iCrucified

Easter: “He is Risen!” [2011APR24]

Scripture Meditations: (Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Acts 10:34-43; Col. 3:1-4; Matt. 28:1-10)

It is only right, with all the powers of our heart and mind, to praise you Father and your only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Father, by your wondrous condescension of lovingkindness toward us, your servants, you gave up your Son. Dear Jesus, you paid the debt of Adam for us to the eternal Father by your blood poured forth in lovingkindness. You cleared away the darkness of sin by your magnificent and radiant resurrection. You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a conqueror. You reconciled heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before you redeemed us. Your resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of your love!

We pray you, Lord, to preserve your servants in the peaceful enjoyment of this Easter happiness. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. –Gregory the Great

Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life (1 Cor. 15:22 NLT).

In the culmination of the resurrection of the Christ we are given our eternal hope. “This is the end for which man was made…” We gaze upon the resurrected Son of God with future hope that brings assurance and peace to us in the “now” of today. Our upward climb of the day may not be abated, the pressures of our labor may not be lessened, sickness, grief, and the vacuum of loss may remain amid our daily journey. But, Christ is alive! Jesus has risen! And, as he has risen, so shall we. As we look upon Him who has been glorified, we can share His victory and find our peace in the midst of our pilgrimage in this life. We can take consolation to know that even in our solitude, we are not alone. We can know that even in the pain of our life journeys, there is One who has born our stripes, so we might be healed. This is our peace today with the hope of our ultimate victory for tomorrow. All  praise and all glory be given to the Resurrected One! All hail King Jesus, the One who has proclaimed victory over sin and death.

We see in the risen Christ the end for which man was made and the assurance that the end is within reach. –Brooke Westcott

I thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered me from the dominion of sin and death and brought me into the Kingdom of your Son; and I pray that, as by his death he has recalled me to life, so by his love he may raise me to eternal joys. Christ of the cross and of the empty tomb, strengthening us to bear the burden of the day, to seek you among the hurts and questions, and to trust you for mercy enough for this day; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, so it is now and so it shall ever be, world without end. Alleluia. Amen.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Your statutes have been like songs to me. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. The LORD is for me; he will help me. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. We give thanks, O GOD, we give thanks, calling upon your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds. (Psalm 118:1, 4-7, 14; Psalm 119:54; Psalm 101:1).

“He is risen from the dead!” (Luke 24:6)