For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3,4
It may be easy to dismiss Easter at a distance. When Easter is a faraway object, it may be easy to label it as a fanciful story with lots of drama and a happy ending.
But to confront Easter up close is to wrestle with some pretty stubborn facts. The facts are these: By late Friday afternoon, Jesus of Nazareth was dead. A Roman soldier pierced his corpse to confirm it. The centurion in charge of Jesus’ crucifixion reported his death to Pontius Pilate. With Jesus’ execution complete, Pilate gave the body over to people who took it down from the cross and who buried it in a nearby tomb. Jesus’ disciples, paralyzed by fear and grief, kept themselves behind locked doors and did nothing.
Then, on Easter Sunday, something happened; something so extraordinary that it transformed Jesus’ disciples forever. It transformed these men from hiding in terror to men willing to spend the rest of their lives facing persecution, prison, and death just so they could tell others about Jesus.
The transformation of Jesus’ disciples is a matter of record. One day they were cowering in a locked room, grieving the death of their Master. The next they were changed men, men who possessed a bold, resilient courage no one would ever take away.
Let’s face it. A room full of terrified men does not suddenly change into lifelong courageous men based on some collective whim or wishful thought.
We know what happened. The Bible gives the account. Jesus had been dead and buried, sacrificed to pay for all sins of all people of all time. Then he rose from the dead to prove that his payment for sin was accepted and that he had conquered death for everyone who puts their faith in him.
That one stubborn fact has been changing hearts and lives ever since.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, bring me up close to the reality of Easter. You were dead, and now you live. Empower me with your Spirit. Let your resurrection refresh my courage to live for you. Amen.
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matthew 27:62-66
After Jesus’ death, his enemies remembered that he had promised to rise from the dead. They worried that the disciples would steal Jesus’ body, then say that he had risen. So, they asked Pilate to allow them to post a guard and seal Jesus’ tomb. Pilate agreed.
Interestingly, these actions by Jesus’ enemies and a Roman governor on Saturday of Holy Week are important evidence for Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning. Historians tell us that if a Roman guard fell asleep while on duty, the punishment was death. In addition, to break the seal of the governor also resulted in a death penalty. So, what do you think were the chances that the disciples (or anyone else) would have been able to steal Jesus’ body?
The recording of these events on Holy Saturday gives us a wonderful assurance. If Jesus’ tomb was opened, it was because God himself opened it. If Jesus’ tomb is empty, it is because Jesus left the tomb of his own volition.
On Easter Sunday, that is exactly what happened. And when the angel rolled back the stone it revealed an empty tomb. How remarkable that God used the actions of unbelievers on Saturday to bring us wonderful assurance that Jesus really rose on Sunday.
Prayer:
Lord, today I thank you that you have chosen to tell me about the events of that first Holy Saturday. Fill my heart with the joy of knowing you really rose from the tomb. Amen.
In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” Matthew 27:41-42
Ironically, the religious leaders standing at the foot of Jesus’ cross had it right. Jesus came not to save himself, but to save us! Jesus came not for his benefit, but for our benefit. Jesus stayed on that cross not because it was it was helpful for him, but because it was VITAL for us!
So we are filled with awe on this day. Imagine! God loves you so much that he was willing to go to the cross for you. God loves you so much that he was willing to lay down his life for you!
The devil can try to lead you to doubt, to wonder if God really loves you, but the cross drives those doubts away. Look! Jesus is up there, on that cross! He’s up there for you! Because he loves you! He’s up there because he wanted to win forgiveness for you! He’s up there because he wanted to spend eternal life with you!
And oh yes, let’s be clear; if Jesus had wanted to come down, he had the ability to do so. And that makes it all the more beautiful, doesn’t it? He did all this—went through all this suffering—willingly. That’s how much he loves you.
No wonder we call this Friday, “Good.”
Prayer:
O precious Savior, forgive me for my sins. Assure me that you have saved me! Drive doubts out of my heart forever. Amen
“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.” John 13:3-4
“If I was all-powerful, what would I do?” Have you asked yourself that question? Just try to imagine the possibilities.
Well, Jesus was all-powerful. And, on Thursday night of Holy Week, what did he do with that power? He used it to wash his disciples’ feet. Washing feet was the job for the most menial servant. It was an unpleasant job. In Jesus’ day, people walked on roads which were dusty or muddy. And, remember that animals also traveled on those roads, leaving behind their, well, you know. So foot-washing was a nasty job!
Jesus was willing to do that nasty job. Even though he is all-powerful, he chose to set aside his power and his rights so he could serve.
As Jesus’ followers, he calls on us to have the same servant-like attitude. He calls on us to put the needs of others before our own—the needs of our spouse, our children, our parents, our friends, our co-workers.
And when we fail, Jesus tells us to look to him for forgiveness. After all, he promises to give his followers credit for his perfectly loving life. And, in exchange, he took our perfectly sinful lives to the cross. So now, in God’s eyes, we are perfectly loving servants.
Let’s live that way. May Jesus’ willingness to serve us perfectly move us to serve others just as willingly and selflessly.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for serving me! Fill my heart with gratitude and open my eyes to opportunities to serve others this day, even as you served me. Amen.
Did you notice something missing? Yes—there is no Bible reading for today’s devotion. Why?
Well, because we are walking through Holy Week, considering some of the things Jesus said and did on each of the days. What do we know about Wednesday? Nothing.
Yes, God chose to record absolutely nothing that happened on Holy Wednesday. Not a word.
“BUT…BUT!” we sputter, “this is the most important week of all time! Surely there were interesting things said or done on that day!”
Probably. But God knew that we didn’t need to know any of it. And so, he didn’t tell us.
This reminds us of an important truth: While the Bible gives us all that we need to know to get to heaven, it doesn’t tell us all that we would like to know. There are many things that God chose not to tell us: when the angels were created, when the Last Day will be, exactly what heaven will be like . . . and what happened on Wednesday of Holy Week.
Hopefully, knowing that God hasn’t told us all we’d like to know will lead us to treasure, even more, the things which God has told us! If God put it into the Bible, it means He thought it was really important for us. If it’s in the Bible, it’s a treasure from God.
One of my favorite professors used this illustration: “When you read the Bible, imagine that at the top of the page it says, Dear ____ (fill in your name). Then comes the message of the page, and at the bottom it’s signed, ‘Love, God.’ And of course it’s signed in red—the blood of Jesus. For on each page of the Bible God is speaking directly to you, telling you about how much he loves you, pointing you somehow, some way to Jesus and the salvation which he won for you.”
So, yes, we know nothing of what happened on Wednesday of Holy Week. That’s okay. In fact, we pray that it leads us to treasure all the more the wonderful things God has told us!
Prayer:
O Savior, lead me to treasure all that you have told me in your Word, that I might cling to you all of my life. Amen.
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” Matthew 26:1-5
Are you a controller? It seems that most people like to be in control of the situations around them, or at least think they are in control.
On Tuesday of Holy Week the chief priests and elders of the people thought they were in control. They schemed to arrest Jesus and kill him. They would wait until after the Passover festival. But, eventually, they were sure, they would get rid of him.
But who was really in control? It wasn’t the chief priests and elders. It was Jesus! Even as the chief priests and elders made their plans to arrest and kill Jesus after the Passover, Jesus was telling his disciples that it would happen during the Passover. Who was in charge? Jesus was!
And so he remains in charge today. True, we often question his control and even fight against his control. But, thankfully, God’s control doesn’t depend on how well we follow him. God remains in control whether we willingly bow to his control or fight tooth and nail against it.
Knowing that Jesus was in control of the Holy Week events makes them all the more beautiful, because it reminds us that he was doing all this willingly, because he loved us! Thank God that Jesus was in control then, and that he is still in control today.
Prayer:
O Savior, forgive me for questioning your control. Assure me that you are ruling all things for the good of all of your people, including me. Amen.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Mark 11:20-21
During this Holy Week, we are going to “walk” with Jesus in our daily devotions. Each day we will consider something Jesus said or did on that day of Holy Week. So, today’s event took place on Monday. The day before, Jesus had been hungry, and he looked for figs on a particular fig tree. Finding none, Jesus had said, “May you never bear fruit again.” Only one day later, the fig tree was withered!
Jesus was using the fig tree to illustrate an important, and sobering, reality. Those who refuse to live for the Lord, who fail to produce spiritual fruit, will eventually fall under his judgment.
How do we avoid falling under that judgment? Jesus’ response to Peter helps us. He told Peter to, “Have faith in God.” In other words, this event was meant to cement and encourage trust in the hearts of the disciples. How?
They heard Jesus speak. Then, they saw that his words came true.
