05/04/2026
Easter Sunday – 5th April 2026
Theme: Christ Is Risen
YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cErtpg5hBSw&list=PLsMirFRGmJIgmY56cH2SEMdWJQSIjtEXE
Prayer Focus: Thank God for the gift of new life in Christ and ask for courage to live as a person of the Resurrection.
Scripture: John 20:11–18 (Lectionary Excerpt)
*Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord*
11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. (NKJV)
Reflection: Easter morning begins in uncertainty. Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb expecting grief, not glory. Yet in the quiet of that garden, sorrow turns to astonishment. The stone is rolled away. The grave is empty. Jesus calls her by name.
The Resurrection is not only an event in history — it is the foundation of our hope. Death does not have the final word. Fear does not have the final word. Sin does not have the final word. Christ is risen, and because He lives, we live in hope.
Easter invites us to move from mourning to mission. Just as Mary was
sent to tell the others, we too are sent — not merely to celebrate, but to
witness.
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, Bells on Temple Square, and Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble perform the traditional hymn tune "Christ the Lord ...