Pastor Sullivan's Blog

Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jesus had died the shameful death of the cross on Friday afternoon. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took His body, hastily prepared it for burial, and interred him. Then there was nothing to do but wait because the Sabbath began and no work could be done on the Sabbath. The only thing they could do was mourn. There was plenty of that, in spite of how many times Jesus had taught His disciples that it was necessary for Him to die and rise three days later. Once the Sabbath is over, very early on the first day of the week, this day, the woman venture to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body again. But they soon see that the stone which blocked the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away and the seal with which the Jews had secured the stone was broken. The woman enter the tomb to find the exact opposite of what they expect to find. Instead of the lifeless corpse of Jesus they see “ a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the rig...

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia! Christ is risen from the dead. It was impossible for death to hold him because death had no real claim on Him. We die because we sin. This is the order established in Paradise when the Lord told Adam concerning the tree, “ in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die ” ( Genesis 2:16-17). By his disobedience Adam brought death upon himself and his entire race. “ T hrough one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men ” ( Romans 5:12). The Lord says in Ezekiel 18:20, “ the soul who sins shall die. ” St. Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that “ the wages of sin is death. ” It is only because we are sinners that death has become part of this life. Death has a claim on us because we are born of sinful stock and our sinful nature spends a lifetime bringing forth its wicked fruit of actual sins in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. But death has no claim on Christ for two reasons. First, as ...

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 200 I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymn # 192 Awake, My Heart, With Gladness Hymn # 191 Christ the Lord is Risen Today; Alleluia!   Introit WHEN I || awake, I am still with You. Alle- | lu- | ia! *             You have laid Your hand upon me. Al- | le- | lu- | ia! || Such knowledge is too wonderful | for | me; * It is high, I cannot attain it. Alleluia! Al- | le- | lu- | ia ! (Psalm 139:18b, 5a, c, 6) || O Lord, You have searched me and | known | me. *             You know my sitting down and my | ris- | ing | up. || You comprehend my path and my lying | down, | - *             And are acquainted with | all | my | ways. || If I ascend into heaven, You are | there; | - *             If I...