Lenten Devotion

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

Old Testament: Exodus 12:29-32; 13:1-16

²⁹ At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.
³⁰ And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead.
³¹ Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said.
³² Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

¹ The LORD said to Moses,
² “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
³ Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
⁴ Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
⁵ And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.
⁶ Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
⁷ Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory.
⁸ You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
⁹ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt.
¹⁰ You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.
¹¹ “When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,
¹² you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s.
¹³ Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
¹⁴ And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.
¹⁵ For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
¹⁶ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” (ESV)

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New Testament: Hebrews 6:1-20; John 18:1-19:42

¹ Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
² and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
³ And this we will do if God permits.
⁴ For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
⁵ and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,
⁶ and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
⁷ For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
⁸ But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
⁹ Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
¹³ For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
¹⁴ saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.”
¹⁵ And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
¹⁶ For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
¹⁷ So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
¹⁸ so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

¹ When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
² Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
³ So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
⁴ Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
⁵ They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
⁶ When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
⁷ So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
⁸ Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
⁹ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
¹² So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him.
¹³ First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
¹⁴ It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest,
¹⁶ but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in.
¹⁷ The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”
¹⁸ Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
¹⁹ The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.
²¹ Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.”
²² When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?”
²³ Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?”
²⁴ Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”
²⁷ Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
²⁸ Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
²⁹ So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
³⁰ They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.”
³¹ Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
³² This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
³⁹ But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
⁴⁰ They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
¹ Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe.
³ They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands.
⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
⁵ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.”
⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
⁸ When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid.
⁹ He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
¹⁰ So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
¹¹ Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
¹² From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”
¹³ So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha.
¹⁴ Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
¹⁵ They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
¹⁶ So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus,
¹⁷ and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
¹⁹ Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
²⁰ Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek.
²¹ So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’”
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom,
²⁴ so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things,
²⁵ but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”
²⁷ Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
²⁸ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”
²⁹ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.
³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
³¹ Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.
³² So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him.
³³ But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
³⁴ But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.
³⁵ He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.
³⁶ For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.”
³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
³⁸ After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.
³⁹ Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
⁴⁰ So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.
⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
⁴² So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (ESV)

The Passover is fulfilled as the true Lamb of God is sacrificed. On the cross, Jesus is 'numbered among the transgressors,' bearing the shame and the wrath we deserved. The 'old evil foe' is overcome by the very tree on which he thought he had triumphed. We look upon the Pierced One and find there the anchor of our soul, sure and steadfast, reaching into the presence of God.

Prayer of the Day

Merciful and everlasting God, who has not spared Your only Son, but delivered Him up for us all, that He might bear our sins upon the Cross: Grant that our hearts may be so fixed with steadfast faith in Him that we may not fear the power of any adversaries. Amen.

Closing Prayer

O God, who desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his way and live, graciously accept the repentance of Your people, and grant them Your forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.