Easter Sunday Service

KJV Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

The women went to the tomb to honor the body of Jesus, assuming He was dead even though He predicted many times that He would be killed and rise from the dead. They doubtless felt dead themselves on their way to the tomb, heavy with grief and sorrow. Still, they wanted to finish what would have been done normally.

All this could have been changed, if God had willed it to be simpler and more obvious to everyone. But God permits us to feel the sorrow before we experience the peace that comes with His Gospel.

The followers, except for Jesus, still had faith, but they were shaken by events and scared of the overwhelming power of the Roman Empire, not to mention Jewish hostility. Before they entered the area, Doubting Thomas predicted they might all die there together (Gospel of John).

Lacking faith, the women would have run away. Lacking faith, the disciples would have scattered instead of staying together. But their faith was limited because they had yet to see the prophecies fulfilled. At this point they were so blinded by grief that they no longer knew the Passion predictions and acted as if Rome had won. At this point Rome would have seemed all-powerful and God...not so much.

Needless to say, we often trudge along as if the tomb were still sealed, Jesus lifeless inside. What is our excuse? We listen to the unbelieving world and commune with its spirit. One writer said, wisely, "We are all influenced, whether we admit it or not."

So the women and the disciples are not only the key figures in this great drama but also our examples, both bad and good, examples to teach us how we are with a faltering faith and also how we are with Resurrection certainty.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Here we have an exact moment. The sun was just starting to rise on Sunday, the first day of the week. My Adventist relatives thought we had to worship on Saturday, but the Christian Church changed the day of worship to Sunday, to honor Jesus' resurrection. In fact, they treated each Sunday as Easter and sang hymns as the sun rose.

The Church of Wishful Thinking always wants to make Christian observances pagan because our culture borrows from various languages and traditions. They yammer about Easter being the name of a pagan god, which is true, but we do not worship Oster.  We use Easter as short-hand for The Resurrection of Our Lord.

Easter eggs borrow from the Oster myth, and there is a substitute Christian legend about eggs turning rainbow colored. All that is harmless. What hurts the true Christian Church is having pastors and district presidents who lure kids to church with "live rabbits you can pet," as if Easter itself lacks no power to draw people.

The more we make the Christian faith appealing to the masses, the less appeal it has, because the malls and pizza parlors can do this better than we can. By participating in their style of promotion we demean and water down the Gospel until it is only a happy-chappy philosophy.

Today we act as if Sunday is just another day, and Easter is just another Sunday.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

This lid to the tomb was a very big problem. It was not a boulder, as some artists paint it, since no one would have been able to move a boulder large enough to seal a tomb. The custom was to use a flat round rock that fit in a groove, to be rolled aside when needed. However, that still required a lot more upper body strength than all the women had.

Nevertheless, they had set out with the right materials for their duties without stopping to question that weighty problem. They were so anxious to honor Jesus in death that they did not consider that their task was going to be impossible at that hour. No one was going to be at the tomb of a criminal executed for crimes against the Roman government (the cross) accused of blasphemy (the religious point of view). Jesus was doubly accursed in the eyes of the public, and no one wanted to be associated with Him.

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

This rationalistic assumption is made by non-Lutherans - He was allowed to leave when the angels rolled the stone away. Some paintings show angels moving the stone and Jesus leaving at that time.

The human nature of Jesus did not limit His divine nature. We do not think of God as being locked up inside a church building when the doors are closed. Nor was Jesus ever confined by the limitations of His body. When crowds surrounded Him twice, He passed through them. When the tomb was sealed, He left. When the doors were locked shut "for fear of the Jews" He twice entered the chamber where the disciples were hiding.

This is the mystery revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in the Word. He who fashioned the universe was lying in a manger. The Son of God, who created the mountain ranges, could not be sealed in by the very stone which He made as the Creating Word.

Thus we have Holy Communion, even with the doors locked and the windows shut. Yet Jesus is present in His human and divine natures, promising and giving us forgiveness of sin in the Sacrament.

So the stone was rolled away - not for Jesus - but for the women and later the disciples and everyone else. Roman soldiers guarded the tomb, to make sure no one disturbed the grave or caused some kind of fraud. When the angels rolled the stone away, they saw emptiness and ran in terror.

The Roman Empire could not eliminate the Son of God. They could not defeat the Holy One with death. Instead, using death, Jesus defeated sin, death, and Satan. The only responses are stark terror and faith.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

We should give the women some credit here. They came to the tomb in one frame of mind. They could have been frightened away, but they stayed to look inside. For that reason they were blessed with the message of the angel. They were scared but did not take to their heels.

It takes so little to frighten us that we should think of these women as quite stout-hearted to look inside the tomb.

We can be afraid and still have faith. Faith in God informs our fears and helps us with self-control.

