Lord this is the day! The day in which all the hopes of the saints from ages past were waiting for, the first fruits of resurrection life coming to pass. And yet this was the moment that people at that time didn’t see coming: that the crucified Messiah, who suffered and died in such a horrible manner, would rise in glorious triumph by the power of the Spirit over all His enemies: Satan, death, sin and hell. This is the moment, the great day in which Your glory burst forth to show in no uncertain terms, that You have won the victory, defeated death, defeated the work of Satan that began in the garden ages ago; that You in fact did conquer our sin, absorbing in Yourself our due penalty, taking it with You to the grave; It is Finished! This is the day that You did indeed crush Satan’s head along with all his works; and this is the moment that all of Your promises of resurrection life and new creation began. Lord because of our union with You by faith, we see in Your resurrection, our resurrection. Because we’re united to You, everything that is true of You is ours, and in this moment in particular we are raised with You both now and will be raised in fullness and completion on the Last Day. Your resurrection life is also our power over sin at the present time, in the already and the not yet in which we live. Through Your resurrection is also our justification, just as Your glory and righteousness and justice was vindicated and You were displayed to be the righteous King over all. Lord we worship You not just as a crucified King, but also as the great conquering, victorious, warrior, Savior, King who will rule the nations with an iron scepter at His second coming, who we will get to spend eternity with and even get to share in Your glory forever! You have risen indeed King Jesus!

Even as we celebrate together Lord, brothers and sisters around the world have been persecuted and killed even this very day of celebration. May we not forget them. Lord we pray for all those families affected by the senseless, horrific bombings in Sri Lanka today during Easter celebrations, where more than 200 have died. Lord have mercy. Would You grant Your gospel to be spread far and wide beyond what is imaginable through what has been suffered by believers in these areas. And be near to those affected and grant a special sense of Your presence.

(Book of Common Prayer for Easter Sunday): Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of Your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to You in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with You and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.