Resurrection

SUNDAY 'S TEXT

Luke 24:1-12 - EASTER SUNDAY

SERMON NOTES FOR DISCUSSION

Sunday Recap of the week... by Elaine Pierce

Luke 22-Luke 24:15

 "A Lot Can Happen in 7 Days."  

Seven Days.

One Week.

168 Hours.

I saw a on Facebook this week (thank you for sharing it, Mark Locher). It was very simple, and yet I have pondered it all week.

There were four simple pictures.  

A palm leaf.

A crown of thorns.

A cross.

An empty tomb.  

And the words "A Lot Can Happen in 7 Days."  

Jesus' week was certainly an eventful one. It started as he and his disciples entered Jerusalem. He was heralded by the crowds as a conquering king, as they shouted hosanna, hosanna (Save us!). Their adulation quickly turned to fierce hatred, as he was betrayed by one of his closest disciples, subjected to a sham trial, beaten, mocked, and cruelly crucified on a cross between two murderers.

But the week was not over. We will read this morning about the women coming to the tomb and finding it empty. The men "in clothes that gleamed like lightning" who greeted them at the tomb (and, who, understandably, terrified them) said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!"  

What a week. Seven days filled with ups and downs. Praise and worship.  Betrayal. High drama.  False accusations. Incredible suffering. Deep sorrow. Confusion. Fear. And then, incredibly, joy and amazement. He is not here. He has risen.  

I have never experienced a week like this. But I am eternally grateful that Jesus did. How do these seven days impact my life? We will worship this morning.  e will confidently say "He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed." We will greet our family and friends, and then we will head home. We will enjoy an Easter brunch, maybe an Easter Egg hunt. And then, very quickly, it will be Monday. Another week will begin. Seven days. What will be different? How can we carry Easter into the rest of our life?

When Peter comes to the tomb, and he sees the strips of linen lying by themselves, and no body in the tomb, he wonders to himself what had happened (24:12). We know the rest of the story - Peter becomes the rock on which Jesus builds his church. Let us wonder, let us ponder the mystery of the empty tomb.  We don't know what the next seven days will bring, or the next month, or the next year. Ask God to show you how he wants you to love him and serve others. Thank God for this incredible gift of eternal life. Yes, He is Risen Indeed!

The Past is Dead Because He Died

Holy Week Meditation on Wednesday

Death to Life                                                  Luke 24:1-12

Grave yards are places we bury the past. We bury a lot more than bodies these days. We bury bad memories. We cover over hurt feelings, fears, anger, disappointments and shame. We bury them and roll a stone in front of the tomb hoping not to see them or hear from them again. Jesus wants to roll away the stone.

Some of us are alive physically, but we are dead emotionally. We look for life and the living among the dead. Old memories, past hurts and fears. We have pushed down so much that we don’t even know everything that is in there. We want to bury all the secrets of our life and forget they exist.

Jesus wants to give us new life. He wants to heal us and raise us. He wants to empty the tomb so there is nothing to hide, nothing to dread, and nothing to fear. He wants to release the death within us and breathe new life into us.

We cannot change the past but, in His strength, we can face it, so that He can release and cleanse us from it. It is the only way we can be truly free, and alive. The decision before us is whether to stay in our self-made tomb or rise with Christ to New Life.

Joe Valentino

He Is Risen! - God Moves Out of the Tomb

ApriL 16 -                EASTER SUNDAY

The resurrection of Jesus, as an historical event, is proof that God wants to be “on the move” in your life as well.

Read Luke 24:1-12 and reflect on the passage.

Even the grave could not still Jesus. He moves beyond death—the greatest obstacle any of us will ever face. He is alive and active and moving in our lives and our world. His power to overcome all obstacles is available to us today.

Stations of the Cross

Station 15: The Resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:1-6)

Three days after Jesus was buried, some women went to His tomb to anoint His body. They were very sad because they loved Jesus very much. When they got to the tomb, they were surprised to see an angel sitting there. The angel told them that Jesus was no longer dead. God had brought him back to life, and Jesus would now be with us forever. This was the very first Easter Sunday morning!

Read and reflect on the passage.

1. How would you feel if you were one of the women who had this experience? You would have known that Jesus had died and was buried, but when you went to His tomb, you would have been greeted by a man—dressed in white—who told you, “He has risen. He is not here.”

2. Why do you think Jesus had to be raised from the dead?

3. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we have new life. What could you do this week to celebrate your new life and “walk in Jesus’ steps?”

—Catherine Scurria