Lift Up Your Hearts‎#180

181

Resources
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180

A Prayer of Easter Expectation

Hymn Information

First Line: Merciful God, on this day we remember
Topic: Church Year: Easter/Season of Easter

Copyright Information

Text Copyright

Public Domain

Reprint/Projection Information

This prayer is © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license allows the indicated material to be remixed, tweaked, and built upon noncommercially, as long as the new creations are credited and licensed under identical terms. In other words—you can use the material and change it to fit your worship setting, provided you do not sell it and you use the same copyright line that was on the material originally.

Scripture References

Matthew 28:1-8
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Mark 16:1-8
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Luke 24:1-8
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Luke 24:13-35
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Luke 24:36-43
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John 16:24
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John 20:1-10
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John 20:19-31

Further Reflections on Scripture References

See Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-8 and John 20:1-10 to see them waiting at the tomb.

See Luke 24:36-43 and John 20:19-31 to see the disciples gathered in the Upper Room.

See Luke 24:13-35 to meet the disciples on the way to Emmaus.

See John 16:24 for Jesus’ expression of the full joy he wished for them.

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Easter hymns accomplish three functions: they recount the Easter narrative, proclaim our Easter hope, and celebrate our joy at Christ’s resurrection. This hymn is built on the professions of Easter truths that are expressed primarily in Heidelberg Catechism. Note especially the following:

Lord’s Day 17, Question and Answer 45 declares that Christ’s resurrection makes us share in Christ’s righteousness, raises us to a new life by his power, and is a sure pledge to us of our resurrection.
Lord’s Day 22, Question and Answer 57 comforts us to know that not only our soul but “also my very flesh will be raised by the power of God, reunited with my soul, and made like Christ’s glorious body.”
Lord’s Day 22, Question and Answer 58 says that it may be a comfort to know that while experiencing the beginning of eternal joy now, “after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God forever.”

In addition, Our Song of Hope, stanza 5 professes: “On the day of the resurrection, the tomb was empty; His disciples saw Him; death was defeated; new life had come. God’s purpose for the world was sealed.”