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

The angelic message is even more astonishing than the empty tomb. Perhaps the faithful would like the angel to say, "You are looking for the Son of God, the Savior." But instead, the ordinary name of Jesus - Jesus of Nazareth - is used. That gives the account precision. They are not looking for a title, but a person. There was great love and faith among the followers, but complete knowledge about that was slowly building. We look at these backwards in time. They developed their understanding.

But our understanding also develops as we continue in faith. We have moments of fear and sorrow, dashing our hopes. But God builds us up again. Through study of the Word and experience we realize what the Gospel really means as we pass through life.

These first phrases to describe their teacher are remarkable:

1. He was crucified.

2. He is not here.

3. He is risen from the dead.

Jesus was killed by the authorities - He was crucified. But He is no longer here, in a tomb. He is absent from the world of the dead.

He is risen from the dead. Once again - great precision is in this message, preventing people from having false assumptions. One is that Jesus never really died. Yes He died. He was crucified.

He is not here - counters the notion that unscrupulous followers stole His body. If that had happened, we would have something like - His body is no longer here. "He" means a living person.

He is, he was - those are verbal clues to police detectives. When they look for a missing person and someone says "He was..." that is a clue that the individual knows that person is no longer alive.

The clarifying statement says it all - He is risen from the dead. I added "from the dead" but that is the only possible meaning.

If Jesus of Nazareth is risen from the dead, the same one who called Lazarus from death, then He is the Lord over all.

8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

The women were having an information and experience overload, passing from sorrow and poor understanding to joy and revelation. Who can take so much at once. They did not stop along the way to talk to anyone but ran back to where the disciples were, to tell them about this great news.

This calls for the rest of the story, so we have the ending of Mark, plus Luke and Matthew and John for post-resurrection stories. We celebrate Easter for a season and the rest of the year because it is central to the Christian message.

Easter Sunrise Service

2018 Sermon Easter Sunrise
St. John 20:1-18
             Christ is risen! Nobody expected Jesus to be alive. That's because they didn't believe His Word. How many times did Jesus tell His disciples that He would suffer and rise the third day? But, as John points out, they didn't yet know the Scriptures that said it was necessary for Him to rise. It was all there in the Old Testament and what Jesus said. Well they didn't believe it from the Word. What about when Jesus was alive? Mary is standing there looking at Him and even then doesn't recognize Him! Not until He says her name. Maybe it's her grief, but maybe it's the Lord, not revealing Himself to her until He has called her by name. And that point, Jesus says He is going to His Father and THEIR Father; His God and THEIR God.
                The resurrection changes everything. After the resurrection, we recognize Jesus when He calls us by name. It's why Baptism and Easter go together. Christ is risen! That means you rise. You were buried with Christ by Baptism into death, and just as Jesus was raised, so you are raised to newness of life. His resurrection means your Baptism. And in that Baptism, God calls you by name and calls you His own. The great doubt of Easter morning is that the Lord has left His people. Abandoned them. Failed them. How often don't we conclude that by what's going on in our lives? Mary was crushed. The disciples were crushed. Death was the only thing on their mind. Just as death is the thing on our mind. If it's not always directly then it's indirectly as we deal with sickness and disease and the problems and sufferings we live through each day.

               Against all that sorrow is Jesus saying, "Mary!" Against all those things is Jesus saying your name in your Baptism, telling you He is alive forevermore and has defeated all those things for you!  Now, Mary wants to hang on to Jesus. She doesn't want to see Him go again. But this is not how she will see Him. Now it will be where His disciples are. In other words, no clinging to Jesus in the Garden.  Rather, we find Him and hang onto Him in His church. The promise of Christ being alive and calling our names in baptism takes place in His church. Those who celebrate Easter are church people, the body of Christ, gathered together to find their hope and strength daily in the forgiveness of sins that Jesus gives out in His church. Rejoicing in God calling us by name in Baptism; absolving our sins; coming to us in His body and blood so that we may see that He is alive. Over and over what Jesus said is repeated: The Son of Man suffered and was crucified and died for us and rose again for us. And He calls you by name to rescue you out of every temptation and evil and promises that just as He rose from the dead, so you will rise from the dead too. Behold our Lord on Easter because that is your future, children of God, to rise from the dead and live forevermore! In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Easter Vigil Service

+ SERVICE OF LIGHT +

P In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P Beloved in the Lord, on this most holy night, in which Our Lord Jesus passed over from death into life, we are gathered here in vigil and in prayer. This is the Passover of the Lord in which, by hearing His Word, we share in His victory over death.

P

Let us pray.

O God, You are like a refiner's fire, and Your Spirit enkindles the hearts of Your faithful people with the fire of Your love. Bless, we implore You, this new flame and those who keep this joyful Easter festival that, burning with desire for life with You, we may be found rightly prepared to share in the Feast of Light which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C

Amen.

