The Season of Lent
Scripture Selections from the Evangelical Heritage Version® 
following the Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Revised January 23, 2020

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2019 The Wartburg Project. All rights reserved.
www.wartburgproject.org

Lectionary listings from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. 

Ash Wednesday
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Joel 2:12-19
12Even now, declares the Lord, 
return to me with all your heart, 
with fasting and weeping and grief. 
13Tear your heart and not your clothing. 
Return to the Lord your God, 
for he is gracious and compassionate, 
slow to anger and abounding in mercy, 
and he relents from sending disaster. 
14Who knows? 
He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— 
grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. 
15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion. 
Set aside a day for fasting. 
Call a solemn convocation. 
16Gather the people. 
Consecrate the assembly. 
Bring together the elders. 
Gather the children, even those nursing at the breast. 
Let the bridegroom leave his room, 
and the bride her chamber. 
17Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, 
weep between the temple porch and the altar. 
Let them say: 
Have compassion on your people, O Lord. 
Do not subject the inheritance you have given us to the scorn of the nations. 
Do not make us notorious among the nations as an object of ridicule. 
Why should they say among the peoples, 
“Where is their God?” 
18The Lord is zealous for his land, 
and he will take pity on his people. 
19The Lord will respond to them: 
I am sending you grain, new wine, and fresh oil, 
enough to satisfy you fully. 
Never again will I subject you to scorn among the nations. 
or

Jonah 3:1-10
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2“Get up. Go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 
3So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh just as the word of the Lord had commanded. Now Nineveh was a great city to God. It required a three-day walk. 4Jonah walked through the city for a day, and he called out, “Forty more days and Nineveh is going to be overthrown!” 
5The men of Nineveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. 6When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh. 
By the decree of the king and his leading officials: 
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything. Do not let them eat food or drink water. 8Instead, let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call fervently to God. Let them turn from their evil way and from the violence that is in their hands. 9Who knows? God may turn and relent. He may turn from his burning anger so that we will not perish. 
10When God saw their actions, that they had turned from their evil way, God relented from the disaster which he said he would bring on them, and he did not carry it out. 

Epistle
2 Peter 1:2-11
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4Through these he has given us his precious and great promises so that through them you may share in the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that sinful lust causes in the world. 
5And, for this very reason, after applying every effort, add moral excellence to your faith. To moral excellence, add knowledge. 6To knowledge, add self-control. To self-control, add patient endurance. To patient endurance, add godliness. 7To godliness, add brotherly affection. And to brotherly affection, add love. 8For if you have these qualities and they are increasing, they are going to keep you from being idle or unfruitful in regard to your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9Indeed, the person who lacks these qualities is shortsighted and, in fact, blind, because he has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 
10Therefore, brothers, be more eager to make your calling and election sure for yourselves. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11In fact, in this way you will be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Holy Gospel 
Matthew 6:(1-6) 16-21
“Be careful that you do not do your righteous works in front of people, so that they will notice. If you do, you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2So whenever you perform acts of mercy, do not sound a trumpet for yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be praised by people. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. 3Instead, when you perform acts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Then your acts of mercy will be in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 
5“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by people. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your private room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what others cannot see, will reward you. 

16“Whenever you fast, do not make yourself look sad like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show everyone that they are fasting. Amen I tell you: They have received their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18so that it is not apparent to people that you are fasting, but only to your Father who sees what is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 
19“Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

 

The First Sunday in Lent
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Genesis 3:1-21
Now the serpent was more clever than any wild animal which the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 
2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3but not from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it. You shall not touch it, or else you will die.’” 
4The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die. 5In fact, God knows that the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was appealing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for their waists. 8They heard the voice of the Lord God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 
9The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 
10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 
11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 
12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 
13The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” 
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 
14The Lord God said to the serpent: 
Because you have done this, 
you are cursed more than all the livestock, 
and more than every wild animal. 
You shall crawl on your belly, 
and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 
15I will put hostility between you and the woman, 
and between your seed and her seed. 
He will crush your head, 
and you will crush his heel. 
16To the woman he said: 
I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing. 
With painful labor you will give birth to children. 
Your desire will be for your husband, 
but he will rule over you. 
17To Adam he said: 
Because you listened to your wife’s voice 
and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 
“You shall not eat from it,” 
the soil is cursed on account of you. 
You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life. 
18Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you, 
but you will eat the crops of the field. 
19By the sweat of your face you will eat bread 
until you return to the soil, 
for out of it you were taken. 
For you are dust, 
and to dust you shall return. 
20The man named his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all the living. 21The Lord God made clothing of animal skins for Adam and for his wife and clothed them. 

or

1 Samuel 17:40-51
40Then David took his staff in his hand and picked five smooth stones out of the stream bed and put them into the pouch of his shepherd’s bag. He took his sling in his hand and approached the Philistine. 
41The Philistine kept walking and got closer and closer to David. The man who was carrying his shield was walking ahead of him. 42When the Philistine got a good look at David, he despised him, because David was just a boy, nothing but a good-looking, red-headed boy. 
43The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come against me with sticks?” The Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will feed your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the countryside.” 
45Then David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of Armies, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied. 46Today the Lord will hand you over to me. I will strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, 47and all those gathered here will know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle belongs to the Lord, and he will deliver you into our hand.” 
48Then, when the Philistine started advancing to attack David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49David put his hand into his bag, took a stone from it, shot it from his sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground. 
50So David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine and killed him, even though David did not have a sword in his hand. 51So David ran, stood over the Philistine, took hold of his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it. 
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 

Epistle
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
As fellow workers we also urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2For he says:
At a favorable time I listened to you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.
Look, now is the favorable time! See, now is the day of salvation!
3We are giving no one a reason to stumble in any way, so that our ministry will not be blamed. 4Rather, in every way we show ourselves to be God’s ministers: in great endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties, 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in hard work, in sleepless nights, in times of hunger; 6in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, 7in the word of truth, in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness on the right and on the left; 8through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report; treated as deceivers yet being honest, 9treated as unknown and yet being well known; as dying, and yet look—we live; as punished yet not put to death; 10as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich; as having nothing yet possessing everything.

or

Hebrews 4:14-16
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest, who has gone through the heavens, namely, Jesus the Son of God, let us continue to hold on to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin. 16So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

Holy Gospel 
Matthew 4:1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. 2After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The Tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
4But Jesus answered, “It is written:
Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.”
5Then the Devil took him into the holy city. He placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6and he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written:
He will command his angels concerning you.
And they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”
7Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written:
You shall not test the Lord your God.”
8Again the Devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will bow down and worship me.”
10Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11Then the Devil left him, and just then angels came and served him.

The Second Sunday in Lent
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Genesis 32:22-32
22He got up that night and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream, and he also sent his possessions across. 24Jacob was left alone, and he wrestled with a man there until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled. 26The man said, “Let me go. It’s daybreak.” 
Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 
27Then he said to him, “What is your name?” 
He said, “Jacob.” 
28Then he said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men, and you have won.” 
29Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” 
He said, “Why do you ask what my name is?” Then he blessed him there. 
30Jacob named the place Peniel, because he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life has been spared.” 31The sun rose as he crossed over at Peniel, and he was limping because of his thigh. 32For that reason, to this day the people of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip that is on the socket of the thigh, because God touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh on the tendon of the hip. 

Epistle
1 Thessalonians 4:1-7
Therefore, beyond this, brothers, just as you received instruction from us about how you are to walk so as to please God (as indeed you are doing), we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that you do so even more. 2To be sure, you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3Indeed, this is God’s will: that you be sanctified, namely, that you keep yourselves away from sexual immorality. 4He wants each of you to learn to obtain a wife for yourself in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in lustful passion like the heathen, who do not know God. 6No one is to overstep and take advantage of his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we said previously and solemnly testified to it. 7For God did not call us for uncleanness, but in sanctification.

or

Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. 
3Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, 4and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. 5And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. 

Holy Gospel 
Matthew 15:21-28
21Jesus left that place and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22There a Canaanite woman from that territory came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!”
23But he did not answer her a word.
His disciples came and pleaded, “Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us.”
24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25But she came and knelt in front of him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
26He answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet the dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! It will be done for you, just as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at that very hour.

