Lenten Midweek Gatherings—Wednesday of Reminiscere
Propers for Vespers (LSB 229)
Psalmody—Psalm 51
Office Hymn—LSB 453
Readings—John 18:12-27
Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine. Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.” And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?” Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
Lenten Responsory—LSB 231
Confession & Office of the Keys—LSB 326
Devotion from Friedrich Lochner’s Passion-Book—pp. 129-131
Canticle—LSB 231
Prayer—LSB 233
Collect for the Day
Mercifully look upon Thy people, O Lord, and grant that those whom Thou dost bid to abstain from carnal foods may also cease from hurtful vices; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Ash Wednesday Collect
Grant, O Lord, unto Thy faithful people, that they may take up the venerable solemnity of the fast with fitting piety, and may pass through the same with undisturbed devotion; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Other Prayers
Bach’s St. John Passion, Parts 6-14
Bach - St John Passion BWV 245 - Van Veldhoven | Netherlands Bach Society—16:22-37:38
The band, however, and the captain [of the band of Roman soldiers] and the attendants of the Jews took Jesus and bound him and led him at first to Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the one who was high priest in that year). But it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews it would be good that one person would be put to death for the people.
To unbind me
From the snares of my sins,
My salvation [Jesus] is bound.
To heal me fully
Of all vice-boils,
He lets himself be wounded.Simon Peter, however, followed Jesus and [so did] another disciple.
I will follow you likewise with joyful steps
And will not let you go,
My life, my light.
Promote the course [of my life of faith]
And do not cease
Drawing, pushing, imploring me yourself.This same disciple was known to the high priest and went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace. Peter, however, stood outside, in front of the door. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke with the woman keeping the door and led Peter in. Then the maid, the doorkeeper, declared to Peter: “Are you not one of this person’s disciples?” He declared: “That, I am not.” But the servants [of the priests] and attendants stood around, having made a charcoal fire (for it was cold), and warmed themselves. But Peter stood among them and warmed himself. But the high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered him: “I have spoken freely and openly before the world. I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple, where all Jews come together, and have spoken nothing in secret. Why do you ask me about this? About this, ask those who have heard what I have spoken to them. Look, these same ones know what I have said.” But as he spoke such things, one of the attendants standing nearby gave Jesus a blow to the cheek and declared: “Should you answer the high priest like that?” But Jesus answered: “If I have spoken badly, then prove that it be evil; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Upon the Cross Extended—LSB 453, stanzas 3-4Who has struck you so,
My salvation, and battered you
So badly with wound-marks?
You are indeed not a sinner,
As we and our children [are];
You do not have experience of [committing] misdeeds.
I, I and my sins,
Which are as [countless as] the little grains
Of sand on the seashore,
They have caused you
The misery that strikes you
And the grievous host of torments.And Annas sent him, bound, to the high priest Caiaphas. Simon Peter stood and warmed himself, when they declared to him: “Are you not one of his disciples?” He denied [it] again and declared: “That, I am not.” One of the high priest’s servants, a kinsman of him whose ear Peter had cut off, declares: “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Then Peter disavowed [Jesus] once more, and immediately the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered the words of Jesus and went out and wept bitterly.
Ah, my sense [of good and evil],
Where, in the end, do you want to go;
Where shall I restore myself?
Shall I stay here,
Or do I wish
Mountains and hills [to fall] upon my back?
With the world there is no counsel whatsoever,
And in my heart
Persist the agonies
Of my misdeed:
For the servant has disavowed the Lord.Peter, who does not think back [to Jesus’s word],
Disclaims his God;
At a penetrating glance, however,
He weeps bitterly.
Jesus, glance upon me as well,
Whenever I do not want to atone;
Whenever I have done something evil,
Stir my conscience.
Catechesis Based on Parts 12-14—Re-Conversion
Augsburg Confession XII: On Repentance
1 Our churches teach that there is forgiveness of sins for those who have fallen after Baptism whenever they are converted. 2 The Church ought to impart Absolution to those who return to repentance [Jeremiah 3:12]. 3 Now, strictly speaking, repentance consists of two parts. 4 One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. 5 The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven. It comforts the conscience and delivers it from terror. 6 Then good works are bound to follow, which are the fruit of repentance [Galatians 5:22–23]. 7 Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those who have once been justified can lose the Holy Spirit. 8 They also condemn those who argue that some may reach such a state of perfection in this life that they cannot sin. 9 The Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve those who had fallen after Baptism, though they returned to repentance. 10 Our churches also reject those who do not teach that forgiveness of sins comes through faith, but command us to merit grace through satisfactions of our own. They also reject those who teach that it is necessary to perform works of satisfaction, commanded by Church law, in order to remit eternal punishment or the punishment of purgatory.
I. Forgiveness for Those Who Fall After Baptism
“Our churches teach that there is forgiveness of sins for those who have fallen after Baptism whenever they are converted. The Church ought to impart Absolution to those who return to repentance.” (Jer. 3:12)
Repentance
Repentance consists of two parts:
Contrition—terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin
Faith—belief that for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven and the conscience is comforted
Re-Conversion (Conversio Reiterata)
Repentance is a return to Baptism.
Forgiveness is given whenever the sinner truly repents.
Scripture: Restoration of the Fallen
Calls to repentance
Ezek. 18:31
Ezek. 33:11
Examples of restoration
David—2 Sam. 12:13; Ps. 51
Manasseh—2 Chron. 33:11–13
Peter—Luke 22:61–62; 22:32
Parables of restoration
Luke 15—lost sheep, lost coin, prodigal son
Apostolic example
Gal. 4:19
The Church’s Task
Call sinners to repentance
Impart absolution to those who return
II. Rejection of the Anabaptist Error
“Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those who have once been justified can lose the Holy Spirit.”
Scripture: Believers May Fall
Luke 8:13
1 Tim. 1:19–20
1 Timothy 4:1
Biblical Warnings Against Presumption
Adam and Eve—Gen. 3
Noah—Gen. 9:20–24
Lot—Gen. 19:30–38
Aaron—Ex. 32
Moses—Num. 20:10–12
Solomon—1 Kings 11:1–8
Elijah—1 Kings 19
Job—Job 3
Warning Concerning Hardening
Matt. 12:31
Hebrews 10:26-27
1 John 5:16
The Church continues to warn and call sinners to repentance.
III. Rejection of the Novatian Error
“The Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve those who had fallen after Baptism, though they returned to repentance.”
The Error
The Novatians denied absolution to those who fell after Baptism.
The Church’s Confession
Christ entrusted His Church with the Office of the Keys.
Therefore the Church must:
proclaim forgiveness
absolve those who repent
Rejection of Roman Penance
Forgiveness does not come through satisfactions or penance.
1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one’s neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one’s neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity “which covers a multitude of sins.”—Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 360.
Rom. 11:6
Rom. 4:5
Fruit of Repentance
Good works follow from living faith.
Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 2:10
James 2:14-26
They are the fruits of repentance.
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