What follows is the script and audio from our annual Easter Cantata, as special program we put on every year with music and narration to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Cantata Audio: LINK

INTRODUCTION:

From Adam’s first sin in the garden of Eden, humanity has been lost in sin. We have been separated from God. Yet, in His mercy, God provided glimpses of hope. He raised up prophets to declare His word, priests to intercede on behalf of His people, and kings to rule with righteousness. But each of these fell short. No prophet could fully reveal the heart of God. No priest could offer a perfect and lasting sacrifice. No king could establish a kingdom that would never fade.

Still, a greater hope remained, a promise whispered through the ages. God’s people clung to the words of the prophets, longing for the One who would come to fulfill these roles perfectly, bringing true salvation.

The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed this hope: 

"Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him." (Jeremiah 31:10-11, ESV)

Truly, we were scattered and helpless, unable to save ourselves. Our rescue could come only by His grace. Our redemption could be secured only by His power. This promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who lays down His life for the sheep. In Him, the deepest longings of history are satisfied.

Jesus is the Prophet who reveals the will of God and declares truth with divine authority.  

He is the Priest who offers Himself as the perfect and final sacrifice, reconciling sinners to God.  

He is the King who reigns over His people, defending and preserving them for eternity. Salvation is His work from beginning to end. In Christ alone, we find our confidence, our hope, and our eternal joy. 

As we prepare our hearts, let us find comfort in the words of the prophet Isaiah: 

"Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;’" (Isaiah 40:1-3a, ESV)  

Let us begin this morning by lifting our hearts in song with the words of Isaiah, beautifully echoed in the hymn "Comfort, Comfort Ye My People."

SONG: “COMFORT COMFORT YE MY PEOPLE” 

As we have sung of the comfort God promised to His people, we now turn our eyes to the fulfillment of that comfort in the Lamb of God. The prophets spoke of One who would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows, pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. Isaiah’s words find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Suffering Servant, who took the punishment we deserved to give us the grace we could never earn:

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5, ESV)

John the Baptist saw Him and declared, 

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). 

No longer do we look forward in expectation, for the One long anticipated has come. No longer do we need the sacrifices of old, for the true Lamb has been slain, once and for all. Through His death, He has overturned the curse and brought us into the new covenant of grace, fulfilling the law and the prophets and making perfect the worship of His people.

In Christ, the shadows of the old covenant give way to the substance of the new. The sacrifices, the temple, and the priesthood all find their completion in Him. By His blood, we are cleansed and made new, and by His Spirit, we are drawn into His eternal kingdom. As we now sing, “Behold the Lamb of God,” let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the spotless Sacrifice, the fulfillment of every promise, and the Savior who has redeemed us forever.

SONG: “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD” by Andrew Peterson 

As we behold the Lamb of God, we see more than just the fulfillment of prophecy; we see the depths of divine love and the cost of our redemption. The prophet Isaiah foretold:

"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." (Isaiah 53:10, ESV)

In his suffering, Christ bore the curse of Adam. His hands, nailed to the cross, took the place of the hand that plucked the fruit in disobedience. His feet, pierced, stood in for the steps that led humanity astray. His back bore the lashes we deserved. His silence before his accusers spoke volumes; a Lamb led to the slaughter, bearing the sins of the world.

Yet this Lamb, meek and innocent, was also the Shepherd. In laying down his life, he conquered sin and death. The sacrifice was not just one of flesh and blood, but of divine justice, God’s new covenant, securing our redemption for eternity.

Though the weight of our sin was laid upon Him, He did not remain in death. Having paid the price in full, He rose in victory, securing salvation for all who trust in Him. The sin that bound us, the condemnation that loomed over us, the guilt we could never remove, He bore it all. And now, because of Him, we stand clothed in His righteousness, washed clean by His blood.

As we now sing "The Power of the Cross," let us reflect on the greatness of this sacrifice. He gave all so that we might be free. 

SONG: “THE POWER OF THE CROSS”

We have sung of the price paid for our redemption, the sacrifice that made us whole. Jesus, the spotless Lamb, bore our sin, suffered in our place, and declared, "It is finished." But the story does not end at the cross.