And so it will always be! When Jesus speaks, you can be sure that it will happen. When he says, “God so loved the world,” you can be sure it’s true. When he says that baptism saves, you can be sure it’s true! When he says that he’s preparing a place for you in heaven, you can be sure it’s true! When he says that he is with you always, you can be sure it’s true.
“But, I can’t (always) see it! I can’t always tell it’s happening!” True, we can’t always see that Jesus is keeping his Word. But, when we remember how the fig tree on the road to Jerusalem withered, just as Jesus said, we can be sure everything else will happen just as he said.
Prayer:
O Savior, open my ears to hear your Words. Then convince my heart that Your promises are true! Amen.
St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church
313 East Montello St.
Montello, WI 53949
Emmanuel Ev. Lutheran Church
W1568 Evergreen
Lane
Montello, WI 53949
XW E L C O M E
T O O U R C H U R C H X
We extend a warm
welcome to everyone today, especially our visitors. In the bulletin you’ll find an outline of
today’s service, a calendar of events and other bits of information. In the red hymn book you’ll find the
songs we sing and the order of service that we follow. If you would like a large print hymnal or bulletin please ask one
of our ushers and they will gladly assist you. Restrooms and nursery area are located the
parish hall at Emmanuel and in the lower level and link-way at St.
John’s. It’s nice to have you visit
today. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of
doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more, as you see the
day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Welcome to God’s house! May God bless our worship together.
Guest Pastor John Dolan
608.297.2866
www.stjohnsmontello.org
Like us on Facebook
G O D ’ S W O R D F O R T O D A Y Jesus Is Our King and Lord of All – Palm Sunday gets its name from the palm branches that people spread to make a path of victory for Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. There he would gain a victory they did not expect. The victory over sin and death, won for us by his own suffering and death. On Palm Sunday, the crowd hailed Jesus as king. Yet Jesus cried on his way down the Mount of Olives on the donkey, because Jerusalem did not recognize God’s coming to them. Bottom line: Jesus is more than the crowds knew. He is Lord of all. He is King of the world. He wore a crown of thorns for us and for all people. Praise his name forever!
Behold Your King!
OPENING HYMN131 stanzas 1 – 3All Glory, Laud, and Honor
Please Stand
CALL
TO WORSHIP
P:
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God!
C:
Hosanna in the highest.
P:
Lift up your head, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
C:
That the King of glory may come in!
P:
Who is the King of glory?
C:
The Lord of hosts is the King of glory!
INVOCATION
P:
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
CONFESSION AND
ABSOLUTION
P:
As we follow Jesus down the
road, through the gate and into the holy city of Jerusalem, we are reminded
that it is our sin that has put him on this path.
C:Most merciful God, you sent your
one and only Son Jesus to pay the price for our sin. Instead of
glorifying him, we glorify ourselves through our selfishness and the idols we
create and worship. Instead of walking with Jesus, we walk away from
him. We are sinful in thought, word, and deed. By our evil action
and inaction, we lock the door to the future. But by his life, death, and
resurrection Jesus opens it again for us. Forgive us, Lord. Renew
us and restore us that we would live to your glory, love you, and serve our
neighbor.
P:
The very purpose of Jesus’
triumphal entry into Jerusalem was to make his way to the sorrow, pain, and
suffering of the cross. By his perfect life and death your sins have been
forgiven and you have been redeemed. Jesus flings wide open the door to
eternal life for you. Therefore, I forgive you all your sins in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: We
praise you, O God, for the great acts of love by which you have redeemed us
through your Son, Jesus Christ. As he was acclaimed by those who
scattered their garments and branches of palm in his path, so may we always
hail him as our King and follow him with perfect confidence; who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.
C: Amen
Be Seated
CHOIR ANTHEMNo Tramp of
Soldiers’ Marching Feet (CWS 716)
XT H E W O R D X
FIRST LESSON Zechariah 9:9-10
9Rejoice
greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of
a donkey. 10I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the
warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim
peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River
to the ends of the earth.
PSALM OF THE DAY24 page 73
We
will sing the refrain and read the verse in unison.
Refrain
The earth is the LORD’S, and everything
in it,*
the world, and all who live in
it;
for he founded it upon the seas*
and established it upon the waters.
Who may ascend the hill of the
LORD?*
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure
heart,*
he will receive blessing from God his Savior.
Refrain
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient
doors,*
that the King of glory may come
in.
Who is this King of glory?*
The LORD strong and mighty,
the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient
doors,*
that the King of glory may come
in.
Who is he, this King of glory?*
The LORD Almighty—he is the King of glory.
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.
SECOND
LESSONPhilippians 2:5-11
5In your
relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And
being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to
death- even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the
highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD,
to the glory of God the Father.
VERSE OF THE DAY
P: The
hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 1 John
12:23
Please
Stand
THE
PALM SUNDAY GOSPELMatthew 21:1-11
1 As they approached
Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two
disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the
village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her
colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone
says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right
away.”
4 This took place to
fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did
as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the
donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A
very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut
branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9 The
crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to
the Son of David!”
“Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in
the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered
Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This
is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Be Seated
HYMN OF THE DAY 133Ride
On, Ride On in Majesty
SERMON
ON THE PALM SUNDAY GOSPELMatthew
21:1-11
Three Words of Truth: “Save Us Now!”
HYMN
RESPONSE322 On
What Has Now Been Sown
OFFERING
& WELS CONNECTION DVD
During offering, please greet one another and sign the
worship register in each pew.
XP
R A Y E R S X
Please
Stand
PRAYER
P: O
God, our heavenly Father, we come before you with thanksgiving and joy. In your great mercy, you sent your one and
only Son—a King—to share our humanity and to unveil the mystery of your saving
will from all eternity.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, in
you shines the light of life, yet you became obedient to death, even death on a
cross. Lead us to see the depth of your
love and the fullness of your forgiveness.
O
Holy Spirit, giver of life, grant to your Church strength of purpose in your
holy service, put the song of salvation on our lips, and clothe us with the
garments of praise that with joy we may declare: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
C: 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.
Be
Seated
XS
E R V I C E O F T H E
S A C R A M E N T X
The Order for Holy Communion, pages 21 – 25 in front
part of the hymnal
At St. John’s Ev.
Lutheran Church we practice closed Communion. If you are a guest at worship
today and interested in receiving the Lord’s Supper, please speak with the
pastor prior to the service.
DISTRIBUTION HYMN311Soul,
Adorn Yourself with Gladness
BLESSING
P: The
Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his
face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look on you with favor and
give you peace.
C: ♫ Amen
Be
Seated
CLOSING
HYMN323 Almighty Father, Bless the Word
XAnnouncements X
Activities for the week of April 14-April 20
Sun.
PALM SUNDAY
Mon.
6:30 P.M.
Choir at St. John’s
7:30 P.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
Tues.
Wed.
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Chapel
10:00 A.M.
Adult Bible Study at St. John’s
3:45 P.M.
Public School Teen Confirmation Class at St. John’s
NO ST. JOHN’S WORSHIP
Thurs.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
8:00 A.M.
St. John’s School Teen Confirmation
6:00 P.M.
Griefshare (11th of 13 weeks) in St. John’s lower level
7:00 P.M.
Emmanuel Worship with communion
Fri.
GOOD FRIDAY
1:00 P.M.
St. John’s Worship with
communion
NO ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL/LITTLE LAMBS
Sat.
Theme for Next Sunday April 21, 2019
Easter Sunday: “Joy in the Risen Lord!”
6:00 A.M.
Sunrise St. John’s Worship
8:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Worship
9:00 A.M.
Emmanuel Easter Breakfast in the parish hall
10:00 A.M.
St. John’s Worship
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
NO BIBLE INFORMATION CLASS
NO ADULT BIBLE STUDY
MEMORIALS From friends and family of Frieda Otto:
Emmanuel has received $575.00 designated for the new Hymnal Project, and $10.00
for the New Roof Project. Thank you!
PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL of your fellow worshipers preparing their hearts for
worship. If you are visiting with others, please keep your voices down.
Thank you!
EMMANUEL EASTER
BREAKFAST April 21 following the
8:00 AM Easter service, everyone is invited (members, friends and guests)
for pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausages, ham and fruit. A Freewill
Offering will be taken for Emmanuel’s Education Fund. The breakfast is
supported by a Thrivent Action Team Project. Join us for food and
fellowship in the Parish Hall.
USHER AND GREETER
SCHEDULE If you are signed up to
be a St. John’s usher and/or greeter, please pick up your April-May hard copy
in St. John’s Information Room. Schedules will be available for pick up every 2
months.
NEW ACTS BIBLE STUDY After completing our Study of Matthew recently, our
Monday 7:30pm & Wednesday 10am Adult Bible Class members & I began our
study of the book of Acts making use of the Acts DVD–“the only
dramatization using the actual scriptures…word for word from the New
International Version.” Join us in the SJ conference room!
NEW MEMBERSHIP CLASS begins in 2 weeks, Sunday 4/28 11:15am at St. John’s.
Join us in the link-way conference room for an hour or so after the 10am SJ
worship service.
EASTER FOR KIDS
COORDINATOR I am looking for
someone who would be willing to take the lead in the future. If you would be
interested, please call me 608-369-2635. Thank you! –Linda Wachholz
CHRISTIAN
ONE-LINERS(from
a WELS member): “You can tell how big a person is by what it takes
to discourage him/her.”
“Exercise
daily! Run from the devil. Walk with the Lord.”
EASTER FOR KIDS Many thanks to the children who attended
yesterday’s E4K. And thanks to all those adults that made it
happen. “Let the little children come to me.” (Mark 10:14)
JOINT
WORSHIP COMMITTEE UPDATE
Worship the Lord – the Purpose
of Worship
If you ask members about the reason why we
worship, the various answers include “praising God, giving thanks, and singing
and praying together.” It is true that all these things happen during worship, but are they really the purpose of worship?
As Lutherans, we know that we “cannot by our
own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ or come to him.” Faith,
forgiveness, and the sacraments are all received. Worship
is primarily God serving his people with Word and Sacrament. Simply put,
God gives, we receive. Christian
worship enables people to receive the riches of Christ.
What does Christian worship look like? Well,
that depends! In churches it includes
hymns and liturgies, lessons and creeds. In school it can include Bible-based
action songs and murals on the walls. Understanding worship’s purpose will help us understand our
various worship practices.
“But I want to feel closer to God. I need
emotion.” It’s true, we often
feel emotion when we worship. (O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder…” CW
256:1) These human emotions, however, are not the purpose of worship. Rather,
they spring from the heart of worship: the Gospel.
It is hard to find the right balance of
church doctrine and expressive worship.
In our defense of solid doctrine, it is easy to forget that God created
us with human emotions. If we want more expressive worship, it becomes easy to
downplay the importance of correct teaching.
If
worship is my primary opportunity to receive the riches of Christ and to
proclaim the Gospel to my neighbor, then, in Christian love, I need to put
aside my personal preferences and focus on my neighbor’s interests above my
own.
Satan knows that if he can confuse the
purpose of worship, he will get us to take our focus off of Christ and to place
it on our emotion or our reaction to Christ. Instead of a purpose-driven
church, or a mission- minded church, let us strive to be a Christ-centered
church! Everything else flows from there.
We gather in worship for a very specific
purpose; to receive the riches of Christ! To
God be the glory!
(Excerpts from “Worship
the Lord” No. 36,”Worship is Really Purpose-Driven” by Aaron Christie)
Attendance
Emmanuel
St. John’s
4-74-10
83 55
108 54
St. John’s Altar Committee
April 2019
Diane
Eisermann
&
Delores Cotte
St. John’s Greeter Schedule
April 14
Susan Brown & Kathy North
April 21
Kay Maass & LuAnn Zieman
April 28
Ciara Neuhauser & Jennie
Utke
May 5
Phyllis Farrell & Pat
Henning
May 12
Jim & Diane Eisermann
May 19
Wayne & Marilyn Riemer
May 26
Aaron Kendall &
Christopher Smith
Usher Schedule
April 14 E(with communion) SJ
Don Stelter, Warren Buchholz, Brian
Ninnemann
Don Smith; Chief, Mark Emond, Kevin
Kaul, Scott Ritz, Ken Borzick
April 18Maundy
Thurs.7:00pm
E
Darrell Buchholz, Don Stelter, Gary
Wegner
April 19Good Friday 1:00pm(with comm.) SJ
Kenon Smith; Chief, Ben Emond, Thomas
Wojtalewicz, James Henke, Paul Van Treeck
April 21 Easter ESunrise 6:00am
SJ10:00am SJ
Brian Ninnemann, Bob Ferber, Paul
Dahlke
Cal Kapp; Chief, Martin Schmanke, Lee
Ollendorf, Aaron Kendall, Chuck Boetcher
James Wachholz; Chief, Jim Eisermann,
Corey Kaul, Jerre Duerr, Robin Smith
April 28 E(with communion) SJ
Darrell Buchholz, Jim Stuempges, Joe
Heller
Jack Yates; Chief, Del Henke, Joe
Zauner, Gordon Krause, Richard Freitag
May 5
(with communion) ESJ
DuWayne Sommerfeld, Noah Buchholz, Gary
Wegner, Darrell Buchholz (comm. assist.)
