No collection will be taken during this service. There is a donation box at the back of the church for anyone who would like to give a donation.

If you would like the music for our hymns today, please put up your hand and we will bring it to you.

Toilets are between the church and the hall.

Thank you.

Our sentence for today is taken from the first Letter of Peter Chapter 3 verse 18 :

"Jesus Christ died once for our sins. An innocent person died for those who are guilty."

Jesus enters Jerusalem

Please stand to sing the hymn

"Ride on ! ride on in majesty !"

1.   Ride on ! ride on in majesty !   Hark ! all the tribes Hosanna cry !   O Saviour meek, pursue Your road   With palms and scattered garments strowed. 2.   Ride on ! ride on in majesty !   In lowly pomp ride on to die :   O Christ, Your triumphs now begin   O'er captive death and conquered sin. 3.   Ride on ! ride on in majesty !   The wingèd squadrons of the sky   Look down with sad and wondering eyes   To see the approaching Sacrifice. 4.   Ride on ! ride on in majesty !   The last and fiercest strife is nigh :   The Father on His sapphire throne   Awaits His own anointed Son. 5.   Ride on ! ride on in majesty !   In lowly pomp ride on to die;   Bow Your meek head to mortal pain,   Then take, O God, Your power, and reign.

The chocolate Easter eggs that we usually give now weren't made until about 100 years ago, but Easter eggs have been around for a very long time. People used to decorate real eggs, which were either hard-boiled or whole egg shells with the centre blown out through a tiny hole.

These hollow eggs remind us of the empty tomb. Some thought the tomb where Jesus was laid after He had been killed was shaped like an egg.

But the whole point of an egg is to bring new life into the world; that's what it's for !

Chocolate eggs are given on Easter Sunday because they are a celebration of new life and remind us that not only did Jesus die on the cross, but He also came back to life and offers new life to those who follow Him.

During this service we are using these eggs here on the table ( point to table ) to emphasise some of the events of the Easter story.

The idea is adapted from "Resurrection Eggs" by Randal Lee Walti produced by Family Life.

The next day the large crowd that had come to the Passover Festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

( Crowd comes down centre aisle waving palm branches. )

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, shouting :

( Judas comes down Hospital aisle and Chief Priest comes down Organ aisle; they meet in the centre. )

Then one of the twelve disciples - the one named Judas Iscariot - went to the Chief Priests, and asked,

As we proceed through the Easter story we will sing several verses taken from different hymns to illustrate the story. We will use the hymn tune to "When I survey the wondrous cross"; please join in singing these verses but remain seated.

The Final hours before Jesus's arrest.

During this dramatised reading, we invite each one of you to imagine you are one of the disciples.

Selected verses from Mark Chapter 14 and John Chapter 13 verses 26-27, 30.

Jesus eats the Passover meal with His disciples.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Jesus' disciples asked Him :

( Jesus and Judas come down centre aisle and stand behind the little table. )

While they were at the table eating,

( Jesus, Judas, Disciple 1 and Disciple 2 mime eating )

Jesus said to them -

( Judas, Disciple 1 and Disciple 2 look upset. )

( Jesus and Judas mime this. )

While they were eating, ( Jesus and disciples mime the actions ) Jesus took a piece of bread, said a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples.

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane.

Disciple 1 and Disciple 2 pretend to fall asleep.

Look ! ( points to the crowd at the back of the church; Disciple 1 and Disciple 2 look to the back of the church. ) The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners. Get up, ( Disciple 1 and Disciple 2 jump up. ) let us go. Look - here is the man who is betraying me !

Judas went straight to Jesus.

Crowd 1 and Crowd 2 hustle Jesus down centre aisle with crowd and Judas and Chief Priest following noisily behind.

The trial of Jesus.

Jesus was brought to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where they tried Him, then He was taken to Pilate, the Roman Governor, who could find nothing wrong with Him. But the crowd was so noisy yelling out "Crucify Him !" that Pilate was afraid a riot might break out, so he had Jesus whipped.

Then soldiers took Jesus inside to the courtyard of the governor's palace, and called together the rest of the company. They put a purple robe on Jesus, made a crown out of thorny branches, and put it on His head. Then they began to salute Him :

Then they took Him out to be crucified.

The crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Matthew 27 33-35a.

They came to a place called Golgotha, which means "The Place of the Skull".

There they offered Jesus wine mixed with a bitter substance; but after tasting it, He would not drink it.

They crucified Him.

- and then divided His clothes among them by throwing dice.

So the soldiers went and broke the legs of the first man and then the other man who had been crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers, however, plunged his spear into Jesus' side, and at once blood and water poured out.

The burial of Jesus.

Pilate gave orders for the body to be given to Joseph.

( Joseph and helper come down centre aisle;
Mary 1 and Mary 2 follow down Hospital side and watch all that Joseph and helper do. )

So Joseph took it,

( Joseph and helper mime taking body from cross, place it on floor.

Joseph opens the tenth egg, shows linen to congregation, mimes wrapping the body in the linen. )

wrapped it in a new linen sheet, and placed it in his own tomb.

( Joseph and helper mime carrying the body to behind the altar ( Hospital side ) and placing it in the tomb ( behind the altar ).
Joseph places linen on altar. )

Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb -

( Joseph and helper mime rolling a large stone in front of the tomb;
Helper opens the eleventh egg, shows the stone to the congregation, and places it on the altar. )

- and went away.

( Joseph and helper return to back. )

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there facing the tomb.

The Resurrection.

After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
( Mary 1 and Mary 2 come down centre aisle. )

Suddenly there was a violent earthquake;
( Mary 1 and Mary 2 stagger and clutch hold of each other. )

an angel of the Lord came down from heaven
( Angel hurries across to grave. )

and rolled the stone away,
( Angel mimes rolling stone away. )

and stood by the grave.
( Angel stands by grave,
Mary 1 and Mary 2 creep nearer. )

His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

The angel spoke to the women :

Come here and see the place where He was lying.

the message

"If only"

"Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord".

During this hymn the pray-ers come to the lectern.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

"Low in the grave He lay".

Blessing