Scripture Reflections for Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil
Year B, Lectionary 41
We await the light amidst the darkness in this Easter Vigil. We hear the history of God among us through scripture and how we enter in the new reality of resurrection. As we approach the darkness of the tomb we are introduced to the light of resurrection and the new life in the risen Christ. We are to praise God and move forward without fear having met Jesus.
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Abraham • Baptism • Covenant • Creation • Cross • Darkness • Death • Disciple • Easter • Eucharist • Fear • Focus • History • Hope • Isaiah • Journey • Joy • Kingdom • Light • Love • Martin Luther King Jr. • Mask • Moses • Proclaim • Resurrection • Salvation • Serve • Silence • Sin • Stone • Suffering • Tomb • Transformation • Unity • Water •
“Baptism is in short our participation in not just the death of Jesus Christ but also his resurrection. Baptism is not just our participation in his burial into the waters of death but also our participation in his resurrection from the waters of death through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“very rarely, however, have I been to a baptism where the baptism was described as crucifixion. As a co-crucifixion with Christ where the emphasis was put on the fact that...this person is being baptized into the death of Jesus. But that's how Paul sees baptism”
“The mystery, the joy that we celebrate in the passion, death and resurrection of Christ is just too big for us to put into words. It's just too big. All of our words fall limp. And the more words we add to it the less we get to the way we feel in our hearts”
“life is not about earning Heaven, it's about, what? Reflecting Heaven.”
“God is the one who tells us who and what we are. God is the one that defines our value. God is the one who says and has restored the dignity of humanity.”
“For Easter helps you and I to realize: life's not over, it's just beginning”
“Jesus of Nazareth is not a dead man. His story is about life. His story is about love. His story is about companionship. His story is about relationship. His story is about giving ourselves so that others may live.”
“That's the work we do, to sing glory, to sing hallelujah, to tell somebody out there that God is alive. That God raised his son from death. That our heavenly Father is the only one who can reach into the jaws of death and bring out life.”
“When we look at one another it has to mean something to us that God sees us as very good”
“For resurrection always offers us new possibilities. It offers us the possibility of what? Being forgiven and to forgive.”
“Jesus says 'for you to fully embrace me...you have to love yourself. You have to be able to see in yourself the Christ that lives in you. You have to appreciate the beauty and the uniqueness that God has created in you.'”
“Is God not with us? God is with us and that's what Easter celebrates. How much God is with us. God takes the flesh like you and I and walks through every moment of human existence. Fear, and stubbornness, and worry, and viruses. And still decides to be with us.”
“As we celebrate the resurrection on this alleluia-filled Easter day, may we never have to ask again 'who will roll the stone away?'”
"we're not immune to tragic events or to illness or to anything. We just have a different, I guess, we just have a different way of approaching it and that's through the lens of faith."
In the latest episode of the 1 Christian 1 Topic Podcast "Faith Amidst Tragedy," we have a conversation with Liz on faith, suffering, and prayer. More