Opened: The Gates of Righteousness – PALM SUNDAY/SUNDAY OF THE PASSION     April 2, 2023

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS – 700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

 Pastor Dan 1-(920)-341-2025     shepherdatzion@gmail.com

 Guests.  Welcome to Zion.  We are glad to have you with us.  Please sign our guestbook located in the Narthex.  About Holy Communion:  We welcome to the Lord’s Table all who have repented of their sins and seek to amend their sinful life; all who believe that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine; and all who believe that through the words “given and shed for you” forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given.  If this is your confession and you are a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then come with a thankful heart and join us.   If you are a visitor and would like to commune, please talk with Pastor Dan before the service.  To help in preparing to receive Holy Communion open the front cover of the Burgundy hymnal or turn to pages 329 & 330.  Gluten free wafers are available, please talk with an Elder or Pastor before the service if you would appreciate them.  

 AS WE GATHER – “Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD” (Psalm 118:19). Today’s psalm speaks of gates opening for the people of God to enter into His holy presence.  As the outstretched arms and nail-scarred hands of our Savior welcome us all to enter these gates of heaven, we walk by faith into the presence of the faithful Father who freely gives us His forgiveness.  Palm Sunday is the “gate” to Holy Week as we follow our Lord to Cross and remember His suffering for our salvation, and His glorious resurrection.  God’s riches which inspire in us our thanks and praise.

Prelude – Zions Bell Choir –  “What Wondrous Love Is This”

 Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

 Invocation and Greeting – The grace of our Lord  X  Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna to the Son of David.

Opening Prayer – Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.   Amen.

Holy Gospel John 12:12–19 (Jesus’ triumphal entry) – The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”  “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  “Blessed is the King of Israel!”  Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”  At first his disciples did not understand all this.  Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.  Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.  So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

 Hymn  “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”                        LSB 442

 Confession and Absolution Philippians 2:5–11; Psalm 118:23 – Lord Jesus, on this day when we remember Your entry into Jerusalem as King and Savior, we walk with You to Your cross, where Your righteousness is given to all who believe. Search our hearts and minds that we may receive Your Word, share in Your Spirit, and be renewed in our relationships with You and with one another.  Lord Jesus, You are the Father’s only Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords, You reign over all things and yet humbled Yourself for our salvation.  We confess that our sin and rebellion against You in thought, word, and action is the reason why You came into our world, as our Savior.  It is why You passed through the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and why You laid down Your life upon Calvary’s cross on Good Friday.  You did all of that to forgive our sins, to redeem our lives, and to cancel the debt we owe to God.  With hearts that are humble we repent of all our sins, and ask for your forgiveness.  Through the Holy Spirit, help us to receive Your grace and bow before You in worship, confessing that You alone are Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.  Almighty God, our heavenly Father, shows His mercy to us in the sending of His only Son, who was handed over to death upon the cross so that we may be reconciled to the Father and granted His forgiveness, full and free.  As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

Introit   Psalm 24:7–10; antiphon: Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!   We bless you from the house of the LORD.  Lift up your heads, O gates!  And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!  Lift up your heads, O gates!   And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory?  The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!   We bless you from the house of the Lord.

Kyrie    LSB 168    In peace let us pray to the Lord.    Lord, have mercy.  For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.  Lord, have mercy.  For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.  For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.  Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.   Amen.

 Salutation – The Lord be with you.  And with thy spirit.

Prayer of the Day – Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross.  As You open for us the gates of righteousness, enable us to follow our Savior, walking with Him to His cross and sharing with Him in His resurrection.  We pray this in the name of Him who gives us Your righteousness: Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.      Amen.

 Old Testament Reading  Isaiah 50:4–9a – “The LORD God helps me.”

 The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.  He wakens me morning by morning,  wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.  I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.  Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.  He who vindicates me is near.  Who then will bring charges against me?  Let us face each other!  Who is my accuser?  Let him confront me!  It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.  Who is he that will condemn me?

Epistle  Philippians 2:5–11 – (Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death.)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Verse –  Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.  This is the gate of the LORD, Jesus Christ, the Lord; the righteous shall enter through Him.  The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.   Save us, we pray, O LORD! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!  We bless you from the house of the LORD.    Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!  Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Holy Gospel – Readings from Matthew         

Matthew 26:1–16 – When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away–and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”  Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him.  “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”  While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.  When the disciples saw this, they were indignant.  “Why this waste?” they asked.  “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”  Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.  When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  Then one of the Twelve–the one called Judas Iscariot–went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”  So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.  From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Matthew 27:24-35 – When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.  “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.  “It is your responsibility!”  All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”  Then he released Barabbas to them.  But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.  Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.  They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.  As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.  They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).  There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.  When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Apostles’ Creed – I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.  And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 Hymn: “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”  LSB 444

 Sermon

 Prayers of the Church

 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.

 ** We gather our Tithes and Offerings **

Offertory     LSB 176

Service of the Sacrament  

Preface   2 Timothy 4:22 – The Lord be with you.  And also with you.  Lift up your hearts.  We lift them to the Lord.  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.  It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

Proper Preface – It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened the gates of righteousness to all who come to You in faith. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:

Sanctus       LSB 178

Prayer of Thanksgiving – Blessed are You, King of heaven and earth, for in opening to us the gates of righteousness, You have given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  We give You thanks for the redeeming righteousness and perfect peace You have bestowed on us through Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Send Your Holy Spirit to us now that our hearts may be prepared to receive Your good gifts and remember our Redeemer who comes to us in His body and blood.

 The Words of Our Lord – Consecration of the Elements

 Pax Domini    Psalm 118:23 – Because of our Savior’s grace, the gates of righteousness are opened to us. “This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”    The peace of the Lord be with you always.  And also with you.  Amen.

Agnus Dei                                                                     LSB 180

We Celebrate our Lord’s Supper – Distribution Hymns:  “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”  LSB 443                    “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”  LSB 441       “Prepare the Royal Highway”   LSB 343

   Post-Communion Canticle   Thank the Lord   LSB 181

 Post-Communion Thanksgiving – O God the Father, who in love and mercy sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh, we thank You that for His sake You have given us pardon and peace in this Sacrament. Strengthen us in the certainty of our Savior’s saving work that we may live securely as those who by grace have been declared righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.    Amen.

 Benediction

 Hymn:  “Lamb of God”   LSB 550

 Choir will sing verses 1 & 2 and congregation will sing verse 3 which is printed on the last page of the bulletin.   

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 *Announcements*

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism: Matthew 21:3 – “If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” Did Jesus really need the donkey? If the man had refused to give the donkey, would the work of salvation have been derailed? Of course not. But what an honor for the man who owned this donkey and foal! Likewise, with us — the Lord needs none of us, but what an honor for God to choose to use our generosity in the work of His church.

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY – Now Is the Hour When the Son of Man Is Glorified

 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming.” He comes in gentle humility, “sitting on a donkey’s colt,” yet also as the King of Israel “in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13, 15). His royal glory is faithful obedience and self-sacrificing service “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). The love of God is manifested in the cross and Passion of His Son for the salvation of sinners. Since He has borne our sins and suffered our death, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9), and He exalts us in His resurrection. Our Lord did not hide His face “from disgrace and spitting” (Is. 50:6), but He trusted His God and Father, who raised Him from death and the grave and exalted Him to His right hand. This same King Jesus now comes to us in gentle humility in His Supper, where He feeds us with His body and cleanses and covers us with His blood, so that “after his resurrection” we also shall rise and enter the holy city (Matt. 27:52–53).

YES IN CHRIST  —  Saying Yes With Our Treasures  Needed per week to make budget: $3,072

Envelopes $1,760      Plate $15     Music Fund $100     General Fund: Eli Dornfeld $50

Attendance:  Sunday Service:  44    Communed:  34    Lent Service:  28    Communed:    27

Upcoming events and Opportunities

April 2nd – Bells immediately after church

April 6^th – Maundy Thursday @ 7pm

April 7^th – Good Friday @ 1pm

April 8^th – Decorating Church for Easter 10am

April 9^th –Easter Services @ 630am & 830am – with Easter    Breakfast between services

April 13th – Council meets @ 6pm

April 19th – Midweek services start @ 7pm

Birthdays 

Faye	4/4
Nancy	4/5
Rita	4/8
Holley	4/12
Laurel	4/14
John	4/14
Heather	4/20
Betsy	4/21
Chad	4/23
Gary	4/23
Daniel	4/28
Lonnie	4/28
Shannon	4/28
Daniel	4/30

Happy Anniversary Scott & Debby	4/9
Joshua & Holley	4/23

There’s Easter Sign-up sheets for the Breakfast. If you can spare time to set up or work for the breakfast please put the time that works for you. Also if you want to donate for the breakfast you sure can do that.

There’s also a sign-up sheet for Easter Flowers – let’s make the altar as beautiful as we can.

 Concordia University’s “Alleluia Ringers” will be stopping on their “Spring Tour 2023” at Peace Lutheran Church in Beaver Dam on Friday, April 14 at 7:00pm.

 Help is being requested on April 8^th at 10am to decorate the church for Easter. If you have time, please come down and help out!

Hymn:  “Lamb of God”