Jeremiah 31:1-6 "In that day," says the Lord, "I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2I will care for the survivors as they travel through the wilderness. I will again come to give rest to the people of Israel." 3Long ago the Lord said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with tambourines. 5Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. 6The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.' " (NLT) Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 L. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. C. Let the congregation of Israel repeat: "His faithful love endures forever." L. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. C. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. L. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! C. The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph. L. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things! C. I will not die, but I will live to tell what the Lord has done. L. The Lord has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death. C. Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord. L. Those gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. C. I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me! L. The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. C. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous to see. 12. This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. (NLT) The second lesson Acts 10:34-43 Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality. 35In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. 36I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what happened all through Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching. 38And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him. 39"And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him, 40but God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed him to appear, 41not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name." (NLT) The Gospel Lessons Matthew 28:1-10 1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." (NIV)