Paul's Passion, Part 2: Sanhedrin

Call to Worship

Psalm 103:1–5 “Bless Yahweh, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless Yahweh, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

#194: Praise, My Soul, The King of Heaven​​

Collect Prayer

Father in heaven,

The first Cause of all that is Good,

grant that we, as your people, would unashamedly stand for the Cause of Jesus Christ,

that many who are enslaved by sin and darkness might be set free.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cleansing from Sin

Catechism

#98b: Be Merciful To Me, O God

Confession of Sin & Absolution

#735: Gloria Patri

Consecration

Sursum Corda

Psalm Chant

Law Homily

Q. 132. What are the sins of equals? A. The sins of equals are, besides the neglect of the duties required, the undervaluing of the worth, envying the gifts, grieving at the advancement or prosperity one of another; and usurping pre-eminence one over another.

Rom. 13:8; 2 Tim. 3:3; Acts 7:9; Gal. 5:26; Num. 12:2; Esther 6:12-13; 3 John 1:9; Luke 22:24.

Did you know that there are duties required toward your neighbor? We looked at these last week, and the first way that we can sin against our equals is by neglecting these duties.

And just to remind you of them:

“The duties of equals are, to regard the dignity and worth of each other, in giving honor to go one before another; and to rejoice in each other’s gifts and advancement, as their own.”

We saw that we are to prefer the other person above ourselves. That is the point. We are to treat everyone we meet as if they are the king or queen of England. We adopt an attitude of service toward them.

The first way we sin is by neglecting to do this. And that neglect naturally turns into “usurping pre-eminence one over another.” Instead of taking the posture of a servant, we insist on being treated as if we are the king or queen of England. Rather than assuming the role of servanthood, we assume the role of royalty.

Then the catechism gives these practical descriptors: undervaluing worth, envying gifts, grieving at the advancement and prosperity of others. All of these break the tenth commandment—“you shall not covet”—and they also break the fifth commandment, which tells us to honor our father and mother.

We have said throughout that the fifth commandment implies that we live in a hierarchical world. There are superiors, inferiors, and equals. When we mistreat our equals, we are breaking the fifth commandment. We are living as if (1) there is no hierarchy at all, or (2) that I am at the top of the hierarchy. Both are sinful. And on top of that, when we are envious of our neighbor, we are breaking the tenth commandment, which forbids coveting and, positively, calls us to be content.

So let us not neglect our duty to our brothers and sisters in the home, in the church, and in society. We should treat each other as we ourselves would want to be treated. Treat your neighbor as if they are a king.

Do not neglect your duty. Search diligently for your neighbor’s worth, praise their giftings, rejoice when they advance. For this is pleasing to the Lord, who also “came not to be served, but to serve,” and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Let’s pray.

Old Testament Reading

Genesis 25:19–34

New Testament Reading

Romans 8:1–11

Sermon: Paul’s Passion, Part 2

The Sanhedrin

Trial at the Dragon’s Head

Acts 22:30–23:11 “But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Now Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” But those standing nearby said, “Do you revile the high priest of God?” And Paul said, “I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” But knowing that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there was dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. And there occurred a great outcry; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” And as a great dissension was developing, because the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them, he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also.””

Luke places a deliberate irony here. The Roman commander is “wishing to know for certain” why Paul has been accused—he wants clarity and truth. The high priest, by contrast, orders Paul struck in clear violation of the Law, condemning before hearing, perverting the very justice he is supposed to uphold.

The phrase “looking intently” is used throughout Luke and Acts.

Jesus fixes His gaze on Peter after the denial;

Peter fixes his gaze on the lame man before healing him;

Paul fixes his gaze on Elymas before striking him blind.

Now Paul fixes his gaze on the Sanhedrin before bearing witness to his clear conscience.

It is prophetic confrontation.

Paul’s claim, “I have lived my life in all good conscience before God up to this day,” provokes the high priest’s order to strike him, just as Jesus and the prophets were struck when they spoke truth in God’s name. Schreiner notes that informed readers would know Ananias was later assassinated just before the Jewish War, so Paul’s “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!” is more than a “heat-of-the-moment” reaction; it anticipates God’s judgment on corrupt leadership.

There is debate whether Paul’s “I was not aware, brothers, that he was high priest” is remorse or sarcasm. I take it as sarcasm. Paul has just condemned this man for violating the Law; he is not wrong in what he said. It makes best sense to hear Paul saying, in effect, “A man who behaves like this cannot be recognized as God’s high priest.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize that this was the high priest because of his clear violation of the law of God.”

What further supports this reading is the strategy Paul employs immediately afterward. He cleverly sets the Sadducees and Pharisees against one another and uses their reactiveness against them. Because now, notice, the very Pharisees who had been part of the opposition are saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” Their passions are so easily manipulated that they swing from hostility to near-defense in a moment. This vividly illustrates the Proverb: “A man who cannot control his spirit is like a city without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).

Notice the words Luke uses for this council: dissension, divided, outcry, arguing heatedly, great dissension, threatening to tear Paul to pieces. These are not the calm, righteous judges of Israel; this is the Dragon—violent, fractious, devouring, not shining examples of the people of God.

Once again, Paul is rescued from dragonish Jewish leaders by pagan Romans and brought safely into their barracks. And that very night, “the Lord stood at his side.” Which echoes the Cornelius episode, where the Lord appears to a Gentile and then to Peter, teaching that what God has cleansed must not be called common. Here too, the Lord’s presence in a Roman barracks declares that He claims even this Gentile space; Caesar’s barracks have become the place where Yahweh stands with His apostle.

So Luke is giving us a contrast. The Roman commander seeks certainty while the Jewish high priest seeks condemnation. The Dragon’s council would tear Paul to pieces; the Imperium’s soldiers carry him safely into the barracks. And there, in Gentile custody, the presence of Yahweh appears—not in the temple but in the Roman camp.

The Dragon’s Curse

Acts 23:12–22 “Now when it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. And there were more than forty who formed this scheme. They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. “So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more carefully; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near.” But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, he came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” So he took him and led him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.” And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more carefully about him. “So do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of them—who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him—are lying in wait for him and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.” So the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things.””

“bound themselves under a curse” is an irony. The curse in this context means that if they fail to pay what they have vowed, then they would be cursed by God. But, in this case, if they failed to keep the vow, then they sin in having made not only a rash vow (Ecc 5:4), but also one that aims at evil. If they keep the vow, they sin in killing an innocent man.

And this word “curse” is the word “anathema.” This is the word we use today to describe those who have been cut off from the church: they are anathema. They are liable to judgment and God’s wrath and curse. And so, by taking this rash vow, these Jews have unknowingly pronounced “anathema” upon themselves whether they keep this vow or not. The Law says in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 23:21–23 ““When you make a vow to Yahweh your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for Yahweh your God will surely require it of you; and it will be a sin in you. “However, if you refrain from vowing, it will not be a sin in you. “You shall be careful and do what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to Yahweh your God that which you spoke with your mouth.”

To make matters worse, they also vowed not to eat or drink until this was accomplished. They cut themselves off from all sustenance until their mission was completed.

To summarize: they vow to do evil and bind themselves under God’s curse if they fail. And as a point of reflection, they sever themselves from the very sustenance that symbolizes life among the people of God: food and drink. So this passage gives us a vivid picture of proto-church discipline: those who rebel in breaking God’s law place themselves under anathema—the curse of God, and remove themselves from the symbols of life: food and drink.

The remainder of this section is fairly straightforward narrative. Paul’s nephew overhears the plot and tells the commander who now has even more of a reason to protect Paul. But if I was in this commander’s position, I would be thinking to myself, “what in the world did this man do to these Jews in order to warrant such a violent and persistent response?” Their massively over-reactive response to Paul makes it seem like Paul did something that really incited them to great wrath.

But, the commander seems to be a man devoted to true justice and due process, no matter the appearance. And so we read about the protection that Christ provides for Paul by means of the Roman Imperium, in our last section:

Christ’s Protection: the Roman Imperium

Acts 23:23–35 “And when he called to him two of the centurions, he said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to proceed to Caesarea by the third hour of the night, and provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” And he wrote a letter having this form: “Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. “When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. “And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin; and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. “And when I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to speak against him before you.” So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. But the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks. When these had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. And when he had read it, he asked from what province he was, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.”

