Easter Sunday: On the Third Day He Rose From the Dead

For Meditation

On Easter Sunday we come to what is perhaps the most important phrase in the entire creed, “on the third day, he rose again from the dead.” To paraphrase Paul from 1 Corinthians 15, if this phrase is false, if Jesus did not really rise from the dead, then our faith is false and we are the biggest fools of all people. However, if it is true that indeed Jesus rose from the dead, then everything we confess in the Creed is true and it means our world is changed forever. The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is the anchor that holds the rest of our faith together. 

In this time of uncertainty, confusion, anxiety and fear, how amazing that we can stand together with Christian saints from all over the world as we share in this uncertainty together and confess the certainty of Jesus’ triumph over sin, suffering and death. We get to do that this Sunday with our two sister congregations, the Christian Arabic Church and East End Fellowship and together we will sing, rejoice, praise God and fully establish our hope in what Jesus has done in rising from the dead and what he will do when he restores all things.

Mark 16:1–8

1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Download and print our worksheets for ages 3–6 and ages 7–12.

Play along from home this week!

We’ve created parts for band and orchestral instruments, so you can play along to some of our worship songs this week! Find the parts here.