Easter Sunday
“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body”
Overview
Easter Sunday: the day of resurrection. We have a tendency to skip the hard bits and go straight to the happy hope filled parts, but our readings slow us down. Before we can grasp the hope we need to trust that it is true. In our gospel reading, Luke 24:1-12, the women who witnessed the resurrection are not believed, their truth is dismissed. Peter was one who scoffed at them yet he had the courage and the curiosity to go and see for himself and, by the time of Acts 10:34-43, he has found the truth for himself. Today there are many stories competing for our attention, there is so much information and so much disinformation. Like Peter we need to see for ourselves what holds true for us, to test what we can trust. The ultimate test is always this: is it life-giving? Does it increase love? If the answer is yes, we have found our truth.
FIRST READING
Acts 10:34-43
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea Sunday 17th April 2022 – Easter Day Church of the Holy Spirit, Clapham 5 | P a g e www.holyspirit-clapham.org.uk and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
GOSPEL READING
Luke 24:1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