 

The Third Sunday in Lent
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Exodus 8:16-24
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: ‘Stretch out your staff, and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become lice in the entire land of Egypt.’” 17They did so. When Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the ground, there were lice on the people and animals. All the dust of the ground became lice in the entire land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried to produce lice by their occult practices, but they could not. So there were lice on the people and on the animals. 19The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 
20Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh as he is going out to the water. Tell him this is what the Lord says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 21For if you will not let my people go, watch out. I will send swarms of flies on you, your servants, and your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies. They will even cover the ground. 22But on that day, I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people are living. There will not be swarms of flies in Goshen. In this way, you will know that I am the Lord on the earth. 23I will make a distinction between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will take place.” 
24So that is what the Lord did. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt, the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies. 

or

Jeremiah 26:1-15
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, the following word came from the Lord. 
2This is what the Lord says. Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house, and speak to people from the cities and towns of Judah who have come to worship at the House of the Lord. Tell them everything I have commanded you to tell them. Do not hold back a single word. 3Maybe they will listen, and everyone will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring about the disaster that I was planning because of the evil things they have done. 
4You are also to say this to him. 
This is what the Lord says. If you will not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (but you have not listened), 6then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make the name of this city a curse word for all the nations of the earth. 
7The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened as Jeremiah spoke these words at the House of the Lord. 8When Jeremiah had finished saying everything the Lord had commanded him to say to all the people, then the priests, the prophets, and all the people seized him and said, “You must die! 9Why do you prophesy in the name of the Lord that this house will be like Shiloh and that this city will be desolate with no one living here?” All the people crowded around Jeremiah in the House of the Lord. 
10When the officials of Judah heard about these things, they came up from the king’s house to the House of the Lord and sat in the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord’s house. 
11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has been prophesying against this city, as you heard with your own ears.” 
12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and to all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the things that you have heard. 13Now reform your ways and your actions, and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord will relent and not bring about the disaster he has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, look, I am in your hands. Do with me whatever seems good and right in your eyes. 15But you can be certain of this. If you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live here, for it is true that the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” 

Epistle
Ephesians 5:1-9
Therefore, be imitators of God as his dearly loved children. 2And walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But do not let sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. 4Obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking are also out of place. Instead, give thanks. 5Certainly you are aware of this: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ, who is God. 6Let no one deceive you with empty words. It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7So do not share in what they do.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Holy Gospel 
Luke 11:14-28
14Jesus drove out a demon, which was mute. After the demon had gone out, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. 15But some of them said, “He drives out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16Others were testing him by demanding of him a sign from heaven. 17But he knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is destroyed. And a house divided against itself falls. 18If Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? You say that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19But if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So they will be your judges. 20Yet if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22But when someone stronger attacks him and defeats him, he takes away that man’s full armor, in which he had trusted, and divides up his plunder.
23“The one who is not with me is against me. The one who does not gather with me scatters. 24When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, but does not find any. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house, the one I left.’ 25When it returns, it finds the house swept and put in order. 26Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and dwell there. The last condition of that man becomes worse than the first.”
27While he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”
28But he said, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” 

The Fourth Sunday in Lent
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Exodus 16:2-21
2The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat around pots of meat and ate as much food as we wanted, but now you have brought us out into this wilderness to have this whole community die of hunger.” 
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Watch what I will do. I will rain down bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether they will follow my instructions or not. 5On the sixth day they will prepare what they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” 
6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “At evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you will see the Glory of the Lord, because he has heard your constant grumbling against the Lord. Who are we that you should grumble against us?” 
8Moses said, “Now the Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and as much bread as you want in the morning, because the Lord has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” 
9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling.’” 10As Aaron spoke to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and suddenly the Glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 
11The Lord spoke to Moses: 12“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Say to them, ‘At evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” 
13So in the evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew surrounded the camp. 14When the layer of dew was gone, there were thin flakes on the surface of the wilderness, thin as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” because they did not know what it was. 
Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given to you as food to eat. 16This is what the Lord has commanded: All of them are to gather as much of it as they need to eat. You are to take an omer per person based on the number of people each of you has in your tents.” 
17The Israelites did this, and some gathered more, some less. 18When they measured it with an omer, the one who gathered more did not have too much, and the one who gathered less did not have too little. All of them gathered as much as they needed to eat. 19Moses said to them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20However, they did not listen to Moses. Some of them left part of it until morning, and it became full of worms and stank. So Moses was angry with them. 
21They gathered it each morning. All of them gathered as much as they needed to eat. When the sun grew hot, it melted away. 
or

Isaiah 49:8-13
8This is what the Lord says. 
In the time of favor, I will answer you. 
In the day of salvation, I will help you. 
I will guard you, 
and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, 
to re-establish the land, 
to redistribute inheritances that are now deserted, 
9to say to the prisoners, “Go forth!” 
to those who are in the darkness, “Show yourselves!” 
They will graze beside roads, 
and they will find pasture on all the barren heights. 
10They will not hunger, and they will not thirst, 
and neither scorching wind nor sun will strike them, 
because the one who shows them mercy will lead them. 
He will guide them beside springs of water. 
11I will make all my mountains into a smooth road, 
and my highways will be raised up. 
12Look, people will come from far away. 
Look, some will come from the north and the west, 
and some from the land of Sinim. 
13Shout for joy, O heavens, 
and rejoice, O earth. 
Let mountains burst forth with shouts of joy, 
because the Lord is comforting his people, 
and he is showing mercy to his afflicted ones. 

Epistle
Galatians 4:21-31
21Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you really listening to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman, and one by the free woman. 23However, the son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but the son by the free woman was born through a promise. 24These things can be used as an illustration; namely, the women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children into slavery. This is Hagar. 25You see, this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and she corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is in slavery along with her children. 26But the Jerusalem that is above is free. She is our mother. 27For it is written: 
Rejoice, barren woman who does not give birth. Break forth and shout for joy, woman who does not suffer birth pains, because the barren woman has more children than does the woman who has a husband. 
28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise. 29But just as back then the one who was born according to the flesh persecuted the one who was born according to the Spirit, so this is also the case now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the slave woman and her son, because the son of the slave woman will certainly not receive the inheritance with the son of the free woman.” 31For this same reason, brothers, we are not children of a slave woman, but of the free woman. 

or

Acts 2:41-47
41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. 
42They continued to hold firmly to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers. 43Awe came over every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45They were selling their possessions and property and were distributing the proceeds according to what anyone needed. 
46Day after day, with one mind, they were devoted to meeting in the temple area, as they continued to break bread in their homes. They shared their food with glad and sincere hearts, 47as they continued praising God and being viewed favorably by all the people. Day after day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. 

Holy Gospel 
John 6:1-15
After this, Jesus crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2A large crowd followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he was performing on those who were sick. 3Jesus went up on the hillside and sat down there with his disciples. 4The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5When Jesus looked up and saw a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6But Jesus was saying this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.
7Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to have just a little.”
8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that for so many people?”
10Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. There were about five thousand men.
11Then Jesus took the loaves and, after giving thanks, he distributed pieces to those who were seated. He also did the same with the fish—as much as they wanted.
12When the people were full, he told his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted.” 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14When the people saw the miraculous sign Jesus did, they said, “This really is the Prophet who is coming into the world.”
15When Jesus realized that they intended to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Genesis 22:1-14
Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, “Abraham!” 
Abraham answered, “I am here.” 
2God said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.” 
3Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, along with Isaac his son. Abraham split the wood for the burnt offering. Then he set out to go to the place that God had told him about. 4On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 
5Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go on over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you.” 6Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and loaded it on Isaac his son. He took the firepot and the knife in his hand. The two of them went on together. 
7Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father?” 
He said, “I am here, my son.” 
He said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 
8Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them went on together. 9They came to the place that God had told him about. Abraham built the altar there. He arranged the wood, tied up Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 
11The Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” 
Abraham said, “I am here.” 
12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 
13Abraham looked around and saw that behind him there was a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14Abraham called the name of that place “The Lord Will Provide.” So it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 

Epistle
Hebrews 9:11-15
11But when Christ appeared as the high priest of the good things that were coming, he went through the greater and more complete tent, which was not made by human hands (that is, it is not part of this creation). 12He entered once into the Most Holy Place and obtained eternal redemption, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood. 13Now if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkled on those who were unclean, sanctifies them so that their flesh is clean, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works, so that we worship the living God?
15For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant. A death took place as payment for the trespasses committed under the first covenant, so that those who are called would receive the promised eternal inheritance.

