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Easter Sunday

The Propers for the Festival of the Resurrection of Our Lord April 12, 2020

Opening Hymn

Jesus Christ is Risen Today LSB 457

Text and tune: Public domain

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Invocation

L In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit. C Amen.

The Litany of the Resurrection

L O Lord, C have mercy. L O Christ, C have mercy. L O Lord, C have mercy. L Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, C hear us. L Paschal Lamb, who was offered for us and has taken away the sin of the world, C have mercy on us. L Who was crucified for our transgressions and raised for our justification, C have mercy on us. L Who foretold Your passion saying, “The Son of Man must be crucified and on the third day rise

again,” C have mercy on us. L Who destroyed death by dying, and by rising to life again brought life and immortality to light, C have mercy on us. L Whose resurrection was first announced by an angel to the women, C have mercy on us. L Who appeared to Mary Magdalene and was worshiped by her, C have mercy on us. L Who revealed Yourself to the two disciples on the Emmaus road and made Yourself known to

them in the Scriptures and in the breaking of the bread, C have mercy on us. L Who appeared to the disciples, bestowing on them Your peace and Your Spirit, C have mercy on us. L Who showed Your wounded hands and side to the apostle Thomas that he too might believe, C have mercy on us. L Who appeared to seven disciples on the Sea of Tiberias, bringing a miraculous catch of fish, C have mercy on us. L Who appeared to Peter and to the Twelve, to over 500 disciples, to James and to all the apostles,

and to Paul on the Damascus road, C have mercy on us. L Who commissioned Your Church to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching them, C have mercy on us. L By Your glorious resurrection from the dead, C good Lord, deliver us. L By Your victory over sin and death, C good Lord, deliver us. L By the majesty of Your risen body,

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C good Lord, deliver us. L We poor sinners implore You C to hear us, Lord Jesus. L That we may daily die and rise with You in our Baptism and walk in the freedom of Your

forgiveness, C grant us, good Lord. L That we may set our minds on things above and not on earthly things, serving others as we have

been served by You, C grant us, good Lord. L That we may dwell with You forever in the new creation as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem,

together with all the saints, C grant us, good Lord. L Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C have mercy on us. L Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C have mercy on us. L Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, C grant us Your peace. L O Lord, C have mercy. L O Christ, C have mercy. L O Lord, C have mercy. Amen.

Introit Exodus 15:2a, 6, 13, 17–18; antiphon: v. 1b

I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed | gloriously;* the horse and his rider he has thrown in- | to the sea.

The LORD is my strength | and my song,* and he has become my sal- | vation.

Your right hand, O LORD, glorious | in power,* your right hand, O LORD, shatters the | enemy. You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you | have redeemed;* you have guided them by your strength to your ho- | ly abode. You will bring them in and plant them on your own | mountain,* the place, O LORD, which you have made for | your abode, the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands have es- | tablished.* The LORD will reign forever and | ever. Glory be to the Father and | to the Son* and to the Holy | Spirit; as it was in the be-|ginning,* is now, and will be forever. | Amen. I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed | gloriously;* the horse and his rider he has thrown in- | to the sea.

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Collect of the Day

Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. The First Reading Acts 10:34-43

Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Gradual adapt. from Matthew 28:7; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 8:6 Christ has risen | from the dead.* [God the Father] has crowned him with glory and | honor. He has given him dominion over the works | of his hands;* he has put all things un- | der his feet.

Epistle Colossians 3:1-4

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Holy Gospel Matthew 28:1-10

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

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Here, say: The Apostles Creed Sermon Hymn

Now All the Vault of the Heaven Resounds LSB 465

Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000989 Tune: Public domain

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The Sermon

Matthew 28:1-10 + Do Not Be Afraid

The Word of the Lord from Matthew 28:9-10: “Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.’” This is the Word of the Lord.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Dear hearers in Christ, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! That sounds so much better when I’m not just talking to myself – when we’re all together in the

sanctuary and the buzz of Easter adds an electricity to everything. Last year on Easter Sunday, we moved to two services every Sunday. This year, I am sad to report that Easter attendance at Good Shepherd looks to be right around zero. This will change, of course, but here is the thing: whatever our circumstances – whether we are together in worship or isolated by pandemic, disability, deployment or whatever, none of that changes what the Lord has done. Nothing changes that the Lord is risen indeed!

