The Fifth Week in March
We Read…
We always rejoice in God’s salvation, but especially during the Easter season! We look back and remember where the Lord has been faithful, just like we see in this week's Isaiah and Psalm passages. We remember and proclaim that God acted on our behalf and that God has been with us. We remember, proclaim, and look forward to how God is still working in our lives today! Paul’s resurrection message in 1 Corinthians shares the story of Jesus and how he has worked in Paul’s life; we are called to share the same story in the world around us. But sometimes, it can be challenging; we can be afraid to share what we’ve seen, just like the women in Mark 16. Do we think they stayed in that fear forever, though? We know about Jesus because the women heard the good news, worked through their initial fear, and told others that Jesus was alive!
Isaiah 25:6-9*
6 On this mountain,
the LORD of heavenly forces
will prepare for all peoples
a rich feast, a feast of choice wines,
of select foods rich in flavor,
of choice wines well refined.
7 He will swallow up on this mountain
the veil that is veiling all peoples,
the shroud enshrouding all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever.
The LORD God will wipe tears
from every face;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from off the whole earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
9 They will say on that day,
“Look! This is our God,”
for whom we have waited—
and he has saved us!
This is the LORD,
for whom we have waited;
let’s be glad
and rejoice in his salvation!”
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Give thanks to the LORD
because he is good,
because his faithful love lasts forever.
2 Let Israel say it:
“God’s faithful love lasts forever!”
14 The LORD was my strength
and protection;
he was my saving help!
15 The sounds of joyful songs
and deliverance
are heard in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s strong hand is victorious!
16 The LORD’s strong hand is ready to strike!
The LORD’s strong hand is victorious!”
17 I won’t die—no, I will live
and declare what the LORD has done.
18 Yes, the LORD definitely disciplined me,
but he didn’t hand me over to death.
19 Open the gates of righteousness for me
so I can come in
and give thanks to the LORD!
20 This is the LORD’s gate;
those who are righteous
enter through it.
21 I thank you because you answered me,
because you were my saving help.
22 The stone rejected by the builders
is now the main foundation stone!
23 This has happened because of the LORD;
it is astounding in our sight!
24 This is the day the LORD acted;
we will rejoice and celebrate in it!
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
15 Brothers and sisters, I want to call your attention to the good news that I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand. 2 You are being saved through it if you hold on to the message I preached to you, unless somehow you believed it for nothing. 3 I passed on to you as most important what I also received: Christ died for our sins in line with the scriptures, 4 he was buried, and he rose on the third day in line with the scriptures. 5 He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve, 6 and then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at once—most of them are still alive to this day, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me, as if I were born at the wrong time. 9 I’m the least important of the apostles. I don’t deserve to be called an apostle, because I harassed God’s church. 10 I am what I am by God’s grace, and God’s grace hasn’t been for nothing. In fact, I have worked harder than all the others—that is, it wasn’t me but the grace of God that is with me. 11 So then, whether you heard the message from me or them, this is what we preach and this is what you have believed.
Mark 16:1-8
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. 7 Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
We Think…
What stands out to you in these verses? Does anything confuse you or not make sense?
How do these verses compare to your own experience in life or the church? What are you considering? What questions come to mind?
Think about how you would have felt if you were the woman in Mark 16 - would you have been afraid? Confused? Can you relate to their reaction?
Why do you think the earliest versions of Mark end at verse 8?
We Feel…
What emotions are you experiencing today? How are you making space for these feelings?
Where have you seen God today or this week? What is pointing you to God (maybe it is something in creation, maybe a friend or adult that cares for you)?
What has God made new in your life? In your heart?
Where have you seen God’s salvation in your life?
How does the Easter story make you feel? How are you sharing this with people around you?
We Believe…
Why do so many churches baptize on Easter Sunday? We believe baptism is a sacrament, a sacred practice that is an outward sign of inward grace. We join with the church community to affirm that our lives are God’s and that God has done a new work in our hearts! What better day to practice this together than Resurrection Sunday? The day that celebrates the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. In the practice of baptism, we enter into the waters, die to ourselves, let God wash away our sins, and rise up as new creations.
We Practice…
Just like the women in Mark 9, sometimes we feel afraid or overwhelmed to share how God works in our lives. We can worry that people will judge us or may not believe us, but we don’t have to live in fear. We know that God is with us, that Jesus died and rose again so that we could have a full life, and that our friends care about what we love. Take time this week to practice telling someone about your relationship with Jesus. Grab an adult or another friend from church and talk about how you could share your faith!
*UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS ARE FROM THE COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE (CEB), COPYRIGHT 2011.