Easter Sunday ~ 2024

 

Today's Service Leader and Speaker Rev. Brett Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Today's Liturgist Rev. Michael W. Mohr, Associate Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church & CID President

 

 

Processional Hymn of Invocation

 

457 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

Text: tr. Lyra Davidica, 1708, London, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Latin, 14th cent.; (st. 4): Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Tune: Lyra Davidica, 1708, London
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

 

Invocation

P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Exhortation LSB 151

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Kneel/Stand

 

Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.

 

Confession of Sins LSB 151

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

 

Absolution LSB 151

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

 

Stand

 

Introit

He is risen! Alleluia!
Why do you seek the living among the dead? Alleluia!
Remember how he told you, Alleluia,
that the Son of Man must be crucified and on the third day rise. Alleluia!
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet.
O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
He is risen! Alleluia!
Why do you seek the living among the dead? Alleluia!
Remember how he told you, Alleluia,
that the Son of Man must be crucified and on the third day rise. Alleluia!

 

Kyrie LSB 152

 

This Is the Feast LSB 155

 

Salutation and Collect of the Day

P Let us pray.

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.

 

Sit

 

Old Testament Reading Job 19:23–27

²³“Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
²⁵For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
²⁶And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!”

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual ~ Sung Psalm 118:24, 1

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

 

Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:51–57

⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

 

Stand

 

Gospel Processional ~ Sung by Cantor and Choir

 

Holy Gospel Mark 16:1–8

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixteenth chapter.

¹When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. ²And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. ³And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. ⁵And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. ⁶And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ⁸And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

 

Sit

 

458 Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands

 

5 Here our true Paschal Lamb we see,
    Whom God so freely gave us;
He died on the accursèd tree—
    So strong His love—to save us.
See, His blood now marks our door;
Faith points to it; death passes o’er,
    And Satan cannot harm us.
        Alleluia!

 

6 So let us keep the festival
    To which the Lord invites us;
Christ is Himself the joy of all,
    The sun that warms and lights us.
Now His grace to us imparts
Eternal sunshine to our hearts;
    The night of sin is ended.
        Alleluia!

 

7 Then let us feast this Easter Day
    On Christ, the bread of heaven;
The Word of grace has purged away
    The old and evil leaven.
Christ alone our souls will feed;
He is our meat and drink indeed;
    Faith lives upon no other!
        Alleluia!

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–87, alt.
Tune: Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn, 1524, Wittenberg, ed. Johann Walter
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Sermon ~ Rev. Brett E. Cornelius, Pastor Holy Cross Lutheran Church ~ 1 Corinthians 15:51-57

 

Stand

 

Nicene Creed

C I believe in one God,

     the Father Almighty,

     maker of heaven and earth

          and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,

     the only-begotten Son of God,

     begotten of His Father before all worlds,

     God of God, Light of Light,

     very God of very God,

     begotten, not made,

     being of one substance with the Father,

     by whom all things were made;

     who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven

     and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary

     and was made man;

     and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

     He suffered and was buried.

     And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures

          and ascended into heaven

     and sits at the right hand of the Father.

     And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,

     whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

     the Lord and giver of life,

     who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

     who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,

     who spoke by the prophets.

     And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,

     I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,

     and I look for the resurrection of the dead

     and the life T of the world to come. Amen.

 

Prayer of the Church

P In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P In thanksgiving for our risen and glorious Lord, whose sacrificial death has given us forgiveness of sins, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For holy joy throughout the Easter season and in our daily lives, that we would not fear our enemies nor give in to the temptation of despair in our days of trouble, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P That the enemies of the Gospel may be hindered and that the blessed Easter message of hope may be proclaimed to all people in every place, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For Joseph, our president, and all who make and administer our laws, that God would frustrate the forces of evil and not let our leaders cooperate with them or further their goals; and for our armed forces as they stand watch for us at home and abroad, that they would serve with honor and integrity, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the sick and those in any need, [especially _____________,] that the dawning light of the new creation in Christ would sustain them in faith, and that, according to God’s will, they would be granted renewed health as a foretaste of their eternal healing in Him, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For joy in Christ’s great victory feast as He shares it with us from this altar, and that He would overcome our sin by His forgiveness and swallow up our death in His life through the eating and drinking of His true body and blood in faith, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all the faithful, that at the resurrection of all flesh we might awaken in joy to the Lord’s presence, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P We join today in singing eternal alleluias with innumerable angels in festal gathering, with the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven and with the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and we bring these petitions before You, dear Father, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Following the prayers, the people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, “Peace be with you,” as a sign of reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matt. 5:22–24; Eph. 4:1–3).

 

Sit

 

Offering

 

Offering Hymn ~ Choir "Now is Eternal Life"~ HS98~#834

 

Stand

 

Offertory LSB 159

 

Preface LSB 160

 

Proper Preface (Full)

P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:

 

Sanctus LSB 161

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161

P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.

Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

 

Lord’s Prayer LSB 162

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:

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.

 

The Words of Our Lord

P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

 

Pax Domini LSB 163

 

Agnus Dei LSB 163

 

Sit

 

Distribution Hymns

 

490 Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won

Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text and tune: Public domain

 

478 The Day of Resurrection

Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Tune: Henry T. Smart, 1813–79
Text and tune: Public domain

 

465 Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds

Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947, alt.
Tune: Geistliche Kirchengesäng, 1623, Köln
Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110001518
Tune: Public domain

 

Stand

 

Nunc Dimittis LSB 165

 

Post-Communion Collect

A Let us pray.

We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

 

Benediction LSB 166

 

461 I Know That My Redeemer Lives

 

5 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.

 

6 He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

 

7 He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.

 

8 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!

Text: Samuel Medley, 1738–99, abr.
Tune: attr. John C. Hatton, d. 1793
Text and tune: Public domain

 

Acknowledgments

Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book

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 © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.