What is the Easter bunny's favorite state capital? _Albunny

What do you call an Easter bunny with fleas - Bugs Bunny

Why was the little girl sad after the race? Because an egg beater...

Where does an Easter bunny eat breakfast....at ihop

What is the Easter Bunny's favorite kind of story....a cotton tale

A Sunday school teacher was asking her young students about the meaning of Easter...

She asked her class, "Do you know why we celebrate Easter?"

A little girl raised her hand...Yes Jenny....

Is Easter when you put on costumes and go trick or treating?

No Jenny that is Halloween...

Does anyone else know? It's when we set off fireworks! No Jimmy that's Independence Day. Anybody else?

A shy little girl in the back answered..."That's when Jesus died..

That's right Shauna....And what happened next that makes Easter so special.....

Well he died and got buried. And every Easter he comes out. If he sees his shadow there 6 more weeks of winter.....

This morning I would like to review some of the facts...and connect them to our lives today.

The first day of the week

1. The morning of the resurrection Lk 24:1

2. Early church met for worship Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 16:2

3. By 90AD the first day of the week had become known as the Lord's Day Rev 1:10

4. Didaxn - Teaching of the 12 - though not considered inspired carried some authority in the early church dated back to the end of the first century, perhaps a little later than John's writing of Revelation ....14:1 instructs believers to gather on the Lord's day to celebrate the Lord's Supper


Confess and Forgive

14.1 And coming together on the Lord’s day of the Lord, break bread and give thanks,  confessing beforehand your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure. 2 And everyone having a quarrel with his fellow member, do not let them gather with you until they have reconciled so that your sacrifice may not be defiled. 3 For this is what was said by the Lord: “In every place and time, offer me a pure sacrifice because I am a great king says the Lord, and my name is great among the nations.” 

section 14:1 Didaxn)

5. Emporer Constantine 321AD instructs people to rest on Sunday

Reminds me of our first day on earth -

where after our creation, our first day on earth as a human race was a day of rest....

we rested and then worked from our rest.......rather than the other way around....

See Genesis 1:27-Genesis 2:2

worship is the launch point into the week,

frames the direction for all of our activities.....

Sunday morning worship is a great way to "Begin again"

1. Your presuppositions about life and death will be challenged

The message of the resurrection is that where the world around us expects to see death, God creates life.....

2. The come to the tomb expecting to roll a stone away.....its already been rolled away

3. They come to the tomb expecting a body to care for, instead they find a pile of empty grave clothes, neatly folded, as if Jesus calmly got up, made his bed and walked away from it......

4. Actually they did find his body, walking, talking, eating, and teaching......

(Illus. Before Jesus leaves and ascends to heaven, he appeared to Mary in the garden, to the two men on the road to Emmaus, to the disciples in a locked room, a fishing trip, and for final instructions before he rose to heaven....

Jesus demonstrated he was alive and well....______)

1. Designed to clear up confusion -

- when they saw the empty tomb.....the word in the text....

they were confused

at a loss for words

unable to explain what they saw

embarrassed because they could not explain what was in front of them


2. Designed to address your fears -

the things that stop us in our tracks.......

paralyze us in terror

3. Designed to review the sacrifice of Jesus

Luke 24:45

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”



we preach and teach the sacrificial life of Jesus

we remember together - like we will do later on the service this morning

remember - to rehearse, go over, look again at the details

It is a command....something the Lord wants us to do regularly - to remember the events that led to his death and his resurrection...

Then they remembered...as John 2:22 reminds us....

22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

What's paralyzing you? have you compared your fear to Scripture...whatever it is?

And remembering, rehearsing is a source of great reassurance especially when life's difficulties tend to blur our spiritual vision....

Ask Why are you doing this?
The resurrection give sus a good answer for the why.....especially when facing death.....


(Illus. Why is what motivates you....If you have enough "why" you will figure out the how....)

Fill in the blank...Why are you doing________?

Why are you looking for the living among the dead.....

Why are you seeking answers for life from those who have no idea how to live the abundant life that Jesus offers John 10:10

He is not here.....

Where is your why....leading you.....go to comparison....

Notice the conversation at the end of the text involving a group of women who have seen the empty tomb and a group of men who have not.....

How do you get men off the couch and into a dead run in a few seconds interested in checking out spiritual things on their own....ladies?

Get involved in a women's group

that regularly interacts with messages from heaven

has a fresh glimpse of the empty tomb

who get together to serve the body of Christ - that is what they had come for isn't it...to care for the body of Christ?

who regularly share how this empty tomb and the risen Savior have so impacted their lives.....that they openly share how the power of God infects they way they speak.......

Leaving the men amazed! Speechless....at the miraculous life giving power of God

1 Peter 3:1-2 NIV

Easter Communion provides a platform for us in moving into a new season of the year with a clean, fresh, new beginning.....


Remember the sacrifice of Jesus

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Reflect - exam time
11:28
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup


dokimazw - prove the purity of, refine by fire, look carefully at, the process of removing impurities


Re-enact the Lord’s Supper