Easter Sunday, 2024

  

Easter Sunday

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory Jackson

The Hymn #199       Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

As newborn babes: desire the sincere milk of the Word.

Hear, O My people, and I will testify unto thee: 

O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto Me.

Psalm. Sing aloud unto God, our Strength: 

make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17

The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who celebrate the solemnities of the Lord’s Pascal Feast kindled with heavenly desires; may ever thirst for the Fountain of Life, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Christ , our Passover: is sacrificed for us.

Let us keep the feast: with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Hallelujah!

The Gospel               

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22     
The Sermon Hymn #200               I Know That My Redeemer Lives

       

The Empty Tomb - Life Everlasting 

Communion Hymn #207     Like the Golden Sun Ascending - Kingo

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #187                  Christ Is Arisen

Christ is arisen, from the grave's dark prison.

We now rejoice with gladness; Christ will end all sadness. Lord have mercy.

All our hopes were ended

Had Jesus not ascended.

From the grave triumphantly.

For this, Lord Christ, we worship Thee. Lord, have mercy.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

We now rejoice with gladness

Christ will end all sadness. Lord, have mercy. Amen.

Prayers and Announcements

• Medical care - Kermit Way, Pastor Jim Shrader, Chris Shrader, Doc Lito's wife Lyne, and Thea, Lori Howell, Sarah Buck; Callie and her mother Peggy. 
• Lilies and daffodils are in memory of Walter Boeckler, Gary Meyer, Christina Jackson, and others within our families and friends.
• Pray for our country as the major trials continue. And help all those suffering from economic difficulties and emotional distress.
• The Bethany Hymnal Blog was finishing four years ago, with Norma Boeckler's art since April 2020. 66,107 views. 
• In our memories - Walter Boeckler, Carl Roper, Gary Meyer, Christina Jackson, Gladys Meyer, Lorie Howell's mother, Bethany Joan Marie, Erin Joy, and many others.

Caravaggio

KJV 1 Corinthian 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

KJV Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Easter Sunday

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thine ineffable grace, for the sake of Thy Son, Thou hast given us the holy gospel, and hast instituted the holy sacraments, that through the same we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Thy word; and through the holy sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Empty Tomb - Life Everlasting 

KJV Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

The Day of Easter began with all kinds of preparation based on false assumptions. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus provided the linens and powdered spices, according to Lenski, Mark 16:1, page 738. The women bought liquid oil spices, to anoint the body of Christ with oil. Because of the crucifixion, they were finishing what normally took a day, because of circumstances and the heat. They knew what was expected in honoring Jesus according to funeral practices at that time. Mary of Bethany had already anointed Jesus, in preparation for His funeral (John 11).

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Anyone who has enjoyed desert heat can imagine how the women wanted to get there at the earliest time, bringing everything along, in a hurry to get there. Like everyone else in a time of sorrow and loss, they only remembered so much. They were pre-occupied with their task and grief-stricken. They reached the tomb carved into rock - the sepulchre.

KJV John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. 7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. 8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. 9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; [Read all of John 11 to see the significance of Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and Jesus' words.] 

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?

We can imagine... the women talking among themselves as they walked toward the tomb, just as the sun was rising. The task overwhelmed them, so much that they did not stop to think who could possibly move that stone (more like a lid) from its resting place. Their desire to do what was right, according to custom, moved them forward. Their predicament became greater as the sun's light fell upon the sepulchre.

4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

We can imagine the emotions - grief, being worried about carrying out their duties and the rising sun, recognition of the stone lid rocked into place to serve as a door. The Calvinists have two basic errors about the divinity of Christ. He did not need an angel to throw down the door, because His divine nature was never limited by His human nature - not at the grave and not inside the locked room.

Jesus did not need to have the grave opened for Him, but the angel certainly flattened the door and scared away the Roman guards before the women arrived.

5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.

6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 

The people with no faith want to bicker about the number of angels, which is similar to figuring out exactly how many women came on this trip. The skeptics make the most of their conclusions because they have already rejected the divine and have no faith. When they realize how faithless they are, they find ways to work around and attack the basics of the Bible, which gives them temporary relief. Eventually they have nothing to say and find an excuse with a notorious sect (Unitarians) or a group funded by atheists. I have known three "conservative Lutheran pastors" like that, each professing to be a "conservative" Lutheran but openly doubtful. However, when someone is ordained in the traditional orders, the promises are quite clear and not open to debate and obfuscation. 

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

The complete Easter story is divided among the four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each one has unique descriptions and each one shares from the stories of others. One can obtain a book which has all the comparisons marked in columns, which is quite fascinating.

That is called a synopsis, which means "seen together." We can see the best and the worst in people - like Doubting Thomas - and yet realize that particular problems are also the strengths of those disciples.

Loss of life means a terrible feeling of dread, remorse, sorrow. At a given moment, no one can project the future. However, we know there is a point where reality steps in and we realize the meaning of life - and eternal life. I would have to travel to Indiana and to Arizona to see our daughters' graves - Bethany and Erin Joy. One more stop is not far from this house, Christina's gravestone - and mine. 

Our minds are video machines that replay scenes, talking, laughter, even in our dreams. It is so important to build up time with older mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles. We no longer have a supportive country that relates to God, country, and citizenship. But we have the Majority Text, the KJV, far-outselling the Romper Room versions for the almost literate.

That is important, taking the Word of God everywhere - in our reading, our conversation, our debates with others, even our families.