WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2026
MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICE
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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WORD OF WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: 427 “In The Cross Of Christ I Glory”
THE INVOCATION AND OPENING SENTENCES
P. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
P. I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
C. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
P. The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,
C. but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
THE PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Holy Father, the words of Caiaphas, though he was an evil man, were true. Judea perished as a nation and province of Rome. But through the death of Jesus, all who believe in him are spared. They are granted life and membership in a new nation, the kingdom of your
Son. Grant us faith in Jesus that through him we know we are saved. In his name we pray. Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P. Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in love.
C. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
P. Confident that our God is gracious and forgiving, let us confess our sins.
O Lord, I have worried about your provision for me. I have been greedy for material things. I have sought power and glory at the expense of others. I have ignored your Word, though I know what it says. I have avoided the hard road of righteousness and taken the easy road of sin.
P. Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven.” Assured by his word and promise, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
PSALM RESPONSE: Psalm 44:1-7
We have heard with our ears, O God;
C. our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
P. With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish.
C. It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.
P. You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.
C. Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
P. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;
C. but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 53:1-9
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep,
have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 26:57-68
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”
THE CREED
I believe in God the Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He died and was buried. He descended into hell, and the third day he rose again. He entered into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Almighty Father. He will come again 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 eternal. Amen.
HYMN: 621 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
THE DEVOTION: “Created To Be Like Christ”
THE OFFERING
PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
P. Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times when we have given in to a mob mentality and just gone along with what people think about you instead of what we truly be-
lieve. Help us to listen to your Word carefully and recognize that you are not an impostor, but a holy King come to save us. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. Lord, you died once for all. Let there be no feeling among us that we need to do something to receive full forgiveness. Help us to always remember the words of Caiaphas who said, “It is better that one man die for the nation.” You were that man, and we thank you that your death brought life and freedom to us all. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. My Savior, by your sacrifice, you ended the need for any other type of sacrifice for sin, animal or otherwise. Help us not to burden ourselves with guilt or beat ourselves up for sins that have already been forgiven. Guide us to move forward in our lives instead of re-
living the mistakes of the past. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. Jesus, our preparer of the future, open our eyes to the fact that the Law of God is supreme. Keep us committed to following God’s commandments above all others, while also obeying the laws of land to keep the peace. When you return in glory, let our hearts be ready for your eternal reign. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
Lord, though Caiaphas was unaware of it, his words and actions changed the course of history forever. Let us never discount that what we say and do can have enormous impact on the lives of others. Help us, Lord, to think before we speak and consult you before we act so that your name may be glorified in everything. Innocent Lord, who suffered for us,
C. Hear our prayer.
P. For these and all other things we have on our hearts, we ask for your grace, confident that you were tried and crucified to save sinners. In your name we pray.
Amen.
THE 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.
THE BENEDICTION
Fight the good fight of faith.
C. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
C. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit.
P. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.
C. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: 439 “O Dearest Jesus” (10-12)
