Good morning and welcome to the broadcast of the Divine Service at Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
To help you follow along, the Order of Worship for today's service is available under the radio tab on our website, ZionLCMSCF.org.
The Lord bless you today through the hearing of His word.
Christ is risen.
Please stand and face the processional crucifix.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Beloved in the Lord, let us draw near with a true
heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Amen.
I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord.
Oh, Almighty God, merciful Father, I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities, with which I have ever offended you, and justly
deserved your temporal and eternal punishment.
But I am heartily sorry for them, and sincerely repent of them.
And I pray you of your boundless mercy.
and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Be gracious and merciful to me, the poor
sinful being.
Upon this, your confession, I by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Lord, announce the grace of God unto all of you.
and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
you.
Your justice is Your needing all the earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, His value let me fear.
and all those there bear eyes.
Hallelujah.
Glory be to God on high.
you
The Lord be with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, through your only begotten Son Jesus Christ, you overcame death.
It opened to us the gate of everlasting life.
We humbly pray that we may live before you in righteousness and purity forever.
Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
from the book of Job chapter
19.
My heart faints within me.
This is the word of the
Lord.
The epistle is from 1 Corinthians chapter
5.
This is the word of the Lord.
We stand in honor of the gospel.
The holy gospel according to Saint Mark the 16th chapter.
When the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him.
And very early on the first day of the week when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
And they were saying to one another, who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?
And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back.
It was very large.
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side dressed in a white robe.
They were alarmed and they said to them do not be alarmed and You seek you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified?
He has risen he is not here see the place where they laid him But go tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee There you will see him just as he told you and 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.
This is the gospel of the Lord.
Together we confess our faith as written in the words of the Nicene Creed.
I believe in one God, 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 descended 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, an 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.
Grace to you in peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
The irony of Easter is that the chief priests accepted the soldiers report of Jesus's resurrection, but the disciples did not Chief priests who repeatedly rejected the claims of Jesus gave us sufficient some of money to the soldiers and said tell people his disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep
On the other hand, Luke records that these words seemed to the disciples an idle tale.
They did not believe them.
If the accounts of the resurrection were fabricated, as many claim today, the disciples would have believed and the high priests would not.
Today would be claimed hymns of praise as we joyfully confess our own God-given faith in the risen Savior.
concluding a series on the Lord's prayer and his passion.
The close of the Lord's prayer is thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
And while these words are not recorded in the early gospel accounts, they reflect one of the doxologies from the book of Revelation.
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
There's a equally majestic
Phrases that Paul describes Christ's role after his ascension in Ephesians God seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named Not only in this age, but also in the one to come And he put all things under his feet and gave him his head over all things to the church Which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all
Time doesn't permit dealing with all the details in this grand summary, but we can detail a few.
All things under his feet in verse 22 includes the scene and the unseen parts of creation.
Astronomers continue to discover the world of planets and stars and nebula and whatever else is out there in the far more extensive than previous generations thought.
It really doesn't seem to be an end.
year after year objects farther and farther from earth are discovered.
Heavenly places also identifies paradise and even hell itself.
There's no place where a kingdom other than Christ exists.
And all of this is comforting to us because Paul says that the Savior is head over all things to the church.
In other words, he governs the world.
the universe for the well-being of the church, protecting all believers as he sees fit.
Meanwhile, he himself prays for us before our Father.
As it says in 1 John, if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
On Easter morning, the silence of Holy Saturday gives way to a flurry of activities as the sun rises and
God's power affects the miracle of the resurrection, the resurrection of a dead body.
Now, with few exceptions, the power of God is dormant during the capture and the trials and the execution of Jesus Christ.
Only in Gethsemane are there indications of where the real power lies.
Jesus asked those who want to apprehend him, whom do you seek?
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus said to them, I am he.
When Jesus said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground.
When Peter cut off the right ear of the high priest's servant, our Lord healed him.
Even that show of mercy and power goes unheeded.
Jesus rebuked his disciple, do you think that I cannot appeal to my father?
And we hear, well, it won't send me more than 12 legions of angels.
However, the full power of Christ.
shines forth on Easter morning.
An angel with the appearance of lightning rolled away the stone.
For fear of him, the guards trembled and became like dead men.
Matthew, Mark, tell of an angel who spoke to the women, to the women when they came to the tomb, and Luke and John report two angels.
However, Matthew and Mark do not say only one angel was there.
And you know, like after church, if somebody asked who was there,
Person will name a few friends known to both of you, but that doesn't mean that those persons were the only ones attending One example that the Bible is giving us and records faithfully the account of the resurrection of Christ so that we may believe and trust in these words The importance of the resurrection cannot be overestimated all Christianity rests on this foundation
Paul doesn't exaggerate.
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins, then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
It is necessary that we carefully examine the evidence regarding the absence of Jesus' body from the tomb.
Both friends and foes agree that Christ predicted his own death.
It says in John Jesus said destroy the temple and in three days I will raise it up.
The Jews then said it has taken 46 years to build this temple and will you raise it up in three days?
He was speaking about the temple of his body.
