Welcome: –

Explaining the Service Pattern:

  We have 7 scenes being presented that detail the events of Easter Day and in the following weeks.  Each of these events will be illustrated by an image on the screen.  As the image is being shown, a Gospel passage will be read accompanied by a short message.  We will then sing several verses of a hymn relevant to the passage.  Seven unlit candles are placed at the front.  At the conclusion of the singing of each of the hymns, one of the candles will be lit.  Please remain seated as we progress through these images and sing the hymns.  When the last candle is lit, we will move into the final part of the service which includes Communion.

Call to Worship  (from 1 Corinthians 1: 23 and 10: 12 to 22, 54 and 57) 

We proclaim the crucified Christ, and Christ raised from death.

But, if Christ has not been raised from death, then we have nothing to preach, and nothing to believe.

More than that, we are shown to be lying about God, because we said that He raised Christ from death.

And if Christ has not been raised, then our faith is a delusion, and we are still lost in our sins.

If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more,

Then we deserve more pity than anyone else in the World.

But the truth is that Jesus Christ has been raised from death,

As the guarantee that we and those who sleep in death will also be raised.

For just as all people die because of their union with Adam,

In the same way, all who believe will be raised to life because of their union with Christ.

Scripture has come true, “Death is destroyed, victory is complete.”  (Isaiah 25: 8) 

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Opening Prayer  (Year A p88 +Aust Prayer Book p209 + Book of Worship p209 + The Book of common Worship pp304 &305)  

God of unending grace and love, we celebrate the rising of your Son, Jesus, from the darkness of mortality to the brightness of glory.  By raising Jesus you have conquered the power of Death and opened for us the way to eternal life.  All glory be to You, Almighty God, giver of life, Saviour and Lord.  May Your Name be blessed for ever for You have honoured Your promise to all of Humanity to forgive sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  May we remain faithful to You always, and trust in Your Word as the sole guide for our lives and for the sustaining of our souls.  In Your name we pray.  Amen.

Screen 1

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and Salome at the empty tomb

Mark 16: 1 to 7a

Luke 24: 8, 9, 11

1  After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and Joseph, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus.  2  Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb.  3  On the way they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”  (It was a very large stone.)  4  Then they looked and saw that the stone had already been rolled back.  5  So they entered the tomb, where they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe – and they were alarmed.

6  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said, “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He is not here – he has been raised!  Look, here is the place where he was placed.  7  Now go and give this message to his disciples.

8  Then the women  9  returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest.  11  But the disciples thought that what the women had said was nonsense, and they did not believe them.

Message

  The three women approached the tomb with some anxiety.  On the evening of the previous Friday, they had seen Joseph of Arimathea roll the stone into its slot, securing the tomb against unwanted intruders.  How where they going to unroll the heavy stone from the tomb entrance? 

  Upon reaching the tomb, their first shock was in seeing that the stone had already been moved back.  By Whom?  For what purpose?  They had been the first of the group of followers of Jesus to rise that morning, for they had an important task to complete, the customary anointing of the body of Jesus.  No-one else had departed before them, so who else could it have been?  What at first appeared as a sad yet straightforward task had taken an awkward turn.

  Their second shock was in seeing a young man dressed in a white robe, sitting inside the tomb.  What is it about the appearance of God’s messengers that terrifies those who see them?  How many times do we read in the Bible that the first things angels say to those who see them are the words, “Fear not” or something similar?  These women are no different.  Was it the unexpectedness of seeing the figure there before them that made them afraid, or was it that the angel reflected the nature of God, to which the women recoiled when they saw their sinful nature in sharp contrast?

  Their third shock was the incredibility of the message that was given to them, “Jesus is not here among the dead – he has been raised to life”.  Jesus was no longer there for them to prepare for death, he was there to prepare them for life.  What joy was theirs in their return to share this incredible news.

  Yet, this is where they received their fourth shock.  Surely, by this time, these women were beginning to question what it was about the disciples that convinced Jesus to confide in them.  The disciples had deserted Jesus in his time of greatest need; only the women had stayed near the cross.  The disciples remained fearful, behind locked doors; only the women dared to venture in public.  And now, the disciples disbelieved them when they shared the good news of the risen Christ as God’s messengers had instructed them to do; the women knew the truth of the good news that they sought to share with the disciples.  Before, the disciples had trouble accepting that Jesus had died.  Now, the disciples had trouble accepting that Jesus was alive.

