“He is not here!” The ladies went looking for Jesus—well, the body of Jesus, to be precise—at the tomb where He had been buried. When is it “good news” to hear that the person you are looking for is “not here”? When would it be “good news” if we went looking for Jesus in our lives, or in prayer, and were told, “He is not here”?

The tomb is the one place we cannot find Jesus. His remains are not lying in an ancient grave from 2,000 years ago in a faraway place. He is not a memory or a system of teaching that dates back to the first century. He is a Person! More importantly, He is God! He is not lying in a tomb. He DID lie in a tomb, but only for 3 days. That was just long enough to show that He really had died. 

But then Sunday came! The ladies went to the tomb, not to find their Lord alive and to worship Him. But rather, they went to the tomb to honor the dead! However, they were unable to do so, because He was not there! The angel said, “He is risen! He is not here!” It was Good News that Jesus was not there.

Jesus is not in the place of death. He is alive and working in your life. He is meeting you today. He is meeting you in your future. He is meeting you in your struggles. He is saying to you, “I am alive! You can depend on me, because not even death was able to hang on to me.”
HE IS RISEN!!

To God Be the Glory!
Pastor Jim

During this season of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter we have so much to be thankful for. May the Holy Spirit guide you to reach out to the lost in ways you never thought were possible. 

The churches fill up on Easter Sunday. It’s beautiful to see so many people to come and celebrate the day of resurrection for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But what happens the next Sunday? Where did all the people go? Aren’t we supposed to celebrate the gift of resurrection every day, every Sunday? 

Why is the resurrection so important anyway? What does it mean to us today, since it happened over two thousand years ago? I believe the resurrection means everything. It means everything because of the cross. 

1 Corinthians 1:18 says- For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 

Sometimes people think it is too difficult to explain Christianity to a non-believer. We complicate things. As a disciple we need to explain the cross first and because of the cross, we can now celebrate the resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:17 says- And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 

But Christ has been raised, and we have reason to celebrate. We need to share that Easter gift to people all year long. 

John 11:25-26 says- Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

If we believe the Scriptures, then we should be able to share the Good News of Easter daily throughout the year.

God bless you as you share the Good News,
Pastor Dave

What Comes After Easter?

The celebration of Easter morning is joyful and triumphant—but in the rhythm of the Church Year, Easter Sunday is just the beginning. The weeks that follow carry us deeper into the meaning of Christ’s resurrection and God’s ongoing work among His people. As we move through April and into May, the Church invites us to reflect on three connected seasons and festivals: The Easter Season, Ascension Day, and Pentecost.

The Easter Season – 50 Days of Resurrection Joy
Did you know Easter is the longest festal season of the Church Year? It lasts 50 days, stretching from Easter Sunday until Pentecost. During this time, Scripture readings focus on the risen Christ—His appearances to the disciples, His teaching, and the confidence we have because He lives.

The color white adorns the altar throughout this season, reminding us of the purity, joy, and victory secured by Jesus’ resurrection. Each Sunday continues the celebration of
Easter hope: Christ’s triumph over sin, death, and the devil.

Easter is not only a day to remember Jesus rising from the dead—it is a season to rejoice that we too have been raised with Him to new life (Romans 6:4).

Ascension Day – Christ Reigns for Us
Ascension Day falls 40 days after Easter, always on a Thursday (this year: May 14, 2026). On this day, we remember Christ being taken up into heaven, as witnessed by His disciples (Acts 1:6–11).

The Ascension is not Jesus “leaving us”—it is Jesus reigning for us.
He ascended:

The Ascension assures us that the risen Christ is not distant, but present with His people through His Word and Sacraments.

Pentecost – The Holy Spirit at Work
Ten days after Ascension, the Church celebrates Pentecost (“the fiftieth day”), which this year falls on May 24, 2026. Pentecost recalls the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles (Acts 2). Through the rush of wind, tongues of fire, and the preaching of Christ in many languages, the Church was born.

The color red marks the day—a symbol of the Spirit’s fire and the courage He gives to proclaim Jesus. Pentecost reminds us that:

Just as Jesus was present with His disciples after Easter, He is present with us now through His Spirit.

Living the Story of Salvation
Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost form a beautiful movement in the Church Year:
Christ risen. Christ reigning. Christ with us.

As we journey through these weeks, we do more than look back at events in the Bible—we live in their ongoing blessings. The risen Christ reigns for His Church and sends His Spirit to strengthen our faith, guide our steps, and empower our witness.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!