Christ is risen in our gospel lesson; and to the women, the risen Jesus says, “Greetings!” It's even

better than that: the word for “Greetings!” is actually, “Rejoice!” Jesus’ first words to the women that morning are “Rejoice!” and “Do not be afraid!”

The “rejoice” makes sense. They've come to a tomb, expecting the lifeless body of Jesus inside,

doing what dead bodies do. Instead, they’ve found stunned guards and a glorious angel who tells them that Jesus is risen from the dead. They’ve departed from there with fear and great joy, and now they are confronted by Jesus who says, “Rejoice” and “Do not be afraid.”

What joy indeed! The Lord stands before them, for He is risen indeed! Of course Jesus says, “Rejoice!” But why the “Do not be afraid?” Why does Jesus need to say that?

What could be left for the women to fear as they clutch His feet and worship Him? Maybe they think He's a ghost, an apparition. His disciples have thought that before, when He

walked to them on water. The devil himself likes to appear as an angel of light, and so maybe they fear this is a cruel trick by the principalities and powers of darkness. It's not, though: if the women are holding the feet of Jesus, they've got a close-up of real feet with scars from the nails. Christ has conquered the devil and all the powers of darkness. There is no reason to be afraid of them.

There's no reason to be afraid of death: they're clinging to the risen Lord – the Lord who told them

repeatedly that He would die and rise again. They saw Him dead on a cross. They know His body was laid in a tomb – it's why they've come there. But now He is alive again. The tomb is empty! Christ has conquered death, so there is no reason for them to fear death either.

And if Christ has conquered death, and the wages of sin is death, then Christ has conquered the

power of sin. He has defeated sin, death and devil, that unholy trinity that seeks to destroy us all. If Christ is triumphant and these foes are defeated, there really is nothing left to fear.

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So why does Jesus see the need to say, “Do not be afraid”? After all, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

But maybe that's it. Maybe it's also why the women cling to His feet, staring at toes rather than

embracing their risen Lord. Maybe it's that they're afraid of Him, because they don't know why He is risen. They know He is alive, but they don't know what this means. Think of it this way: the last time He was hanging around sinners, they were busy hanging Him on a cross and rejoicing in His death. Even His closest followers were acting badly – betraying Him, denying Him or for the most part running away. Now He’s back; and if He’s conquered sin and death, He can make pretty short work of sinners, too. And if these women have ever seen a Clint Eastwood western, they know that the good guy who’s been gunned down and left for dead usually comes back with vengeance on his mind. So as they kneel before Jesus, maybe they should be terrified.

But Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” Then He says, “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” What does Jesus call the disciples? “My brothers.” Not “lowlifes” or “cowards” or “ex-citizens of

the kingdom of God.” He calls them His brothers. He is not risen from the dead and back in town for vengeance. He is risen for grace and mercy. He is risen for forgiveness and life. If He has just died, it is for their salvation. If He has just conquered sin, death and devil, He has done it for them. If He is risen from the dead, He is risen for them.

And, He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

+++ He is risen indeed and He is risen for you; so do not be afraid. This is not the Easter celebration we were hoping for. This is supposed to be a warm springtime

morning when we gather together and try to blow the roof off the church with hymns and hallelujahs, where we call to one another that death is defeated, that Christ is risen indeed and then receive His body and blood. Today is certainly not that. But on the other hand, think of it this way: perhaps this Easter is the one you’ve experienced most like the first Easter in Matthew 28, a day where you are most like Jesus’ first disciples. Today, like they were, you’re kinda sequestered in some room, more or less because of the fear of harm and death.

