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Call To Worship
L: Blessed is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
C: We long for his presence. We seek his will above our own. Our hope is his eternal word.

L: Our God is holy, now and forever. Praise to our Lord!
C: He made us. He knows us. He hears our prayers and answers us. He calls us to holiness. He calls us to himself.

L: Jesus is compassionate, patient, understanding and forgiving.
C: He wants our hearts with his. He plans good things for us. He teaches us to live in this world, but for eternal values.

L: Jesus loves us. He died for us. He lives forever.
C: There is no depth our Savior cannot reach to keep us close to him. He is everything to us. We want the value of our lives to mirror the value of the Resurrection. Glory be to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Psalm 22:1-5

Second Scripture Lesson: Romans 6:4-6

Prayer Of The Church
Dear Heavenly Father,
You have done everything for us so we may come to you now and forever. You have given us your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, Friend, and Savior who lives with us, knows us, suffers with us and guides us into eternity.

There is no depth he has not or will not fathom on our behalf. Help us to bring the Resurrection and Heaven's reality to others by being compassionate and concerned, and by supplying individual needs selflessly to others the way you do to us.

Allow us to live fully the gift and mystery of faith which you desire for each of us and to live a close, personal, daily relationship with you which proves your presence and active involvement in our lives.

Let us claim your Easter peace to live in, and your wisdom to solve earthly problems, using eternal values.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.



The Last Covenant

Voice
1
For about three years, Jesus had been with his friends, the disciples.

4,5
They were constantly together.

2,3
Jesus had called them.

2,5
His voice had the power of eternity in it and

4
It was definite when you heard your name being called by Christ.

3
It was not only a man that called you,

2,3,4
But God,

1,5
Eternity

ALL
And truth.

Hymn: "All Glory Laud And Honor" (vv. 1 and 2)

3
Jesus represented a truth to his friends that they could not comprehend and were always trying to understand.
2,4
It was not easy to understand Christ.

1,2,3
He explained God to them and his kingdom of eternity.

3,5
They did not understand, because he often spoke in spiritual terms.

ALL
God is Spirit.

5
Multitudes were attracted to him because of the depth and power of his voice, and the miracles that they could not deny.

1,4
He introduced love for other people and he proved it.

2,3,5
Again and again.

3,4
People loved him for his kindness and for the power of his teaching.

1,3,5
The popularity of Christ spread among all classes of people.

1,2
His popularity was poison to the Pharisees.

4,5
And they became embittered with the carpenter's son.

1,4
Jealous.

2,3
Hostile.

2,5
Angry.

Hymn: "On My Head Imprint Your Image"

2
They could not understand his concept of love which always transgressed their religious laws.

3,4
After all, they had God under their control.

1,5
God did not belong to anyone else.

2,3,4
They used him for their own benefit.

2,5
Christ introduced God to everyone by what he said and did.

3,4
Many people believed he was the son of God -

ALL
That was his problem.

1,2
This was not convenient for the Pharisees.

4,5
And then it happened.

ALL
Gradually.

1,4
But definitely.

2,3
They wanted him condemned.

2,5
They were evil and wicked in intent.

1,3,4
They approached Judas as an accomplice.

3,5
It was an easy task, and nothing important, they explained to him.

1,2,4
He knew Christ well, but more importantly -

5
He loved money.

2,3
It was a disease that held him prisoner and which he thrived on,

1,5
As the Pharisees thrived on their hatred of Christ.

ALL
And, they loved their cruelty.

Hymn: "Glory Be To Jesus" (v. 1)

2
At the Passover celebration, Jesus had taken bread, given thanks and gave it to Judas and the others.

4
He said, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."1

1,2,5
He also took a cup of wine and gave it to them.

3,4
He said it was his blood poured out and a new covenant in his blood.

ALL
They did not understand.

4,5
There had been many covenants between God and his people.

1
God promised Abraham and his descendants blessings through faith in the first covenant between God and his people.

2,3
God gave Moses the law and legal codes on Mount Sinai.

1,2,4
God repeated many promises in his covenant with David.

5
In the Jeremiah Covenant, God put his laws in the hearts of his people.

1,4
God gave covenants to Ezekiel and to Isaiah for his people.

3
And now, during Passover, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, promised another covenant with those who believed in him.

ALL
It was a covenant in his blood.

