Easter Sunday Joplin Missouri — He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! On April 5, 2026, the congregation of Immanuel Lutheran Church gathered to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Christopher Ramstad preached on Matthew 28:1–10, tracing the journey from fear to joy as the two Marys encounter an empty tomb, an angel, and finally the risen Jesus Himself. DCE Jason Glaskey led the children’s talk, contrasting the darkness of Good Friday with the light and beauty of Easter morning — new dresses, white paraments, flowers, and the lit Christ candle — to answer the great question: “Is darkness too dark? Is death too powerful?” The answer: He is risen, just as He said.
Easter Sunday in Joplin Missouri: From Fear to Joy
Easter Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri was a celebration from start to finish — lilies adorning the chancel, white paraments returned after the starkness of Good Friday, and the congregation’s joyful shouts of “Alleluia!” ringing through the sanctuary for the first time since Lent began. A resurrection breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy followed the service, and the children hunted Easter eggs on the church lawn.
Mr. Glaskey’s children’s talk opened by noticing how different the church looked from Good Friday. “Everything was dark. Everything was so sad.” Then he asked the lingering questions of Good Friday: Is everything going to be okay with Jesus? Is darkness too dark? Is sin too great? Is death too powerful? He pointed around the sanctuary — the white paraments, the flowers, the lit Christ candle — and said, “I think the room kind of has the answer.” Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! The angel’s words from Matthew 28: “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.”
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5–6, ESV
Scripture Readings for Easter Sunday
The readings for the Resurrection of Our Lord proclaimed the good news from every angle. In Jeremiah 31:1–6, the Lord declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” and promised to rebuild His people with joy. In Colossians 3:1–4, Paul urged believers who have been raised with Christ to set their minds on things above. In Acts 10:34–43, Peter boldly testified: “They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day.” And in Matthew 28:1–10, the two Marys found the empty tomb, heard the angel’s proclamation, and met the risen Jesus — who greeted them and said, “Do not be afraid.”
Theological Reflection: Dead Is Really Dead — Until Jesus
Pastor Ramstad traced the emotional roller coaster of Holy Week — from Palm Sunday’s hosannas to Good Friday’s cross to the silent wait of Holy Saturday — and landed on Easter morning with the two Marys approaching the tomb. They knew where Jesus was. They’d watched Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay His body there. A giant stone sealed the entrance. And there was grief, anxiety, and fear. The word “fear” appears four times in the Easter Gospel.
Then the earthquake — the second in three days — the stone rolled away, an angel sitting on top with an appearance like lightning. The guards passed out from fear. The angel spoke: “Do not be afraid. He is not here. He has risen, just as He said.” Pastor Ramstad asked his favorite Easter question: “Dead is really dead, isn’t it?” And pointed back to Lazarus — Mary Magdalene had likely seen that Easter preview, watched Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb. Now another miraculously empty tomb stood before her. Did the words come back? “I am the resurrection and the life.”
The Marys departed with fear and great joy — both at once. Then Jesus met them on the road with His famous first word after rising from the dead: “Greetings.” And then: “Do not be afraid.” Pastor Ramstad noted this is more than good advice — it’s not “there’s nothing to fear but fear itself” (from Franklin Roosevelt, who was himself terrified of fire and the number 13). Jesus doesn’t promise we won’t have fear. He gives us something greater: His joy. Not a feeling we create, but a fact we receive. A resurrected Jesus changes everything — peace in a shaken world, freedom from fear’s control, and the promise of our own resurrection in His name.
Pastor Ramstad closed with Peter from Acts 10 — the same Peter who denied Jesus three times, who wept, who hid in a locked room. That Peter stood up and boldly proclaimed: “They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day.” A resurrected Jesus brings real change. “Alleluia. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.”
“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.”
“I Know That My Redeemer Lives,” LSB 461, st. 1
About Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri
Immanuel Lutheran Church is a member of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod located at 2616 S Connecticut Ave, Joplin, MO 64804. We gather for worship every Sunday at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM, with Bible classes and Sunday School at 9:15 between the services. In summer, June through August, we gather once at 9:00 AM, with Bible classes at 10:15. Martin Luther School serves children from preschool through 8th grade, and Curiosity Camps runs all summer. Sunday School and Youth Group meet weekly for all ages.
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He is risen! Easter is the center of the church year. The celebration continues the next Sunday in the Second Sunday of Easter — or revisit the whole season in our sermon archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on Easter Sunday according to the Bible?
On Easter Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb of Jesus and found the stone rolled away. An angel told them, “He is not here, for he has risen” (Matthew 28:6). They ran to tell the disciples, and Jesus Himself met them on the way. Easter is the central event of the Christian faith — the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Why do Lutherans say “He is risen” on Easter?
The Easter greeting “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian church, echoing the angel’s proclamation at the empty tomb. Lutherans use this call-and-response throughout the Easter season (Easter through Pentecost) as a joyful confession of the resurrection.
What does “Alleluia” mean and why is it special at Easter?
Alleluia (or Hallelujah) means “Praise the Lord” in Hebrew. In many Lutheran congregations, the word is set aside during Lent as a sign of penitence, then returns with great joy on Easter Sunday. Its return marks the celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and death.
Where is Immanuel Lutheran Church in Joplin, Missouri?
Immanuel Lutheran Church is located at 2616 S Connecticut Ave, Joplin, MO 64804. Sunday worship is at 8:00 AM and 10:30 AM. All are welcome.