Hymn

“Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son”  TiS380  AHB303  MHB213

[only verses one and two and the choruses – there is an introduction]

Verse 1 of 2

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,

Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won;

Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,

Kept the folded grave clothes, where thy body lay.

Chorus

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,

Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.

Verse 2 of 2

Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;

Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;

Let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing,

For her Lord is living, death has lost its sting.

Chorus

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,

Endless is the victory thou o’er death hast won.

Edmond Budry

Translated by Richard Hoyle

Light the first candle

Screen 2

Peter and John at the empty tomb

John 20: 3 to 10

3  Then Peter and John went to the tomb.  4  The two of them were running, but John ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first.  5  He bent over and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go in.  6  Behind him came Simon Peter and he went straight into the tomb.  He saw the linen cloths lying there  7  and the cloth which had been around Jesus’ head.  It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up by itself.  8  Then, John, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed.  9  (They still did not understand the Scripture which said that Jesus must rise from death.  [Psalm 16: 10]  )  10  Then the disciples went back home.

Message

  There must have something in what the women had said that gave Peter reason to rethink his initial refusal to accept the news that they had just delivered.  So, as impetuous as ever, he suddenly got up and started to run to the tomb himself.  John must have noticed Peter’s uncertainty and, just as eager to clarify it for himself, ran after Peter.

  It is important to note the manner in which John describes the condition of the linen cloths in which the body of Jesus had been wrapped. 

  William Barclay writes that “they were lying there still in their folds, which is what the Greek words mean – the clothes for the body where the body had been and the napkin for the head where the head had lain.  They were lying there in their regular folds as if the body of Jesus had simply evaporated out of them.”  (William Barclay in John volume 2 p267) 

  Donald Guthrie in his Commentary on the Gospel of John writes that “the precise positioning of the different cloths suggests that Jesus left the grave clothes without disturbing them.  (Donald Guthrie in John in New Bible Commentary p965) 

  They were not dishevelled or disarranged.  They had not been taken off by someone who had suddenly revived from unconsciousness within the tomb and then removed them, nor had they been pulled off by someone who had broken into the tomb to remove the body of Jesus.  Such explanations for the absence of the body of Jesus in the tomb must be rejected.  The text clearly indicates the physical resurrection of Jesus.  As Craig Keener notes in his Commentary, “resurrection meant a new body that did not leave a corpse behind”.          (Craig Keener in 1 Corinthians in The IVP Bible Background commentary on the New Testament p484) 

Hymn

“Christ the Lord is risen today”  TiS370  AHB290  MHB204

[only verse 1 to 3 – there is an introduction]

Verse 1 of 3

Christ the Lord is risen today;

Hallelujah!

Women, men and angels say:

Hallelujah!

Raise your joys and triumphs high:

Hallelujah!

Sing, ye Heavens, and Earth reply:

Hallelujah!

Verse 2 of 3

Love’s redeeming work is done:

Hallelujah!

Fought the fight, the battle won:

Hallelujah!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal:

Hallelujah!

Christ has burst the gates of Hell.

Hallelujah!

Verse 3 of 3

Lives again our glorious King:

Hallelujah!

Where, O Death, is now your sting?

Hallelujah!

Once he died our souls to save:

Hallelujah!

Where’s your victory, O grave?

Hallelujah!

Charles Wesley

Light the second candle.

Screen 3

On the road to Emmaus

Luke 24: 13 to 35

13  On that same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,  14  and they were talking to each other about all the things that had happened.  15  As they talked and discussed, Jesus himself drew near and walked along with them:  16  they saw him, but somehow did not recognise him.  17  Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about to each other, as you walk along?”  They stood still, with sad faces.

18  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have been happening there these last few days?”  19  “What things?” Jesus asked.  “The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth.”  they answered.  “This man was a prophet and was considered by God and by all people to be powerful in everything he said and did.  20  Our Chief Priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and he was crucified.  21  And we had hoped that he would be the one who was going to set Israel free!  Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened.  22  Some of the women of our group surprised us: they went at dawn to the tomb,  23  but could not find his body.  They came back saying they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive.  24  Some of our group went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

25  Then Jesus said to them, “How dull you are, how slow you are to believe everything the prophets said!  26  Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and then to enter his glory?”  27  And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the Books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets.

28  As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther;  29  but they held him back, saying, “Stay with us; the day is almost over and it is getting dark.”  So he went in to stay with them.  30  He sat down to eat with them, took the bread, and said the blessing; then he broke the bread and gave it to them.  31  Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, but he disappeared from their sight.  32  They said to each other, “Wasn’t it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”

33  They got up at once and went back to Jerusalem, where they found the eleven disciples gathered together with the others  34  and saying, “The Lord is risen indeed!  He has appeared to Simon!”  35  The two explained to them what had happened on the road, and how they had recognised the Lord when he broke the bread.

Message

  Easter faith amongst the disciples and the rest of the followers of Jesus gathered together in Jerusalem, does not emerge immediately or easily.  (John Carroll in Luke p479)  There was the fear amongst the women from the vision of the angels at the tomb, there was the uncertainty amongst those who had visited the tomb trying to understand how it could possibly be empty, there was the fear about how the Jewish religious leaders would act towards them, there was the constant uncertainty and despondency about the future, there was the obstinate refusal by the disciples to accept the message given to the women by the angels, and there was the unfulfilled hope that Jesus was “the one who was going to set Israel free”.  (verse21) 

  All of this uncertainty and unreconciled ambiguity was in the minds of the two travellers on the road to Emmaus, highlighted by the words, “talked and discussed”  (verse 15)  , indicating that there were some differences of opinion between the two as they walked.

  We see that this was settled only be the personal appearance and revelation of Jesus, himself, to Cleopas and his companion.  Jesus had shown his authority in explaining to them what was said about himself in all the Scriptures, beginning with the Books of Moses and the writings of all the prophets  (verse 27)  .  Jesus had shown his care for them by seeking to reconcile their differences and settle their uncertainty.  Jesus had shown his divinity in blessing the bread of their meal.  At that moment, all of this came together in their minds and they recognised the person who had accompanied them on their walk.

  Hurrying back to Jerusalem, in the darkness for they had stopped for their meal at dusk, they returned to where the followers of Jesus had gathered, to be told that Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene and to some other women, and that he had appeared to Simon Peter, an account not recorded in any of the Gospels but is mentioned by Paul in his first letter to the Church in Corinth.  And to this the two added their account of meeting Jesus on the road.

  But these were separate, unconnected and isolated appearances.  What did it all mean?

Hymn

“Come, let us with our Lord arise”  TiS375  AHB297  MHB661

[sung to the tune St Petersburg]

[only two verses needed – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 2

Come, let us with our Lord arise,

Our Lord, who made both Earth and skies;

Who died to save the world he made,

And rose triumphant from the dead;

He rose, the Prince of Life and Peace,

And stamped the day for ever his.

Verse 2 of 2

This is the day the Lord has made,

That all may see his love displayed,

May feel his resurrection power,

And rise again to fall no more,

In perfect righteousness renewed,

And filled with all the life of God.

Charles Wesley

Light the third candle.

Screen 4

Jesus appears to the Disciples.

Luke 24: 36 to 48

36  While the two were telling them this, suddenly the Lord himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

37  They were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a ghost.  38  But he said to them, “Why are you alarmed?  Why are these doubts coming up in your minds?  39  Look at my hands and  my feet, and see that it is I myself.  Feel me, and you will know, for a ghost doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you can see I have.”  40  He said this and showed them his hands and his feet.  41  They still could not believe, they were so full of joy and wonder; so he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  42  They gave him a piece of cooked fish,  43  which he took and ate in their presence.

44  Then he said to them, “These are the very things I told you about while I was still with you: everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the writings of the prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.”  45  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,  46  and said to them, “This is what is written: the Messiah must suffer and must rise from death three days later,  47  and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all Nations, beginning in Jerusalem.  48  You are witnesses of these things.  49  And I myself will send upon you what my Father has promised. 

