Holy Saturday

From the Lutheran Book Of Prayer, copyright 1970, Concordia Publishing House.

"Heavenly Father, we are silenced at the grave of Your Son. In justice You called for Him, who knew no sin, to be made sin for us. Yet You permitted Your Son to die in innocence. In love He came to us but He was rejected by hate. He taught us obedience but men rebelled against Him.

We confess that a great mystery confronts us as this tomb of sin and death. He was buried behind the great seal of our sin and our death. By faith we know also that He who died is the One who unlocked the great secret of Your love. His tomb is our tomb. He carried with Him to the grave our sin and our death that He might break their hold on us.

Trusting in our Lord's promise that He would rise again on the thrid day, we come not to mourn Him but to confess the sin that He would leave buried. Have mercy on us! Grant us the Easter faith that anticipates with joy the day on which You raised Him from the dead, so that in Him we too shall come forth from the tomb to live with Him in eternity. We pray in His name and for His sake.

Amen."