“And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.  And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me” (Matthew 28:8-10).

He is not dead but risen!  This message has resonated since that day when, as Jesus said He would, rose from the dead.  We are not to be afraid of the message of truth.  Because Jesus lives, we too shall live.  There are sisters and brothers everywhere and you and I must go and tell them so that they may hear the voice of the Master and awaken from the curse of this age to follow where He leads.

Lord, I was awakened by those who came and spoke the message of truth which You have revealed through Your death and resurrection.  You send us into an unbelieving world so that those who will hear Your voice may do so through the words You give us to speak.  Teach me to speak that others may hear and then see that You have risen and conquered the grave.  In awe for what You have done, but with joy, equip me as You intend.

Lord Jesus, I shall never fully comprehend all that this means.  The task You undertook or the cost You bore for our sake is more than I can fathom.  But You have conquered the grave and offered to me and through me to others the truth of eternal life.  Lead me in this life You have made possible so that I may walk in Your way, going where You send me, and living the life You intend.  Grant me the words to speak that others may hear the good news of great joy.  Amen.

“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.  Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you” (Matthew 28:6-7).

He is not in the grave.  He has risen, just as He said He would.  Jesus speaks the truth.  The world may argue about whether or not the words of Jesus are true, but Jesus speaks truth.  Listen to the truth, for the truth will set you free.  Be guided by the One through whom all things have their being.  He is going ahead of you and He will lead the way.  You have been told.  Will you hear, trust and obey the One who is calling you?

Lord, help me to hear Your call as You call me into the future You have planned for all who believe.  Guide me ever deeper into the faith You have given me.  Help me to not waver, nor become still, but continue on the path which You have laid before me.  Guide me, dear Jesus, so that I go to those places which You set before me, doing what is the Father’s will, and learning obedience from You.

Lord Jesus, my Savior, You have accomplished all that is needed so that I may humbly walk with You wherever You lead.  Guide me this day to listen and obey as You guide my footsteps.  Help me to walk through the obstacles that will come.  Help me to see things as they are and trust that You have spoken the words of everlasting life.  Come, Lord Jesus, and help me to be Your guest in the journey You have placed before me.  Amen.

Scripture: John 3:13-17

Script:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Hey Pastor. I was paying attention to the gospel reading today. Jesus said the Son of Man must be lifted up. I’m not really sure what he means by that. Did they have to lift him up really high in the sky?

Pastor: Kind of Sammy. Before I answer that question. Have you seen any crosses around the church.

Sammy: Yes, I have seen them all over the place. Boys and girls, do you see any crosses around the church?

Wait for answers

Pastor: Thank you for answering everyone. I am really glad that you can find all those crosses. They seem to be everywhere. Even in places you wouldn’t expect them.

Sammy: Okay Pastor, but what does the cross have to do with the son of man being lifted up? That doesn’t seem to make sense to me.

Pastor: Well, the son of man is Jesus and sometimes when we see crosses, we see Jesus on them.

Sammy: Oh yeah, I have seen that before. You have one of those in your office. So, Jesus was lifted up on a cross?

Pastor: Yes he was Sammy. He was lifted up high on the cross on top of a mountain and many people could see him.

Sammy: That does not seem very nice. Who would do that do Jesus?

Pastor: Some very mean people hurt Jesus like he did something bad, but he did not do anything wrong. He ended up dying.  

Sammy: That makes me sad pastor.

Pastor: It made a lot of people very sad. His closest friends couldn’t even bear to watch it.

Sammy: But Pastor. You always say Jesus is alive.

Pastor: That’s because he is Sammy. Even though he died on the cross. He rose up from the dead and he was alive again. And he is still alive today.

Sammy: That makes me happy. But why did he have to die at all.

Pastor: He died to save us. Only he could save us from our sin and he did so by dying on the cross. He became a sacrifice and suffered death so we could live with him forever.

Sammy: Wow pastor. It sounds like God loves us a lot.

Pastor: He does Sammy. Jesus said,  ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Sammy: Thank you for explaining all of that to me pastor. That all makes more sense now. Boys and girls can you pray with me? Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving us so much. That you would die for us. Thank you lord for forgiving our sins. And thank you for your love. Amen.