And so now the situation is clear: Because Paul is a Roman citizen, he cannot be tried and killed by the Jews. There is a legal problem here: The commander needed proof that Paul had violated a Jewish law and was worthy of death. Otherwise, the Jews had no right at all to kill Paul. And so, this Jewish rebellion (in vowing to kill Paul) is really foreshadowing the same spirit that will lead to the destruction of Jerusalem within the following 10-15 years. The Jews were demonstrating a blatant contempt for the Roman court of law.

But, it was for the sake of determining the truth in a calmer setting that the commander sent Paul to Felix, and requested that he hear the case from the accusers and the accused, while conveniently leaving out that he had unlawfully bound Paul and almost flogged him.

Luke is presenting us with irony after irony: the elders and priests of God’s people ought to have been the one’s upholding true morality in the land. Instead they were seeking to subvert justice at every turn. They tell lies about Paul, they strike him unlawfully and even try to kill him. All clearly violations of the 6th and 9th commandments. And in contrast, “Chrysostom quips (according to Schreiner), “Like some king whom his bodyguards escort, so did these convey Paul.” The Jews religious leaders are seeking to unlawfully kill Paul, but the pagans Romans are like his military escort - the physical means of protection by which Paul would, in fact, bear witness in Rome as Jesus promised.

Rome is an instrument of Jesus as He exercises His rule in heaven at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

Summary and Application:

So Paul’s first trial before the Sanhedrin is truly a trial at the head of the Dragon. Violence and cursing spill out as these men seek to kill Paul. The Roman commander was afraid when he bound Paul and almost whipped him being uncondemned; but the High Priest had no such qualms in ordering Paul struck unlawfully. Christ used the Romans to protect and defend His apostle he steadily makes his way toward Rome.

Sanctified Sarcasm & The Serrated Edge

In this passage, I contend, that the best reading supports Paul’s use of sarcasm in defending his own lawful action and condemning the unlawful action of the high priest. Is this ok? Is it ok for Christians to use sarcasm in situations such as this?

And who better to help us understand this question than Douglas Wilson. This application is drawn from his book, A Serrated Edge: A Biblical Defense of Giving Offense,

“...if a Christian employs satire today, he is almost immediately called to account for his “unbiblical” behavior...Suppose a man were to refer to certain respected theologians dismissively as having graduated from Bag of Snakes Seminary. He would instantly be upbraided for his un-Christlike behavior. Unfortunately for the one delivering the rebuke, it was discovered shortly thereafter that the speaker was Christ (Mt. 23:33).”

The point he’s making is that the Bible uses, and shows us men who use, satire. And in most of the cases it is employed by the good guys against the bad guys. And so the question is, why are we so quick to condemn what appears to be biblical behavior?

Elijah uses sarcasm on Mt. Carmel when he was making fun of the false prophets. He was mocking them because they were calling on a dumb idol: 1 Kings 18:27 “Now it happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or relieving himself, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” - He is highlighting the stupidity of idolatry.

Jesus in his condemnation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:24–28 says some funny things if you just stop to consider it.

“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. “You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. “In this way, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

“blind guide” is funny because you would never have a blind guide. Jesus is using sharp satire to condemn the pharisees.

“strain out a gnat but swallow a camel” - it is a descriptive way of saying that they are focused on all the wrong things in a huge way. And what a funny way to say that. I’m sure the Pharisees wouldn’t have appreciated it. Maybe it would have hurt their feelings. Jesus doesn’t stop there.

“whitewashed tombs” - What is the point of whitewashing a structure that everyone knows is filled with death and decay? This is a satirical way of saying, “you hypocrites!”

One last example with Paul in his letter to the Galatians, which many believe would have already been written and sent to them.