3,5
Poured out, he said to the disciples as they sat in the upper room.

1,2,4
It would be a human sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.

2,5
But no one understood what he meant. The topic was left undiscussed.

1
Then Judas got up and left the group.

2,4,5
They went into the Garden of Gethsemane, which was often their custom.

1,3
Judas was not with them, but he knew about the garden.

2,5
He had been there before.

3
And he knew Christ would be there.

1,4
All Judas had to do was give a sign to the Pharisees.

4,5
He would give a definite sign to them, but nothing unusual.

1,2,3
Certainly, it would be easily done.

1,5
Judas could collect his money and everything would be the same.

2,4
He would still be a disciple and follow Christ as usual, he supposed.

3,4,5
He was one of the twelve, absolutely.

1,3
Quickly, the Pharisees followed Judas, the friend of Christ.

2
Judas was only doing the Pharisees a favor, he said to himself as he kissed the man in the darkness.

4
He felt comfortable in the night, as though he belonged there, and well hidden from the light of day.

Hymn: "Ah, Holy Jesus" (v. 1)

1
Soon, there were hundreds of thundering soldiers, marching in the garden, and they surrounded the man of prayer.

3
In the quietness of the night, their golden torch flames screamed gaily as they shone on the face of a man betrayed by a friend -

4,5
And the terror pierced the disciples' hearts.

1,2,3
Many disciples ran away from the soldiers of death, not knowing where to go.

2,4
Leaving their Master, the disciples had nothing.

5
As they fled, they saw not only the sharp, piercing spears of brutal cruelty, but the impossible kiss of Judas, easily given.

1,2
It was innocently done as a man to his friend -

3,5
Or son to his father.

1,2,4
Had not Judas been one of them?

2,3
He had followed Christ and known his deeds.

3,4
Judas had listened to his voice!

1,5
Now, they did not understand this man.

2
But worse, they did not understand themselves because they could not be criminals of the state and they could not be in this intolerable situation.

4,5
They had only followed Christ, the man who was God and truth.

1,2,4
However, they had never associated truth with suffering or personal hardship.

2,3,5
Now, following the man of truth and eternity meant paying a high premium.

1,3
It could not be true that Christ would allow the nightmare which confronted them.

3,4
The nightmare encompassed them, their brains and thinking powers.

2,5
It tore at their hearts and inside fiber of being.

1
They were surrounded in an impossible, incomprehensible, living horror while the golden, searing flames of the night's torches kept dancing wildly and the horror grew worse.

2
Their Master disappeared into the consuming night's blackness and he stood alone encircled by jealous, evil men.

Hymn: "In The Hour Of Trial" (vv. 1 and 2)

1,4
Behind closed doors, they took him without witnesses or friends.

3,5
The Pharisees held their trials in illegal secrecy.

2,3,4
They, like Judas, found the night to be their friend.

4
In paralyzing fear, Peter followed Christ, and after denying him for the third time, sobs vibrated throughout his body. His remorse and guilt were unbelievable.

1,5
There was nothing he or the others could hang onto now.

3
When Christ was taken to Pilate early Friday morning, the disciples felt a nauseating, frightening sickness.

2,4
The Jews condemned him for being the son of God and a traitor.

1,3
Pilate found him innocent, but wondered if he might be an evil spirit and feared him.

5
Pilate's wife begged him to leave him alone. God had talked to her in a dream, and Pilate again feared Christ.

3,4
Christ was sent to Herod Antipas for closer investigation.

1,2
Herod wanted to be entertained by the man of miracles as he assumed so many other people had been.

2,3,5
The prisoner remained silent and immobile.

1,4
Herod wondered if the man might really be the spirit of John the Baptist whom he had recently murdered.

2,5
Herod declared the man guilty. Besides, he was boring and useless to him.

1,3,4
Pilate conveniently exchanged him for Barabbas, the murderer, although personally he did not consider him guilty.

1
For political reasons, it would be better for Pilate to have Christ crucified. The Jews would be appeased and so would the Caesar who gave him his job.

4
Hideously wicked, ecstatic screams rose from the Pharisees when Pilate washed his hands in front of them and the bound prisoner stood beaten and condemned before them.

2,3
Since Jesus was too weak to carry the wooden timbers to die on, a stranger was pulled out from the Passover crowd.

ALL
The disciples knew his name.

