WELCOME

OPENING HYMN Jesus Christ Is Risen Today LSB 457

[v. 2: Choir only]

1 Jesus Christ is ris'n today, Alleluia! Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!

Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia! Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

2 Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia! Unto Christ, our heav'nly king, Alleluia!

Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia! Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

3 But the pains which He endured, Alleluia! Our salvation have procured; Alleluia!

Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia! Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

4 Sing we to our God above, Alleluia! Praise eternal as His love; Alleluia!

Praise Him, all ye heav'nly host, Alleluia! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

Amen.

INVOCATION & OPENING SENTENCES adapt. From Matthew 28:7, Hebrews2:7; Psalm 8:6

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

C Amen.

P Christ has risen from the dead.

C God the Father has crowned Him with glory and honor.

P He has given Him dominion over the works of His hands;

C He has put all things under His feet.

EASTER ACCLAMATION

P Alleluia! Christ is risen! C He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS

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.

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.

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.

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

P I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

C the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

P The Lord is my strength and my song,

C and he has become my salvation.

P Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,

C your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.

P You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;

C you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

P You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,

C the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,

P the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

C The Lord will reign forever and ever.

All: 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.

P I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

C the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

KYRIE

P In peace let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

C Lord, have mercy.

P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

C Amen

HYMN OF PRAISE This Is the Feast

This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation.
Blessing and honor and glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

SALUTATION & COLLECT OF THE DAY

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray.

All: 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.

FIRST READING Acts 10:34-43

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 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. 39 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, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 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. 42 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. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

P This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

HYMN Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds LSB 465

(1) Now all the vault of heav’n resounds In praise of love that still abounds:

“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”

Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear! Repeat their song of glory here:

“Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

(2) Eternal is the gift He brings, Therefore our heart with rapture sings:

“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”

Now still He comes to give us life And by His presence stills all strife.

Christ has triumphed! He is living! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

(3) O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love; Set heart and will on things above

That we conquer through Your triumph;

Grant grace sufficient for life’s day That by our lives we truly say:

“Christ has triumphed! He is living!” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

(4) Adoring praises now we bring And with the heav’nly blessèd sing:

“Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”

Be to the Father and our Lord, To Spirit blest, most holy God,

All the glory, never ending! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Amen.

Amen.

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. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

P This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

ALLELUIA VERSE

Alleluia! Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia!

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 28:1–10

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.

C Glory to you O Lord.

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. 2 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. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 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.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY I Know That My Redeemer Lives LSB 461

[v.4: Choir only]

1 I know that my Redeemer lives;What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, He lives, who once was dead;He lives, my ever-living head

2 He lives triumphant from the grave;He lives eternally to save;

He lives all-glorious in the sky;He lives exalted there on high.

3 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.

4 He lives to grant me rich supply;He lives to guide me with His eye;

He lives to comfort me when faint;He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

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!

SERMON "CHRIST IS RISEN!" Matthew 28:1-10

I. If Jesus' bones were ever found, then our faith would be futile.

II. But the testimony of Scripture is that Jesus rose physically from His grave on Easter. This means that, on the Last Day, we will also rise physically from our grave.

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 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 worshipped 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 of the world to come. Amen.

OFFERING "At the Lamb's High Feast" by Jeffrey Blersch

OFFERTORY Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful LSB 955

“Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful Lord, and fill to the brim our cup of blessing. Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown, that we may be fed with the Bread of Life. Gather the hopes and the dreams of all, unite them with prayers we offer now. Grace our table with Your presence and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.”

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

P The resurrection of our Lord shouts that death has been conquered and that He is living today and always. We pray for people here and around the world in our living Lord Jesus’ name. Let us pray for all who do not know that by His rising our Lord has destroyed death, for all who have given up hope, and for all who face this day with inconsolable tears and sorrow. O Holy Spirit, use the Church here and around the world to announce the joyful news of our Lord’s resurrection in ways understandable to them so they may look beyond their circumstances to the eternity awaiting all who call out to God in our risen Savior’s name. Spirit, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Let us pray for all who are in danger from hostile neighbors or neighboring nations; who lack adequate food, clothing, or shelter; and who are suffering from natural or manmade disasters. Come to their aid, heavenly Father. Surround them with compassionate individuals and caring agencies. Give them faith to rely on You as their true source of refuge and strength. Lift up wise leaders so that human needs may be met and that peace and justice may conquer conflict within our country and among the nations of the world. Father, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Let us pray for the Church as we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection here and around the world. On this most holy day, Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith and embolden our witness to Your resurrection, the central focus of our hope and joy. Unite the Church to tell the news that You have conquered every obstacle to our being with You in eternal peace and joy. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Let us pray for [names . . . and] all who call out to God in illness, sorrow, injustice, and fear. Almighty God, author of life and health, use first responders, doctors and nurses, and agencies of every sort so that those near and dear to us and the thousands known only to You enjoy the healing, comfort, and relief that fits Your gracious plans for them. Grant that they join us here to rejoice together. Lord, in Your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

P Into Your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

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

BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26

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

EASTER ACCLAMATION

P Alleluia! Christ is risen!

C He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

CLOSING HYMN Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen LSB 474

1 Alleluia! Jesus is risen! Trumpets resounding in glorious light!

Splendor, the Lamb, Heaven forever! Oh, what a miracle God has in sight!