Easter 2020 Opening

It is Resurrection Sunday - and I am so grateful to be able to share this time with you all this morning.

Our being apart physically due to the current crisis puts a spotlight on one of the most glorious aspects of the fruit of Jesus’ own resurrection - and ours to come at His return: That one day, we will be reunited with all those in Christ who have gone on before us in death.

Our separation from one another is temporary.

But a glorious day is just ahead as reminds us: God has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.

And as we’ll be singing together in a few minutes:

Christ the Lord is ris'n today, Alleluia!

Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heav'ns and earth reply, Alleluia!

It has been our habit the many years we’ve been gathering together for this Easter Service, to take a few minutes to read through the resurrection account together.

Prayer

Narrative

I’ll be reading from George Knight’s Simplified Harmony of the Gospels – weaving all 4 Gospel narratives together from the Christian Standard Bible.

The Resurrection Account Adapted from George Knight’s Simplified Harmony of the Gospels – weaving all 4 Gospel narratives together from the CSB.

Let the weight and the wonder of all this thrill your soul anew this morning:

Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.

When the Sabbath was over, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him… And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they observed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.

They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes.

So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” And they remembered His words.

“But go, go quickly, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.” So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy they went out and started running from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment had gripped them, they ran to tell His disciples the news. they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.

Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in.

Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. For they still did not understand the Scripture that He must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went home again.

But Mary stood outside facing the tomb, crying. As she was crying, she stooped to look into the tomb. She saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet, where Jesus’ body had been lying. They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “Because they’ve taken away my Lord,” she told them, “and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not know it was Jesus. “Woman,” Jesus said to her, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Supposing He was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you’ve removed Him, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I will take Him away.” “Mary!” Jesus said. Turning around, she said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”

“Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus told her, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father—to My God and your God.” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her.

Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus Himself came near and began to walk along with them. But they were prevented from recognizing Him. Then He asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged.

The one named Cleopas answered Him, “Are You the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”

“What things?” He asked them.

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who was a Prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed Him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified Him.

They came near the village where they were going, and He gave the impression that He was going farther. But they urged Him: “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

It was as He reclined at the table with them that He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him; but He disappeared from their sight. So they said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts ablaze within us while He was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, “The Lord has certainly been raised, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they began to describe what had happened on the road, and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

But they were startled and terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost. “Why are you troubled?” He asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch Me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Having said this, He showed them His hands and feet. But while they still could not believe for joy, and they were amazed, He asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and He took it and ate in their presence. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! Just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But one of the Twelve, Thomas(called “Twin”), was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!”

After eight days His disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace to you!”

Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don’t be an unbeliever but a believer.”

Thomas responded to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me†, you have believed. Blessed are those who believe without seeing.”

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, as we come to consider and celebrate this most glorious, wondrous, miraculous hope-filled spectacle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead this morning - let all those who know Jesus savingly, be filled with overwhelming joy and anticipation as never before.

And for those who do not yet know Him as their sin-bearer, irrefutably testified to in His resurrection - may they come to see Him, believe on Him, and trust Him for their own salvation before this hour is ended.

In the blessed name of Jesus we pray - Amen.