Daily Anglican Prayer – Good Friday Passion Prayer Service – 18th April 2025

Daily Anglican Prayer – Good Friday Passion Prayer – 18^th April 2025

Readings NRSV: Psalm 22; Isaiah 52.13-53.12; Hebrews 10.16 – 25; 5.7-9; John 18.1- 19.42.

Led by Felicity Scott, an Anglican prayer minister in Queensland, Australia.

The full prayer transcript is available by going to this episode on the Podcast website.

https://dailyprayeranglicanprayerbookforaustralia.podbean.com

Today we commemorate the Good Friday solemn liturgy of the passion and death of our lord.

Prayer for the Day (as provided in APBA pages 494-499).

Almighty God,

look with mercy on this your family,

for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing

to be betrayed and to be given into the hands of sinners

and to suffer death upon the cross,

who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD

Old Testament Reading:

Isaiah 52.13 – 53.12

52.13 See, my servant shall prosper;

he shall be exalted and lifted up,

and shall be very high.

14 Just as there were many who were astonished at him

—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of mortals—

15 so he shall startle many nations;

kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which had not been told them they shall see,

and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

53.1 Who has believed what we have heard?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by others;

a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

and as one from whom others hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him of no account.

4 Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have all turned to our own way,

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away.

Who could have imagined his future?

For he was cut off from the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people.

9 They made his grave with the wicked

and his tomb with the rich,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.

When you make his life an offering for sin,

he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;

through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.

11 Out of his anguish he shall see light;

he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

because he poured out himself to death,

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors.

 

Psalm Reading:

 

Psalm 22

 

New Testament Reading:

Hebrews 10.16 – 25

10.16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, says the Lord:

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds,”

17 he also adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

A Call to Persevere

19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 

 

 

 

 

The Gospel Passion Reading from the book of  

John 18.1 – 19.42 –

 

The humble reading of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John beginning at chapter 18 verse 1. Glory to you Lord Jesus Christ

 

John 18.1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” 5 They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfil the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. 11 Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus before the High Priest

12 So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. 17 The woman said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered, “I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, “You are not also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.

28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)

33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.

John 19.1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11  Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”

13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So they took Jesus; 17 and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” 23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each /soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. 24 So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill what the scripture says,

“They divided my clothes among themselves,

and for my clothing they cast lots.”

25 And that is what the soldiers did.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

28 After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfil the scripture), “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus' Side Is Pierced

31 Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. 35 (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) 36 These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, “None of his bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another passage of scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

The Burial of Jesus

38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. 39 Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. 42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

 

Silence is kept.

 

We acknowledge the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Silence is kept.

 

God shows great love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for our forgiveness.

 

Let us confess our sins.

 

O Christ, we are stripped bare by your suffering.

You see our dreams, our demons,

and the secrets we keep even from ourselves.

Forgive all that needs to be forgiven,

healed all that needs to be healed,

awaken all the good that sleeps in us,

banish all the fears that paralyse us.

Put the power of your cross into our lives for ever,

and clothe us with hope and love.

 

The absolution

 

We have turned our hearts to God in repentance

and our sins are laid bare before the cross of Jesus Christ.

In the name of the living God,

your sins are forgiven. Amen.

 

A hymn may be sung.

THE SOLEMN PRAYERS

 

The Solemn Prayers may follow the Proclamation of the Cross.

 

The presider says

God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world,

but so that the world might be saved through him.

So let us bring the needs of the whole world

to the foot of the cross of Christ.

We pray for the Church of God throughout the world,

that God the Almighty, eternal One will guide it,

and gather it in unity and peace.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

you have shown your glory to all nations

in Christ your Son:

guide the work of your Church,

help it to keep the faith,

proclaim your Name,

and bring your salvation to all people.

We pray for all God’s people in their vocation and ministry,

for all bishops, priests and deacons and Primates across all religions,

and for all Christians and those who are preparing for baptism and confirmation into the Christian faith.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

by your Spirit you teach your Church

and make us holy:

help each of us to do your work more faithfully.

We pray for all who confess Christ crucified,

that God will heal our divisions.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

in baptism you make us one in Christ:

help us to persevere in faith,

and make us one in love and service.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem,

and for the Jewish people, the first to hear the word of God.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

long ago you gave your promise to Abraham and Sarah.

Bless the people you first made your own:

keep them in the love of your Name,

and in faithfulness to your covenant.

We pray for all who do not look to Christ as Saviour,

and all who do not believe in God.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

you created man and woman in your image:

draw all people to yourself,

that they may acknowledge you as the maker and redeemer of all,

and know Christ’s mercy and grace.

We pray for the peace of the world,

for those in authority,

and for all who shape our common life.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God,

you desire justice for all the earth:

guide our leaders and guard all peoples

in the way of righteousness, freedom and peace.

We pray for the sick, the dying and all in need;

for the homeless, the hungry and the oppressed,

for those in darkness and despair.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

Holy God, all tenderness and healing flow from you:

give strength to the weary

and courage to the downhearted,

and show mercy to all who are in trouble.

We pray you remember us.

Lord, in your mercy

hear our prayer.

 

 

The presider says,

 

Most merciful God,

we commit ourselves to you

and pray for the grace of a holy life,

that, with all who have died

and are alive in Christ,

we may come to the fullness of eternal life,

and the joy of the resurrection

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The PROCLAMATION OF THE CROSS

A cross is laid nearby:

As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, we say:

We adore you; O Christ and we bless you,

because, by your holy Cross

you have redeemed the world.

 

As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, again we say:

We adore you; O Christ and we bless you,

because, by your holy Cross

you have redeemed the world.

 

As we focus and acknowledge your cross of salvation, again we say:

We adore you; O Christ and we bless you,

because, by your holy Cross

you have redeemed the world.

 

Following:

Behold the wood of the cross of salvation

on which the Saviour of the world was hung.

Come, let us adore him.

 

The conclusion,

O Saviour of the world,

By your cross and precious blood, you have redeemed us.

Save us, and help us,

we humbly beseech you, O Lord.

 

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are confident to pray

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

 

Final prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ,

the story of your suffering is written on our hearts,

and the salvation of the world is in your outstretched hands.

Keep your victory always before our eyes, your praise on our lips,

your peace in our lives. Amen.

A hymn is played amazing grace.

 

© Anglican Church of Australia Trust Corporation. Used by permission

This text may be reproduced for use in worship in the Anglican Church of Australia

Music by Rosemary Siemens.

A reminder disclaimer to the listener.

The readings in the podcast may include ancient and old-fashioned sayings and instructions that we do not in any way condone as in use or to be used in today’s modern world. The readings have not been modernised to reflect todays thinking, instead the readings remain from the old version of the NRSV bible. The podcast owners explicitly declare that each listener is responsible for their own actions in response to the bible readings and the podcast owners bare no responsibility in this sense.