Friday of Lent 4

Lamb of God, Pure and Holy – Lutheran Service Book #434

John 1:29, 35-36; Isaiah 53:6-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; John 14:27

Lamb of God, pure and holy,

 Who on the cross didst suffer

Ever patient and lowly,

 Thyself to scorn didst offer,

All sins Thou bor-est for us,

Else had despair reigned o’er us

Have mercy on us, O Jesus, O Jesus

It was necessary that Jesus should suffer. His suffering was connected with His high priesthood. (Hebrews 2:17-18) Christ suffered as a part of His obedience to the will of the Father. Christ suffered to gain eternal life for all people.

Christ’s suffering was not simply a dramatic show without a purpose. Rather, it was as real as any pain or anguish that you might ever feel.  And, most important, He suffered in order to win eternal salvation for you. May God grant us a humble heart full of gratitude to the Savior who suffered for us.

O God, by the patient endurance of Your only-begotten Son You beat down the pride of the old enemy. Help us to treasure rightly in our hearts what our Lord has borne for our sake that, after His example, we may bear with patience those things that are adverse to us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.[1]

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[1] Lutheran Service Book, Collect for patience; © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis