Torn Bread, Torn Veil

Prelude

 Welcome

Call to Worship (Based on Psalm 116 & Psalm 130)

Leader: I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

People: The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me.

Leader: Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, save me!”

People: Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord. Hear our voices and be attentive to our prayers.

Leader: The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

People: With the Lord is unfailing love, and with him is full redemption.

Leader: Come, then, let us draw near to the Lord— not in our own strength, but through the mercy that makes a way.

Convening/Prayer of Illumination or just put Prayer 

Opening Hymn

Reading: John 13:1-17

 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

Call To Confession:

Hear the Word of the Lord:

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

“And rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (Joel 2:13) Trusting in God’s mercy and grace, let us come before Him with honest hearts and confess our sin.

Prayer

Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole hearts, nor have we loved one another as you have loved us.

We hold on to pride when you call us to humility. We seek control when you call us to surrender. We turn away from others when you have drawn near to us.

We confess that our sin has torn what you created to be whole— our relationship with you, our relationships with one another, and even the quiet places of our own hearts.

Forgive us, Lord. Wash us clean. Humble us by your grace. Draw us near through the mercy of Christ.

As we remember this night— the bread that was torn and the body that was given— help us to see again the cost of your love and the depth of your forgiveness.

We come not because we are worthy, but because you have made a way.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Words of Assurance:

Hear the good news:

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body…” (Hebrews 10:19–20)

In Jesus Christ, the barrier is broken, the veil is torn, and the way to God is open.

In the mighty name of Jesus, we are forgiven. You are forgiven. Thanks be to God.

Grateful Response

 Luke 22:14-20

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 

Choir Anthem

Communion 

Luke 22:39-46

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

 Luke 22:47-53

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

 Luke 23:13-25

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and 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. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.” 17 Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival

18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A 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.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He 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. 

Hymn

 Luke 23:33-46

33 And 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. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And 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!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

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

44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Matthew 27:50-51

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

Sermon

I want to reflect on the Scriptures we have read this evening. This is not so much a sermon, but a reflection on what is happening as we are led to the climax of this sermon series, Torn. 

The first tear we looked at happened in the garden, when Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree. Sin entered the world, and as Ash Wednesday reminds us: “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” We come from dust, and to dust we will return.

This is all the result of sin. It not only brought about death, but also separated us from God and from one another. We became sinful, and God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden. Once outside, they had children—and one ended up killing the other. The original tear deepened to the point that one brother killed another. That brings us to our first reading tonight.

Jesus washes the feet of His disciples. In this act, we see how we are to treat one another. Jesus—the Creator of the universe—is on the floor washing His disciples’ feet. This was the job of a servant. He does it as a sign of how we are to love one another: to serve each other, to love each other.

This is not what happened with Cain and Abel. We are called to love as Jesus loved.

The next passage shows us what we are to do when we come together. We take bread and wine and remember what Jesus has done for us. St. Augustine calls it a visible sign of an invisible grace. In communion, we remember that Jesus’ body was torn for us and His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. So when we take this meal—as we have tonight and will again on Sunday—it nourishes us both spiritually and physically.

After the meal, Jesus and the disciples go out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus goes there to pray. Only Jesus prays—everyone else keeps falling asleep. Jesus prays that what is about to happen might pass from Him, yet He submits: not His will, but God’s will. The pressure is so great that He begins to sweat blood.

It is said that the Mount of Olives would have had presses used to crush olives and extract oil. Jesus is being pressed like an olive, and His “oil”—His blood—is coming out. This points us to the wine we just drank during communion. Grapes, too, are pressed to produce wine. In this way, Jesus is being pressed so that His blood becomes the new covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of our sins.

Judas shows up, because he knows where they will be. The passage tells us this was a common place for Jesus and the disciples, so Judas knew exactly where to go. He leads the temple guards to arrest Jesus. When they arrive, Peter lashes out and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant.

It may seem like a random moment, but it reveals so much about Jesus. Once again, we see the tear between people—Peter attempting violence. Yet Jesus heals the man. He restores his ear so that he can continue serving in the temple. The very man who came to arrest Jesus is healed by Him. Jesus redeems him so that he can keep serving.

It is a simple story with great depth, and many pass over it too quickly. There is another layer here as well. We often give Judas a great deal of grief—and rightly so—but we are not much better. Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Josiah Queen has a line in one of his songs: Judas did it for thirty pieces of silver, but we betray Jesus for free.

All of Lent has been about this—how we have betrayed Jesus in how we treat one another, how we worship, and how we prioritize ourselves. We have been reflecting on the tears that separate us from God and from each other.

Jesus is arrested and taken before the authorities. He is passed back and forth, and Pilate finds no fault in Him. Yet the crowd begins to demand that Barabbas be released instead of Jesus. They cry out, “We have no king but Caesar,” even though they longed to be free from Roman rule.

They expected the Messiah to overthrow Rome. They missed the passages that spoke of Him suffering, being beaten, and betrayed. They saw what they wanted to see. We do the same at times.

Jesus is led to the place of the skull, where He is crucified—the most brutal form of execution. His back had already been torn apart by whips. The Romans knew exactly how many lashes a person could endure without dying, and they stopped just short of that. His back is raw and open as He carries His cross, the wood rubbing against fresh wounds.

Then He is stripped—completely naked—hanging on the cross. The crosses were not high, like the ones we often see in pictures. They were closer to eye level, placed near roads so that people could see those being executed.

Jesus is naked, torn, and exposed for all to see—slowly suffocating. Imagine witnessing that in person. He could have come down at any moment, but He did not, because it was the Father’s will.

As He hangs there, His torn back scraping against the wood with every breath, He is doing this to heal our tears. “By His stripes, you are healed.”

Then, with His final breath, He declares, “It is finished,” and gives up His spirit. Jesus was not overpowered—He willingly gave His life. He remained in control the entire time. And at that moment, the greatest tear in history occurs.

The veil in the temple is torn in two. (Rip the sheet.) The veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple—the place where only the high priest could enter, and only once a year, covered in the blood of the Passover lamb. It was the place of God’s presence.

The tear that began in the garden created that separation. But now, through Jesus’ death, that veil is torn in two (rip again), making a way for humanity to be with God once more. Jesus is now our High Priest, covered in His own blood, entering the presence of God on our behalf. He has torn down the barrier forever. He is the only way.

Tonight, we remember. And we leave knowing that this final tear redeems all the others. This tear—the one that took the life of a man—has restored us to God.

But don’t rush ahead. As a community, as the people of God, we must sit in this moment. We must reflect on our sin and what it cost.

Judas is remembered as the betrayer, and he did it for money.

What did you get for betraying Jesus?

Nothing.

You did it for free.

Psalm 22—soft music playing in the background

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?     Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

2 

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,     and by night, but I find no rest.

3 

Yet you are holy,     enthroned on the praises of Israel.

4 

In you our fathers trusted;     they trusted, and you delivered them.

5 

To you they cried and were rescued;     in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

6 

But I am a worm and not a man,     scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 

All who see me mock me;     they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;

8 

“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;     let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Leave in silence