On the third day, as the morning light broke over the tomb, the angel declared to the women who had come to anoint His body: 

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen." (Luke 24:5-6, ESV)

The stone was rolled away, and the grave was empty. The risen Christ appeared to His disciples, showing them His hands and His side, saying: 

"Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." (John 20:21, ESV)

Death could not hold Him, and the grave had no claim on Him. Just as He had promised, He conquered sin and death, rising in victory. The Lamb who was slain now stands triumphant, reigning in glory, and offering eternal life to all who believe in Him.

The Apostle John was given a glimpse into heaven and saw what awaits those of us who remain faithful to our risen king. It is a vision of worship, of triumph, of an unending song. He beheld the throne, surrounded by living creatures and elders, and heard the mighty voice of the angels proclaiming:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:12, ESV)

This is the song of eternity, the song of those who have been ransomed by the blood of Christ. From every nation, every tribe, and every tongue, they gather before the throne, clothed in white robes, and crying out:  

"Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:10, ESV)

Through Christ, all nations have been grafted into the covenant of grace. The church is not merely an assembly of people, but one people redeemed by the same blood, made holy by the same Spirit, and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. The martyrs, the faithful, the weary saints who have endured, all stand together as one, worshiping the Lamb who reigns.

This morning, we join in that heavenly chorus. The song that began at the cross, that was sung in the empty tomb, now resounds in eternity. The question is asked: "Is He Worthy?" And with the voices of angels, of saints, of all creation, we respond: “He is.”

SONG: “IS HE WORTHY”

We have declared that He is worthy, the Lamb who was slain, who conquered sin and death. But He is not only the suffering servant; He is the risen and exalted King. The story of our redemption does not end at the empty tomb. Christ, having triumphed over the grave, has ascended to His rightful place in glory.

The Gospel of Mark tells us: 

"So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19, ESV)

He who was despised and rejected now reigns in majesty. The same Jesus who walked among us, who bore our griefs, who carried our sorrows, now sits enthroned in power. He is not merely victorious, He intercedes for us even now: 

"Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." (Romans 8:34, ESV)

This is the day of triumph, the day of ultimate victory. The heavens have been opened, and the Son of Man reigns at the right hand of the Father. He is not only our Savior; He is our King, and to Him belongs all dominion and power. And He has promised that those who conquer in Him will reign with Him: 

"The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:21, ESV)

This is the hope we hold, the promise that sustains us. He has been lifted high, and in Him, we are lifted too. No longer bound by sin, no longer captive to death, we stand in the light of His glory, awaiting the day when we will see Him face to face.

Let us lift our eyes, let us lift our hearts, and let us behold our King! The Lamb who was slain is now seated on the throne, ruling in perfect justice and endless mercy.  Now, we turn our voices toward heaven as we sing, "Behold Our God." 

SONG: “BEHOLD OUR GOD”

As we have lifted our voices in worship, proclaiming the majesty of Christ, we are reminded that His reign is not distant nor uncertain. He is enthroned in glory, ruling with power and interceding for us even now. The One who holds the stars in His hands, who measures the heavens with His breath, and who commands the nations, is the same loving Savior who walks beside us in every trial, strengthening us, guiding us, and interceding on our behalf.

Yet, the beauty of the Gospel is not only that He reigns on high, but that His love holds us fast. As the Apostle Paul boldly declared: 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, ESV)

 If God is for us, who can stand against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, with Him, graciously give us all things? Christ Himself, our Advocate, stands before the throne of grace, declaring that we are His, bought with a price, redeemed by His blood. We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us! No accusation, no condemnation, no enemy can undo what He has secured for us.

Because He lives, we do not fear the grave. Because He reigns, our hope is secure. The cross was not the end of the story, nor was the empty tomb. Christ is alive, victorious over death, triumphant over sin, and sovereign over all things. When He rose, He shattered the chains that bound us, and He calls us to walk in the freedom of His resurrection power. We do not serve a distant King, nor do we follow an empty hope. Our Savior is living and reigning, and He is coming again in glory!

Let this truth fill our hearts with confidence and joy! In every season, in every trial, in every moment of uncertainty, our risen Lord stands victorious. He is our strength when we are weak, our refuge when we are weary, our everlasting hope that never fades. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lamb who was slain and the Lion who reigns forevermore. And because He lives, because His promises are true, we know that the victory is already won!

As we conclude our time of worship, we rejoice in this unshakable truth: the risen Christ has given us victory over sin and death. The grave is empty, and His throne is full! Let us lift our voices in praise and triumph, for “He Lives.”

CLOSING SONG: “HE LIVES”