EASTER Sunday 05 April anno domini 2026 Holy Communion
The Epistle. Colossians 3:1-4 The Gospel John 20:1-10
ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten
Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto
us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee
that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the
same to good effect; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever,
one God, world without end. Amen.
# 124, 338, 145
He is Risen! He is Risen indeed.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
The simple lesson of the Resurrection is just that, simple. Many sceptics over the centuries have tried very hard to find a way to prove that Christ did not rise again from the dead.
The attempts over the years to certify that the disciples were a bunch of loons or just not very stable characters, a people one should avoid, has been tried again and again.
Over the next couple of Sundays we will study how up to at least five hundred people saw Christ Jesus alive AFTER having witnessed his death on Calvary. These would be people who would in some cases be forces to give their lives because they would not renounce the fact of resurrection of Christ. If the event were not true, why would anyone be willing to die for an untruth?
Our lesson today is that Christ the Lord is risen today. We base our hope of the life after death in the fact that we believe that Jesus Christ laid down his life on Good Friday and he came back to life, in a glorified body on Easter Sunday.
The First Sunday of the new Life in Christ.
Everything was different after Easter Sunday.
Nothing would ever be the same.
Because He lives we can see tomorrow. As we read the passage from Romans 6 we are given a clear outline as to what happened that glorious Easter morning. Because Christ rose victorious over death, we too can look forward to that glorious day where Death will have no hold over us, we will be free from the pangs of Death. Christ’s death and resurrection has made us alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:9-11
CHRIST is risen from the dead : and become the first fruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death : by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians. 15:20,21
The two previous selections of scripture give us the greatest hope in a world of chaos and confusion. We see that because Christ went before us, defeated death by rising again from the dead, we have that hope the world lacks. We know that we are now alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. We read that the original curse laid upon us by Adam, that being physical death, is now vanquished by (Emmanuel) God in the Son, who over came that same death by the glorious resurrection that first Easter Day.
And so now in this week and in the weeks to come, let us reflect upon the great work that Christ has done for our salvation.
Let us remember the great gift that God the Father has bestowed upon us, through his Son Jesus Christ the Risen One. Let us ever be mindful that he will restore us and keep us to that day, the day of our own resurrection, the corruptible to the incorruptible, from that which was lost to that which is saved.
Glory, Christ the Lord is Risen He has risen indeed
Let us pray:
CHRIST our Passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness : but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5. 7.
O HEAVENLY Father in whom we live and move and have our being; We humbly pray thee so to guide and govern us by thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our daily life we may never forget thee, but remember that we are ever walking in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O LORD God, who hath wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for our transgressions by thy late heavy and dreadful visitation; and now, in the midst of judgement remembering mercy, hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death; We offer unto thy fatherly goodness ourselves, our souls and bodies, which thou hath delivered, to be a living sacrifice unto thee, always praising and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
God the Father; God the Son; God the Holy Spirit, bless you and keep you; the Lord make his Face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you ; the Lord lift up his Countenance upon you, and give you peace. Amen