The paschal candle is lit.

Blessing of the Paschal Candle

P

May the light of Christ, who is risen in glory from the dead, scatter all the darkness of our hearts and minds.

        Collect

P

Let us pray.

Almighty and most merciful God, pour out on us Your abundant blessing that all who in true faith share this night in joyful celebration of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead may be filled with Your heavenly benediction. Once we were in darkness, but now we are in the light, even Jesus Christ, our Lord.  

Amen

All light their candles from the paschal candle and

follow the candle bearer in procession into the darkened church.

Procession into the Church

The bearer of the paschal candle stops at the entrance to the nave.

The light of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

The bearer of the paschal candle stops in the middle of the nave.

The light of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

When all have processed, the bearer of the paschal candle lifts the paschal candle high.

The light of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

                                              Easter Proclamation      

Exsultet

Rejoice now, all you heavenly choirs of angels; rejoice now, all creation; sound forth, trumpet of salvation, and proclaim the triumph of our King.  

Rejoice too, all the earth, in the radiance of the light now poured upon you and made brilliant by the brightness of the everlasting King; know that the ancient darkness has been forever banished.  

Rejoice, O Church of Christ, clothed in the brightness of this light; let all this house of God ring out with rejoicing, with the praises of all God’s faithful people.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

All extinguish their candles

Please be seated

+ SERVICE OF READINGS +

Introduction to Readings

In this most holy night our Savior, Christ the Lord, broke the power of death and by His resurrection brought life and salvation to all creation. Let us praise the Lord, for He truly keeps His word. The sun of righteousness has dawned upon us who have sat in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The Creation and Fall

A reading from Genesis, chapters 1 and 3         

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

P

This is the Word of the Lord.

C

Thanks be to God.

P

Let us pray.

Almighty God, through Your Word and Spirit You most wonderfully created all things, and through the Word made flesh You brought new life to fallen humanity.  Grant that in Your mercy we may be conformed to the image of Him who shares fully in our humanity; even Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C

Amen.

The Flood

P A reading from Genesis, chapter 7:1-5, 11-18; 8:6-18; 9:8-13.

7 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him…11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.

8:6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.

9:88 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

P This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

P Let us pray.

O Lord, You kill and You raise to life; You brought the flood upon a wicked and perverse generation, and yet You saved faithful Noah and his family in the ark.  Keep us in safety in the ark of Christ’s body, the church, that Your mercy may come to its fullness and Your salvation be preached to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

The Testing of Abraham

P A reading from Genesis, chapter 22.

22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

P This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

P Let us pray.

O God, since You promised faithful Abraham that he would be the father of a great multitude, You provided a substitute for his son Isaac.  In the fullness of time, You sent Your Son, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, to lay down His life that we might live as faithful children of Abraham.  Grant to all people a living trust in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord

C Amen.

Hymn 507 Holy, Holy, Holy

+ A REMEMBRANCE OF HOLY BAPTISM +

Baptismal Address

P On this holiest of nights, the whole Church of our Lord Jesus Christ recalls His death and burial, rejoicing with great joy in the Gospel of His glorious and mighty resurrection from the dead. The apostle Paul says:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The Flood Prayer

P Let us pray.

Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment You condemned the unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy You preserved believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet led Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Your Holy Baptism. Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.

We pray that You would behold us all according to Your boundless mercy and bless us with true faith by the Holy Spirit, that through this saving flood all sin in us, which has been inherited from Adam and which we ourselves have committed since, would be drowned and die. Grant that we be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, we would be declared worthy of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.   

C Amen.

Renunciation

P Do you renounce the devil?

C Yes, I renounce him.

P Do you renounce all his works?

C Yes, I renounce them.

P Do you renounce all his ways?

C Yes, I renounce them.

Profession of Faith

P Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?

C Yes, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

P Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son?

C Yes, I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

P Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?

C Yes, I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting.

Baptismal Blessing

P The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven you all your sins, strengthen you with His grace to life + everlasting.

C Amen.

The Peace

P Peace + be with you.

C Amen.

+ SERVICE OF PRAYER +

Litany of the Resurrection

P O Lord,

C have mercy.

P O Christ,

C have mercy.

P O Lord,

C have mercy.

P Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

C hear us.

P Paschal Lamb, who was offered for us and has taken away the sin of the world,

C have mercy on us.

P Who was crucified for our transgressions and raised for our justification,

C have mercy on us.

P Who foretold Your passion saying, "The Son of Man must be crucified and on the third day rise again,"

C have mercy on us.

P Who destroyed death by dying, and by rising to life again brought life and immortality to light,

C have mercy on us.

P Whose resurrection was first announced by an angel to the women,

C have mercy on us.