Message

  Confusion reigns in the room in Jerusalem.  There were the joyful recollections by some of those present who had actually seeing Jesus at some point during the day.  There was renewed hope for the future.  Finally, there were some answers to the myriad of questions that had arisen during the day.  But, then, Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst and they started to think that they were seeing a ghost.  Didn’t Mary Magdalene or Peter or Cleopas and his companion recognise Jesus at that time, for we know that they had seen Jesus in person?  Apparently not, for Jesus had to prove to them all who he was by showing them the unhealed wounds from his crucifixion.  He had to prove to them all that he was alive by eating a piece of fish in front of them. 

  The question must be asked, now that Jesus had risen from the dead, why does he not reveal himself to the whole of Jerusalem, for, now that he was alive again, wouldn’t he be the ideal witness to God’s work of redemption in the World?  Jesus gives us two answers.

  “I myself will send upon you what my Father has promised.”  (verse 49)  Jesus needed to return to Heaven, not just to receive honour from God for his obedience and sacrifice, not just to rule at God’s right hand side, but so that he could send what God has promised to the believers, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

  Secondly, he pointed out that in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.  (verse 47 & 48)  How could he, one person, reach all nations on his own.  He needed eye-witnesses to the Easter events to spread the message, and who better than those present in the room and those who would follow after them in the future.  And, now, today, who better but us.

Hymn

“I know that my redeemer lives”  TiS376  AHB299  MHB235

[to the tune Church Triumphant]

[only two verse are needed – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 2

I know that my redeemer lives,

What joy the blest assurance gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead;

He lives, my everlasting head.

Verse 2 of 2

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.

Samuel Medley

Light the fourth candle.

Screen 5

Jesus appears to Thomas

John 20: 24 to 29

24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came.  25  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  Thomas said to them, ”Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26  A week later the disciples were together again, indoors, and Thomas was with them.  The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  27  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Stop your doubting, and believe.”

28  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  29  Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you see me?  How happy are those who believe without seeing me.”

Message

  Poor Thomas, he was absent on the big day that Jesus had appeared to the rest of the disciples, so, what was he to take from what they had said about Jesus appearing to them in person.  Was he to put his trust in the validity of what they had said simply because they earnestly believed in what they had seen?  Or could they have been mistaken, and have erroneously perceived that they actually saw Jesus because that was what they wanted to see?  As in any Court of Law, it was the evidence that determined the truth.  What better evidence, then, to prove that Jesus was alive than for Jesus to present himself in person to Thomas, so that he could examine the visible wounds inflicted upon Jesus by the crucifixion.

  Thomas got his wish, and, a week later, Jesus appeared to them a second time, specifically to see Thomas, so it appears, because Jesus addressed Thomas in person, making an offer for Thomas to examine his wounds by using the very phrases that Thomas had expressed the previous week.  This, and the fact that Jesus was standing in front of him, very unmistakably alive, was convincing enough proof for Thomas.  There is no record that Thomas placed his hand in the wounds of Jesus.  What we read is Thomas making a statement recognising Jesus Christ’s divinity and call upon each person.  “My Lord and my God.” Thomas exclaims; “the highest level of faith recorded in John’s Gospel”, so writes Donald Guthrie in his Commentary.  (Donald Guthrie in John in New Bible Commentary p966) 

  Yet, Jesus points to a greater faith than of Thomas.  “How happy are those who believe without seeing me.” states Jesus, for this is the kind of faith upon which the early Church was built, and which has sustained the Church ever since.  True faith must always be independent of sight and must be the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life, borne of the willingness of believers to express their witness to God at work in their own life. 

Hymn

“Alleluia Alleluia”  TiS363  AHB281

[to the tune Melcombe]

[only 4 verses are needed – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 4

That night the Apostles met in fear;

Amidst them came the Lord most dear

And said, ”My peace be on all here.”.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Verse 2 of 4

When Thomas first the tidings heard

He doubted if it were the Lord

Until he came and spoke the word.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Verse 3 of 4

“My pierced side, O Thomas, see,

Behold my hands, my feet,” said he,

“not faithless but believing be.”

