Easter Sunday
Call to Worship
May I ask you to reflect on the words in this song before we get to the heart of our worship today.
See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honour and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
Prayer
Father God, how awesome are you? There is truly nothing that you can’t do! An empty tomb has set us free, please help us realise this truth is for us, for me! Help me to be like Mary, hearing “the gardener” and then realising that it is our Lord who call me! Who calls us? By your Grace and mercy Father, make us more like your son our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Reading: - This has to be one of my favourite passages in the bible! Let’s listen to the Word of God!
Luke 24:13-35 New International Version (NIV)
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognising him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still; their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So, he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.
Reflection: -
WE can only claim the world is glorious and bright, with the dawning of hope in Jerusalem because of history. Because of His Story, told in the gospels which was because of God’s Grace.
When I think of our passage, I can’t help but wonder if I would have been one of the travellers and not recognise Christ? Would I invite him into my home “as it was nearly evening”? Or, would I be stuck in my rut thinking of self? I pray I would see and know Christ when I meet him but truth be told, none of us will know till he is revealed to us!
But because of His Story we know that we have a glorious and bright new morning! The Lord of Lords is advocating for us in Heaven.
If you will forgive a little flippancy on my part, I was reflecting on the lives restored by Christ, Lazarus being the best known, and on what the worst Satan can do to me which is to kill me whereupon Christ will “come to take me to be where he is” but the thought that crossed my mind was one of God asking me to put a thumb to my nose with my other fingers up in the air and wiggle them.
Christ has defeated death so here am I sent back wiggling my fingers in front of my face because God Says it isn’t my time yet. That is why it is a glorious and bright new day! In reality every day of all of our lives has been a glorious and bright new day – we just didn’t live it that way, not all the time anyway.
In these days of Covid-19 and lockdowns, people who should know better but break the rules, our worries of getting supplies and even worrying about surviving to be able to hug our loved ones again are all very real and very worrying and yet because of His story we can know that this too shall pass. Because of God’s Grace shown in the cross, we will All have a glorious and bright new dawn to celebrate! Whether it is in this life or in the next it will happen, Christ has defeated death and shown us the way to Heaven. I praise God for His redemption plan.
Pray with me: -
Who among us can add even a second to our lives? None but you our God and King! You have already marked our days so we ask that you take away the fear of what we have no control over and replace it with your peace.
May you be first and last in our lives. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for Salvation. Thank you for being you!
Amen.
May I ask you to reflect on the words in this song before we get to the heart of our worship today.
See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,
Fulfilled in Christ, the Man,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.
Honour and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!
Prayer
Father God, how awesome are you? There is truly nothing that you can’t do! An empty tomb has set us free, please help us realise this truth is for us, for me! Help me to be like Mary, hearing “the gardener” and then realising that it is our Lord who call me! Who calls us? By your Grace and mercy Father, make us more like your son our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Reading: - This has to be one of my favourite passages in the bible! Let’s listen to the Word of God!
Luke 24:13-35 New International Version (NIV)
On the Road to Emmaus
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognising him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still; their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So, he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognised by them when he broke the bread.
Reflection: -
WE can only claim the world is glorious and bright, with the dawning of hope in Jerusalem because of history. Because of His Story, told in the gospels which was because of God’s Grace.
When I think of our passage, I can’t help but wonder if I would have been one of the travellers and not recognise Christ? Would I invite him into my home “as it was nearly evening”? Or, would I be stuck in my rut thinking of self? I pray I would see and know Christ when I meet him but truth be told, none of us will know till he is revealed to us!
But because of His Story we know that we have a glorious and bright new morning! The Lord of Lords is advocating for us in Heaven.
If you will forgive a little flippancy on my part, I was reflecting on the lives restored by Christ, Lazarus being the best known, and on what the worst Satan can do to me which is to kill me whereupon Christ will “come to take me to be where he is” but the thought that crossed my mind was one of God asking me to put a thumb to my nose with my other fingers up in the air and wiggle them.
Christ has defeated death so here am I sent back wiggling my fingers in front of my face because God Says it isn’t my time yet. That is why it is a glorious and bright new day! In reality every day of all of our lives has been a glorious and bright new day – we just didn’t live it that way, not all the time anyway.
In these days of Covid-19 and lockdowns, people who should know better but break the rules, our worries of getting supplies and even worrying about surviving to be able to hug our loved ones again are all very real and very worrying and yet because of His story we can know that this too shall pass. Because of God’s Grace shown in the cross, we will All have a glorious and bright new dawn to celebrate! Whether it is in this life or in the next it will happen, Christ has defeated death and shown us the way to Heaven. I praise God for His redemption plan.
Pray with me: -
Who among us can add even a second to our lives? None but you our God and King! You have already marked our days so we ask that you take away the fear of what we have no control over and replace it with your peace.
May you be first and last in our lives. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for Salvation. Thank you for being you!
Amen.