Mountain To Mountain Mount Moriah To Mount Zion

Mountain To Mountain Mount Moriah To Mount Zion

Sermon For Lent Week Two

Rev. Greg Mech | Wednesday, February 28, 2018 | Lent Week Two | 4:00 pm

Mountain to Mountain: Mount Moriah to Mount Zion

A Thought as We Gather

Today, we journey from mountain to mountain. Mountains are amazing and awe-inspiring, but to journey through or to climb them is no easy task. When Abraham saw Mount Moriah, he was neither inspired nor amazed. His heart was filled with fear and dread, for on this mountain he had been told to provide a sacrifice: his son Isaac. It was a difficult mountain to climb. But on this mountain, the Lord God will provide. God rescued Isaac from the knife of Abraham in order that He might provide another sacrifice, a perfect Lamb without blemish or spot. Later, Mount Moriah would become Mount Zion, where the Jerusalem temple would be built. Although Jesus was sacrificed on Mount Calvary, His blood was brought to the Holy of Holies in the temple and sprinkled for our forgiveness, life, and salvation. It was a difficult mountain to climb, but the journey to that mountain leads us to the mountain of the new Zion—heaven.

Vespers for Lent Midweek 2

Stand

L O Lord, open my lips,

C and my mouth will declare Your praise.

L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;

C make haste to help me, O Lord.

C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.

PSALM 118:22-29 (Tone B)

L 22 The stone that the builders re- | jected*

has become the | cornerstone.

C 23 This is the Lord’s | doing;*

it is marvelous | in our eyes.

L 24 This is the day that the | Lord has made;*

let us rejoice and be | glad in it.

C 25 Save us, we pray, | O Lord!*

O Lord, we pray, give | us success!

L 26 Blessèd is he who comes in the name | of the Lord!*

We bless you from the house | of the Lord.

C 27 The Lord is God, and He has made His light

to shine up- | on us.*

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the | altar!

L 28 You are my God, and I will give | thanks to You;*

You are my God; I will ex- | tol You.

C 29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for | He is good;*

for His steadfast love endures for- | ever!

C Glory be to the Father and | to the Son*

and to the Holy | Spirit;

as it was in the be- | ginning,*

is now, and will be forever. | Amen.

SERIES HYMN  Text: Lisa M. Clark Tune: JEFFERSON

We are exiles from the garden, Banished by our sinful choice,

Terrified to seek His pardon,  Hiding from our Father’s voice.

Underneath the branches swaying, Sweat and blood fall to the ground.

In the darkness, Christ is praying; He comes forward to be bound.

 

Leaves will fail our vain concealing Our true nakedness and shame.

We must rend our hearts, revealing All our guilt and sinful blame.

Jesus takes our flesh and sentence As His clothes are claimed below.

We fall down in true repentance; His new robe He will bestow.

 

On the mount, the Lord is waiting For the proper sacrifice.

What is worth His wrath abating? Who could pay the dreadful price?

God the Son will be the scion. God the Father will provide.

God the Spirit points to Zion; There, with God, we will abide.

 

On this journey we are taking, We fear not what lies in store.

Though our feeble wills are breaking, We know Christ has gone before.

As we walk the way completed, On His throne, the Savior waits.

Death and hell have been unseated. We behold the open gates!

© 2017 Concordia Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 22:1–8

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

L O Lord, have mercy on us.

C Thanks be to God.

EPISTLE Hebrews 9:22, 11:17–19

9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

L O Lord, have mercy on us.

C Thanks be to God.

HOLY GOSPEL John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

P O Lord, have mercy on us.

C Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORY for LENT

L Deliver me, O Lord, my God, for You are the God of my salvation.

C Rescue me from my enemies, protect me from those who rise against me.

L In You, O Lord, do I put my trust, leave me not, O Lord, my God.

C    Deliver me, O Lord, my God, for You are the God of my salvation

SERMON “Mountain to Mountain: Mount Moriah to Mount Zion”
ANTIPHON

L Let my prayer rise before You as incense,

C and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

MAGNIFICAT

All My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;

Women for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden.

Men For the Mighty One has done great things to me, and holy is His name;

Women and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.

Men He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

Women He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly.

Men He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent empty away.

Pastor He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.

All Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

ANTIPHON

L Let my prayer rise before You as incense,

C and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Sit

OFFERING

+ Prayer +

Kneel/Stand

KYRIE

C Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

LORD’S PRAYER
COLLECTS

L O Lord, hear my prayer.

C And let my cry come to You.

COLLECT OF THE DAY
COLLECT
COLLECT FOR PEACE
BENEDICAMUS

L Let us bless the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

P The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C Amen.

HYMN “Lamb of God” (LSB 550)
Acknowledgments

Vespers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Learn More

0 Comments

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *