John 20:1-18 ~ April 20, 2025
Call to Worship:
Hallelujah! O Day of Resurrection, let us shine with joy!
Christ has led us from death to life.
O Day of Resurrection, let us live with hope!
Christ has led us from earth to heaven.
Christ has risen from the dead. Hallelujah!
He has risen indeed! Hallelujah!
Hymn: #247 Christ the Lord is risen today
Prayer of Approach and Confession:
Gracious, life-giving God,
maker of all things visible and invisible,
on the first day of the world,
you spoke and out of chaos came creation,
out of confusion, order and
out of nothingness came all creation.
On the first day of the week,
Christ was resurrected by your grace,
and out of death came life.
You come to us through the Holy Spirit,
to shine light on our way forward,
offering your gift of new life in Christ Jesus.
Praise and honour and blessing be to you, O God,
Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit,
this day and every day,
now and always.
Loving and life-giving God,
you raised Jesus from the grave
and shattered the powers of sin and death.
But we confess that we remain captive to fear,
resisting the hope that new life is possible for us.
We hide in tombs of indifference,
seeking comfort rather than justice in this world.
We cling to resentment and disappointment,
refusing the freedom that comes with forgiveness.
Forgive us, O God,
and restore us to joy and wholeness through your great mercy.
Assurance of Pardon:
This Easter Day, God has turned our mourning into dancing!
God has taken off our sackcloth and clothed us with joy!
We are God’s forgiven people.
Let us be at peace with God, with one another, and with ourselves,
through the undying mercy of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn: #259 The joyful Eastertide
Anthem: Let all the World in every corner sing – R. Vaughan Williams
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Meditation: “An Obituary Mistake”
When I was a child, growing up every weekend we would go to my grandparents’ place. We would always have mixed emotions about this. Not because we didn’t want to see grandma and grandpa. Not at all!! We loved that part. Because when I was growing up my grandparents lived across the road from one another so we would race back and forth between the houses getting all the cookies we could. The issue was we never really knew if grandma W was going to have good cookies like oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip or if they were going to be the dreaded bird-seed cookies she would sometimes make. Now as an adult I love these cookies but as a kid the last thing I wanted to eat was something I could share with the robins while I was cutting the lawn.
But we would get to Gads Hill around 1pm after chores were finished. The reason I can remember the time; it was usually right in the middle of the obituaries on the radio. My grandfather would listen to them daily. Just as they were wrapping up grandpa would turn of the radio and say, “well looky there kids! Your grandpa’s not dead today. I guess we can have a beer to celebrate.” I always wondered what he would say if he heard his name on the radio as he sat at the kitchen table. I’m sure that would have shocked him. Oh, the power of obituaries.
You know if Jesus would have had a funeral, and if there had been radios or even newspapers in those days, his obituary would have been listed in the Nazareth News, along with all the other obituaries, Section E, page seven. It would have been listed under the J’s e.g. Jacob, Jesus, Joseph, in capital letters of course.
The obituary may have read, “Jesus of Nazareth was born in the year 6 BC. He was born to Mary and Joseph, the carpenter from Galilee. He was preceded in death by a father, Joseph. He is survived by his mother, Mary of Capernaum, also by his brothers, James, Joseph, Judas and Simon, also of Capernaum and several other sisters. During his lifetime, it was rumored—according to this newspaper article—during his lifetime, he received some notoriety and publicity because of unusual occurrences associated with his life such as the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the lame walking. It was also rumored that he radically changed people’s lives. More recently, according to this short article in the Nazareth News, last Sunday in Jerusalem, large Passover crowds hailed him as king. Shortly thereafter, the crowds turned against him. This past Friday afternoon, he was sentenced to death by the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, representing the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. He was killed at three o’clock in the afternoon on the hill of the crucifixion, outside the walls of Jerusalem. His burial was in the tomb. His family requests that no flowers be sent, but rather than memorials be send to the orphaned children’s fund in care of the synagogue in Bethlehem, the place of his birth.”
If that obituary had been printed in the Nazareth News, everyone would have thought that the Jesus movement had ended. Its leader was now dead. His disciples had disappeared. The stories of miracles would fade away. That little episode would become one small slice of Roman history. It would have been like a pebble thrown into a pond: it would have made a momentary splash, and the ripples gradually would fade away and disappear. And so, it was with Jesus of Nazareth. His life was a momentary splash. His reputation, his memory, his teachings would have faded into the smoothness of the sea…. except…. except for one unique event.
On the third day, unbelievably, they discovered the grave empty. Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead by the mighty powers of God. He was alive again. Recognizable and identifiable. He was alive again, in a new way, in a new kind of body that would never taste death. And so, they shouted, “He is risen! Alleluia! That obituary was wrong. They said he was dead, over and done with. Wrong. They were wrong.”
If there had been a hypothetical obituary, you can imagine the hypothetical short article that would have appeared in the Nazareth News the next morning… Sunday! “We regret any sorrow this may have unduly caused, but we are happy to retract the misleading obituary printed yesterday, and report that Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph, is amazingly alive and well! We rejoice with his family!”
The news spread, from the angel to Mary to Peter to the disciples to the 500. And they became new people. They became a new brand of men and women who were filled with a new power, with Easter power, with resurrection power. They were no longer afraid of living because they were no longer afraid of dying. They had a new passion for life because they had an Easter power, a resurrection power within them. Why? Because that obituary was wrong. He was not dead, over and done with.
The obituary didn’t tell the whole story. It didn’t tell the whole truth of what God’s mission through Christ is. That the truth of Jesus’ resurrection is the event which anchors our hope for the world. It gives meaning to everything we do. We live in a world where everyone dies, and everything eventually comes to an end. And yet the resurrection of Jesus reminds us that God is not limited by those things. God does not die. God does not come to an end. God’s love does not come to an end. God’s work in the world does not come to an end. God’s patience does not die. God’s forgiveness does not die. And we as God’s people will never die. We will never come to an end. Our work, our life our history and our efforts to bring God’s kingdom here, on earth as it is in heaven, they will never end.
They cannot be stopped. Jesus’ resurrection reminds us that God never gives up, never gives in, never loses steam, never loses hope. May we as a church experience new life every time we show up here. May Jesus’ resurrection be the lens through which you see the meaning and purpose of your life. Death is not the end. Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.
Amen.
Invitation of Offering:
We celebrate God’s most precious gift to us in Christ’s dying and his rising.
As we present our gifts to God this day, may our generosity reflect God’s goodness to us and the hope we have to offer the world in Christ Jesus, our Risen Lord.
Doxology: #830 Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer of Dedication:
Generous God, we come before you with grateful hearts, recognizing how much you have given us in Christ Jesus. Bless these gifts so that they may spread the hope and joy we feel this day to those who have not yet tasted your kindness. With our gifts, we offer ourselves to you in the name of your greatest gift, Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord. Amen.
Hymn: #250 Lord of the dance
Invitation to the Lord’s Table:
Jesus said:
I am the bread of life.
Those who come to me will never be hungry,
and those who believe in me will never be thirsty.
No one who comes to me will I drive away. John 6:35, 37.
Because there is one bread,
we who are many are one body,
for we all partake of the one bread. I Cor. 10:17.
So, whether you eat or drink,
or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God. I Cor. 10:31.
The 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 God thanks and praise.
Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth,
with joy we give you thanks and praise.
Through the words of your prophets
you gave your people hope
by promising them the Redeemer.
And now we rejoice that in your Son, Jesus Christ,
the Saviour has come
and will come again in power and glory
making all things new.
How wonderful are your ways, almighty God.
How marvellous is your name, O Holy One.
You alone are God.
Therefore with apostles and prophets,
and that great cloud of witnesses
who live for you beyond all time and space,
we lift our hearts in joyful praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We praise you, most holy God,
for sending your only Son Jesus to live among us,
full of grace and truth.
Sharing our joy and sorrow,
he healed the sick and was a friend of sinners.
Obeying you,
he took up his cross and died that we might live.
We praise you that he overcame death
and is risen to rule the world.
He is still the friend of sinners.
We trust him to overcome every power that can hurt or divide us,
and believe that when he comes in glory
we will celebrate victory with him.
Therefore, in remembrance of your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we take this bread and this cup
and give you praise and thanksgiving
as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died,
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again.
Gracious God,
pour out your Holy Spirit upon us,
and upon this bread and wine,
that we, and all who share this feast,
may be one with Christ and he with us.
Here we offer ourselves to be a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to you.
In your mercy,
accept our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Fill us with the joy of eternal life,
that we may be your faithful people
until we feast with you in glory.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour are yours, almighty God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Communion:
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins; do this, as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me.” Amen. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Come let us eat and drink in remembrance of Christ:
Prayer after Communion:
Loving God, Christ our Lord, Holy Spirit,
you have nourished us, body and soul, in this meal.
We have heard your love, so send us out to speak it.
We have seen your love, so send us out to show it.
We have been fed by your love, so send us out to share it.
So may we become Christ’s body, the Church,
loving and caring throughout the whole world
until that day when all creation feasts with you
in the fullness of your mercy and peace
that we savour today in the name of our Saviour
who taught us when we pray to say together:
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.
Lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Hymn: #255 Now let the vault of heaven resound
Benediction:
Go in peace; God calls us to step out in faith, to follow where He leads
even if what He calls us to do seems impossible. So let’s go from here with courage, trusting in God’s presence and power, and eager to do God’s will.
Now may the LORD keep us and bless us,
May the LORD make his face to shine upon us
and be gracious unto us,
Now and for ever more, AMEN.
Choral Closing: “Go Now in Peace”
Go now in peace. Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.
Know He will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there watching from above.
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.
April 13th, 2025
https://pccweb.ca/knox-goderich/files/2025/04/New Pathway.docx