You don’t want to be afraid: you try for things like caution and prudence, because uncontrolled

fear is the sort of thing that paralyzes and eats you from the inside out. Besides, Jesus says that you shouldn’t be afraid, so you’re not supposed to be, right?

Yet there are plenty of reasons to be afraid in this world; and although it’s simplistic, I’m going to

suggest that it’s easy to be afraid because we know that loss comes easy in this world, and we’re seeing it happen – loss of jobs, loss of home and possessions, loss of friendships, loss of family, loss of health, loss of life. It’s one of the greatest daily motivations for responsibility that I’ve ever encountered: the more things that I’ve taken care of, the less I need fear about things falling apart. But no matter how hard you try, they always can and they often do. And when your abilities to work are hampered, you’re haunted by helplessness. All of that is why you’re afraid.

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Whatever your fears might be, I would suggest that they are rooted in this: you’re uncertain about

God’s disposition towards you. You suffer doubt as to His faithfulness and love. See, if you’re fully confident that God works all things for your good, then the loss of possessions and the like shouldn’t be a cause of fear. You know that God even takes care of sparrows and lilies. You know He’s working all things for your good. If you’re fully confident in the resurrection of the body, then the prospect of sickness and even death shouldn’t be fearful – disturbing, sure, but you know the end of the story. You know that the resurrection is coming.

But you still battle fear. We all do. But today, you hear the risen Jesus say, “Do not be afraid.” You also hear Him call you “brother,”

call you “sister.” He has died on that cross to pay the price for everything that could possibly leave God angry with you. He is not risen from the dead and out for blood. He is risen to give forgiveness and life. He is risen to declare that you are children of God, holy and beloved, cleansed by His blood.

See, when you rejoice that Christ is risen from the dead, it’s far better news than “just” that He

has delivered you from physical death and the grave, as if that weren’t enough cause for celebration. More than that, He has rescued you from God’s wrath for your sin. He has rescued you from hell, from being cast away from an angry God forever.

He has rescued even from uncertainty and doubt: there is no question as to how God regards you.

Jesus calls you His brothers and sisters, so God calls you His children for Jesus’ sake. When it comes to fears, work backwards from there: the one thing you need never fear is that

God is angry with you, because Jesus is risen from the dead to forgive your sins. Whenever anything brings fear, you start at the cross and the empty tomb, and you say, “Even though this thing might scare me, I know that the Lord is at work. I know that He will not forget me. I know that He will deliver me. I know that He is working all things for my good. I know that He cannot forsake me, because Christ has died for my sins and Christ is risen from the dead.”

Because of His abundant grace, the only reason that you would ever need to fear His wrath would

be if you held onto your sins and thus refused His forgiveness. That does happen: some sins will seem so powerful that you don’t think you can give them up. Some sins will be so enjoyable that you hate to give them up. But you know that the wages of sin is death. You know those sins are killing you. You also know that none of those sins can raise you from the dead.

If you do not repent of your sins, then you are right to be afraid of Jesus. But Jesus would not have you be afraid. He has died for you. He has died to cast out your fear. He

is risen to give you life. He washes away your sins. He feeds you His own risen body and blood. He lives again to give you life. He says so. This day, He says to you, “Rejoice, and do not be afraid.” Why?

Because He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! While for now our alleluias are shouted separately, they are still intertwined with the whole

company of heaven. Let this isolation lead us all the more to look forward to the time when we are

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reunited at Good Shepherd, and all the more yet to when we sing with the angels in the presence of God. That is your hope and your life, so rejoice and do not be afraid: for Christ is risen indeed.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Prayer of the Church

