Christ is Risen Alleluia

This is a night of joy,
This is THE night of joy, great joy.
This is the night we know the reality of resurrection,
this is the night we see God's eternal plan fulfilled for us,
this is the night we celebrate the light of Jesus in the world,
this is the night we renew our baptismal vows and have God's life renewed in us,
THIS is a night of joy!

This week we have travelled with Jesus.
We were with him at his entry to Jerusalem, welcomed as the Messiah;
with him in the temple as he demanded changes;
with him as he shared the last supper with the disciples and washed their feet;
with him in the garden of Gethsemane awaiting Judas' betrayal;
with him as he was condemned;
with him as he carried his cross;
and with him as he died, for us!
FOR US!

Tonight we gather together, as Christians have gathered from the earliest days of the church,
tonight we are brought together across time,
tonight we are taken back.

We have been alongside Jesus through it all and tonight we are with him in the joy of resurrection.

Now it comes clear,
now we hear the Old Testament readings telling the why, how and what of salvation in the times before Jesus,
now we are reminded of the covenant with Noah, the promises to Abraham and the exodus with Moses,
now we know that the resurrection of Jesus is the light at the centre of everything,
now we see the whole plan illuminated,
now we see it in a new light.
THE light
the light of Christ
Christ resurrected

It is such a privilege to be here tonight to celebrate Jesus' resurrection,
such a privilege to see the light,
be in the light
and be part of the light,

It is such a privilege to know that we share in the resurrection through our baptism,
Paul reminds us of this is his letter to the Romans,
he reminds us that in our baptism we join Jesus in his death and in his new life.
Paul reminds us that we have left our old lives behind and are now dead to sin.
he reminds us that now we are living for God in Christ Jesus.
Now!

What a joy it is for us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus tonight,
to enter with the light,
the true light of the world,
the light that scatters the darkness.
to enter the darkness of the tomb of death,
to see the light of the angel,
to hear the light of Jesus' resurrection,
and to know that we will continue to see this light in our lives always

Jesus died for us
Jesus rose for us
Jesus is with us

He was then
He is now
and He will be for ever more

Alleluia!
Christ is Risen!
He is risen indeed!
Alleluia