S WE GTHER hrist is risen! ll our debts are paid! Death is no more! This is the great and comforting message of Easter. Today we rejoice that the Lamb who was slain has won the victory over death and the devil. By His resurrection, He has truly swallowed up death forever (Isaiah 25:6 9). No more do we need to fear death. For through our Baptism into hrist, we have died with hrist and believe that we will also live with Him, as Scripture has promised (Romans 6:5 9). Today we also rejoice and give thanks to God that He has prepared a celebratory feast of rich food for all people in the salutary gift of the Lord s Supper (Isaiah 25:6). It is truly a feast of victory for all those who share in His death and resurrection by Holy Baptism, as Martin Luther s great Easter hymn reminds us: Then let us feast this Easter Day On hrist the bread of heaven; The Word of grace has purged away The old and evil leaven. hrist alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed; Faith lives upon no other! lleluia! (LSB 458:7). HYMN 478 The Day of Resurrection ESTER SUNDY RIL 16, 2017 FEST OF VITORY INVOTION In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. HOLY GOSEL Matthew 28:1 10 (The risen hrist meets the women at the tomb) The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 28th chapter. Glory to You, O Lord. 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 nd 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 nd 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. ome, 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 nd behold, Jesus met them and said, Greetings! nd 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. This is the Gospel of the Lord. raise to You, O hrist. OENING SENTENES lleluia! hrist is risen! He is risen indeed! lleluia! This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. salm 118:24 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! salm 118:1 This is the feast of victory for our God! For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. lleluia! HYMN wake, My Heart, with Gladness (LSB 467, sts. 1 2) wake, my heart, with gladness, See what today is done; Now, after gloom and sadness, omes forth the glorious sun. My Savior there was laid Where our bed must be made When to the realms of light Our spirit wings its flight. The foe in triumph shouted When hrist lay in the tomb; But lo, he now is routed, His boast is turned to gloom. For hrist again is free; In glorious victory He who is strong to save Has triumphed o er the grave. ONFESSION ND BSOLUTION This is the day the Lord has made glorious by rising from death. He is the very aschal Lamb who has paid for the sin of the whole world. s we are about to partake of our Savior s body and blood in the Lord s Supper, knowing that mercy and grace await us, let us go to God with confident faith, confessing our sins. 2 Silence for reflection on the Word of God and for self-examination. Most merciful God, we confess that we cannot come to the Table of the Lord as we are, sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Even on this holy day of days we bring with us the wrongs we have done and the deeds we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart or our neighbors as ourselves. We plead for mercy; free us from our bondage to sin and lead us to the freedom which comes from following You each day until we join You at the heavenly banquet. The prophet Isaiah wrote, On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of wellaged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. nd He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken (Isaiah 25:6 8). s a called and ordained servant of hrist and by His authority I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. men. 3 lleluia! hrist is risen! He is risen indeed! lleluia! HYMN wake, My Heart, with Gladness (st. 3) This is a sight that gladdens What peace it doth impart! Now nothing ever saddens The joy within my heart. No gloom shall ever shake, No foe shall ever take The hope which God s own Son In love for me has won. + Word + KYRIE (spoken) In peace let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace from our risen Lord above and for the salvation He won as the aschal Lamb let us pray to the Lord. For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the hurch of God as it journeys on toward the heavenly banquet, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord. For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise on this glorious day and always let us pray to the Lord. Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. men. HYMN OF RISE SLUTTION The Lord be with you. nd also with you. RYER OF THE DY LSB, p. 155 This Is the Feast Let us pray. lmighty God the Father, on this day Your onlybegotten Son, Jesus hrist, rose from death in eternal victory. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy in the present moment, may one day join Him, angels and archangels, prophets and apostles in the feast of victory that has no end; through Jesus hrist, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 4 FIRST REDING cts 10:34 43 (The risen hrist appeared to some who ate and drank with Him.) The First Reading for the Resurrection of Our Lord is from cts, chapter ten. 34 eter 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. L 36 s for the word that He sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus hrist (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 nd 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 nd 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. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. SLM & HYMN salm 16 / hrist the Lord Is Risen Today (LSB 469) (sung) hrist the Lord is ris n today! Saints on earth and angels say; Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing, ye heav ns, and earth, reply. reserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the LORD, You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You. s for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. (sung) Love s redeeming work is done, Fought the fight, the battle won; Lo! Our Sun s eclipse is o er; Lo! He sets in blood no more. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your Holy One see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (sung) Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; hrist hath burst the gates of hell. Death in vain forbids His rise; hrist has opened paradise. EISTLE olossians 3:1 4 (Set your minds on things above) L 1 If then you have been raised with hrist, seek the things that are above, where hrist 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 hrist in God. 4 When hrist who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. HYMN OF THE DY wake, My Heart, with Gladness (sts. 4 5) Now hell, its prince, the devil, Of all their pow r are shorn; Now I am safe from evil, nd sin I laugh to scorn. Grim death with all its might annot my soul affright; It is a pow rless form, Howe er it rave and storm. 6 The world against me rages, Its fury I disdain; Though bitter war it wages, Its work is all in vain. My heart from care is free, No trouble troubles me. Misfortune now is play, nd night is bright as day. HILDREN S MESSGE? SERMON REED postles reed RYER OF THE HURH This is the feast of victory for our God. For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. lleluia. Let us go to Him, rejoicing and interceding for our brothers and sisters in the faith and for all people in their various needs. For the church, all who witness to our Lord s victory over death and the grave and for all clergy and lay leaders, that they may proclaim the eternal promises made sure in hrist s resurrection, and for all the newly baptized and confirmed, that the Holy Spirit continue to nourish them with Word and Sacrament, let us pray to the Lord. aschal Lamb and risen For the nations of the world, that God would raise up people and organizations dedicated to bettering human life in each land and cooperating in peace across borders, for all agencies of agriculture and commerce, that God would bless them with bounty and prosperity that health and happiness may rise up to praise our gracious God, let us pray to the Lord. aschal Lamb and risen For those who guard and protect in our armed forces deployed and all in police, fire, and emergency agencies nearby, for those who use their God-given talents to heal and counsel, and all who seek to relieve poverty and injustice wherever it be found, let us pray to the Lord. aschal Lamb and risen
For those near and dear to us in this congregation and among our family and friends who call out to God for health, comfort, and relief (including...), that God would grant them the eyes of faith to see His surrounding care each day and His promise of eternal life with Him, made sure in hrist s resurrection, let us pray to the Lord. aschal Lamb and risen 7 Into Your hands, heavenly Father, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy for the sake of Your Son, our risen Lord Jesus hrist. OFFERING OFFERTORY HYMN wake, My Heart, with Gladness (sts. 6 7) Now I will cling forever To hrist, my Savior true; My Lord will leave me never, Whate er He passes through. He rends death s iron chain; He breaks through sin and pain; He shatters hell s grim thrall; I follow Him through all. He brings me to the portal That leads to bliss untold. Whereon this rhyme immortal Is found in script of gold: Who there My cross has shared Finds here a crown prepared; Who there with Me has died Shall here be glorified. LORD S RYER Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. men. lleluia! hrist is risen! He is risen indeed! lleluia! The blessing of God lmighty Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. DISMISSL Go in peace as you serve our victorious Lord. Thanks be to God! HYMN 457 Jesus hrist Is Risen Today 8 BENEDITION This is the feast of victory for our God! For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. lleluia!