Don Smith; Chief, Gerhardt Voigt, Mitch
Simon, Karl Whitrock, Matt Borzick
May 12 E (with communion) SJ
Wayne Stelter, Bruce Stelter, Brian
Ninnemann
Kenon Smith; Chief, Glen Bubolz, Al
Rosenthal, Christopher Smith, Calvin Wojtalewicz
May 19 ESJ
Lucas Stelter, Paul Wuerch, Paul Dahlke
Cal Kapp; Chief, Zeb Zuehls, Mark
Emond, Kevin Kaul, Scott Ritz
May 26 E (with communion) SJ
Don Stelter, Glenn Buchholz, Joe Heller
James Wachholz; Chief, Ken Borzick, Ben
Emond, Thomas Wojtalewicz, James Henke
Holy Week Worship
4/14 Palm Sunday 8am/10am at Emm/SJ
4/17 NO Wednesday 6:30pm Service
4/18 Maundy Thursday 7pm at Emm with communion
4/19 Good Friday 1pm at SJ with communion
4/21 Easter 6am/10am at SJ & 8am
at Emm
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Welcome To Our Visitors!Please Sign Our Guest RegisterFind & Like us on FacebookVisit our website link:www.stjohnsmontello.orgPastor Peter Zietlow: (608) 408-7830
E-mail:zietlowPL6@hotmail.comLittle Lambs Director & Teacher Sara Borck: (858) 731-7919
K & 1st Grade Teacher Cassie Doering: (920) 723-8986
2nd-4th Grade Teacher Karin Stellick: (920) 342-3689
Lead & 5th-8th Grade Teacher
Rachel Naumann: (847) 913-2135
Church & School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866
Altar Ladies Elaine
Kelm: (920) 344-0025 & Carolyn
Rosenthal: 589-5036
Church & School Mail: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI
53949
Church
& School E-mail:scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org
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As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:36-38
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds were expecting a king. They lined the streets hoping to see a mighty monarch. They waved palm branches and put their cloaks on the road seeking to honor an approaching regent. They shouted their praises and proclaimed their loyalty wanting to welcome a royal benefactor. But what the people expected and what they eventually saw were two different things. Jesus had not come to conquer. He had come to be crucified.
The people in Jerusalem were disappointed because Jesus wasn’t the king they were expecting. Too often I experience the same feeling. The Bible clearly teaches who Jesus is and what he came to accomplish. Still, I am tempted to make Jesus conform to my expectations. I want him to fulfill my whims and desires. I want him to bend and conform to my will.
Thankfully, that is not who Jesus is nor what he came to do. He came to fight for me when I was powerless against sin. He came to release me when I was bound and imprisoned by sin. He came to die so that I might live. Thank you, Jesus, for being far more than I could have ever expected.
Prayer:
O precious Jesus, as you entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, you established your rule and power. Give me the strength of faith to see you as you are. Free me from my faulty expectations. Fill me with the confidence to acknowledge you as my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and King. Amen.
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. Luke 20:19
It is strange and sad that the very people who should have rejoiced the most in Jesus’ coming were the ones who became his bitterest enemies. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day sought to silence him. The hardness of their hearts became even more apparent after Jesus used a parable to uncover their unfaithfulness to God. The only thing which prevented them from arresting Jesus was the crowd of people who listened attentively.
Sadly, like those religious leaders, we do not always want to listen to what Jesus has to say. We don’t always appreciate the guilt of our sin being uncovered. There is a part of us that bristles with anger at his accusations. We want to silence Jesus’ criticism and correction.
While we don’t always like the truth, we need to hear it. We need to understand we are sinners and recognize that, without Jesus, we would be under God’s just judgment. Only when we recognize these things are, we ready to hear the good news of his forgiveness.
And when we do, this precious message of God’s undeserved love in Jesus breaks through the hardness of our hearts and brings us to trust in him. This precious message of God’s undeserved love in Jesus leads us to rejoice in his will and follow it in our lives. What a wonderful change of heart!
Prayer:
O gracious Lord, I thank you for breaking through the hardness of my heart and bringing me to the joy of knowing you and your Son. Continue to keep my heart as your dwelling place until I join you in heaven. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