Holy Gospel 
John 8:(42-45) 46-59
42Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. Indeed, I have not come on my own, but he sent me. 43Why do you not understand my message? It is because you are not able to listen to my word. 44You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not remain standing in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks from what is his, because he is a liar and the father of lying. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 

46“Who of you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47Whoever belongs to God listens to what God says. The reason you do not listen is that you do not belong to God.”
48The Jews responded, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. On the contrary, I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51Amen, Amen, I tell you: If anyone holds on to my word, he will certainly never see death.”
52So the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets. Yet you say, ‘If anyone holds on to my word, he will certainly never taste death.’ 53You are not greater than our father, Abraham, are you? He died. And the prophets died. Who do you think you are?”
54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55Yet you do not really know him, but I do know him. If I said, ‘I do not know him,’ I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I hold on to his word. 56Your father Abraham was glad that he would see my day. He saw it and rejoiced.”
57The Jews replied, “You aren’t even fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?”
58Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Before Abraham was born, I am.” 59Then they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden and left the temple area.

The Sixth Sunday in Lent—Palm Sunday Procession, Sunday of the Passion
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Zechariah 9:9-12
9Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! 
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! 
Look! Your King is coming to you. 
He is righteous and brings salvation. 
He is humble and is riding on a donkey, 
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 
10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim 
and the horse from Jerusalem. 
The battle bow will be taken away, 
and he will proclaim peace to the nations. 
His kingdom will extend from sea to sea, 
from the River to the ends of the earth. 
11As for you, 
because of the blood of my covenant with you, 
I will release your prisoners from the waterless pit. 
12Return to the stronghold, you prisoners who have hope. 
This very day I declare that I will restore double to you. 

Epistle
Philippians 2:5-11
5Indeed, let this attitude be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. 6Though he was by nature God, he did not consider equality with God as a prize to be displayed, 7but he emptied himself by taking the nature of a servant. When he was born in human likeness, and his appearance was like that of any other man, 8he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Holy Gospel 
Matthew 21:1-9
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Immediately you will find a donkey tied there along with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5Tell the daughter of Zion: Look, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
6The disciples went and did just as Jesus commanded them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their outer clothing on them, and he sat on it. 8A very large crowd spread their outer clothing on the road. Others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them out on the road. 9The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed kept shouting,
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!

or

John 12:12-19
12The next day, the large crowd that had come for the Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13Taking palm branches, they went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!”
14Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written:
15Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look! Your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.
16At first, his disciples did not understand these things. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him, and that they did these things for him.
17The crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept telling what they had seen. 18This is another reason a crowd met him: They heard he had done this miraculous sign.
19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You are accomplishing nothing. Look! The world has gone after him.”

