“Christ is Risen……He Is Risen Indeed!”

 

The name Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin probably doesn’t “ring a bell” for you, but in his day he was one of
the most powerful and influential people on earth. An early Russian Communist leader, he took part in the
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Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. He was the first editor of the Russian newspaper Pravda (which, by the way,
means “truth”), and he was a leading member of the Soviet Politburo in the days of Lenin and Stalin. Bukharin’s
works on economics and political science are still read today the world over. There is a story told about a
journey Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin once took from Moscow to Kiev in 1930 to address a huge assembly on the
subject of atheism. Speaking before the crowd he aimed his heavy artillery at Christianity hurling insults,
reasoned arguments, and “scientific” proof against it. An hour later he was finished, supremely confident that he
had demolished any and all arguments for religion of any kind, and for Christianity in particular. “Are there any
questions?” Bukharin demanded as he surveyed the crowd. Deafening silence filled the auditorium , a silence
that seemed to be evidence of the smoldering ashes of his audience’s faith – courtesy of Bukharin’s
“enlightened” arguments. But then one man mounted the platform and stood right next to that leading light of
atheistic communism. This second man also surveyed the crowd, first to the left then to the right. Finally he
shouted the ancient greeting known well in the Russian Orthodox Church: “CHRIST IS RISEN!” En masse the
crowd arose as one man and the response came crashing like the sound of thunder: “HE IS RISEN INDEED!”
Bukharin had lost; Christ had won.
As far as Bukharin – hardened in his unbelief and rejection of the risen Christ — and his fellow
communists were concerned, Jesus was just another figure of history who, before his martyrdom, founded a
religious movement that Bukharim was convinced would be quickly eclipsed and then rendered totally useless
by Communism. And in that sense, he was no different from many today, even some religious leaders in
“Christian” garb, who regard Jesus Christ as an important figure of history, but also – ultimately – as just another
man – a philosopher – who was born, who died and who has stayed dead – like anyone else. As far as they are
concerned, with Jesus’ death the end of his existence arrived. To these skeptics, any talk of His bodily
resurrection is pure fantasy, a manufactured myth, a fond but flawed fable.
How tragically (and damnably) wrong such individuals are about Jesus! They dismiss the miracle and
the reality of His physical resurrection after three days in the grave – even though the Biblical record of the
bodily resurrection exists in black on white for anyone to read and believe. The resurrection of Jesus is a
recorded fact, incidentally, that was corroborated by hundreds of eye-witnesses, some of which God
subsequently guided to write down for us the evidence among the books of the New Testament! Stumbling
over their “human reason” and natural animosity toward God, Bukharin and his modern counterparts have
rejected the Risen Redeemer to their eternal peril and destruction.
Praise God today that what our human reason cannot comprehend, the Lord in His mercy has convinced
us of through the faith-imparting and sustaining work of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps that’s why Martin Luther once
wrote: “The Gospel does not explain the resurrection. The resurrection explains why we have the Gospels.” It
also explains why you and I have come to this house of worship today to celebrate Christ’s real resurrection and
the all-encompassing significance it has for our earthly and eternal existence. There is no mistaking the fact that
the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of our Christian faith; in many ways the fact of
Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the grave is the Christian Church’s “crown jewel”…..making the faith we will
confess this morning (and live every day) not only precious to us, but one in which we can confidently rest all our
hopes for here and especially for heaven.
Because Jesus really and truly rose from His grave after three days, we know that He is our God, and
that our sins are fully forgiven (the resurrection is the proof that the Father accepted His Son’s sin-sacrifice as
the world’s Substitute). We also know that just as He has conquered death and lives eternally…..even so we will
share both in His victory over death – death no longer has eternal mastery over us – and in His resurrection,
since He has promised (and has the power to insure) that one day we too will bodily rise from our graves to
everlasting life through faith in Him.
These truths and others will be presented throughout this morning’s service, both in six groupings of
Scripture Lessons that emphasize the “Key Resurrection Truths and Proofs” of the Bible, and in the
resurrection-confessing hymns that we will be singing today.
We’ll begin by giving our attention to our Opening Gospel Lesson: Luke‘s account of Jesus rising from
the grave.
After that we’ll give our attention to today’s Children’s Lesson, which will center on Jesus’ raising Jairus’
daughter from the dead, and particularly on Jesus’ words: The child is not dead but asleep.” We’ll be
reminded that, for the Christian, death really is sleep – something to be desired that will provide us with rest from
our earthly troubles and eternal refreshment in heaven where we’ll find endless joy in our Lord’s presence.
Next we’ll consider as our Third Reading, Paul’s list of eye-witnesses who saw the Risen Lord under the
heading “The Resurrection Is a NOT a Fable, but a Fact.”
The reality of Christ’s resurrection is supported well by the testimony of hundreds of eye-witnesses.
What they saw, they not only recorded for us – as the Gospel writers did under the Holy Spirit’s guidance – they
also proclaimed the resurrection Gospel far and wide, and many believed because of their witness. Likewise,
may every one of us today and always personally and publicly profess our faith in Christ, that Jesus might be
glorified through us, and that others may join us in this faith in our Risen Lord and Savior which we confess and
celebrate today.
Our Fourth Reading is actually a collection of passages which will show that not only were the Father
and Holy Spirit actively involved in the resurrection of the Son, but that Jesus, as God the Son, also raised
Himself….”How is that possible?” one might ask. It is a mystery of God’s inner-working between the different
persons of the Trinity, yet this is what God’s Word teaches. That He raised Himself from the grave also proves
that Jesus is the Almighty God (has anyone else ever raised himself from the dead?). And so our Christian faith
is properly placed in the One, True God. Finally, we want to remember that divine power Christ used to raise
Himself from the tomb is the same power He will use to one day raise our own bodies from our graves. Fourth,
as Jesus predicted He would die and 3 days later rise from his grave, we’ll recognize and find encouragement
in the fact that all God’s promises to us come true.
Our Fifth Reading will focus on the fact that Jesus physically,

