Monday Morning

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening (A Collect for the Renewal of Life – Monday)

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Mark 15:42-16:8 (NLT)

The Burial of Jesus

This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.

The Resurrection

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.
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Morning Reflection:

The angel said, “Don’t be alarmed.
You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.
He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” – Mark 16:6

The burial of Jesus was an important part of the preaching of the early church – by declaring the reality of Jesus’ death, the proclamation of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection was all the more dramatic and powerful.

“Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”

The resurrection of Jesus is the high point of every Gospel account. Why? Because Jesus vindicated His claims to being the divine Son of God, not simply a human messiah, by His resurrection from the dead. In Mark’s account –

+ the women were both terrified and amazed. Nothing was as they expected. The heavy stone was rolled away. The angel inside the tomb terrified them. And Jesus was nowhere to be seen.

+ the women were transitioning from believing Jesus’ prediction of His resurrection to entering into its reality. The empty tomb testified that the same person who was crucified was now alive.

+ the women were dumbfounded. At first, they told no one what they had seen. But, it wasn’t long before they were spreading the news that Jesus was alive again.

Questions for consideration:

• Have you ever expected God to do one thing and, in fact, He did exactly the opposite? Please explain.
• Have you ever been in a hopeless situation, resigned to making the best of it, when God intervened in a miraculous way? Please explain.
• Have you ever personally experienced a miracle but were afraid to talk about it for fear of how others would respond? Please explain.
• Have you ever faced your fears and told others the Good News of what God has done for you without regard to how your listeners would respond? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

The Persecuted Church: Prayer for Christians in the midst of persecution.

Heavenly Father: I pray for Christians suffering persecution and hardship because of their faith. Meet them in their deepest sorrow and comfort them. Strengthen them in faith that they may continue to follow you, and empower them with your Spirit to respond in love to the evil shown by their persecutors – that doors will open to share the Good News of your Kingdom. I ask this in Jesus’ name, who lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

My Prayer: Collect for Easter Day

O God, who for our redemption gave your only begotten Son to die upon the Cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the devil and the power of death: Grant us grace to die daily to sin, that we may live with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

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“No Words” – Cathedral – #VIGIL

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen