Easter Service at Home
April 12, 2020

L = Leader R= Response

L: This is the day which the Lord has made:
R: We will rejoice and be glad in it.

L: The Lord is risen!
R: He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

L: O sing unto the Lord a new song:
R: For He has done marvelous things.

L: I am the Resurrection and the Life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
R: And he that lives and believes in me shall never die.

Jesus Christ is Risen Today LSB 457

1. Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia! Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

2. Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia! Unto Christ, our heav’nly king, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia! Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

3. But the pains which He endured, Alleluia! Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia! Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

4. Sing we to our God above, Alleluia! Praise eternal as His love; Alleluia!
Praise Him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

First Reading – Acts 10:34–43

34 Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

L: This is the Word of the Lord
R: Thanks be to God

Epistle Colossians 3:1–4

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

L: This is the Word of the Lord
R: Thanks be to God

Easter Responsive Reading

L: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom:
R: And strength, and honor, and glory and blessing.

L: Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him that sits upon the throne:
R: And unto the Lamb forever and ever.

L: Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty;
R: Just and true are your ways, O King of saints.

L: Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name?
R: For you alone are holy.

L: Praise our God, all you His servants:
R: And you that fear Him both small and great.

L: Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.
R: Alleluia, alleluia. Amen.

All Stand for the reading of the Gospel

L: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 28th chapter
R: +++ Glory to You, O Lord

Gospel Matthew 28:1–10

1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

L: This is the Gospel of the Lord
R: Praise to You, O Christ

Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands LSB 458

1. Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands for our offenses given;
But now at God’s right hand He stands and brings us life from heaven.
Therefore let us joyful be and sing to God right thankfully
Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia!

2. No son of man could conquer death, such ruin sin had wrought us.
No innocence was found on earth, and therefore death had brought us
Into bondage from of old and ever grew more strong and bold
And held us as its captive, Alleluia!

3. Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down, His people to deliver;
Destroying sin, He took the crown from death’s pale brow forever:
Stripped of pow’r, no more it reigns; an empty form alone remains;
Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

4. It was a strange and dreadful strife when life and death contended;
The victory remained with life; the reign of death was ended.
Holy Scripture plainly saith that death is swallowed up by death,
Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

5. Here our true Paschal Lamb we see, whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursed tree – so strong His love – to save us.
See, His blood now marks our door; faith points to it; death passes o’er,
And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia!

6. So let us keep the festival to which the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the joy of all, the sun that warms and lights us.
Now His grace to us imparts eternal sunshine to our hearts;
The night of sin is ended. Alleluia!

7. Then let us feast this Easter Day on Christ, the bread of heaven;
The Word of grace has purged away the old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed;
Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia!

SERMON: At the Tomb of Life Rev. Lloyd Gross

This is the day that the Lord hath made! As the heart-warming sun of Easter rises above the benighted earth, we come here to stand in awe before the decisive day of the ages. On Friday the Lord’s most faithful friends took His cold and lifeless body from the cross. On Saturday He kept the Sabbath perfectly in the sleep of death. Then came the first day, the day on which millennia before God had said Let there be light. As it dawned, the True Light came out of the darkness of the tomb. The darkness had not over come the True Light. St. John, reflecting on this event in his first epistle says God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

Two questions arise which modern people need to ask when confronted by the gospel of the resurrection. The first question asks what this really proves. The second asks how it is of any benefit to us. So let’s take them one at a time. To see what the resurrection proves we must examine it in context. There are two contexts which overlap, the context of Moses and the Prophets, and that of Jesus’ own predictions. On three occasions Jesus predicted in plain speech that He would be killed and rise again. On other occasions He used the figure of the temple which He would rebuild. This proves that Jesus knew all along what was happening. His death and His revival were part of a great plan.

An angel asked the women Why do you seek the living among the dead? They asked that because He is not dead. He has been completely vindicated in heaven and earth, the anguish of His passion bore the fruit called for in the divine plan. He did not deserve death because He was righteous. You and I are destined to return to the dust. But the Lord saw no corruption. He was the Master of death.

Now let’s check out the other context, Moses and the Prophets. Jesus was not “a god.” He was Jehovah. He was not just “a man.” He was a Jew. So we must see what was written of Him in the Hebrew Scriptures. David in Psalm 8 speaks of “the son of man” as “crowned with glory and honor … having all things under his feet.” In Isaiah 25 we read that the Lord will destroy the shroud that enfolds all people, He will swallow up death forever and wipe away all tears from all eyes. The prophet Hosea in chapter 13 quotes the Lord as saying I will ransom them from the power of the grave, I will redeem them from death. Next we see Zechariah who says Here is the man whose name is The Branch, he will branch out from this place and build the temple of the Lord; He will be clothed with majesty and rule on His throne. Yes, the Hebrew prophets also used the figure of building the temple to speak of the resurrection. As for that name, “the Branch,” that means a descendant of David. Jeremiah calls Him a “Righteous Branch.” What does this tell us? The whole Old Testament knew what was going to happen. The good plan was an old plan, a plan that had already been revealed in some detail.

Now let’s try to answer modern man’s second question, that is, how does this benefit us? St. John tells us when he says God has given us eternal life. We are not just cogs in a great machine. We are not expendable, to be discarded like garbage. Death does not destroy our consciousness, nor assign us to some cosmic scrap heap. We expect a happy eternity. Our fallen intellect can do no more than see through a glass darkly, but some day we will see face to face. The tribulations of life which we suffer now will serve to turn us into gold.

Does everyone benefit the same? If not, how do we know our eternity will be the happy one? We want to be certain about that. We don’t want to guess or speculate when it comes to our final estate. Here Jesus points us to Himself. By the grave of Lazarus we hear Him tell the grieving Martha I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Later in His High-priestly Prayer Jesus claims This is life eternal, that they may know You, the only True God, and Jesus the Messiah whom You sent. How can this be? It is something like planting a seed. Does it not die in the earth only to shoot forth with new stems, new foliage, new flowers? Is it any less reasonable to believe that our bodies, which God created in His own image, might be sown in corruption but raised in incorruption? Today we rejoice as we behold the Firstborn from the dead, the Firstfruits of them that sleep. St. John puts it more directly when he says This life is in His Son.

Responsive prayer –

L: This is the day which the Lord has made:
R: Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

L: Almighty Father, we praise you for the glorious resurrection and exaltation of your Son, our Savior
R: Who was delivered into death for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.

L: Therefore grant us grace to keep the Passover of the New Covenant with solemn joy.
R: And kindle within us heavenly desires, that we may ever thirst for the Fountain of Life.

L: Lead us to be grateful for our Savior’s victory over death and the grave.
R: That we might grow strong in His might, continually subduing the evil within us;

L: And make us hopeful of our own resurrection, the final casting off of the sinful flesh, the beatific vision, and the marriage supper of the Lamb
R: To whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honor, power, glory and dominion, world without end. Amen

PRAY THE LORD'S PRAYER TOGETHER

L: The almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the + Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless us and keep us.

ALL: Amen

I Know That My Redeemer Lives LSB 461

1. I know that my Redeemer lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my ever-living Head.

2. He lives triumphant from the grave; He lives eternally to save;
He lives all glorious in the sky; He lives exalted there on high.

3. He lives to bless me with His love; He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed; He lives to help in time of need.

4. He lives to grant me rich supply; He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint; He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

5. He live to silence all my fears; He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart; He lives all blessings to impart.

6. He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend; He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing; He lives, my Prophet, Priest and King.

7. He lives and grants me daily breath; He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there.

8. He lives, all glory to His name! He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!