or

Matthew 26:1-27:66
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. 4They plotted together how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.”
6When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman approached him holding an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? 9This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
10Jesus was aware of this and said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11You are always going to have the poor with you, but you are not always going to have me. 12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13Amen I tell you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”
19The disciples did as Jesus commanded them and prepared the Passover. 20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.
21As they were eating, he said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me.”
22They were very sad and began to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I, Lord?”
23He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
25Judas, who betrayed him, replied, “Surely, not I, Rabbi?”
He said to him, “Yes, you are the one.”
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” 27Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you, 28for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
33Peter answered him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”
34Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”
35Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same.
36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and distressed. 38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death. Stay here, and keep watch with me.”
39He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me for one hour? 41Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43Again he returned and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time. He said the same words as before. 45Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise. Let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”
47While Jesus was still speaking, suddenly Judas (one of the Twelve) arrived. With him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him.” 49Immediately he went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” 
Then they advanced, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. 51Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, because all who take the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you not realize that I could call on my Father, and at once he would provide me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”
55At that same time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out to arrest me with swords and clubs as if I were a robber? Day after day I was sitting in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
57Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the experts in the law and the elders were assembled. 58Peter was following him at a distance and went as far as the courtyard of the high priest. He went inside and sat down with the guards to see how it would turn out.
59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these men are testifying against you?” 63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I place you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64Jesus said to him, “It is as you have said. But I tell you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? See, you have just heard the blasphemy! 66What do you think?”
They answered, “He is deserving of death!” 67Then they spit in his face and punched him. Some slapped him 68and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?”
69Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.”
70But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71When Peter went out to the entryway, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again Peter denied it with an oath and said, “I do not know the man.”
73After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them because even your accent gives you away.”
74Then he began to curse and to swear, “I do not know the man!” Just then the rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
27:1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people reached the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.
3Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse. He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders 4and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? That’s your problem.”
5He threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. 6The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put these into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7They reached a decision to buy the potter’s field with the money, as a burial place for foreigners. 8So that field has been called The Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price the sons of Israel had set for him, 10and they gave them for the potter’s field, just as the Lord commanded me.
11When Jesus stood in the presence of the governor, the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
12When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they are testifying against you?”
14But he did not answer him—not even one word, so that the governor was very surprised.
15At the time of the Festival the governor had a custom to release to the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. 17So when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas—or Jesus, who is called Christ?” 18For Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because of envy.
19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, Pilate’s wife sent him a message. “Have nothing to do with that righteous man,” she said, “since I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. 21The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
“Barabbas!” they said.
22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Crucify him!”
23But the governor said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting even louder: “Crucify him!”
24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that instead it was turning into a riot, he took water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood. It is your responsibility.”
25And all the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
26Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.
27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, knelt in front of him, and mocked him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spit on him, took the staff, and hit him repeatedly on his head.
31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32As they were going out of the city, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means, “The place of the skull.” 34They offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35After they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among themselves by casting lots. 36Then they sat down and were keeping watch over him there. 37Above his head they posted the written charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38At the same time two criminals were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39People who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41In the same way the chief priests, experts in the law, and elders kept mocking him. They said, 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now, if he wants him, because he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him kept insulting him.
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “This fellow is calling for Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, and soaked it with sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and gave him a drink. 49The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50After Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks were split. 52Tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life. 53Those who came out of the tombs went into the holy city after Jesus’ resurrection and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
55Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and who had served him were there, watching from a distance. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
57When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. 58He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and laid it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. He rolled a large stone over the tomb’s entrance and left. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the tomb.
62On the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered in the presence of Pilate 63and said, “Sir, we remembered what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64So give a command that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise his disciples might steal his body and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead.’ And this last deception will be worse than the first.”
65Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.

or 

Matthew 27:11-54
11When Jesus stood in the presence of the governor, the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
12When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they are testifying against you?”
14But he did not answer him—not even one word, so that the governor was very surprised.
15At the time of the Festival the governor had a custom to release to the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. 16At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. 17So when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas—or Jesus, who is called Christ?” 18For Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because of envy.
19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, Pilate’s wife sent him a message. “Have nothing to do with that righteous man,” she said, “since I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” 20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. 21The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
“Barabbas!” they said.
22Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Crucify him!”
23But the governor said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”
But they kept shouting even louder: “Crucify him!”
24When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that instead it was turning into a riot, he took water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood. It is your responsibility.”
25And all the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
26Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.
27Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, knelt in front of him, and mocked him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30They spit on him, took the staff, and hit him repeatedly on his head.
31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
32As they were going out of the city, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha, which means, “The place of the skull.” 34They offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35After they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among themselves by casting lots. 36Then they sat down and were keeping watch over him there. 37Above his head they posted the written charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
38At the same time two criminals were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39People who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
41In the same way the chief priests, experts in the law, and elders kept mocking him. They said, 42“He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now, if he wants him, because he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him kept insulting him.
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “This fellow is calling for Elijah.”
48Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, and soaked it with sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and gave him a drink. 49The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
50After Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks were split. 52Tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life. 53Those who came out of the tombs went into the holy city after Jesus’ resurrection and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

Holy Thursday
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Exodus 12:1-14
1The Lord told Moses and Aaron this in the land of Egypt: 
2This month is to be the beginning of your calendar. It is to be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell the entire Israelite community that on the tenth day of this month, they are to take a lamb or a kid goat for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, one lamb per household. 4But if the household is too small for a whole lamb, then that person and his neighbor next door to him must select one, based on the number of people. Determine what size lamb is needed according to how much each person will eat. 
5Your lamb must be unblemished, a year-old male. You may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. Then the whole assembly of the Israelite community is to slaughter the lambs at sunset. 7They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat the lamb. 8That night they shall eat the meat that has been roasted over a fire, along with unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs. 9Do not eat it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over a fire—with its head, its legs, and its internal organs. 10You shall not leave any of it until the morning. Whatever remains until the morning, you shall burn in the fire. 11This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt ready for travel, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 
12For on that night I will pass through the land of Egypt. I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. 13The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. There will be no plague among you to destroy you, when I strike down the land of Egypt. 
14This day shall be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. Throughout your generations you must celebrate it as a permanent regulation.

