Easter Day: The Resurrection of Our Lord, Year B
The first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21 Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, the year of Mark White and gold
Next read on .
The Gospel: John 20:1–18 or Mark 16:1–8
Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty, Peter and the disciple Jesus loved see the grave cloths, and the risen Jesus speaks to Mary by name.
What is going on
Early on Sunday, while it is still dark, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds the stone rolled away. She runs to tell Peter and another disciple, who come and find only the grave cloths.
Mary stays outside the tomb, weeping. A man she thinks is the gardener asks why she is crying. Then he says her name, and she knows it is Jesus.
He sends her to tell the others. She goes and tells them she has seen the Lord, and so she becomes the first person to announce that he is risen.
John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8
Most churches stand for the Gospel, and sing or say a short response before and after it.
The passage
1 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. 2 Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!” 3 Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first. 5 Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Teacher!” 17 Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
The other readings
In the order they are read on Sunday, before the Gospel.
Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 25:6-9
Peter declares that God shows no favoritism and testifies that Jesus, killed and raised on the third day, brings forgiveness to everyone who believes in him.
Read it here
34 Peter opened his mouth and said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism; 35 but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all— 37 you yourselves know what happened, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses of everything he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed, hanging him on a tree. 40 God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is he who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him will receive remission of sins.”
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
A song of thanks for the LORD’s enduring love and rescue from death, celebrating the day the LORD has made.
Read it here
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. 2 Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.
14 The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17 I will not die, but live, and declare the LORD’s works. 18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it. 21 I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43
Paul passes on the good news he received: Christ died for sins, was buried, rose on the third day, and appeared to many, last of all to Paul.
Read it here
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
A question to carry into the week
Mary knew Jesus when he said her name. What would it mean to you that the risen Jesus knows yours?
For your newsletter or sermon notes
These readings are told as stories on our sister site, Free Scripture, one scene at a time in plain words. The lines below are ready to paste. The next eight Sundays, and every story.
Easter Day: The Resurrection of Our Lord · Revised Common Lectionary, Year B · the same Sunday at the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Scripture text: World English Bible, public domain.
Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org Used by permission.