Rejoicing in the resurrection of our Lord and sharing in His peace, let us pray to the Lord on behalf of ourselves and all people as they have need. (I encourage you to pray this out loud, even if you are alone.) O risen Savior, set free our tongues to confess Your resurrection before a world still captive to sin and death. Give us courage to go to every place and to speak in every language the salvation won for us upon the cross and the hope granted to us of life that death cannot overcome. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. O risen Savior, anoint the words of those who preach to us Your Gospel, and open our ears to hear with faith all that He has done to save us. Raise up many who will serve You in the various callings of Your Church and who will serve us in Your name with Your Word and gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. O risen Savior, hear us on behalf of Donald, our president; Brad, our governor; the Congress of the United States; and all state and local elected officials. Guide them according to Your Word, that their labors for our nation’s health and welfare may not be in vain, nor forgetful of the vulnerable, aging and unemployed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. O risen Savior, hear us on behalf of those who cry to You in any need, especially the sick, the suffering, the disabled, the wounded in spirit, those who suffer mental illness and those in their last days on earth [especially Tim Corbett, Larry Bronson, LeIla Shaw, Miriam Vitkavage, Truman Keith, Marian Van Ausdahl, Greg Reeder, Julie Sider, and Karla Born]. Give them grace according to their need, and sustain them in their afflictions to the day when their sufferings will be exchanged for glory in the life to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. O risen Savior, accept the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving from our lips and the tithes and offerings we bring this day. Increase in the hearts of Your people delight in Your mercy, gratitude for all Your benefits, and eagerness to support the mission of Your Church in word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. All praise to You, dear Father in heaven, for You have opened up to us the way to eternal life in the resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We give You thanks for all those who have gone before us in the faith and now rest from their labors. Keep us in that same faith, and embolden us by Your resurrection to be fearless in the face of disease, chaos, loneliness and every sorrow of this world. Give us, with Job, the solemn expectation to cheer us: our Redeemer lives, and we, too, shall be resurrected and glorified to live with Him in His eternal Kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our resurrected Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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Here, say: The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for the Word

Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Closing Hymn

He’s Risen, He’s Risen LSB 480

Tune: Public domain Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000989

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The Benediction

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

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.

Announcements

Services Suspended through April 15 | The board of elders met by phone Thursday evening; and, believing the state’s stay-at-home order to be prudent, have elected to suspend services through April 15. They are continuing to monitor the situation and will make adjustments accordingly. Be of good courage! The Lord will gather us together again; and in the meantime, He sustains us by His Word. Portals of Prayer | the April-June issue of Portals of Prayer is available. You can find them in a basket outside the double doors of the narthex during office hours. If you wish to pick up a copy at another time, contact the church office and we’ll leave one under the mat. A special Portals of Prayer for the current crisis is also available online at https://tinyurl.com/s3rmhk9 Lutheran Witness and My Devotions | the April edition of the Lutheran Witness has also arrived at church along with the March-June issue of My Devotions. We’ll leave these outside with the Portals of Prayer. Office Hours | Monday-Thursday, Saturday 8:00 am-2:00 pm As always, if you’re in need of urgent pastoral assistance, please contact Pastor Pauls at 208-724-0152. E-Giving | The E-Giving option has begun! For those who would like to give offerings electronically, the button on the home page of our website (www.gslcboise.org) will get you going. This measure has been put in place temporarily by the PPC until the voters can meet and discuss its continuance. Worship Anew | Worship Anew (Sunday mornings at 8:30 on KIVI, channel 6) is a half hour worship service that is produced by Lutheran pastors in Fort Wayne and based on the Sunday’s readings. The program is a service to shut-ins and now a timely resource in this time of restrictions on gatherings. Talk Radio & Podcasts For Holy Week | Issues, Etc. is a radio talk show and podcast produced by Lutheran Public Radio in Collinsville, IL and hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken. This week's teachings include: Apparent Contradictions in the Bible on the Crucifixion; the Hymns "Glory Be to Jesus," "Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle," "The Royals Banners Forward Go" and more. You can listen live or on-demand at issuesetc.org and on the LPR mobile app. Wondering about how the Cares ACT impacts giving in 2020? Charitable gifts up to $300 qualify for an “above the line” charitable deduction in 2020. Donors qualify for the deduction even if they do not itemize. Please consult with your accountant if you have additional questions.