P Who appeared to Mary Magdalene and was worshiped by her,

C have mercy on us.

P Who revealed Yourself to the two disciples on the Emmaus road and made Yourself known to them in the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread,

C have mercy on us.

P Who appeared to the disciples, bestowing on them Your peace and Your Spirit,

C have mercy on us.

P Who showed Your wounded hands and side to the apostle Thomas that he too might believe,

C have mercy on us.

P Who appeared to seven disciples on the Sea of Tiberias, bringing a miraculous catch of fish,

C have mercy on us.

P Who appeared to Peter and to the Twelve, to over 500 disciples, to James and to all the apostles, and to Paul on the Damascus road,

C have mercy on us.

P Who commissioned Your Church to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching them,

C have mercy on us.

P By Your glorious resurrection from the dead,

C good Lord, deliver us.

P By Your victory over sin and death,

C good Lord, deliver us.

P By the majesty of Your risen body,

C good Lord, deliver us.

P We poor sinners implore You

C to hear us, Lord Jesus.

P That we may daily die and rise with You in our Baptism and walk in the freedom of Your forgiveness,

C grant us, good Lord.

P That we may set our minds on things above and not on earthly things, serving as we have been served by You,

C grant us, good Lord.

P That we may dwell with You forever in the new creation as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem, together with all the saints,

C grant us, good Lord.

P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C have mercy on us.

P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C have mercy on us.

P Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C grant us Your peace.

P O Lord,

C have mercy.

P O Christ,

C have mercy.

P O Lord,

C have mercy. Amen.

Hymn 462 All The Earth With Joy Is Sounding

+ SERVICE OF THE WORD +

Easter Acclamation

P

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

C

He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P

The Lord be with you.

C

And also with you.

P

Let us pray.

O God, You made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection. Preserve in us the spirit of adoption which You have given so that, made alive in body and soul, we may serve You purely; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C

Amen.

Holy Gospel Mark 16:1—8

P

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the  sixteenth chapter.

C

Glory to You, O Lord.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

P

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C

Praise to You, O Christ.

Concluding Prayer

P Let us pray.

P O God, for our redemption You gave Your only begotten Son to the death of the cross and  by His glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of the enemy. Grant that all our sin may be drowned through daily repentance and that day by day we may arise to live before You in righteousness and purity forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C

Amen.

P Let us pray bless the Lord.

C

Thanks be to God.

P The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.

C

Amen.

Closing Hymn 805 Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

Good Friday Tenebrae Service

THE SERVICE OF THE WORD

(Good Friday is part of the sacred Triduum, the three-day observance of Christ's Passover.  There is no Invocation nor Benediction. Also, this is not a funeral sermon for Jesus. Rather it is a day of repentance over sin and restrained joy and praise for the atonement Christ accomplished for us on the cross.  The concluding hymn ensures that the final note is one of triumph, for God's faithful know the end of the story.)

OPENING HYMN                   438

The congregation is invited to stand

P:  O Lord, open my lips

C: and my mouth will declare Your praise.

P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me;

C: make haste to help me, O Lord.

C: Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.

PSALM 27

P:  Forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

C: PSALM 27 in hymnal

P: Forsake me not, O God of my salvation!

The congregation may be seated

THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST                                  

John 18:1-11             (Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus)    extinguish a candle      450:1

John 18:12-27  (Before the High Priest and Peter's Denial)  extinguish a candle      450:2

John 18:28-40       (Jesus before Pilate)                               extinguish a candle       450:3

John 19:1-16a        (Jesus Prepared for Crucifixion)            extinguish a candle        450:4

Congregation is invited to stand

John 19:16b-24                             (The Crucifixion of Jesus)

extinguish a candle             450:5

John 19:25-30             (Jesus' Mother and His Death)

extinguish a candle             450:6

John 19:31-42                        (Jesus' Side Is Pierced)

                     450:7

One lighted candle remains

The congregation may be seated

OFFICE HYMN Lamb of God Pure and Holy   434

SERMON

HYMN                     Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle   454

PRAYERS

P: Lord, have mercy.

C: Lord, have mercy.

P: Christ, have mercy.

C: Christ, have mercy.

P: Lord, have mercy.

C: Lord, have mercy.

LORD'S PRAYER

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Let us pray.  Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son , our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

P: Let us pray.  Almighty and everlasting God, You willed that Your Son should bear for us the pains of the cross and so remove from us the power of the adversary.  Help us so to remember and give thanks for our Lord’s passion that we may receive forgiveness of sin and redemption from everlasting death; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

The final candle is extinguished.

THE CLOSING OF THE BOOK (The Sealing of the Tomb)

The congregation is invited to sit

CLOSING HYMN   The Royal Banners Forward Go      455