or

Exodus 24:3-11
3Moses came and reported to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has spoken we will do.” 4Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. 
He got up early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He set up twelve memorial stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5He sent young Israelite men, who offered whole burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings of cattle to the Lord. 6Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and he splashed half of the blood on the altar. 7He took the Book of the Covenant and read it out loud to the people and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do. We will obey.” 
8Moses took the blood and splashed it on the people. He said, “Look, here is the blood of the covenant, which the Lord made with you by means of all these words.” 
9Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet they saw what looked like a pavement of sapphire as clear as the sky. 11The Lord did not lay his hand on the dignitaries of the people of Israel. They gazed at God, and they ate and drank. 

Epistle
1 Corinthians 11:23-32
23For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after the meal, he also took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the Lord’s body and blood. 28Instead, let a person examine himself and after doing so, let him eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29For if anyone eats and drinks in an unworthy way because he does not recognize the Lord’s body, he eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30Because of this, many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not be undergoing judgment. 32However, when we undergo judgment, we are being disciplined by the Lord so that we may not be condemned with the world. 

Holy Gospel 
John 13:1-15 (34-35)
Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved those who were his own in the world, he loved them to the end.
2By the time the supper took place, the Devil had already put the idea into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3Jesus knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God. 4He got up from the supper and laid aside his outer garment. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7Jesus answered him, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but later you will understand.”
8Peter told him, “You will never, ever, wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.”
9“Lord, not just my feet,” Simon Peter replied, “but also my hands and my head!”
10Jesus told him, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet, but his body is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.” 11Indeed, he knew who was going to betray him. That is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12After Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer garment, he reclined at the table again. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me Teacher and Lord. You are right, because I am. 14Now if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15Yes, I have given you an example so that you also would do just as I have done for you.

34“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, so also you are to love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

Good Friday
Lutheran Service Book 1-Year Lectionary
Evangelical Heritage Version®

Old Testament
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
13Look, my servant will succeed. 
He will rise. He will be lifted up. He will be highly exalted. 
14Just as many were appalled at him— 
his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, 
and his form was disfigured more than any other person— 
15so he will sprinkle many nations, 
and kings will shut their mouths because of him, 
because they will see something they had never been told before, 
and they will understand something they had never heard before. 
53:1Who has believed our report, 
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot 
and like a root from dry ground. 
He had no attractiveness and no majesty. 
When we saw him, nothing about his appearance made us desire him. 
3He was despised and rejected by men, 
a man who knew grief, 
who was well acquainted with suffering. 
Like someone whom people cannot bear to look at, 
he was despised, 
and we thought nothing of him. 
4Surely he was taking up our weaknesses, 
and he was carrying our sufferings. 
We thought it was because of God 
that he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, 
5but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced. 
He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved. 
The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, 
and by his wounds we are healed. 
6We all have gone astray like sheep. 
Each of us has turned to his own way, 
but the Lord has charged all our guilt to him. 
7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, 
yet he did not open his mouth. 
Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter, 
and like a sheep that is silent in front of its shearers, 
he did not open his mouth. 
8He was taken away without a fair trial and without justice, 
and of his generation, who even cared? 
So, he was cut off from the land of the living. 
He was struck because of the rebellion of my people. 
9They would have assigned him a grave with the wicked, 
but he was given a grave with the rich in his death, 
because he had done no violence, 
and no deceit was in his mouth. 
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him 
and to allow him to suffer. 
Because you made his life a guilt offering, he will see offspring. 
He will prolong his days, 
and the Lord’s gracious plan will succeed in his hand. 
11After his soul experiences anguish, he will see the light of life. 
He will provide satisfaction. 
Through their knowledge of him, my just servant will justify the many, 
for he himself carried their guilt. 
12Therefore I will give him an allotment among the great, 
and with the strong he will share plunder, 
because he poured out his life to death, 
and he let himself be counted with rebellious sinners. 
He himself carried the sin of many, 
and he intercedes for the rebels. 