5
Raging with guilt, they all knew well that Simon from Cyrene in Africa, and not one of them, was carrying their Master's cross.

1,4
Not one of them was near their Master now because they feared that his death might be contagious to them.

ALL
It was happening so fast.

3
Few who knew the man from Nazareth were aware of his sudden condemnation. Criminals were crucified frequently and besides, this man was well loved.

1,2,4
No one would consider him a man to be crucified.

5
And people went on with their daily affairs, oblivious to the painfully faltering, swaggering steps of the carpenter's son whom they loved.

2,3
So many had loved him.

3,4,5
Thousands.

1
But few were at the place of the skull to see the man of God publicly exhibited in torture.

2,5
Mary was there. She was his mother.

Hymn: "At The Cross Her Station Keeping" (vv. 1 and 2)

1,4
Mary had known him all his life.

1,2,3
She saw him nailed and lifted up.

3,5
John was there and saw his Master gasp in suffocating agony.

1,4
Christ had been betrayed by a friend.

4
He was taunted and jeered at by men who did not know him and who found his crucifixion a casual social event and a source of entertainment.

2,3
His body screamed with searing, shocking pain.

1,5
His limbs were pulled out of their sockets.

1,2,4
The blood could not circulate and he could not breathe.

1,3
His mind was threatened with insanity because of the intolerable pain.

2,5
Jesus forgave his enemies, gave up his spirit and died.

3,4
He died in overwhelming loneliness and bitter humiliation.

1,3,5
His friends were numbed with deepening pain.

ALL
It was real.

2,4,5
Christ had suffered and died.

1,3
Excruciating mental confusion confronted his followers.

2
Their minds and lives had been tortured, fragmented and ruined, just as though they had been Christ.

4,5
They could not think of what had happened.

2,3
They had nowhere to go.

1,5
They did not know what to do.

4,2
There was no purpose in living. There would be no eternal kingdom.

Hymn: "When I Survey The Wondrous Cross" (v. 1)

1
As soon as it was legally possible, on the third day the women went to the tomb to anoint the body.

3,4,5
They went knowing it was impossible for them to enter.

4
There were strong, well paid Roman soldiers guarding the tomb and the Pharisees had a stone angled in so no one could remove it.

1,2,3
It was dangerous for the women. They were not wanted there.

3
They had no way to defend themselves against the soldiers who could harm them or treat them with contempt.

1,5
The Pharisees were correct in thinking that no one could remove the mighty rock in front of the grave's entrance.

ALL
Only God could.

2,4
In the early morning, God sent an angel to remove the barrier.

3
As the women came close to the tomb, they saw the soldiers lying still and mute, as though they were brainless or dormant.

1
They had been paralyzed with unspeakable fear from the angel's activities.

1,2,5
The women entered the tomb to find only neatly rolled bandages and Christ was gone.

3,4
More despair and deeper feelings of hopelessness entered their hearts.

1,5
They asked the man in the garden where the Christ was.

2,4
He answered them quietly.

1,2,5
He had been waiting for them.

1,3,4
At first, the women did not recognize the man in the garden.

3,5
He was a man who had been beaten beyond recognition and crucified.

1,2
But they recognized his power of compassion and they knew him.

5
With increasing wonder and awe, they realized that the man was their Savior. Into their crushed and buried lives, abundant, joyful life flowed slowly back into them.

2
It was impossible that he was alive, but they recalled his words about his suffering and dying.

ALL
His kingdom was forever, now.

3,4
Christ had proved that eternity with him exists for those that believe in him.

Hymn: "Praise The Savior" (v. 1)

1,2,5
The women went to tell the others.

3,4
They went to explain that Christ was alive and no longer in the tomb!

3,4,5
God's son was alive. He was the last sacrifice.

2,5
His blood was poured out for our sins and for eternal life.

1,3
His covenant is forever.

3
There was rejoicing among his friends and their love and devotion grew strong and dedicated to eternity.

1,4
Suffering and death are a reality, but Christ's kingdom is eternal.

ALL
Alleluia!

5
Christ loves us! There is eternal hope for everyone!

ALL
Alleluia!

2,3
Believe in Christ and live with him forever!

ALL
Alleluia!

ALL
Amen!

Hymn:
"Jesus Christ Is Risen Today" (vv. 1 and 4)

The End

Scripture Quote
1. Luke 22:19b