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Verse 4 of 4

No longer Thomas then denied;

He saw the feet, the hands, the side;

“You are my Lord and God.” he cried.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Jean Tisserand

translated by James Neale and others

Light the fifth candle.

Screen 6

Jesus appears to the Disciples at Galilee.

John 21: 1 to 14

Matthew 28: 18 to 20

1  After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias.  2  Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James and John, and two other disciples were together.  3  Simon Peter said to the other, “I am going fishing.”  “We will come with you,” they told him.  So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing.  4  As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water’s edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 

5  Then he asked them, “Young men, haven’t you caught anything?”  “Not a thing.” They answered.  6  He said to them, “Throw your net out on the right hand side of the boat, and you will catch some.”  So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in because they had caught so many fish. 

7  John said to Peter, “It is the Lord!”  When Peter heard that it was Jesus, he jumped into the water and swam to the beach to greet Jesus.  8  The other disciples came to shore in the boast, pulling the net full of fish.  9  When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread.  10  Then Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

11  Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, 153 in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear.  12  Jesus said to them, “Come and eat.”  13  Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish. 

18  Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth  19  Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,  20  and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.”

14  This was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised after death.

Message

  Apparently, the disciples were at a loose end in Jerusalem.  Possibly they had gotten under the feet of the owner of the house in which they had been in the habit of gathering.  Perhaps Peter felt that he needed to return to Capernaum to visit his wife and family.  For whatever reason, the disciples were back in Galilee.  “I’m going fishing.”, said Peter one day, and six other disciples went with him.  This is not unexpected for they had nothing to do and that was the occupation of many of the them prior to becoming disciples of Jesus. 

  What happens when they were out fishing parallels Luke’s account of when Jesus called them to be his disciples.  (Luke 5: 1 to 11)  It was John who first recognised that it was Jesus who was talking to them and who had directed them to such a large catch of fish.  John’s account that there were 153 fish caught in the net that day is verification that John was writing an eye-witness account of what took place that day.

  Jesus uses the occasion to give them a purpose, to give them instructions as to how they were to become the “fishers of people” that he had called them to be, three years earlier:

Go to all peoples everywhere, be witnesses for me and make them my disciples,

Baptise them, and

Teach them.

  That, too, is our calling.  That too is our purpose; not just to live a life, but to life a life for God.  Let us take this call seriously, and take it with the confidence that Jesus will keep his promise to be with us always, guiding us, supporting us, equipping us, enabling us, to the end of the age.

Hymn

“Jesus Christ is risen today”  TiS362  AHB280  MHB205

[there is an introduction]

Verse 1 of 3

Jesus Christ is risen today,

Alleluia!

Our triumphant holy day

Alleluia!

Who so lately on the cross,

Alleluia!

Suffered to redeem our loss,

Alleluia!

Verse 2 of 3

Hymns of praise then let us sing 

Alleluia!

Unto Christ, the Heavenly King,

Alleluia!

Who endured the cross and grave,

Alleluia!

Sinners to redeem and save,

Alleluia!

Verse 3 of 3

But the pain that he endured,

Alleluia!

Our salvation has procured,

Alleluia!

Now exalted, he is King,

Alleluia!

And the angels ever sing,

Alleluia!

Anonymous – [based on a 14^th century manuscript]

Light the sixth candle.

Screen 7

Jesus appears many times over the next 40 days

Acts 1: 3

3  For 40 days after his death Jesus appeared to the disciples many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive.  They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God.

Acts 10: 24, 39 to 43

24  Peter spoke to Cornelius and to those who had gathered in his house, his relatives and close friends, saying  39  “We are witnesses of everything that Jesus did in the land of Israel and in Jerusalem.  Then they put him to death by nailing him to a cross.  40  But God raised him from death three days later and caused him to appear,  41  not to everyone, but only to witnesses that God had already chosen, that is, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from death.  42  And he commanded us to preach the Gospel to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God has appointed judge of the living and the dead.  43  All the Prophets spoke about him, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through the power of his name.”  (Isaiah 53: 11) 

1 Corinthians 15: 3 to 8a

3  I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures  (Isaiah 53: 5 to 12)  ;4  that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures  (Psalm 16: 8 to 10)  ;5  that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve Apostles.  6  Then he appeared to more than 500 of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died.  7  Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the Apostles.  8  Last of all he appeared also to me.

