He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

CHRIST'S EASTER VICTORY, OUR VICTORY

"From the deepest depths of our hearts we believe that Christ rose from the dead; yet we still have to die. Does that mean that Christ's resurrection is of no significance? Oh, no! Just as Christ died for us & for our guilt upon the cross, so He also, through His resurrection, conquered death for us. Death's power has been shattered. To us who believe in Christ, death no longer holds any power over us. 'The Scriptures have proclaimed that just as one death [on the cross] gobbled up the other death, death has become a laughing stock' (Luther). Although our earthly bodies die, we too will be raised to eternal life. Lord Jesus Christ, who has risen from death, we pray that You will grant to us that which may be a blessing to us! In Your name. Amen."

THOUGHTS FOR EASTER *

* Townhall, 4/4

The King Is Seated on His Throne

After Christ’s crucifixion and burial, the disciples were dejected and fearful. The near-term prospects they faced were daunting. But Christ came for an eternal purpose—to inaugurate the Kingdom of God here on Earth and to call into it those who are His. He promised to build His church, saying even the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. And even now Christ is ruling and reigning in the heavenlies with all the saints who have gone before us.

"Yes, we live in uncertain even troubling times. The Christian consensus prevailing since the American founding seems to have evaporated like the dew before the rising sun. Yet the King is seated on His throne. We trust in Him who loved us and loosed us from our sins in His own precious blood. Never will He leave us or forsake us—even to the end of the age." Frank Wright

Jesus:  The Only One Who Ever Conquered the Grave

"The resurrection is so significant because if it is true, it means all the other claims of Christ are true---that He was the Son of God, that He died for sinners, that He will one day judge us all. Every beat of the human heart is dependent on Jesus. Even the most hard core skeptic draws every breath he draws courtesy of Christ. We all have a vested interest to know what happened on that first Easter morning . . . During these days of great upheaval and uncertainty, what a privilege it is to trust in Jesus Christ, the only one who ever conquered the grave. He is risen. He is risen indeed." Jerry Newcombe

The Power of Easter . . . The Power of Resurrection

"Flowers are springing up, birds are singing, and all around us, we sense that we’re finally crawling out of the gloom of the deadly global pandemic. We have lost loved ones, income, businesses, and education. What seems certain is that we will never truly recover. But is it actually certain? Or is that just today’s headline, and there’s more to the story?

"The power of Easter is the power of resurrection. Resurrection means the triumph of life over death. Because of the miracle of Easter, we have a promise, and the power, of resurrection life . . . 

"Today, the message is clear. Jesus is alive. He humiliated Hell, he overpowered the grave, and he caused evil to bow its knee. He took your transgressions and pronounced you forgiven. When all of Hell was laughing, and all of Heaven was weeping, the news changed. Jesus was not dead. He was alive. The tomb is the wrong message and an incomplete headline. No matter how you read the news, or what future you imagine, understand one thing: Sunday is coming. And that same resurrection power is available for you and me today. You and your family have lived through Friday’s news. But Sunday is coming . . . 

"At Easter, we don't just celebrate one resurrection from 2000 years ago. We celebrate a resurrection that happens today for all who put their trust in God. We celebrate a resurrection of your relationships, your children’s future, your business, and your hope for a better tomorrow. The resurrection of Jesus is a message that hope is never out of reach for you and your family. God can take any tragedy and turn it into victory, as he did for his Son . . . 

"At Christmas we don’t simply say, “that’s nice about the baby.” There’s more to the story. Seeing a cross, we don’t simply say, “that’s nice that Jesus died for our sins.” There’s more to the story. God’s story isn’t over; and that means your story isn’t over either. Easter is a reminder that there’s more to your story than today’s headlines. It might feel like a stormy Friday, but that isn’t the end of the story. Sunday is coming." Jentezen Franklin

The Tomb Is Still Empty

"Because he lives, what Jesus did cannot be undone. If Jesus came out of the tomb, then we can come out of misery. We can come out of depression, anxiety, and fear. We can come out of panic. We can come out of addiction. We can come out of sin, temptation and the very pit of hell if Jesus came out of the tomb.  

"Let me remind you of Romans 8:11: “The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, lives inside of you.” Here is a word of the Lord for us this Easter: It's time for us to come out of our tombs. Whatever we may be going through at this very hour, the Spirit of God is calling us out. He’s calling us into a new life. Because the blood of Jesus shed on the cross sealed our past, the empty tomb secures our future. Once again, we are celebrating Jesus’ resurrection in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic. And while it may be dark outside, the tomb is still empty." Samuel Rodriguez

MY EASTER PRAYER *

* My Prayer Book

Lord Jesus, risen & everliving Savior, with Your people of all ages & races I adore You as my Lord & my God, who has crushed Satan's head, conquered sin & death, & redeemed all people from the forces of evil. Accept my hallelujahs as I rejoice with believers, saints, & angels because You have come forth triumphantly from the grave to live forevermore. I ask You to cleanse my heart from all sinful desires & dwell there with Your eternal peace. I rejoice to know that You have blotted out all my transgressions & reconciled me with Your Father in heaven, that I as a child of His household may seek His face & know that He is full of tender mercies & boundless compassion.

I praise You because of the hope that You have brought to my heart. I need not be afraid of death & dying because there is no condemnation for us who believe in the saving power of Your Cross. To all who are sorrowing let this Easter Day bring the comfort of Your promises & a new joy of expectancy as they look forward to the day when they shall be reunited with their loved ones in the eternal glory of heaven.

I rejoice today because I know that Your Church shall go on from victory to victory, receiving strength from Your almighty hand. Even the gates of hell shall not prevail against Your Church. Accept my vows of allegiance this day as I dedicate myself anew to Your service.

Take full possession of my heart, remove all sin, scatter all doubts, drive away all worries. Let Your Spirit set aglow in me a love that will not die. Increase in me day after day the desire to follow You to whatever place You shall lead me, until I stand before Your Throne to behold Your glory as the risen Lord, & praise You with saints & angels with an undying & perfect love. Hallelujah. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR EASTER *

* Lutheran Book of Prayer

O almighty & eternal God, who through the death of Your Son has destroyed sin & death, & by His rising to life again restored innocence & everlasting life, that being delivered from the power of the devil, I might live under You in Your kingdom, grant that I may be forever comforted by true faith in the resurrection of Your dear Son. Do not let the thought of death fill my heart with terror, but give me the blessed assurance that, just as You raised Christ from the dead, I will not remain in the grave but will rise again at the end of days. And when, by Your grace, I have finished my course, let Christ' resurrection be for me a sure pledge that an inheritnce that does not fade is reserved for me in heaven. While I live, guide me with Your holy counsel, & when I die, give me the crown of life, that with all the holy angels & the elect I may praise & glorify You, world without end. Amen.

CHRIST IS ARISEN *

* Lutheran Worship, #124

Christ is arisen From the grave's dark prison. So let our song exulting rise:  Christ with comfort lights our eyes. Alleluia!

All our hopes were ended Had Jesus not ascended From the grave triumphantly Our never-ending life to be. Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

So let our song exulting rise:  Christ, our comfort, fills the skies. Alleluia!