Easter and it seemed so powerful …

What do you see in the cross?

What do you see in the blood of Jesus?

What do you see in Easter and the resurrection.

As we listen and reflect on these words

May we we come to know him so that with the eyes of our hearts enlightened we may know what is the hope to which he has called us …

Video – When Ilook at the blood

How can we hold on to this hope?

There’s more to Paul’s prayer

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know … what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,

We can’t do it on our own. It’s too hard sometimes … the eyes of our hearts are not enlightened, we cannot see the hope … but we are not alone. We are surrounded by one another. We have each other – the support of one another. The tremendous riches of the people of God around us – real support, real strengthening from each other and the fellowship. That’s the importance of fellowship together.

And more …

There is a strength from beyond ourselves to draw on.

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

The immeasureable greatness of his power – a power and a strength from beyond ourselves.

What a prayer – to have the eyes our hearts enlightened to see

The hope

The support of the fellowship

The power from beyond ourselves we need day by day.

And how can we be certain of all this?

God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

                          Song: Before the throne of God above     

 

Prayers of Concern - Felicity

Praise and Worship

Words of Blessing

Retiring Collection

Being There ... on the Day of Resurrection

Easter Sunday Morning

Jesus Christ is risen – he is risen indeed!

Jesus Christ is risen – he is risen indeed!

Jesus Christ is risen – he is risen indeed!

Hymn 155 Jesus Christ is risen today – Alleluia

Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

They were scared that first Easter Sunday Morning.

They thought what had happened to Jesus might happen to them.

They were scared stiff.

And when they found the tomb was empty the women who went there were even more scared.

As we follow those women out to the tomb where Jesus was laid let us think of ourselves as being there. There in the garden. There beside the Tomb. There with the women.

Let’s feel their fear … we’re going to read the story from Matthew – a bit like the red letter Bible with the words of Jesus in red.

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 

But the angel said to the women,

‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ 

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Suddenly Jesus met them and said,

‘Greetings!’

And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. 

Then Jesus said to them,

‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

What a wonderful word from Jesus – do not be afraid –

Think of things in the future that make you frightened.

Wherever you go – know that the risen Christ will be with you

In our mind’s eye picture that sense of God with you – in the Galilee of your fears

Hy-Spirit Song – maybe         be bold, be strong

The women knew a fear in the hearts and discovered in Christ a love to take all fear away.

Judi passed on this powerful poem by Gideon Heugh for us to read this morning.

Devastating beauty

On Friday my hope died.

The sky wept itself dark

the ground broke apart

and all creation cried 

for the bloodied innocence 

hammered into a tree.

There were whispers 

of a torn curtain,

but they didn’t reach my ears

or mend my mangled heart

or stem the bitter tears

as we took 

the body

down.

On Saturday we grieved,

hiding from the troops

whom we’d once believed

would be overthrown 

by the carpenter’s boy,

who had preached and fed

and healed,

and was now dead.

But then on Sunday – 

The devastating beauty

of that Sunday – 

when time and space

were blown out of shape

and angels wrapped in electric grace

rolled the impossible away

'He is not here'
they proclaimed
for glory had risen
our failings were forgiven
and the rules of life
and death were rewritten
as an empty tomb declared,
‘Love is alive.’

There’s something missing – we always exchange our Easter Greetings – we’re going to do something different.

You were given a flower as you came in – I want us to come forward with your flower and together we are going to transform our church and bring colour and life and the hope that comes with the flowers.

Not everyone wanted the Easter Message to be heard and passed on.

They wanted to Hush It Up.

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

The Easter message is to share – that’s what we have done for Easter – the story of Easter – a story to share – the story we have told outside goes back a lot further than Easter.

It’s one that’s been passed on.

Show the video Super Cool Story of Jesus.

STL 21 I danced in the morning

 I am with you always

The message to share

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them,

‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Making disciples

Baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you

I am with you always

That presence of Christ made real in our hearts, made real in our lives – and made real in a very special way as we do exactly as Jesus did all those years ago.

Easter Communion

How do we make that presence real? In our Lives – how do we keep the memory going.

We go back to the first Easter, the first day of resurrection … two friends heard what the women had to say but they couldn’t believe it.

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

As they walked the talked with each other. The two friends shared their hopes and their fears. And Jesus shared so much with them too.

Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’

So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. They recalled those words he had shared at that Last Supper on the Thursday …

Take, eat; this is my body.

A Prayer of Blessing and the Bread is shared

They remembered how he had broken bread with them only three nights before. How he had taken a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,

‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

 A Prayer of Blessing and the Cup is shared

Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’

That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’

Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,

‘Peace be with you.’

To us Jesus says, Peace be with you.

Hy-Spirit – See what a morning

Easter Prayers - June

Hymn: Thine be the glory

Words of Blessing

Lord Jesus Christ,

Go with us into all that lies ahead

Go with us come what may

Go with us to the end of the age

Be in our hearts

Be in our minds

Be in our thoughts

Be in our homes

Be in our world

Now and forevermore.

Amen.

Being There - on Easter Morning

Early on Easter morning we gathered together on Cleeve Hill where we walked to a wonderful limestone quarry, not unlike the limestone quarries of Jerusalem and to the top of the hill where you feel on top of the world. The sin shone brightly, the sky larks were in full voice and we celebrated Easter together. Then we returned to Highbury for bacon butties and our Easter celebrations ...

