EASTER SUNRISE
Resurrection Joy
April 5, 2026
WE GATHER
The old Sabbath is past. The first day of the week has become the eighth day, the eternal day, the first day of the promised resurrection of the new heavens and earth. The angel knows why we are here. “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen” (Mark 16:6). His body was in the tomb of death no longer. He is now glorified, body and soul. Now when He says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), we know what He means. So we come here “very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen” (Mark 16:2) not looking for a closed entrance to a tomb but for the risen Lord speaking in His Word and touching us with forgiveness and peace “in the breaking of the bread” (Luke 24:35), His body and blood given and shed for us Christians to eat and to drink. We gather on Easter in excited yet sometimes silent joy.
+ PREPARATION +
Pastor: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
HYMN King of Kings
In the darkness we were waiting Without hope without light
‘Til from heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory To a cradle in the dirt
Praise the Father praise the Son Praise the Spirit Three in One
God of glory majesty Praise forever to the King of kings
To reveal the kingdom coming And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation You did not despise the cross
For even in Your suff’ring You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation Jesus for our sake You died
Praise the Father praise the Son Praise the Spirit Three in One
God of glory majesty Praise forever to the King of kings
And the morning that You rose All of heaven held it’s breath
‘Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come To the Father are restored.
And the church of Christ was born Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now the Gospel truth of old Shall not kneel shall not faint
By His blood and in His name In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ Who has resurrected me
Praise the Father praise the Son Praise the Spirit Three in One
God of glory majesty Praise forever to the King of kings
Praise the Father praise the Son Praise the Spirit Three in One
God of glory majesty Praise forever to the King of kings
Praise forever to the King of kings
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES
Pastor: Our help is in the name of the Lord,
People: who made heaven and earth.
Pastor: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.
People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Pastor: We are illumined by the brightness of His rising.
People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Pastor: Death no more has dominion over us.
People: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Let us confess our sins to God, our Father. Holy and gracious God,
People: I confess that I have sinned against You. Some of my sin I know—the thoughts and words and deeds of which I am ashamed—but some is known only to You. In the name of the risen Jesus Christ, I ask You to forgive me all my sins. Deliver me from my guilt and death and raise me up to forgiveness and life that my heart may finally be at peace. Amen.
Pastor: By the mercy of God, we are redeemed by Jesus Christ and forgiven. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Pastor: May the Lord, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: Amen.
HYMN Alleluia, Alleluia! Hearts to Heaven LSB 477
Alleluia Alleluia Hearts to heaven and voices raised
Sing to God a hymn of gladness Sing to God a hymn of praise
He who on the cross a victim For the world’s salvation bled
Jesus Christ the King of Glory Now is risen from the dead
Alleluia Alleluia Death at last has met defeat
See the ancient pow’rs of evil In confusion and retreat
Once He died and once was buried Now He lives forever more
Jesus Christ the world’s Redeemer Whom we worship and adore
Alleluia Alleluia Glory be to God on high
Alleluia to the Savior Who has gained the victory
Alleluia to the Spirit Fount of love and sanctity
Alleluia Alleluia To the triune Majesty
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You overcame death and 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 and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
HYMN I Know that My Redeemer Lives LSB 461
I know that my Redeemer lives What comfort this sweet sentence gives
He lives He lives who once was dead He lives my ever living head
He lives triumphant from the grave He lives eternally to save
He lives all glorious in the sky He lives exalted there on high
He lives and grants me daily breath He lives and I shall conquer death
He lives my mansion to prepare He lives to bring me safely there
He lives all glory to His name He lives my Jesus still the same
Oh the sweet joy this sentence gives I know that my Redeemer lives
OLD TESTAMENT READING Exodus 14:10–15:1 (The Israelites cross the Red Sea.)
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” 19 Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” 26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. 29 But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
EPISTLE 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (Christ died, was buried, and rose again.)
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
HOLY GOSPEL John 20:1–18 (Mary Magdalene meets the risen Lord.)
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 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.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
HYMN Jesus Christ is Risen Today LSB 457
Jesus Christ is risen today Alleluia
Our triumphant holy day Alleluia
Who did once upon the cross Alleluia
Suffer to redeem our loss Alleluia
Hymns of praise then let us sing Alleluia
Unto Christ our heav’nly King Alleluia
Who endured the cross and grave Alleluia
Sinners to redeem and save Alleluia
Sing we to our God above Alleluia
Praise eternal as His love Alleluia
Praise Him all ye heav’nly host Alleluia
Father Son and Holy Ghost Alleluia!
SERMON
CREED Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the 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 ascended 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 Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and 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.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Let us pray for the whole church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty and eternal God, we give You thanks for all Your goodness, but especially on this day for the gift of the salvation of the whole world through the forgiveness of sin and restoration of eternal life to all believers in the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Give us the new vision of faith that we may believe that He is with us to the end of the age. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Rule and govern Your whole church throughout the world that we may be witnesses to Your gift of new life. Guide, direct, and bless all pastors and ministers of Your Word and blessed Sacraments that they may faithfully proclaim and distribute Your gifts of grace. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: We pray for all in the authority of government of our country and of all the nations of the earth that they may serve the citizens under their care with justice and in righteousness that all may lead quiet and peaceable lives. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: Comfort all who are in trouble, want, sickness, or any adversity, giving them the healing of hope in Your mercy and faith in Your promise of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy,
People: hear our prayer.
Pastor: As we remember the great crowd of witnesses that have gone before us and are with You, we pray that You acknowledge us to be in their company now by faith and admit us into their eternal fellowship, that when our last hour comes You may receive us into Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.