I believe Paul wrote this letter before the Jerusalem council but after his first missionary journey. And in it, he is encouraging the Galatians away from the Judaizers who were contending that in order to join the church one had to be Jewish. In other words, if a Greek man wanted to join the local church, then the first order of business, from the perspective of these Judaizers, was to have him circumcised.

Paul, says something shocking in response to this: Galatians 5:12 “I wish that those who are upsetting you would even mutilate themselves.” Paul’s point is this: “You want to circumcise everyone, well I wish you would circumcise yourself more extensively.” Which is shocking and funny.

If we take these three examples, as well as the example from our passage, we see some similarities. And these are drawn out exceedingly well in Wilson’s booklet. I’d encourage you all to read it.

The object of the satire is always evil:

Idolatry (Elijah), hypocrisy (Jesus), legalism (Paul) - and in our passage, lawless condemnation. These are the objects of the satire.

Question: Is it wrong to ridicule evil? Is it wrong to make fun, put down, call names, to evil? The answer should be obvious, NO. It is not wrong to make fun of evil.

The problem for us is that it seems unkind or mean to make fun of anyone, but that assumes that certain people are neutral and just either ignorant or innocent. But, no one is neutral. Neutrality in the grand scheme is an impossibility. There are two sides in the great war: good and evil. And Christianity has always taught this. There is the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light. There are demons and angels. There are the elect of God and there are the damned. And this is a war.

And sometimes, ridicule or satire is a tool used to demonstrate the stupidity of waging war against God. And it might offend our modern sensibilities; however, sometimes, a sinner needs to hear that God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. It is stupid silliness to think that we can rebel against the Almighty God and Creator of all things. It is the epitome of foolishness to believe that we can live however we want before the face of God.

And sometimes, ridicule is the shock that a sinner needs to realize that he is condemned and needs to repent and join God’s side of this war.

Matt Walsh is a modern example of this tactic with his satirical documentaries, What is a Woman? and Am I Racist? They are built to humorously demonstrate the stupidity of trans ideology and critical race theory, respectively. Those are the objects of the satire. Are those good things to make fun of? Yes. Trans ideology is harmful, critical race theory is divisive. And anyone who is teaching or using those ideologies to indoctrinate people has earned the right to be ridiculed.

But there are important points to emphasize:

The goal of satire is repentance. We are trying to make sin appear as it is—evil and silly. And anyone who aligns himself with the side of sin and evil ought to feel evil and silly. They need to repent and believe on Jesus Christ. That is the goal.

It is possible to use satire in a fleshly manner. In Scripture, this serrated edge is aimed at those who are hardened and in leadership—false prophets of Baal, or the religious leadership of Israel—not at the average, stumbling person. Joe Rigney makes this point well in his book Leadership and Emotional Sabotage. We must ensure that we are not ourselves condemned by Scripture for the way we employ satire, even when we are defending the truth or trying to rescue people from sin, the flesh, and the devil.

When the Bible says to love your enemies and bless those who curse you, it is warning us not to be more devoted to our cause than to the cause of Christ. It is one thing to be zealous for God and His righteousness, and an entirely different thing to be zealous for myself. If I am struck, I can answer out of a sense of personal injury and a desire for retribution, or I can answer out of righteous indignation that this person has the audacity to blatantly break the law of God. We are not to seek our own vengeance; vengeance belongs to the Lord. So our use of satire must always be in the service of defending righteousness, not in the service of defending our pride.

So, first, the object of satire must always be evil—and evil as God defines it, not simply what I happen to dislike. That is a crucial point. And we must recognize that many people will see our satire as merely attacking what we arbitrarily dislike. They assume that God does not exist and that He does not speak about these matters. Therefore, in their minds, the only reason we care about them is because we’ve been taught to care about them and now want to impose our arbitrary religious standards on everyone. This is how the average person in our day tends to see it, and we therefore need to keep this in mind as we approach our attacks on evil.

The vehicle of the satire is meant to sharply and descriptively make plain the evil.

Elijah uses a verbal caricature designed to show how ridiculous it is to believe that a statue, a made-up god, could actually do what they were begging it to do.

Jesus uses hyperbolic comparisons and loaded titles to exaggerate and expose hypocrisy. He wanted it to be abundantly clear that these leaders were hypocrites

Paul uses condescending and sharp irony to make fun of the obvious wrongness and foolishness of what is being said and done.

The vehicle of the satire makes the evil plain.

The tone of the satire could be dry and subtle, or sharp and obvious. The examples before us are in the latter category. And it has been described as “Juvenalian” in literary terms.

Elijah’s Juvenalian satire is mocking.

Jesus’ is prophetically scorching.

Paul’s is pastorally biting. I say “pastorally” because his aim is always to win the person. He calls the Sanhedrin “brothers,” and his condemnation of the Judaizers in Galatians is out of his regard for the flock being deceived. His satire is like a shepherd’s staff being wielded against a wolf come to harm the sheep.

The norm of the satire. In each of these cases, a Biblical norm is assumed.

Elijah assumes that idolatry is a sin.

Jesus assumes that hypocrisy is a sin.

Paul assumes that legalism or unlawful condemnation is a sin.

We do this when we assume that homosexuality or trans ideology are sinful.

I’ve had examples in my work where someone will say “her pronouns are she/her,” describing a transgender male, and so I say, “That’s fine, I’ll play into the delusion.” Which is a satirical statement designed to force the staff member to analyze why they are just accepting of this harmful ideology. My assumption is that trans ideology is sinful, and so that is my object, my vehicle is plain language, my tone is subtle, and the norm I’m assuming is that all people, in their sexuality, are created in the image of God as God intended.

I recently saw a very pithy line that captures the point: “If you refuse to accept yourself as you are, then I refuse to accept you as you wish to be.” That is, we believe what this person truly needs is to learn to receive who they were created to be, rather than to be encouraged in the delusion that they can become something they are not. It is more loving to call someone back to reality than to cheer them on into harm. Sometimes a carefully chosen, satirical comment can spark that conversation by making the evil plain to see.

So the exhortation from this passage is this: Paul is not afraid to use sarcasm to demonstrate to these condemned religious leaders that they are in sin. And, as we have seen, this is in line with Elijah and with Jesus, among many others in Scripture we could have considered. And, those who use sarcasm are unashamedly taking a side. And this, I believe, is why there is a backlash against any “making fun” of the evils of our day. Because it is clearly a stand on one side against the other. Therefore, remember:

Don’t be afraid to make fun of evil. Take your stand on the side of goodness and righteousness and truth.

But remember, we must never employ sarcasm merely to defend ourselves or to gratify our pride. It must always be used in the service of Christ and His righteousness.

Our goal is not to score points but to provoke repentance—to drive sinners, including ourselves, back to Jesus.

And so, within those bounds, let us be willing to use the serrated edge when Scripture and circumstances warrant it—aiming it at real evil, constrained by love, and wielded without apology for the sake of the lost and against the forces of darkness.

Let’s pray.

Pastoral Prayer

Communion

Passing of the peace

Acts 23:12 “Now when it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.”

The conspirators in our passage bound themselves under a curse and removed themselves from the life‑sustaining sustenance of food and drink. And every time we knowingly cling to sin and harbor it in our hearts, we are doing something analogous. We are aligning ourselves with what is under the wrath and curse of God, and we are cutting ourselves off from the sustaining power of God’s Word and presence.

In that sense, we place ourselves under anathema. But God be praised: because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our sins can be washed away, as signified by our baptism, and we can be brought near to the table where we feast on bread and wine, the symbols of Christ’s body and blood.

Our sin separates us from the table—it excommunicates us in principle—but Christ’s sacrifice and the working of His Spirit communicate us, bring us in. The means God has ordained are confession of sin, repentance unto life, and a diligent seeking of His face.

So, as we come to the table, let us be those who quickly confess our sins, turn from them, and earnestly pursue righteousness. Jesus is feeding you with His sacrifice. He is the One who has made a way for you to escape the curse that we bring on ourselves when we side with evil in our living and thinking. Come to the table, taste and see that the Lord is good, and be sustained by the living Word—Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution: Psalm 119:105–112

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution: Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

#726 The Lord’s Prayer

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

#301: Praise to the Lord, The Almighty

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’