The Big Idea
On Easter Sunday, Jesus burst out the tomb and no one can put him back inside. We can celebrate this and need to share the good news with others.
This service can be used by itself or as a follow on to Unlimited Access Part 1: Good Friday.
Music
Songs at the start:
- Low in the grave He lay – Robert Lowry
- I cast my mind to Calvary (Full song or just chorus) – Hillsong
Song in the middle:
- King of Kings – Hillsong
Song at the end:
- Thine be the glory
- He has risen – Noel Richards
Other songs you could consider:
- Living Hope – Phil Wickham
- Resurrection hymn – Getty
- Happy day – Tim Hughes
- He’s Alive, He’s alive – Yancy Ministries (children focussed)
- Lord I lift your name on high – Rick Founds
Activity
This activity needs a little preparation. Get yourself a large box and lots of helium (this is important) balloons. You can either buy them ready filled, or buy a canister to fill your own balloons.
Fill the balloons with helium, tie them to a weight or tape their ribbons to the base of the box. and then put them inside the box and seal it. This can be tricky as you want the balloons to be crammed into the box – don’t get a box that is significantly larger than the number of balloons you have. You can decorate the box to look like a parcel or a present as you wish.
During the service, invite volunteers to help you open the parcel, when the balloons pop out of the box get really excited about it. Then say you need them putting back in the box so you can get it home. Watch as everyone tries to put the balloons back in the box but fail.
The point: Just like the balloons can’t go back in the box once they are out, you can’t put Jesus back in the tomb!
Prayers
If you didn’t use Unlimited Access Part 1 on Good Friday, create the artwork that is described in the Activity section. In your prayers of confession, write words of sin on the black paper, before tearing a strip down the centre as a visual symbol of how we are forgiven. Leave the image at the front of the church to be used in the response.
Readings
We used a retelling of the Easter Sunday story from The Jesus Storybook Bible (page 310-316), but left out the last page in this version that goes onto the ascension and great commission.
If you would rather read directly from the gospel, use John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10, which both detail the account of Mary Magdalene meeting with Jesus.
Talk
In the talk we look at Mary and the grief she would have been feeling as she walked to Jesus’ tomb on the first Easter Sunday. We see how she discovered the empty tomb of Jesus, and met with him, before running to share the news with his friends.
We consider how we should be a resurrection people and share the good news of hope and freedom that comes from the empty tomb. We discuss how we cannot put Jesus back in the tomb now that he is alive and instead how we should take his message into the world.
A full talk is available to download, with thanks to Brenda Hammonds.
Response
Use the prayer space to sit and pray to the risen Jesus and allow him to give you fresh hope, like Mary in the garden
Place a plain wooden cross at the front of the church. Invite people to bring flowers to decorate the cross, transforming something filled with sadness into a symbol of hope and joy.
Invite people to tear off a piece of the black paper from the artwork to reveal an image with the words ‘Unlimited Access’ surrounded by words like hope, light, joy, freedom. As they do this, invite them to tear down any curtain that might be on their heart, as they open the curtain that gives unlimited access to Jesus.
On a tuff tray or similar, have a selection of plastic openable Easter eggs that you have pre-filled with multicoloured rice and glitter. Similar to how the balloons won’t go back in the box, once these are opened, there will be no putting it all back inside!