Pastor and Sammy: Bye Everyone!

“The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.  The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified” (Matthew 28:4-5).

What would you do if someone dead walked out of a grave?  This world is filled with fear and then terror.  Our minds say this cannot be.  We do not believe.  But the Author of this world cannot be contained in a grave.  People may shut Him up in a dark place in their minds, but He cannot be contained.  Come then and follow the One who has accomplished all that is needed that you might be with Him forever.

Lord, help me to hear the message of Your messengers.  Help me to not be afraid in this world nor live by unbelief.  Many are looking; help me to find.  Or should I say, find me where I am and lead me to where You know I need to be.  The world may not listen, but Lord, You have given me the words of everlasting life.  Help me to listen to You and live into the eternal life which is my hope and that which You have promised.

Lord Jesus, lover of my soul, guide me in the way of everlasting life.  Lead me according to Your grace and mercy to not stand still, nor live as one dead, but instead, become alive and live into the life which You have promised.  Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear so that I may be guided by You, the One who is leading the way that I may remain in Your love for all eternity.  Amen.

“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.  And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow” (Matthew 28:2-3).

The Lord makes known what He shows to those who are His, and it is for His purpose.  The most important thing to understand is that the stone was rolled away.  No grave can contain God.  The world may want to think that God is dead, but the Creator of all things is alive forever.  All things exist through Him.  The wicked stop short of the simple truth that if God did not exist, we would not be.  He through whom all things were made was not kept down by the grave.

Lord, the simple truth of the resurrection is the pivotal point of the hope we have in faith.  He, having been raised from the dead, shows us that all He said is true.  Our sins are forgiven, we have hope of eternal life with Him.  There is the peace which surpasses all understanding.  Help us to open up the grave of our hearts by faith to know the reality of what the resurrection means so that we may live by faith and not by sight.

Lord Jesus, You have done all that is needed for our salvation.  Guide me in the way of living that I may see the things You have done and understand their meaning.  Help me to trust in You, the author and finisher of my faith.  It is through You alone that we have hope, eternal hope, and the promise of Your life being poured into us.  The stone is rolled away and the will of the Father has been done.  Amen.

“Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave” (Matthew 28:1).

As those who mourn do, they came to the grave to perform the death customs the first day of the week.  How often do we come to the grave rather than look for the resurrected Lord?  We lament the state of the world and do not believe the promises of the Lord.  Our Lord loves us still, but why not choose the better portion?  Death is not the final answer.  The Lord of all creation has the final word.  Trust in the One who will tie all things together according to the Father’s will.

Lord, this world segregates and separates so that we do not see that You are the Lord of all.  We constantly go to graves rather than expecting life to emerge.  This world is dead in sin, but because of what You have done and are doing, there is always new life.  Guide us away from thinking only of death and think instead of the new life You give.  Lead us along the path of living in You now and always.

Lord Jesus, sinners expect nothing new, but You are making all things new.  Guide me in the grace You have given me to live into the life You intend for me to live.  Although I come with an attitude befitting a graveyard, grant me a spirit that sees new life and then lives it.  Help me learn how to trust that You are the One who will accomplish all things for the good.  Lead me in faith to know that no matter the surprises that come, You are with me always.  Amen.

“Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”  And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone” (Matthew 27:65-66).

Secure from the outside, but not from the inside, the guard stood watch.  The guard was looking out and not in.  We often look out and not in.  Our Savior will transform us from the inside out.  The world’s attacks go from the outside in.  The Lord can overcome every barrier to meet those who will turn by faith and trust him as He frees all who believe from the sentence of death, and into new and true life.

Lord, You have laid the story out so that all who believe by the power of the Holy Spirit can plainly see how it is that You accomplish salvation.  The corrupt and self-serving heart is turned inward.  But You roll away the obstacle and we can walk out.  The light is shining, we just need to open the door of our heart to see.  None can ever keep you out, for through You all things exist.

Lord Jesus, in the mystery of the grave and the resurrection, You have revealed that You are the truth.  You have reached into my soul and touched me with Your grace.  Lead me to learn how to trust You above all things.  Guide me in Your grace to see the truth more clearly with each step that I take.  Guide me on this journey that I may be transformed and trust You always amidst the contrary messages of this world.  Amen.

Scripture:

Luke 14:25-33

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning! Pastor, I’ll be over right after church.

Pastor: Why’s that, Sammy?

Sammy: I’m going to help you with your garage sale.

Pastor: Garage sale?

Sammy: Yes! You are having a garage sale.

Pastor: That’s news to me, Sammy. Boys and girls, what is a garage sale?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Exactly.

Pastor: So you want me to have a garage sale? Why, Sammy?

Sammy: Jesus commanded you to have a garage sale. Plus, I’ve seen your house, Pastor. You have a lot of extra stuff.

Pastor: Sammy, a lot of us have extra stuff.

Sammy: Not me. I just have my special blankie, my teddy bear, my clothes, my shoes, my straw bed, my night light, my–

Pastor: See what I mean?

Sammy: I guess I can bring all of that stuff to the garage sale you’re having.

Pastor: You know, Sammy, Jesus isn’t mad at us for having stuff—he just doesn’t want us to be attached to our belongings.

Sammy: What do you mean?

Pastor: Jesus wants us to value him and our work for him more than we value our stuff. We don’t get to take our stuff with us to heaven, and storing up our stuff on earth isn’t the same as storing treasures in heaven.

Sammy: I can have treasures in heaven?! Are there garage sales in heaven too?

Pastor: I don’t know about that, Sammy. I do know that Jesus wants us to love God and to love and serve each other. That’s how we store up treasures in heaven.

Sammy: I think I can do that.

Pastor: I know you can do that.

Sammy: So no garage sale, then?

Pastor: Not today, Sammy. But we can pray together. Boys and girls, will you please fold your hands, bow your heads, and repeat after me? Dear Jesus, thank you for helping us store up treasures in heaven. Please let our focus be on you and serving each other. Help us to love as you love us. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

“Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64).

So filled with hatred and unbelief, they heard but did not believe that it would happen.  The demons believed and they trembled.  The disciples heard and did not believe.  There are those in this world who still believe the resurrection is a myth.  There are others who hear and do not believe.  Some do not hear, but want to believe.  It is not myth, but reality that death cannot contain God.  Many have come to believe.

Lord, the same struggle goes on around us with people who believe all kinds of things.  Guide those who believe so that we do not struggle in this sin-filled world, but believe.  We need Your help so that the obstacles that are placed in the way of belief may be taken down.  You have prepared all things in order that those who believe may live into a life of faith, trusting You at all times and in all places.  The cynical deny the truth, but the faithful trust.  Lead us to trust.

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your life.  It was not taken from You; You gave it up.  You were placed in a grave, but no grave can hold You.  Lead me in the faith You have given me that amidst the wrangling and the constant turmoil of this age I may live out the faith You have given me, trusting You always.  Savior and lover of my soul, guide me now and always, showing me the steps I must take.  Amen.

“Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again’” (Matthew 27:62-63).

Sometimes those who have no faith anticipate what the believers are unable to fathom.  In their unbelief, they wanted to cover all the bases without truly believing what Jesus said.  They did not believe He would rise, but they weren’t going to take any chances.  Even though Jesus did rise, there are still those who think it was a hoax.  This is the story of rebellious humanity, to wanting to control circumstances.

Lord, You know the control issues I have.  I want things to turn out a certain way.  I will make plans to assure that they go the way I think they should go.  Help me to learn how to listen to You and hear as You direct, doing what You are asking me to do.  You are the One who knows all things and it will be as You have already determined.  Guide me into faith so that I may live the life You have given me through faith.

Lord Jesus, You who through whom all things have their being, lead me to trust every word You have spoken.  Guide me to live knowing that You have accomplished salvation for all who believe.  Keep me from the plots, twists and turns of those who constantly try to control outcomes.  Guide me now and always to humbly walk in the truth which You have already revealed for all who believe.  Amen.