rose from the grave in the very body that was crucified….and yet it was a glorified body, one which now utilized
all the power which eternally belonged to Jesus’ according to His divine nature. As we consider this, we will
want to remember that in the resurrection at the Last Day our bodies also will be raised glorified just like Christ’s
– that is, imperishable, free from sin’s contamination, and fully prepared for eternity in heaven. With Our Sixth
“Resurrection Truth” we will recall that Christ’s rising from the grave proves that His death on the cross for our
sins was acceptable to the Father, and so we can be confident that our sins are all forgiven. Because of Jesus’
death and resurrection for us, we never need fear spending eternity in hell because of our sins. Salvation is
ours through our resurrected Lord, and heaven is our home!
No one who believes in Christ should fear death. Instead we will eagerly anticipate it, as Paul reminds
us in the familiar words from I Corinthians 15 on which our Sermon for today is based. Here the Apostle talks
about the glorified resurrection that the bodies of believers will experience on the Last Day and reminds us that,
through Christ, the power (and fear) of death has been destroyed. As we study God’s Word today, we are
reminded that for us who believe in Christ, physical death is not to be feared, but instead is to be seen as the
blessed gateway to everlasting life in heaven with our Lord.
Finally, in our Closing Scripture reading, Job expresses his confidence in the bodily resurrection. As we
close with Job’s beautiful profession of faith, may we also be moved to sing loudly, faithfully and confidently our
closing hymn for today (which is based on this text),”I Know That My Redeemer Lives!” Because He does, for
ever and ever!

Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church

We welcome you this day in the name of our living Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. May you find abiding
peace and renewed strength for your faith and Christian life in His Word of truth today.
The chief purpose of our ministry, as our Lord enables us, is to serve all people with the precious Gospel
of Jesus Christ, revealed to us in the verbally inspired, inerrant Scriptures. To that end, it is our privilege and
responsibility:
A: To proclaim the Law and Gospel keenly and clearly, in order to convict sinners of their sins, to lead them to
repentance, to comfort penitent souls, and to build each other up in our faith in the one, true, Triune God
through the Means of Grace (the Word and Sacraments of our Lord). and…..
B: To equip believers, through that same Means of Grace, to grow in their Christian lives as faithful
servants, stewards, and witnesses to others of the redeeming grace of our God in Christ Jesus.
Grace Lutheran Church is a fellowship of individuals and families who have found Jesus Christ to be the
only safe and reliable answer to all of life’s problems and critical questions. We are members of the WELS, that
is, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Wisconsin indicates the geographical beginnings of a group of Christians who, over a century and a half
ago, because of their comprehensive commitment to all that God’s Word teaches, united themselves in a join
public ministry which we in the WELS carry on, by God’s grace, to this day.
Evangelical declares that we believe and proclaim the great, foundational principles of the Christian
faith: namely, that we are saved by God’s free grace alone (His undeserved love), through faith alone in Jesus
Christ. And that this truth is found in Scripture alone (that is, the 66 “canonical” books of the Bible).
Lutheran affirms that we believe, teach, and confess all the doctrines of the historic Christian faith as
taught by Jesus to His Apostles, now contained in the written Word of God. Those truths, once all but lost to the
Church because of the influences of false teachers, were – by God’s grace and blessing – restored to the
Christian Church through the 16

th century Lutheran Reformation led by Dr. Martin Luther. We humbly remain

today, the grateful heirs of that Lutheran Reformation, Apostolic legacy.
And, finally, Synod states that we, as a congregation, have united in a shared ministry together with 1259
other like-minded WELS congregations across this country, as well as like-teaching Lutherans in 23 other
nations. We join them in working together for the purposes of growing in our Christian faith, serving our glorious
Lord, and proclaiming His gracious salvation in Christ to the world.

Serving Us Today

Elders: John Johnson, Rick Tragasz Organist: Debbie Huebner

Altar Guild: Tina Wambold
Ushers: Terry Bruns, Tim Huebner, Tom Otto
Custodian: Tina Wambold Secretary: Harriet Johnson
Video: Dale Johannes Pastor: Charles Huebner

Pre-Service Prayer – Dear Savior, the cross shall always be precious to me as the altar of sacrifice on which
You died for my sins. The tomb that sheltered You is also precious to me. It stands empty to remind me that
death could not hold You. You have risen, and in this truth lies my hope for here and for heaven. By your
resurrection I know that the Father in heaven has accepted Your payment for my sins, and declared You His Son,
my Savior. And I know that death cannot keep its hold me, for as You live, I shall live also. At Your cross I have
found refuge from God’s wrath, and in Your vacant tomb, I have comfort in death and confidence for the life
eternal that is to come. Now bless my worship of You today, for the good of my faith, and for Your glory as my
God and my Lord. Amen.

The portions of God’s Word used in this worship flyer have been taken from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage

Version

Copyright 2019, The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.

Used with permission. Music and lyrics, as needed, are used with permission via OneLicense.net #A712831
Pre-service prayer

Pre-service music

We Praise Our God
The Introduction and Invitation to Worship

After which, at the Pastor’s invitation, the Congregation will rise for

The Invocation

P: We begin this festival service
C: In the name of the Father,
P: Who gave His Son into death for us
and raised Him in glory on the third day;
C: And of the Son,

P: Who laid down His life only to take it up again on the third day;

C: And of the Holy Spirit

P: through Whom Christ was made alive, Who has worked saving faith in our hearts, Who lives in us now

through the Word, and Who will one day give life to our mortal bodies.

C: Amen.
The Reading of the Resurrection Gospel

Luke 24:1-12
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had
prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. 3 When they went in, they did not
find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men stood by them in
dazzling clothing. 5 The women were terrified and bowed down with their faces to the ground. The men said to
them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has been raised! Remember
how He told you while He was still in Galilee 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinful
men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again?” 8 Then they remembered His words. 9 When they returned
from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. 11 Yet these
words seemed to them like nonsense, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb.
Bending over to look in, he saw only the strips of linen cloth. He went home, amazed at what had happened.
An Easter Proclamation

selected Scripture verses from Ps 118,

of Faith in our Risen Lord!

Is 25; Eze 12; Rom 4; I Cor 1; I Cor 15)

P: Christ the Lord is risen today!
C: He is risen indeed. Hallelujah!
P: This is the day the Lord has made;
C: Let us rejoice, and be glad in it. Hallelujah!
P: God is faithful.
C: He fulfills whatever He says.
P: Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous.
C: The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things.
P: The Stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
C: The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes.
P: Jesus was delivered over to death for our sins,
C: And raised to life for our justification
P: The Lord Almighty will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will
swallow up death forever.
C: I will not die, but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
P: Death has been swallowed up in victory.
C: Thanks be to God who gives us the victory + through our Lord Jesus Christ.
P: I will give You thanks for You answered me; + You have become my salvation.
C: Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us; let us rejoice and be glad in His
salvation.
The Opening Prayer
Almighty God, + through the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, + death has been
defeated + and the gates of eternal life have been opened to us all. + Although our sin-limited minds
+ cannot begin to understand how all this is possible, + Your Holy Spirit – working in the Word – has
convinced us that this miracle is real: + Jesus Christ our Lord is risen indeed! + As we celebrate His
resurrection this morning, + please fill our hearts with the joy that comes from knowing + our sins are
fully and freely forgiven, + and the confidence that everlasting life in heaven is surely ours + through
faith in Christ, our Savior and God. + And may this Gospel that we are hearing again this morning, +
motivate us daily to produce in our lives + the good fruits of the true Christian faith + that we are
proclaiming with our hearts and lips today. + Amen.
The First Hymn

“How Great Thou Art”
by Stuart Heine (vv 1-2); C. Huebner (v.3)

O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hand hath made
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in.
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing

He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

On the third day, our Lord His body raises,
Defeating sin, death, Satan, and the grave.
Today I bow and offer Him my praises,
For Jesus Christ alone my soul did save!
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”
Then sings my soul, my Savior-God to Thee,
“How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

Today’s Children’s Lesson

Mark 5:21-24, 35-42
21 When Jesus had again crossed over in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him near
the sea. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came. When he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet 23
and repeatedly pleaded with Him, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her so
that she may be healed and live.” 24 Jesus went with him……35 While he was still speaking, people from the
synagogue ruler’s house arrived, saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?” 36 But
when Jesus heard this report, He told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” 37 He did not allow
anyone to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 They went into the house of the
synagogue ruler, and Jesus saw a commotion with people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When He entered, He
said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
40 They laughed at Him. But after He put everyone out, He took the father of the child, her mother, and those
who were with Him and went in where the child was. 41 Grasping the hand of the child, He said to her, “Talitha,
koum!” (When translated, that means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”) 42 Immediately the little girl stood up and
began to walk around. (She was twelve years old.) They were completely and utterly amazed.
For the Believer, Death is Just “Sleep”

The Choral Selection

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

The congregation will sing verses 2 and 4

1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia! Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
See the place where he was laid; Alleluia! Praise him for the ransom paid. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia! Sinless in the sinners’ stead. Alleluia!
“Christ is ris’n,” today we cry; Alleluia! Now he lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Christ, the victim undefiled, Alleluia! God and sinners reconciled. Alleluia!
While, in strange and awe-ful strife, Alleluia! Met together death and Life. Alleluia!
4 Christ, who once for sinners bled, Alleluia! Now the first-born from the dead, Alleluia!
Throned in endless might and pow’r, Alleluia! Lives and reigns forevermore. Alleluia!
Jesus’ Resurrection is not a Fable, but a Fact….

Affirmed By Hundreds of Eye-Witnesses

I Corinthians 15:1-8
Brothers, I am going to call your attention to the gospel that I preached to you. You received it, and you took your
stand on it. 2 You are also being saved by that gospel that was expressed in the words I preached to you, if you
keep your hold on it—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was
raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the
Twelve.
6 After that He appeared to over five hundred brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, but
some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, and then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, He
appeared also to me, the stillborn child, so to speak.
The Second Hymn

Hymn 145 “Jesus Lives, The Victory’s Won”
verses 1 & 5

In Raising Himself From the Grave (in cooperation with
the Father and the Holy Spirit), Jesus Has Proven that
He Possesses the Power of God Because He Truly IS God

Romans 1:1-4
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised in
advance through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. 3 This gospel is about His Son—Who in the flesh was born
a descendant of David, 4 Who in the spirit of holiness was declared to be God’s powerful Son by His
resurrection from the dead—Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Romans 6:1-4
What shall we say then? Shall we keep on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 Absolutely not! We died to sin.
How can we go on living in it any longer? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him by this baptism into His death, so that just as
He was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life.
Romans 8:9-11
9 But you are not in the sinful flesh but in the spirit, if indeed God’s Spirit lives in you. And if someone does not
have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead
because of sin, but your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of the One Who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One Who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal
bodies alive through His Spirit, Who is dwelling in you.

John 10:17,18
17 This is why the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one
takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority
to take it up again. This is the commission I received from My Father.”
The Third Hymn

Hymn 155 “Christ the Lord is Risen Again”(v 1 & 5)
Jesus’ Resurrection Reminds Us That He Keeps All His Promises: Jesus Promised that
He would die, yet would overcome death and the grave 3 days later…..and He Did!
John 2:18-22
18 So the Jews responded, “What sign are You going to show us to prove You can do these things?” 19 Jesus

answered them, “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 The Jews said, “It took forty-
six years to build this temple! And You are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the

temple of His body. 22 When Jesus was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said
this. Then they believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said.

II Corinthians 1:20-22
20 In fact, as many promises as God has made, they have always been “Yes” in Him. For that reason we
also say “Amen” through Him to the glory of God. 21 God is the One Who makes both us and you to be strong in
Christ. He anointed us. 22 He sealed us as His own and gave us the Spirit as the down payment in our hearts.

The Fourth Hymn

Hymn 162 “He Is Arisen, Glorious Word”
Because He Has Risen, as Our Victor Over Death and the Grave, Jesus’ Victory Is Ours;
Our Bodies Will Not Remain In Our Graves Forever….We Will Be Raised Glorified On The
Last Day

John 11:20-27
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary was sitting in the house. 21
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that
whatever You ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha
replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and
believes in Me will never perish. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I believe that You are
the Christ, the Son of God, Who was to come into the world.”

I Corinthians 15:50-58
50 Now I say this, brothers: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and what is perishable is not
going to inherit what is imperishable. 51 Look, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the
dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on
imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 But once this perishable body has put on
imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality, then what is written will be fulfilled: Death is
swallowed up in victory. 55 Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? 56 The sting of death
is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ! 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because
you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The Fifth Hymn

“Because He Lives”
by William and Gloria Gaither (used, with permission, under CCLI 13666699)
God sent His Son, they called Him Jesus, He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died To buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, All fear is gone;
Because I know —- He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives.
And then one day I’ll cross the river, I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory – and I’ll know He lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, All fear is gone;
Because I know —- He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives.
Jesus’ Resurrection Proves That Our Sins
ARE All Forgiven….Fully, Freely, and Forever!

Romans 4:23-25
23 Now the statement “it was credited to him” was not written for him alone, 24 but also for us to whom it would
be credited, namely, to us who believe in the One Who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead. 25 He was handed
over to death because of our trespasses and was raised to life because of our justification.

Romans 10:8-11
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith that we
are proclaiming. 9 Certainly, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with the heart a person believes, resulting
in righteousness, and it is with the mouth that a person confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For Scripture says,
“Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”

The Sermon Hymn

Hymn 143
“He’s Risen, He’s Risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord”

At the Pastor’s invitation the Congregation will rise for

The Pre-Sermon Greeting
Grace and peace to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come. This is the day the LORD has
made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Hallelujah!
The Sermon Text

I Corinthians 15:12-20
12 Now if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how is it that some among you say that there
is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised. 14 And
if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is pointless, and your faith is pointless too. 15 Then we are even
guilty of giving false testimony about God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not
raise, if it were true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been
raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then it also follows
that those who fell asleep in Christ perished. 19 If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most
pitiful people of all. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen
asleep.

If There Is No Resurrection….Then What?

after the Sermon concludes, the Congregation will REMAIN SEATED for

The Post-Sermon Blessing

Jude 24-25
24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of His glory
with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our
Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity. Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts and Prayers to the Lord
Offerings will be received this morning through offering plates passed among those who have gathered here for

worship.