When therefore he was raised from the dead his disciples remembered that he had said this and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem he took the twelve disciples aside and on the way he said to them see we're going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified and he will be raised on the third day.
And friends and foes agree that Jesus died
When the soldiers came to Jesus and saw he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died in summoning the centurion.
He asked him whether he was already dead.
When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph.
Both enemies and disciples agreed that Jesus' body was buried.
Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden.
And then the garden, a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
So because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was closed at hand, they laid Jesus there.
And then to keep everyone honest, the tomb had been sealed.
So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
And Easter, the soldiers and chief priests didn't question that the body was missing.
Also the women and the two disciples entered the tomb and saw for themselves that the body was gone.
There are three conceivable ways by which the body of Jesus could be removed by his enemies, by his friends, or by himself.
If his enemies did it, they would have confronted his followers with the body, therefore demonstrating that Jesus was a fraud.
They didn't.
If as the soldiers were told to say, as disciples removed the body, it would have been a rejection of their master.
Not only that, they were too afraid to attempt entering the sealed and guarded tomb.
And when Jesus was captured, they ran off.
Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.
None of his disciples were with him during the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate.
At his crucifixion, only John and a few women were at the foot of the cross.
Even three days later, they met together, the doors being locked for fear of the Jews.
In addition, at Passover, the crowds would be ever present in Jerusalem.
The moon be full, and it's highly unlikely that the entire Roman guard fell asleep at the same time.
Sleeping on duty was punishable by death.
There's no record of that penalty ever occurring.
And finally, if the soldiers believed that the disciples stole the body, they would have tracked them down and brought them to trial.
Perhaps the most remarkable evidence of the resurrection is the change in the disciples themselves from cowardice and timidity to courage and boldness.
The Book of Acts records again and again how they confronted crowds with sharp accusations and a call to repent and believe.
Quoting David Peter announced in his Pentecost sermon He foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh seek corruption What kind of body did Jesus have after he rose from the dead?
John informs us that the doors and walls didn't keep Christ outside the place where the frightened disciples had gathered He showed him his scars
Invited them to feel them and they gave them a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate before them This wasn't done for nourishment but to establish the identity of the risen body with the body slain on the cross The church through the ages has called the resurrected body glorified Not bound by time and space and beyond that we cannot speculate about its nature We can only with confidence
say that our bodies will also be raised and glorified.
We know that when he appears, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is.
All the tribulation, the trouble, the temptation that make the Lord's prayer a daily necessity, there's nothing.
As we say in Romans, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to reveal to us.
Amen.
May the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Please stand for the offertory.
For the dominion of the risen Christ that it would expand to every aspect of our lives and to the ends of the earth, that all may see the fullness of God's glory.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For boldness from God's Holy Spirit that we may be renewed in witness, sustained in trial, and refreshed through the means of grace.
For those who bring us the Lord's gifts and preach us the word that they would be blessed in their calling.
And for all God's people that we may receive this Easter faith with willing ears and keep it with willing hearts.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For our homes that God would be the companion of those who live alone and fill every household with his wisdom and grace until he guides us to his holy abode.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For preservation from all threats.
The Lord would prevent pride, selfish powers, the deceptions of self-sufficiency, and the use of technology without conscience or purpose.
And for our president and governor, all elected and appointed public servants, that all who judge or enforce the rule of law, let us pray to the Lord.
For the sick and those in need,
In any need, especially Vicki, Lynn, Anita, Lois, Larry, Lewis, Chuck, Marlis, Tim, Greg, Doris, Matthew, Megan, Mark, Ethel, Bob, Peter, Fred, Harold, Joan, Greg, Linda, Jaden, Rick, Lorfinn, Lacey, Marilyn, Marlene, George, Ann, Dawn, and Florence, 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.
For hearts and lives cleansed from the leaven of sin that we may worthily receive Christ our Passover lamb in this holy communion.
Let us pray to the Lord.
O Lord Heavenly Father, you have not let your Holy One seek corruption.
but have raised him in triumph from the dead, never to die again.
Therefore our hearts are glad, and we rejoice, for our flesh also dwell secure.
Since you have set him at your right hand, lead us to set his resurrection before us at all times.
That is, this path of life and the fullness of joy in his presence may be known to us, until we come also to the eternal pleasures at his right hand forevermore.
For you, O Father, with the Son,
and the Holy Spirit are one God now and forever.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you
all.
Lift up your hearts.
Let us give thanks unto the Lord our God.
It is truly.
Good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and at 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 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 in magnify your glorious name, ever more praising you insane.
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.
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 body which is given for you this due and 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 blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
This too, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
the world.
Thank you for tuning in to the Divine Service at Zion Lutheran Church in Chippewa Falls.
May the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
If you have any prayer requests, please let us know.
You may call us at 715-723-6380 or stop by and visit 110 East Grand Avenue in Chippewa Falls.
If you're looking for a church home, we'll gladly tell you more about Zion or help you find a congregation near you.
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If you'd like to contribute, click the Give tab on our website, ZionLCMSCF.org, or send a check to Zion Lutheran Church Radio Fund, 110 East Grand Avenue, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, 54729.
Zion is a member of the Lutheran Church, Missouri,