PALM SUNDAY
Grace Presbyterian Church
Seeking to equip people to live as Christian disciples wherever God has placed them.
Welcome And Opening Prayer
Prelude O Lamb of God unspotted Johann Sebastian Bach
Scripture Reading Matthew 21:1-11
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.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’
Hymn Red 203* “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
Hosanna, loud hosanna,
the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang;
to Jesus, who had blessed them
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
From Olivet they followed
‘mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud;
the Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
“Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven, our King;
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice!
Scripture Lesson Matthew 21:12-17
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.
Call to Confession
Confession of Sin
Gracious God, we confess that our faith falters. When we suffer, everything is called into question: our faith, your goodness, our goodness. We know that suffering is a part of life, but we want it to all make sense. We want to know the end of the story. We want there to be a happy ending. Jesus, from the cross, said, “It is finished.” We lack clarity on what our “it” is. We know that because of Jesus’s “it” being accomplished, we can live emboldened, free, fearless… We confess that our faith falters. Time for silent prayer and reflection.
Assurance of Pardon
Gloria Patri
Passing of the Peace
Scripture Reading John 11:45-53
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, ‘What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.’ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.’ He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
Time with the Children There were two parades that day
Hymn Red 204* “All Glory, Laud and Honor”
All glory, laud and honor
to thee, Redeemer, King,
to whom the lips of children
made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
thou David’s royal Son,
who in the Lord’s name comest,
the King and blessed One!
The company of angels
are praising thee on high,
and we with all creation
in chorus make reply:
The people of the Hebrews
with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayer and anthems
before thee we present:
To thee, before thy passion,
they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted,
our melody we raise:
Thou didst accept their praises–
accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest,
thou good and gracious King!
Scripture Reading (In Unison) Luke 23:44-49; John 19:30
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
When Jesus had received the wine, he said, ‘It is finished.’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Sermon Rev. Robin Miller Currás
“Into your hands I commit my spirit…” and “It is Finished.”
Hymn Green 140 * “Now Behold the Lamb”
Now behold the Lamb
The Precious Lamb of God
Bore all my sin that I may live again
the Precious Lamb of God
Holy is the Lamb
The Precious Lamb of God
Why You love me so
Lord I shall never know
The Precious Lamb of God
Thank You for the Lamb
The Precious Lamb of God
Because of Your grace
I can finish this race
The Precious Lamb of God
Affirmation of Faith from The Confession of 1967
The victim of sin became victor, and won the victory over sin and death for all. God ’s reconciling act in Jesus Christ is a mystery which the Scriptures describe in various ways. It is called the sacrifice of a lamb, a shepherd ’s life given for his sheep, atonement by a priest; again it is ransom of a slave, payment of debt, vicarious satisfaction of a legal penalty, and victory over the powers of evil. These are expressions of a truth which remains beyond the reach of all theory in the depths of God’s love for humankind. They reveal the gravity, cost, and sure achievement of God’s reconciling work. The risen Christ is the savior of all people.
Offertory Mercy Max Richter
Liz Moulthrop, violin
Doxology
Prayer after the Offering
Pastoral Prayers/The 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Hymn “Ride on, King Jesus””
Ride on, King Jesus,
No man can a-hinder me,
Ride on, King Jesus, ride on,
No man can a-hinder me.
King Jesus rides on a milk-white horse,
No man can a-hinder me;
The river of Jordan he did cross,
No man can a-hinder me. [Refrain]
I know that my redeemer lives,
No man can a-hinder me;
And of his blessing freely gives,
No man can a-hinder me. [Refrain]
If you want to find your way to God,
No man can a-hinder me;
The gospel highway must be trod,
No man can a-hinder me. [Refrain]
Benediction
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