“He is not here. He is Risen!” The message of Easter is both simple and profound: Christ is risen–death could not hold Him–the tomb could not contain Him. Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus that first Easter morning transformed her heart with an incredible sense of joy and hope. God loves to take the Good Friday’s of our lives–that feel like the shadow of death–and turn them into Easter mornings, filled with new hope and new life. However, contrary to what many people think, Easter doesn’t just celebrate a single day–in the case of this year, Sunday, April 4–but an entire season in the Christian calendar that begins on Easter Sunday and continues for 7 weeks. This 7-week period is known as the Great Fifty Days. During this time, the church celebrates the risen Jesus, His post-resurrection appearances and teachings, His ascension into heaven, and the disciples’ eager anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
The resurrection of Jesus also celebrates more than just a one-time event that occurred over 2000 years ago at a point in history. In Romans 5:10 the Apostle Paul writes; “If we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his son, just think how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrected life.” According to Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is more than just an event of the past–it has implications for our lives here and now. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us; and Easter is all about God’s ability to make all things new. Preacher Phillips Brooks puts it this way; “The great Easter truth is not that we are to live newly after death, but that we are to be new here and now by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
This 8 week series will look at some of the implications of Jesus’ victory over death; how we can enjoy, as the Prayer Book puts it, “…all the benefits of his passion;” and how we can better live the resurrection life.
SERMONS
Sermon: Resurrection Faith
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2021
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16
Sermon: Resurrection Hope
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday April 18, 2021
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:1-12
Sermon: Resurrection Security
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, April 25, 2021
Scripture: John 10:6-18
Sermon: Resurrection Life
Preacher: Simon Teague
Date: Sunday, May 2, 2021
Scripture: Romans 8:12-30 and John 5:1-5
Sermon: Resurrection Consequences
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, May 9, 2021
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:12-34
Sermon: Resurrection Results
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2021
Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16
Sermon: Resurrection Power
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, May 23, 2021 ~ The Day of Pentecost
Scripture: Acts 2:1-47
Sermon: Resurrection Purpose
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Christopher Doering
Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021 ~ Trinity Sunday
Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-13