Lessons                                                                       Bread of Life                                                              12 April 2025

Deuteronomy 32:36–39

36 The Lord will vindicate his people

         and have compassion on his servants,

when he sees that their power is gone

         and there is none remaining, bond or free.

₃₇Then he will say, "Where are their gods,

         the rock in which they took refuge,

₃₈who ate the fat of their sacrifices

         and drank the wine of their drink offering?

Let them rise up and help you;

         let them be your protection!

₃₉"See now that I, even I, am he,

         and there is no god beside me;

I kill and I make alive;

         I wound and I heal;

         and there is none that can deliver out of my hand."

Psalm 31:9–16

₉Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am | in distress;*

         my eye is wasted from grief;

         my soul and my body | also.

₁₀For my life is spent with sorrow,

         and my years with | sighing;*

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

         and my bones | waste away.

₁₁Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

         especially to my neighbors,

and an object of dread to my ac- | quaintances;*

         those who see me in the street | flee from me.

₁₂I have been forgotten like one | who is dead;*

         I have become like a broken | vessel.

₁₃For I hear the whispering of many—

         terror on | every side!—*

as they scheme together against me,

         as they plot to | take my life.

₁₄But I trust in you, | O Lord;*

         I say, "You | are my God."

₁₅My times are | in your hand;*

         rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my perse- | cutors!

₁₆Make your face shine on your | servant;*

         save me in your | steadfast love!

Philippians 2:5–11

         ₅Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ₆who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ₇but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ₈And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ₉Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ₁₀so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ₁₁and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 23:1–56

         ₁Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. ₂And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." ₃And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." ₄Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man." ₅But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place."

         ₆When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ₇And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. ₈When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. ₉So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. ₁₀The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. ₁₁And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. ₁₂And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

         ₁₃Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ₁₄and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ₁₅Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ₁₆I will therefore punish and release him."

         ₁₈But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"— ₁₉a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. ₂₀Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, ₂₁but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" ₂₂A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." ₂₃But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. ₂₄So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ₂₅He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

         ₂₆And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. ₂₇And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. ₂₈But turning to them Jesus said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. ₂₉For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' ₃₀Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,' and to the hills, ‘Cover us.' ₃₁For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"

         ₃₂Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. ₃₃And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ₃₄And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they cast lots to divide his garments. ₃₅And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!" ₃₆The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine ₃₇and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" ₃₈There was also an inscription over him, "This is the King of the Jews."

         ₃₉One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" ₄₀But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ₄₁And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." ₄₂And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." ₄₃And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

         ₄₄It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, ₄₅while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ₄₆Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And having said this he breathed his last. ₄₇Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent!" ₄₈And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. ₄₉And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

         ₅₀Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, ₅₁who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. ₅₂This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ₅₃Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. ₅₄It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. ₅₅The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. ₅₆Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

         On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.