However, for those viewing this service online, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with
Your thank-offerings through our ministry: 1) You can mail a check (no cash, please) to our church address

(415 N. 6
th Place, Lowell, AR 72745); or

2) You can donate through our website: www.gracelutherannwa.com

Our Offerings of Love to our Lord

after the offerings are brought forward, the Congregation will rise for

Today’s Special Prayers
Included in our prayers this morning are Prayers of Intercession on behalf of Dan Beck and Marilyn Outlaw
The Responsive Prayer for the Festival of the Resurrection
P: Blessed Savior of all mankind, this morning we have again heard about Your glorious resurrection from the
grave and Your triumph for us over sin, death and hell. In all this You were our Substitute.
C: The battle which You fought was our battle, + and therefore the victory which You won is our
victory.
P: Because You rose from the dead, we know that all our sins have been paid for in full.

C: Like the stone rolled away from Your grave, even so our sins have been rolled away from our
hearts, and our guilt and punishment have been forever removed from us.
P: Because You were raised from the grave by the glory of the Father, we know that we, together with all true
believers, will also be raised to life on the Last Day with glorified bodies.
C: Help us, by Your Holy Spirit, to always remember that we are Your dearly loved children, having
been spiritually resurrected by You.
P: Keep us from sin in every shape and form.
C: Help us to live our new lives in gratitude to You, and for Your glory.
P: Through the power of the Holy Spirit, enable us to keep Your commandments faithfully.
C: Fill us with the same sacrificial love for You and our fellow man that You have demonstrated and
continue to display toward us.
P: And finally, when that great Last Day arrives, when You will return in all Your divine majesty, attended by
Your angels to raise the dead and judge the world,
C: raise us all dear Savior, and take us to the heavenly mansions which You have prepared for us
and all who believe in You that we may forever share in Your glory.
P: Hear us, for Your name’s sake, Lord Jesus Christ. And in Your name we also join in praying:
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.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Scripture Reading: Job’s Confidence in His
Resurrection and our Confidence in our own Resurrection

Job 19:23-27
Oh how I wish that my words were written down.
Oh how I wish that they were inscribed in bronze,
24 that they would be engraved in rock forever
with an iron tool and letters filled with lead.
25 As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the end of time He will stand over the dust.
26 Then, even after my skin has been destroyed,
nevertheless, in my own flesh I will see God.
27 I myself will see Him.

My own eyes will see Him, and not as a stranger.
How my heart yearns within me.

The Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.

after which the Congregation will be seated for

The Closing Hymn

Hymn 152 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”

V.1 Congregation
I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, Who once was dead;
He lives my ever-living Head.

V.2 Choir
V.3 Congregation
He lives to bless me with His love.
He lives to plead for me above,
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to help in time of need.
V.4 Choir
V.5 Congregation

He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears,
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.
V.7 Choir
V.8 Congregation and Choir
He lives all glory to His name!
He lives my Jesus still the same.
Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives.
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

“Amen.” (by the Choir)
+ + + Thank You + + +

Thank you for being a part of our worshiping assembly this morning. We invite to join those around you for
some good conversation and fellowship at the conclusion of today’s announcements. We also invite you to join
us for our Easter Fellowship Brunch in our fellowship hall, following today’s worship service.
Finally, it is our prayer that you will join us again at Grace Lutheran Church for worship and study of the Word on
future Sundays. May the comfort of God’s love and His forgiveness through Jesus Christ be with you throughout

this day and this week.
Announcements

This Past Week at Grace Lutheran

Sunday (4-10) Worship: 69

Bible Class/Sunday School: 24 & 3

Budgetary Offerings: $3127

Online Offerings: $110

Memorial for Mary Beck: $50

Maundy Thursday (4-14) Attendance: 25 (communed: 23)

Good Friday (4-15) Attendance: 63
Special Thanks to all those who: 1) distributed Easter invitation flyers this past week; 2) helped set up our
facilities for today; 3) offered their efforts and talents to enhance our worship this morning’s, particularly to our
choir members, organist, elders and ushers; 4) brought flowers to adorn our altar area today; 5) made the
arrangements for our children’s egg hunt later today; and 6) prepared the various food items that we will enjoy
as part of our Easter brunch later this morning.
Birthdays This Week April 20 – Marisol Huebner; April 21 – Sarah Higgins;
Serving Us Next Sunday (4-24) Elders: Rick Tragasz, John Johnson

Altar Guild: Mary Karloski, Vicki Walker Ushers: John Wambold, Taylor Ashley

Looking Ahead At Grace Lutheran Church
Today Choir, 8:30 a.m. Easter Festival Service, 9:30 am
Easter Brunch following worship, in the fellowship hall
Children’s Egg Hunt after worship in the classroom bldg

Apr 19 (Tues) Morning Bible Class, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Church Council Meeting, 6 p.m.

Apr 23 (Sat) Outreach Calling, leaving from church at 11:00 a.m.
Apr 24 (Sun) Morning worship with the Lord’s Supper, 9:30 a.m.
Bible Class & Sunday School classes, 11:05 a.m.
Youth Confirmation Class, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Some History Facts Connected to the
Church’s Celebration of the Resurrection

An article written a few years ago reported that more than a third of high school students in the U.S. did
not know the true reason for celebrating Easter. That might be a surprising bit of news to most of us who’ve
gathered here this morning specifically to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but we really shouldn’t be surprised
given the social trends in our nation over the past generation. The increasing variety of ethnic and religious
groups that make up our population today, coupled with a rather aggressive effort on the part of secularists to
remove as many Christian influences and symbols as they can from the public eye, have produced a vacuum of
understanding concerning many of the Christian values and observances long a part of our American culture.
We have come together on this Easter Sunday to celebrate the fact that three days after He died on the
cross and was buried, Jesus physically came back to life, left His grave, and lives as our Savior-God today. It is
our conviction that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, through His bodily resurrection from the dead has broken the
power of sin, death and Satan, and has secured forgiveness for all, and eternal life in heaven for us who believe
in Him. The fundamental reason for Christians to celebrate Easter, then, is because Christ lives ! To quote His
words to the Apostle John in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever
and ever. And I hold the keys to death and Hades!” Because He lives, Easter has always been a special
occasion of celebration for the Christian Church, based on this certainty which fills us with the confidence that
because Jesus lives, by faith we will live for ever and ever in heaven with our risen Lord.
Our date for Easter is established in relation to the same natural signs which mark the celebration of the
Jewish
Passover. It generally occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the vernal (spring) equinox. As a
result, Easter can come anytime between March 22

nd and April 25
th
. This year, it falls on April 4
th
. In the
earliest days of the Christian Church, the events of Easter Sunday (along with those of Good Friday) were

routinely commemorated every week in the worship service held each Lord’s Day (Sunday). The first “festival-
like” celebrations of Christ’s resurrection began to be held in the early second century. By the third century,

Easter was followed by a period of fifty days devoted to focusing on the resurrection (which we continue to refer
to on the Church Calendar as “The Easter Season;” seven Sundays in length, it begins on Easter Sunday and
concludes with our observance of Pentecost).
The first Nicene Council (325 A.D.) determined the method for setting the date on which Western
Christian churches (Western Europe, most of Africa, the Americas and Asia….which follow the Gregorian
Calendar) observe Easter. (See the comments above about the 1