Epistle
2 Corinthians 5:14–21
14For the love of Christ compels us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again. 
16As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. 17So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come! 18And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 19That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 

Holy Gospel 
John 18:1-19:42
After saying these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden. He and his disciples went into it.
2Now Judas, who was betraying him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas took the company of soldiers and some guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”
5“Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus told them.
Judas, the betrayer, was standing with them. 6When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they backed away and fell to the ground.
7Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
“Jesus the Nazarene,” they said.
8“I told you that I am he,” Jesus replied. “So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9This was to fulfill the statement he had spoken: “I did not lose any of those you have given me.”
10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath. Shall I not drink the cup my Father has given me?”
12Then the company of soldiers, their commander, and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus and bound him. 13First they led him to Annas, because he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. 14Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews, “It is better that one man die for the people.”
15Simon Peter and another disciple kept following Jesus. That disciple was known to the high priest, so he went into the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16But Peter stood outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and talked to the girl watching the door and brought Peter in.
17“You are not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter.
“I am not!” he said.
18The servants and guards were standing around a fire of coals that they had made because it was cold. While they warmed themselves, Peter was standing with them, warming himself too.
19The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in a synagogue or at the temple, where all the Jews gather. I said nothing in secret. 21Why are you questioning me? Ask those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”
22When he said this, one of the guards standing there hit Jesus in the face. “Is that how you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
23“If I said something wrong,” Jesus answered, “testify about what was wrong. But if I was right, why did you hit me?”
24Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25Simon Peter continued to stand there warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not!”
26One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”
27Peter denied it again, and just then a rooster crowed.
28Early in the morning, the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium. They did not enter the Praetorium themselves, so that they would not become ceremonially unclean. (They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal.) 29So Pilate went out to them and said, “What charge do you bring against this man?”
30They answered him, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.”
31Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews said, “It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death.” 32This happened so that the statement Jesus had spoken indicating what kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
33Pilate went back into the Praetorium and summoned Jesus. He asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
34Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you about me?”
35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
36Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.”
37“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
Jesus answered, “I am, as you say, a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
38“What is truth?” Pilate said to him.
After he said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release the King of the Jews for you?”
40Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a rebel.)
19:1Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2The soldiers also twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on his head. Then they threw a purple robe around him. 3They kept coming to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they kept hitting him in the face.
4Pilate went outside again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
5So Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
6When the chief priests and guards saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.”
7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
8When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9He went back inside the palace again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?”
But Jesus gave him no answer.
10So Pilate asked him, “Are you not talking to me? Don’t you know that I have the authority to release you or to crucify you?”
11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over me at all if it had not been given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”
12From then on Pilate tried to release Jesus. But the Jews shouted, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!”
13When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside. He sat down on the judge’s seat at a place called the Stone Pavement, or Gabbatha in Aramaic. 14It was about the sixth hour on the Preparation Day for the Passover. Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king!”
15They shouted, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”
“We have no king but Caesar!” the chief priests answered.
16So then Pilate handed Jesus over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus away. 17Carrying his own cross, he went out to what is called the Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18There they crucified him with two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.
19Pilate also had a notice written and fastened on the cross. It read, “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.”
20Many of the Jews read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
21So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that ‘this man said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
22Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
23When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. They also took his tunic, which was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24So they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it. Instead, let’s cast lots to see who gets it.” This was so that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says:
They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
So the soldiers did these things.
25Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene were standing near the cross.
26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son!” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother!” And from that time this disciple took her into his own home.
28After this, knowing that everything had now been finished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I thirst.”
29A jar full of sour wine was sitting there. So they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.
30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished!” Then, bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
31Since it was the Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses over the Sabbath (because that Sabbath was a particularly important day). They asked Pilate to have the men’s legs broken and the bodies taken away. 32So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who was crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other man.
33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear. Immediately blood and water came out. 35The one who saw it has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36Indeed, these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37Again another Scripture says, “They will look at the one they pierced.”
38After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him remove Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave him permission, he came and took Jesus’ body away. 39Nicodemus, who earlier had come to Jesus at night, also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-two pounds.
40They took Jesus’ body and bound it with linen strips along with the spices, in accord with Jewish burial customs.
41There was a garden at the place where Jesus was crucified. And in the garden was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42So they laid Jesus there, because it was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was near.