Being There

An Easter Celebration

On this, the day of resurrection, as we follow the women to the tomb and the disciples to the mountain top in Galilee let us think of ourselves as Being There: one of the women, one of the disciples … in Christ.

In the secret, in the quiet place,

In the stillness you are there.

In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait

only for you

'cause I want to know you more.

I want to know you,

I want to hear your voice,

I want to know you more.

I want to see you,

I want to see your face,

I want to know you more.

I am reaching for the highest goal,

that I might receive the prize.

Pressing onward, pushing every

hindrance aside, out of my way,

'cause I want to know you more.

Andy Park (born 1957) (CCLI 3540)

To a spot near the Tomb

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said,

 ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’

Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’

So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

To the Tomb

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.

But the angel said to the women,

‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’

Ch:       Blessed be the name of the Lord    x3

            On high

v1        You are my rock in troubled times

            You are my Rod and Staff too

            You are my shelter from the storm

            Let’s give the glory that’s due

            to Your name

Ch:       Blessed be the name of the Lord    x3

            On high

v2        You came from heaven to save us

            Came down to earth to serve

            You bore our sins upon the cross

            Gave us Love undeserved

            By Your Grace

Ch:       Blessed be the name of the Lord    x3

            On high

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Back to the spot near the tomb

Suddenly Jesus met them and said,

‘Greetings!’

And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.

Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Part way up the hill

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’

So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Judaeans to the point when Matthew was writing the account.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

To the top of the hill

When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.

And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong, a perfect plea:

A great High Priest, whose name is Love,

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart;

I know that while in heaven He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair,

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look, and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Saviour died,

My sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! the risen Lamb!

My perfect, spotless Righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

the King of glory and of grace!

One with Himself, I cannot die;

My soul is purchased by His blood;

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ, my Saviour and my God.

With Christ, my Saviour and my God.

Charitie L De Chenez (1841–1923)

Go with us into all that lies ahead

Go with us into our town,

Go with us into our church

Go with us into our homes

Go with us into our world

Be in our hearts

Be in our minds

Be in our thoughts

Be in our homes

Be in our world

Now and forevermore.

Amen.

Being There - On Good Friday

Good Friday

Being There … at the foot of the cross

As we follow Jesus to the foot of the cross let us think of ourselves as being there. Part of the crowd, one of the onlookers, one of the women, … in Christ.

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

 When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. He said, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.’ After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’

 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him,

‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

Jesus said, ‘You say so.’

But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.

Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’

But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Barabbas or Jesus?

Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’

 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

A Time of Silence

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

A time of silence

 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’

 Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

A time of silence

Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying,

‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,

 ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, “I am God’s Son.”

 ’ The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

A time of silence

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,

‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’

that is,

‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’

A time of silence

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

A time of silence

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’

A time of silence

Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

Hymn: There is a green hill far away

Lord Jesus Christ

Go with us into the day that lies ahead

Go with us through the valley of the shadow of death

Go with us towards the day of resurrection

Be in our hearts

Be in our minds

Be in our thoughts

Be in our homes

Be in our world

Now and forevermore.

Amen.

Being there ... on Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday – Being There through the Week and at the Last Supper

As we follow Jesus into Jerusalem through that last week to this night when he broke bread and shared a cup let us think of ourselves as being there. Part of the crowd, one of the disciples, in Christ.

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 

‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them,

‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.”

Look, your king is coming to you,
   humble, and mounted on a donkey,
     and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
   Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking,

‘Who is this?’ 

The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.’

Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them,

‘It is written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer”;
   but you are making it a den of robbers.’

 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David’, they became angry and said to him,

‘Do you hear what these are saying?’

Jesus said to them,

‘Yes; have you never read,
“Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
   you have prepared praise for yourself”?’ 

He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Hymn 128 My song is love unknown verses 1,2,3 and 7

In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry.

“Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.’

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and questioned him.

In his teaching he told them parables.

‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’

 Jesus said to them,

‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

“The stone that the builders rejected

   has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

   and it is amazing in our eyes”?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’

 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

More parables and more questions followed.

When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.

‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ 

He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

Hymn 137 It is a thing most wonderful

Then Jesus shared with the crowds and with his disciples his last great teaching.

‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!

As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

Then he asked them,

‘You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’

‘Immediately after the suffering of those days

the sun will be darkened,

   and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from heaven,

   and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven” with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

“Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,

‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.’

 Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said,

‘Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.’

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them,

‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’

 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

291 Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts

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

He said,

‘Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, “The Teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

The Table is prepared

 When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, he said,

‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’

And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’

He answered,

‘The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.’

 Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’

He replied, ‘You have said so.’

 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said,

‘Take, eat; this is my body.’

A Prayer of Blessing and the Bread is shared

Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying,

‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.’

A Prayer of Thanksgiving and the Cup is shared

 When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

131 When I survey the wondrous cross

Lord Jesus Christ,

Go with us into the night that lies ahead

Go with us through the valley of the shadow of death

Go with us towards the day of resurrection

Be in our hearts

Be in our minds

Be in our thoughts

Be in our homes

Be in our world

Now and forevermore.

Amen.