st Sunday following the Vernal Equinox.) In the
Eastern churches (the Balkans, southeastern Europe, Russia, Ethiopia, and the Middle East….where the Julian
calendar is followed) Jesus’ death is commemorated on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan.
Consequently, in Eastern rite churches (e.g. Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Coptic
Orthodox [in Ethiopia]) the celebration of Christ’s resurrection can fall on any day of the week. In fact, the
Eastern Church’s celebration of the resurrection can fall anywhere from one to four weeks behind our Western
observance of Easter. The Eastern Church’s tradition-based practice over the centuries has been to emphasize
the significance of Christ’s death on Good Friday over significance of the His resurrection on Easter morning.
In Western Churches, while the events of Good Friday — with Christ’s sacrificial death for the world’s sins — are
appropriately highlighted, the celebration of the resurrection on Easter morning is given “center stage.” The
reason for this practice is that Scripture teaches us that Christ’s resurrection certifies that His death for sin was
accepted by the Father in heaven as sufficient (I Corinthians 15:3; 17; Romans 4:25), as it also proves that
Christ is our God (Romans 1:4; Acts 2:32), that there is a resurrection of the body (I Corinthians 15:12, 16, 20)
and we also will one day rise from the grave to newness of life (John 6:40; 14:19; 11:25,26).
Historically, some controversy has existed as to the naming of this celebration——Easter. In fact, on the
calendar of the Church the day of Christ’s resurrection is more appropriately referred to as “The Celebration of
the Resurrection of our Lord,” since it was on this first day of the week that Jesus rose again from the dead and
was first seen by His disciples (Matthew 28:1-20). In connection with this we want to keep in mind that what we
are celebrating this morning is the annual celebration of a reality that is actually reaffirmed by millions every
Sunday. Each “first day of the week” those who believe that Christ——the Messiah of Old Testament promise ——has come in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth unite to worship Him. Thus Christians proclaim week-in and
week-out this precious truth: that Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, and that He rose again as the manifest
evidence of His being the Son of God and the Savior of humankind (Romans 1:1-4; 16, 17).
It is interesting to note that the origin of our English word “Easter” is uncertain. It could have come from
“Eostre,” the Teutonic (ancient German) name for the goddess of spring, or from the Teutonic festival for spring
called “Eostur.” Other possibilities are that it has been derived from the Middle English word “Ostern,” which
denotes the direction from which the sun rises, or that it is connected in some matter with the name of the Greek
goddess Astarte. (Some even trace the derivation to the Babylonian nature goddess Ishtar.) In the King

James Version of the Bible, the word Easter occurs in Acts 12:4 but there it is actually a mistranslation of the
Greek word pascha, meaning “Passover.” (This has been corrected in most contemporary translations.) The
pagan “connection” to the term “Easter” has caused some Christians – in their Christian freedom – to protest
against using the designation, although they still observe the event to which it testifies. But for most Christians,
the name holds no relationship whatsoever to the names of pagan goddesses. For the vast majority of
believers, Easter is a day of declaring Christ’s (and, through faith in Him, our eventual…) triumph over death
through the power of the resurrection, and of our celebrating Jesus’ resurrection assurance that our sins are fully
forgiven and that everlasting life and salvation are ours through faith in Him as our Lord and Savior.
Spanish-speaking persons typically refer to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection by the term “Pascua.”
In Italian, Easter is “Pasqua,” while the French word for Easter is “Paques”…..all are derived from the Hebrew
word for Passover, “Pesah.
The Lamb is one of our better-known symbols associated with Easter. This symbol, of course, is

intimately connected with the Jewish Pesah (Passover) observance. During Passover the Jewish people re-
enact the events of the Exodus from Egypt, a part of which included each family killing an unblemished lamb at

sprinkling its blood on their doorposts. The unblemished lamb for Christians is a fitting Old Testament example
(or “type”) of our sinless Savior, while the blood of the lamb represents the assurance that salvation has been
secured for us through the precious blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, Who takes away the sin of the
world (John 1:29; Isaiah 53).
Finally, Jesus Christ has also made this announcement of assurance to every one of us: “Because I live,
you shall live also!” (John 14:19). Eternal life-beyond-death is promised to everyone who believes Jesus is our
God and Savior from sin. He is not only an example of godly living that we can follow in this lifetime; He is,
above all else…the Way to heaven, the ultimate Source of all Truth, and the Guarantee of Life everlasting for all
who put their faith in Him. Finally the consummate confidence that His resurrection gives us provides the
Christian with an over-coming faith enabling us to endure life’s trials and stresses certain that a better life in
heaven is ours through our Risen Lord. Because Easter’s testimony is true, we have a hope for tomorrow, this
week, and the rest of our lives…..a hope that will surely carry us through life, beyond death, and into heavenly
glory. In the words of songwriter Bill Gaither:

“Because He lives I can face tomorrow. Because He lives all fear is gone.
Because I know He holds my future Now life is worth the living,

just because He lives.”