Welcome & Intimations
Welcome to our Easter Day service. In a world of darkness and despair we turn to the light and hope of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Call to Worship: Christ is risen He is Risen indeed! This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
HYMN 410 Jesus Christ is risen today
Prayer c/w Lord’s Prayer
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings forgiveness:
That we may be cleansed.
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings healing:
That we may be whole.
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings hope:
That we may have faith.
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings love:
That we may have compassion.
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings light:
That we may have vision.
Lord, draw us to Your Cross which brings life:
That we may live for You.
Forgive us daily, Lord, the sins which crucify you anew.
Forgive the hatred of the crowd which chose Barabbas,
and the hate that we allow to lie so often in our hearts.
Forgive the selfishness and ambition of Caiaphas,
and the selfishness and pride in all men and women.
Forgive the weakness of Pilate, and our inability
to resist temptation and take a bold stand.
Forgive the brutalities of the soldiers,
and all the cruelties so evident in our world.
Forgive the hard-heartedness and sneers of those who passed
by, and forgive us when we sneer at holy things,
soften our hearts to the plight of the suffering,
and the guidance of Your Holy Spirit.
Take all these sins from the world, crucified Saviour; bear
them away in your dying body, let evil die and be
conquered for ever, cast out by your undying love.
Let us pray together the prayer Jesus taught his closest companions
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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 for ever. Amen.
Scriptures:
Luke 24: 1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
John 20: 1-10
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
HYMN 417 Now the green blade riseth
Reflection: Three little words
It is Easter Day, and so it is not surprising that our readings are two of those which speak of the resurrection of Christ Jesus. There are many things we could speak of, and passages we could refer to. This year, though, I would like us to focus on just three words from our readings. Just three little words. Actually, in English translation it is the same word that appears three times in quick succession. It is the word ‘saw’.
The first occurrence is when the unnamed disciple, the Beloved Disciple, often believed to have been John, stops at the entrance of the tomb and looks inside. The second is when Peter rushes past, enters the tomb, and sees that the grave clothes are folded and laid to one side. Finally, the first disciple enters the tomb, looks, and believes. That there is so much to be found in the three uses of that one word is due to an unfortunate feature of translation. In the original Greek these are three different words, each with importantly different meanings.
The first, unnamed, disciple stopped at the edge of the tomb and looked within. We are not told why he stopped but he would have had good reason not to continue. First, as an observant Jew, he would not have wanted to risk entering a tomb where they may be a body. Second, although the tomb was large, being that of a wealthy man, the entrance was small requiring some effort to get in. In this part we find the use of the word ‘saw’ meaning nothing more than being able ‘to see what lies before’ him. It is ordinary physical sight.
Next comes Simon Peter, rushing in where wiser men would have feared to tread. Entering the tomb, he must have thought nought of making himself ritually unclean, unlike his companion. This was Peter at his impetuous best, not stopping and thinking but running and acting. He sees the folded grave clothes. This time the word ‘saw’ means something different than before; it means to ‘observe, to scrutinise, to think about’. Perhaps it was no more than the effect of seeing the clothes; perhaps something else about the seen stopped him in his tracks. Whatever it was it caused him to think about what lay before him.
Finally, our first disciple overcomes the barriers before and within him entering the tomb. He must have seen what Peter saw. Perhaps he, too, reflected upon the sight. Whatever it was it caused him to believe; something in that place convinced him of the resurrection. Our translation states that ‘he saw and believed’. This time around the word ‘saw’ means to ‘understand’ or ‘be aware of the significance’ of something. Our unidentified disciple goes beyond Peter and sees the meaning behind the sight.
Usually the first Christians did not believe in the resurrection solely because the tomb was empty; they believed because they both saw and met the resurrected Jesus. Here was something of an exception; this disciple believed as a result of seeing the empty tomb, before meeting the resurrected Jesus. Remember, too, that the resurrection of Jesus had not been expected by His followers. Had it been then we could assess this as a case of people seeing what they wanted to see. What happened at the empty tomb was not what they expected. After the crucifixion and burial of Jesus they had gone into hiding, afraid for their lives and doubtless wondering how they could have been so wrong. Despite the teaching of Jesus, the disciples did not expect this.
Three little words yet with such profound implications. Three little words in everyday use yet here taking us from physical sight to eternal truth. Three little words yet with meaning for the world.
What, though, do these words mean for us? Peter is named, and the other is not. It is Peter who does not understand what it is he is witness too, but the unnamed one does. This beloved disciple represents every disciple whom Jesus loves. That is why he remains unnamed. He is close to Jesus at the Last Supper. At the Cross he is the one disciple recorded as present. Along with Mary, the mother of Jesus, it is the Beloved Disciple who is designated a part of the first community of believers. The Beloved Disciple is both you and me.
Three little words yet full of meaning for those who would follow Jesus. They offer us hope in the face of trying circumstances. They offer us faith when we struggle with what we can see. They offer us belief when doubts assail. Can we, like these two disciples, see what lies before us? Can we reflect on the signs of the love of God all around us? Can we believe that He is there, and that He has Risen?
Amen.
HYMN 425 The Saviour died, but rose again (Para. 48 vv 5-9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TjSjoPOPrY
(from the Virtual Choir of Troon Old Parish Church)
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Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God
whose goodness and grace overflowed when you raised Jesus from the dead,
let your goodness and grace continue to flow upon and through us now afresh.
We pray for those, like the women of old,
whose lives have been stopped
because they couldn’t roll away a stone
that was blocking their path to new life and hope.
Roll away the stone
of despair and hopelessness
that the light of Jesus Christ may shine
into the darkness
to bring joy and warmth again.
Roll away the stone
for those still stuck at Good Friday
those whose strength is failing through ill-health
whose spirits are flagging through mental-health struggles,
whose determination is being sapped through addiction.
Lord God roll away the stone
that they might better see the path stretching out before then
a path unused except for your guiding footprints
etched out in the fresh morning dew.
In the light and the glory of Your resurrection
we pray for our world
for areas of violence and hostility
for lands where famine and disease are rife
for peoples who look in vain for the rains to come to guarantee a harvest
for all those who today would struggle to find joy in the resurrection story.
Bless all the members of the governments in Westminster and Holyrood
that they may lead our country with all righteousness and justice.
May Your all- knowing Spirit draw near to all leaders of all nations.
We pray for unity.
We pay for wisdom in the face of potential global war.
We pray for creativity in the face of economic challenges brought on by war in the Ukraine and many other factors.
Bless our Church of Scotland; its ministers and office bearers that they may offer wise and sensitive leadership at this unsettling time. Encourage our membership that they may be true to their calling to follow the Risen Christ wherever he leads. Bless all our partner churches at home and abroad that we may journey with them on this adventure of faith as we discover where You are asking us to go. Give us Your church the courage to take bold new steps to extend Your kingdom in the light of your resurrection power.
On this Easter Day hear now our own prayers in silence as we remember before you those nearest and dearest to our own hearts confident that Your heart aches and that Your hear the earnest prayer of every humble heart….
We offer these prayers to you Lord God always mindful of the great company who surround You the ransomed and the redeemed of all the ages. As once they inspired us by their living so may they continue so to do till the day of our homecoming to you through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
HYMN 419 Thine be the Glory
Benediction
Go from this time of worship
in the light and love of the resurrection.
As you go,
may the blessing of God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
go with you
now and evermore.
Amen.
Sung Amen
Acknowledgements:
Bible Quotations taken from: New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English translations of The Lord’s Prayer, © 1998, English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), and used by permission. www.englishtexts.org
Prayers and final blessing adapted from Church of Scotland Weekly Worship