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Prayer of the Day
Historical Collect
Almighty God, you have overcome death through your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and have opened to us the gate of everlasting life. We humbly beseech you that as you put into our minds good desires, so by your continual help we may bring them to good effect; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Thematic Collect
God of all mercy and grace, your only Son’s death and glorious resurrection have delivered us from the power of death and redeemed all creation. Grant that we may no longer look for the living among the dead and instead daily die to sin and rise to newness of life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.
Thoughts on the Readings
The Common Thread
It was promised of old: the Lord himself will prepare a feast for all peoples. It will be rich food, full of marrow and aged, refined wine. Not only are food and drink consumed at this great feast; death is also swallowed up. God himself is our portion and cup, dying for our sins so that death is forever defeated. The tomb is empty. He is not there—just as he told us.
First Reading • Isaiah 25:6-9
The long wait is over. The time for rejoicing is here. God has saved us. He has engulfed death itself. Sin and its resultant death (Romans 6:23) is swallowed up forever. The Lord has accomplished the impossible (Luke 1:37). Let us rejoice and be glad in this day of days (Psalms 118:24).
Psalm • Psalm 16:1-11
“Nothing good will come from this,” we sometimes say. Any time we put someone or something before the Lord, it is sure to turn out for the worst. So, we must learn to always set the Lord before us at every turn of life, for there is nothing good apart from him. If we keep the Lord before us, trusting and loving him, everything works out for the good (Romans 8:28), for God is leading us along the path of life.
Second Reading • 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
The sin that exists among us must be purged. We must celebrate this day with hearts and souls cleansed by the word of Christ. Confess the thing. Get it out before God. Then, hear his word of forgiveness. By the authority of Christ, you are entirely forgiven of your sins. Now, that is real cleansing.
Gospel • Mark 16:1-8
It is not surprising that the two Marys were so startled at the empty tomb. First of all, it was empty. Though Jesus had told them what would happen, it would still have been shocking. Secondly, they were greeted by an angel inside the tomb. What should be expected here is for them to have fallen at the angel's feet (Revelations 22:8) or to have fainted (Revelations 1:17). The women were so overcome that they could not speak of the event for a while. But tell it they did, as John's gospel tells us. The joy of the resurrection has become for us an event of the greatest joy. How could we not tell the glad news? Though we linger for a moment, we must eventually proclaim the news of what God in Christ has accomplished.
