“Do not be alarmed,” the angel told the women that first Easter morning, as the Divinely-inspired St. Mark reports, continuing, “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, Who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here” (Mark 16:6 ESV). The women were coming to anoint Jesus’s body, even though He repeatedly had prophesied of His resurrection (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). That the angel in speaking to the women combined references to Jesus as both crucified and risen is significant, for in some sense both are necessary. We might say that we need to look at the empty cross from the perspective of the empty tomb! Notably, in writing to the Church of God in Corinth and also to us, the Divinely-inspired St. Paul characterized the Gospel that he had preached as delivering what was of first importance, including both that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures and that Christ was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). St. Paul’s “delivering” those things was his “handing over” those things, “passing down” them as authoritative tradition (“the Scriptures” according to which Jesus died and rose can be both Old Testament prophecies of His death and resurrection and New Testament records of His death and resurrection). Jesus died for us, and His rising shows in part that God the Father accepted His sacrifice on our behalf and that we also will rise.

You are invited to celebrate Jesus’s past rising and so also your own future rising with all those who repent and believe in Him at Pilgrim Lutheran Church on Easter Day, throughout the Easter season, and always. On Easter Day, March 31, 2024, we will have an Easter Breakfast at 8:00 a.m., Sunday School and Adult Bible Class at 9:30 a.m. (including time for an Egg Hunt), and the Divine Service at 10:45 a.m. For the rest of the 50-day Easter season and every other Sunday, our regular schedule is at the right.

When you come, you will see throughout the season the use of white for the cloths called “paraments” on the furnishings of the Chancel and for the pastor’s stole. The color white symbolizes the joy, celebration, gladness, purity, and innocence of the season. You may also notice our use of a form of the ancient Easter Acclamation: “Alleluia! Christ is risen!” to which the congregation responds, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Notable in that greeting is the ringing return, from being put away for Lent, of the word “Alleluia!”, meaning “Praise the Lord!”, transliterated from the original Hebrew through Greek into English.

The Gospel Readings for the season present multiple themes that are all part of the Easter mystery: resurrection, ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. The following are the Sundays of Easter in 2024 and their Gospel Readings (appointed by Lutheran Service Book’s three-year lectionary series B).

  • Easter Sunday (03/31): Jesus rises from the dead (Mark 16:1-8)
  • Second Sunday (04/07): Jesus appears to Thomas (John 20:19-31)
  • Third Sunday (04/14): Jesus explains how His rising fulfills Holy Scripture (Luke 24:36-49)
  • Fourth Sunday (04/21): Jesus the Good Shepherd takes up His life for the sheep (John 10:11-18)
  • Fifth Sunday (04/28): Jesus is the Vine and believers are the branches (John 15:1-8)
  • Sixth Sunday (05/05): Jesus chooses believers to bear fruit (John 15:9-17)
  • Seventh Sunday (05/12): Jesus prays for believers to be sanctified in the Truth (John 17:11b-19)

The Day of Pentecost, the 50th day of Easter and a festival in its own right, this year occurs on May 19th (the appointed Gospel Reading is John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15).

Besides those Sundays, this Easter Season Pilgrim will also offer both one midweek Matins Service for the Commemoration of St. Mark, Evangelist, on Thursday, April 25th, at 9:00 a.m. (the appointed Third Reading is Mark 16:14-20), and one midweek Divine Service on the occasion of the Ascension of Our Lord, Thursday, May 9th, at 7:00 p.m. (the appointed Gospel Reading is Luke 24:44-53). All are welcome to any and all of our services!

Usually you can read and hear any sermons at Pilgrim here.

The banner graphic at the top of this page and the corresponding slider graphic on the front page was composed by Katy Myers, who we hereby thank, using an image found online unidentified and uncredited here.