Message

  Luke records that Jesus appeared to his disciples many times over the 40 days following his resurrection.  This is a sufficient length of time to cater for all of the Gospel accounts of his appearances.  It would also be a sufficient length of time to cater for the additional appearances of Jesus mentioned by Paul but not in any of the Gospels, such as to James the brother of Jesus and to the more than 500 of his followers at the one time.  Luke stresses this, because it proved beyond doubt that Jesus was alive, or as the Authorised Version writes, Jesus provided “many infallible proofs” to show that he was alive. 

  Peter makes a claim to Cornelius and to all who were there that day, without fear of being contradicted or proven to be a false witness, that he experienced first-hand the life, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He ate and drank with Jesus after he had been raised from death, clear evidence that Jesus was alive.  Why is that so important?  It was because Jesus is God’s judge of the living and the dead, and that Jesus is the means for the forgiven of sins.  If Jesus had not been raised to life after his death, then these claims about him are baseless and false and can be rejected.  But because Peter can testify to the resurrection of Jesus then these claims about Jesus must     be accepted and acted upon.

  Paul, in his passage, is addressing a dispute within the Corinthian Church regarding the future resurrection of believers.  He is stating that they cannot dispute the past resurrection of Jesus because this is an established and undisputed fact, and the very foundation of their faith.  For to deny the resurrection of Jesus is to remove from their faith all of its worth.  The truth of the resurrection of Jesus is an assured part of the Gospel and implies the future resurrection of Believers, it cannot be separated from the future resurrection of Believers.  (Craig Keener in 1 Corinthians in The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament p484 and Norman Hillyer in 1 Corinthians in New Bible Commentary p1070) 

  We can take assurance from these passages that:

“For us and for our salvation Jesus Christ came down from Heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly Human.  For our sake he was crucified under Pontus Pilate; that he suffered death and was buried, that on the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; and that he ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand side of God.  (Nicene Creed – Uniting in Worship Number 2 p159) 

Hymn

“A man there lived in Galilee”  TiS235  AHB176

[only two verse are needed – there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 2

A man there died on Calvary,

Above all others brave;

Women and men he saved and blessed,

Himself he scorned to save;

No thought can gauge the weight of woe

On him, the sinless laid;

We only know that with his death

Our ransom price was paid.

Verse 2 of 2

A man there stands at God’s right hand,

Divine, yet human still;

That grand, heroic, peerless soul

Death sought in vain to kill.

All power is his; supreme he rules

All realms of Time and Space;

Yet still our human cares and needs

Find in his heart a place.

Somerset Lowry

Light the seventh candle.

Prayer of Praise  (from Liturgies Online Year A Easter 2 +Uniting in Worship blue book p218 314 +Aust Pray Bok p210 +Opening Prayers p37 +The Book of Worship p180) 

God our Saviour, we rejoice in our belief that Jesus is the Christ, your Son, and that in believing, we might have life in His name.  We worship you with praise and thanksgiving for that gift of life made possible through His costly death and victorious resurrection.

  You wash away our sins and give us new life in the Spirit, and bring to our awareness the blessings that are ours through fellowship with You.  Day by day You refine our faith, that we who have not seen Christ may truly confess Him as our Lord and God.  You are the source of all joy and peace that the World cannot either give or take away.  Please fill our hearts with trust in You, that, by night and by day, at all times and in all seasons, we may commit all that we have and hope to be to Your never failing love.  Most merciful Redeemer may we know You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly, day by day.  Amen.    

Offering

Offering Prayer    

“For the life that you have given”  TiS774  [to be sung to the tune ‘Austria’ – refer to TiS772]

[disregard the words – only the one verse is needed – there is no introduction]

For the life that you have given,

For the love in Christ made known,

With these fruits of time and labour,

With these gifts that are your own:

Here we offer, Lord, our praises;

Heart and mind and strength we bring;

Give us grace to love and serve you,

Living what we pray and sing.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Sacrament of Communion  (following Uniting in Worship 2 p162 to 222) 

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Invitation

Christ, our Lord, invites to his Table all who love him, all who earnestly repent of their sin and who seek to live in peace with one another.

