Easter Sunday Service

Easter Sunday Service

The Resurrection Of Our Lord

Rev. Gregory Mech | April 1, 2018 | Sunday Service | 8:00 am | Immanuel Lutheran Church – Joplin, MO

So sorry… Due to a problem with our recording equipment, this sermon is not available. 🙁

Welcome Home!

Divine Service One

Our overall theme for this Lenten Season has been “Return from Exile: A Lenten Journey.” Every journey has a unique beginning and ending, and this journey has proven to be unique as well. Today, Easter Day, that journey is completed. From the Mountain of Transfiguration to the empty tomb, we have come a long way. We have journeyed through gardens, looked upon trees, explored mountains, traveled through the wilderness, and crossed rivers. We have eaten meals and descended into pits, but now we have arrived at the end of our journey—the fulfillment of our journey. However, while the empty tomb points us to our final destination, that destination does not end at the tomb. Although the tomb is empty, and it is not now and will never be our home. Heaven is our home because Christ has risen and ascended, and where He is, there also we shall be! Heaven is our home where we gather around the throne of the Lamb in His kingdom. We celebrate today with hymns from around the world that Christ has redeemed.

EASTER PROCLAMATION

L Alleluia, Christ is risen!

C He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

ENTRANCE HYMN “Christ Has Arisen; Alleluia” (LSB 466)

Immanuel Lutheran Church Choir “Introit for Easter”

KYRIE

P In peace let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE “This Is The Feast” (LSB, p. 155)

Refrain:

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God. 
Refrain

Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,

and honor, blessing and glory are His.  Refrain

Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation: Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.  Refrain

For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.  Refrain

SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, in Your crucifixion and resurrection, You overcame the twin forces of sin and death. The tomb could not contain you and is not Your home. Give us the victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil that You have won for us by Your cross and empty tomb so that we would not despair but ever hold fast to the blessed hope that the tomb is not our home either; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

First Reading Isaiah 25:6–9

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And 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. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Psalm 66:13

  A     Come and hear, all you who fear God,

C and I will tell what He has done for my soul.

EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 15:1–11

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.

On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Easter Sequence

[The Easter Sequence is appointed in place of the Alleluia.]

Pastor

Christians, to the Paschal Victim

Offer your thankful praises!

The Lamb has ransomed the sheep:

Christ, who only is sinless,

Reconciling sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended

In that combat stupendous:

The Prince of life, who died,

Reigns immortal. (LSB 460:1)

Sung

Christ is arisen

From the grave’s dark prison.

    So let our joy rise full and free;

   Christ our comfort true will be. Alleluia! (LSB 459:1)

Pastor

Speak, Mary, declaring  What you saw when wayfaring.

“Mary”

“The tomb of Christ, who is living,

The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;

Bright angels attesting,

The shroud and napkin resting.

My Lord, my hope, is arisen;

To Galilee He goes before you.” (LSB 460:2)

Sung

Were Christ not arisen,

Then death were still our prison.

    Now, with Him to life restored,

    We praise the Father of our Lord. Alleluia! (LSB 459:2)

Pastor

Christ indeed from death is risen, Our new life obtaining.

Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning! (LSB 460:3)

Sung

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

    Now let our joy rise full and free;

          Christ our comfort true will be. Alleluia! (LSB 459:3)

HOLY GOSPEL Mark 16:1–8

  P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixteenth chapter.

  C Glory to You, O Lord.

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.” And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY 

“Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”  (LSB 487)

SERMON

NICENE CREED

C I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

  And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made,      being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

P Let us pray. Almighty God, You have sent Your Son into Satan’s wilderness to bring us out into Your land of promise where sin, death, and the power of the devil have been defeated. By Your Son’s mocking, flogging, ridicule, and agony, He has trampled down the devil. By His death, He has destroyed death. By His resurrection, He has broken down the prison doors of the grave. Cause this Good News of Your Son’s victory to be heralded throughout this land and every land so that by the power of the Holy Spirit many more hearts would confess and believe that Jesus is Lord and be saved. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, Your Son called fishers of men and commanded the Church to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching them. Give us faithful pastors who will preach and teach Your Word so that the good work you begin in Holy Baptism and continue through teaching would be brought to completion on the Last Day when we shall rise from the dead and appear with Christ in glory. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, in Baptism, we have been raised in Christ to walk in newness of life. Help and strengthen us to love the neighbor in our many and various callings so that the devil’s works are frustrated, Your kingdom advances, and Your Son is glorified. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, direct and guide all who are in high positions of authority in government and business, that the forces of darkness may be restrained and the Church’s preaching of Your Son’s victory may spread to every place. Defend and bless all first responders and all in the military. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, because Your Son swallowed the veil of death that covered the nations, give healing to those who are sick and relief to those who are suffering. Cause Your peace to descend gently on those who have doubts or fears, and comfort those who grieve. Uphold the dying in the faith and in the bold hope that you will raise their dead bodies from the grave, bringing them into the new heaven and the new earth where You will wipe every tear from their eyes. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, Your Son now shares His victory over all that desires to destroy us in this meal of His body and His blood. As we eat and drink at this victory feast, grant us the peace of our sins forgiven, our death defeated, and the devil strong-armed and disarmed. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Almighty God, we give thanks for that great cloud of witnesses who went before us in the faith. In Your fatherly kindness, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith even as we run our race with patience toward that city that has foundations, of which you are the designer and builder, so that our exile will be complete and we will be home. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through faith in the victorious and risen Christ Jesus.

C Amen.

OFFERING

OFFERTORY   LSB, p. 159

C What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?
I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will take the cup of salvation and will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people,
in the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of you, O Jerusalem
.

+ Service of the Sacrament +

To Our Visitors Regarding Holy Communion   The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod recognizes the Real Presence of Christ’s true Body and Blood in this Sacrament. We ask that all who attend share this belief with us. Communicant members of our LC-MS parishes and such others who have spoken with the pastor are invited to receive the Sacrament today. Please carefully read and sign the Communion Card.  The white wine (non-alcoholic grape juice) is provided for those that are not able to take the red wine for medical reasons.

PREFACE       LSB, p. 160

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them to the Lord.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. Most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

SANCTUS     LSB, p. 161

C Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might:
Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.
Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING     LSB, p. 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end.

Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER     LSB, p. 162

C 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. Amen.

THE WORDS OF OUR LORD     LSB, p. 162

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

PAX DOMINI     LSB, p. 163

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C Amen.

AGNUS DEI     LSB, p. 163

C Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace
.

DISTRIBUTION

The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:

Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.

Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.

In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:

P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart T in peace.

C Amen.

DISTRIBUTION HYMNS

“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” (LSB 633)

“Were You There” (LSB 456)

“I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (LSB 461)

POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE   (LSB p. 164)

C  Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name. He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia.

POST-COMMUNION COLLECT

A Let us pray. Eternal God, gracious Father, we give You thanks that You have remembered Your covenant, bringing life and salvation to us through the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Open our minds and hearts that we might remember our Lord’s resurrection; rejoice in His victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil; and live as members of His kingdom in hope for the Kingdom that is yet to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

BENEDICTION     LSB, p. 166

P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

C Amen.

CLOSING HYMN  “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”  (LSB 457)

Acknowledgments

Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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