Easter Sunday
from Sunday, April 8, 2012~
Happy Easter! We spent the morning at church, the afternoon and evening with family. Julian got three Easter baskets and spent hours in the pool so he's pretty into that side of Easter. On the spiritual side of things, our object lesson was well received.
So this is the last day that I'll be talking about the Easter celebration. It's the culmination of the story, the week, the everything. Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the third day after the crucifixion.* Our church does two services. The only difference between the two is the music: the earlier service is hymns, the later, more modern songs. We do read scripture and do responsive readings. The sermon focus is always related to the resurrection of Christ. Between the services we do a casual, brunch style breakfast. The rest of the day is spent with loved ones.
*Here's a summary of what we believe happened using Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-21:25. Following the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea had Christ's body placed in his own tomb. A large stone covered the
entrance and soldiers guarded the sealed tomb. On the third day, after the Sabbath was over, several women who were followers of Jesus went to the tomb at dawn to anoint the body of Jesus according to Jewish traditions of the time. Now sometime the night before or early that morning a
violent earthquake took place as an angel rolled back the
stone. The guards were paralyzed with fear, but when they recovered, they ran away. The angel announced to the women that Jesus who was
crucified was no longer in the grave and said to them, "He is risen, just as He said." Then he instructed the women to inspect the tomb and
see for themselves. He then told them to go inform the disciples.
As they were running to obey the angel's command, suddenly Jesus himself met them on their way. They fell at his feet and
worshiped him. Jesus then said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my
brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see me." When the guards reported what had happened to the chief priests,
they bribed the soldiers with a large sum of money, telling them to lie
and say that the disciples had stolen the body in the night.
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