Prayer of Approach

Lord God, we come to your Table, trusting in your mercy and not in any goodness of our own.  We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy, and on that we depend.  So, feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your son, that we may for ever live in him and he in us. Amen.

Narrative of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Hear the words of the institution of this Sacrament as recorded by the Apostle Paul:

  “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body which is for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new Covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it, for the remembrance of me.  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.’”

  And, so, according to our Saviour’s command, we set this bread and this cup apart for the Holy Supper to which he calls us, and we come to God with our prayers of thanksgiving.

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

With all we are, we give you glory, God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one and holy God, Sovereign of all Time and Space.  We thank you for this wide red land, for its rugged beauty, its changing seasons, for its diverse people, and for all that lives upon this fragile Planet.  You have called us to be the Church in this place, to give voice to every creature under Heaven.  We rejoice with all that you have made, as we join the company of Heaven in their song:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and Earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed be the One who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest.

We thank you that you called a covenant people to be the light to the Nations.  Through Moses you taught us to love your Law, and, in the Prophets, you cried out for justice.  In the fullness of your mercy, you became one with us in Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us on the cross.  You make us alive together with him, that we may rejoice in his presence and share his peace.  By water and the Spirit, you open the Kingdom to all who believe, and welcome us to your Table: for by grace we are saved through faith.  With this bread and this cup we do as our Saviour commands: we celebrate the redemption he has won for us.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

Pour out the Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.  Make us one with him, one with each other, and one in ministry in the World, until at last we feast with him in the Kingdom.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, in your holy Church, all honour and glory are yours, Father Almighty, now and for ever.

Blessing and honour and glory and power are yours for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

now and forever.  Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

The bread we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.

The cup we take is a sharing in the blood of Christ.

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Lamb of God

Jesus, Lamb of God,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bearer of our sins,

Have mercy on us.

Jesus, redeemer of the World,

Grant us peace.

The Distribution

Receive this Holy Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, and feed upon him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

(after all have received the bread)

The body of Christ keep you in eternal life.

(after all have received the juice)

The blood of Christ keep you in eternal life.

Prayer after Communion

Blessed be God who calls us together.

Praise to God who makes us one People.

Blessed be God who has forgiven our sins.

Praise to God who gives us hope and freedom.

Blessed be God whose Word is proclaimed.

Praise to God who is revealed as the One who loves.

Blessed be God who alone has called us.

Therefore, we offer all that we are and all that we shall become.

Accept, O God, our sacrifice of praise.

Accept our thanks for we have seen the greatness of your love.  Amen.

Hymn

“I serve a risen Saviour”

[there is no introduction]

Verse 1 of 3

I serve a risen Saviour, he’s in the World today;

I know that he is living, whatever people say;

I see his hand of mercy, I hear his voice of cheer,

And just the time I need him he’s always near.

Chorus

He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

Along life’s narrow way.

He lives, he lives, salvation to impart.

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

Verse 2 of 3

In all the World around me I see his loving care,

And though my heart grows weary I never will despair;

I know that he is leading through all the stormy blast,

The day of his appearing will come at last.

Chorus

He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

Along life’s narrow way.

He lives, he lives, salvation to impart.

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

Verse 3 of 3

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!

The hope of all who seek him, the help of all who find,

None other is so loving, so good and kind.

Chorus

He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me

Along life’s narrow way.

He lives, he lives, salvation to impart.

You ask me how I know he lives?

He lives within my heart.

Alfred Ackley

Benediction  (adapted from Invocations p27 + An Australian Prayer Book p209) 

Our old self has died and our new life has been assured in Christ.  Let us then live as people of the resurrection, with our minds fixed on the things of God and our hands busy in the service of God.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Benediction Song

“Now to him who loves us saves us”  TiS771

https://hymnary.org/media/fetch/179720

(only the one verse is needed – there is an introduction)

Now to him who loved us, gave us

Every pledge that love could give,

Freely shed his blood to save us,

Gave his life that we might live,

Be the Kingdom

And dominion

And the glory evermore.

Samuel Miller Waring