The Collect of the Day
Almighty
and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of
reconciliation: Grant that all who have
been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives
what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
1st Reading: Acts of the Apostles 2:14a, 22-32
By tradition we read from the Acts of
the Apostles during Eastertide. Our reading this morning is from Peter’s first
sermon, following the descent of the Holy Spirit. The sermon traces the
passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, including Peter’s interpretation of a
portion of Psalm 16 (this morning’s psalm).
The use of the Hebrew Scriptures to foretell the events of Jesus’ life,
death and resurrection was important to the early followers of Jesus,
underscoring the fact that these followers were observant Jews, for whom those
Scriptures were vitally important.
2:14a But Peter, standing with
the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 22
“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by
God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you,
as you yourselves know—23 this man,
handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you
crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him
from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the
Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and
my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption. 28 You
have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with
your presence.’ 29 Fellow
Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both
died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God
had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his
throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David
spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying, ‘He was not abandoned to
Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.’ 32
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
*
I have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in
the land, *
upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods *
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; *
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit
rejoices; *
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; *
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures
for evermore.
2nd Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9
The First
Letter of Peter was written to a group of Christians undergoing suffering,
probably in one of the waves of persecution of the early Church by the Romans. We
will read from this letter during Eastertide this year. It is also clear that
Peter is writing to persons who had not been part of the original followers of
Jesus, i.e., they had never seen Jesus. Peter exhorts his readers to embrace
the “new birth” of their conversion and, therefore, the new life to which they
are called despite their present sufferings.
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God
through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a
little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being
more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found
to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love
him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice
with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for
you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31
Our Gospel this
morning is read every year on the Second Sunday of Easter. The reading is composed of two scenes. The first is John’s account of the first
appearance of the risen Jesus to the disciples. For John it is also the
formation of the Church (including the gift of the Holy Spirit). Jesus’
forgiveness of the disciples is extraordinary given their betrayal and
abandonment of him. Moreover, he also gives them the power of forgiveness! The
second scene is the familiar story of Thomas, the disciple missing from the
first appearance. Thomas needs physical proof, for which we can hardly blame him.
The story is partially a set up for the important statement, “Blessed are those
who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Note that by “the Jews” in the
first verse is meant the religious authorities, not all Jews.
20:19 When it was evening on that
day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples
had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and
said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After
he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples
rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus
said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send
you.” 22 When he had said this, he
breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are
forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one
of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he
said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my
finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in
the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came
and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger
here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt
but believe.” 28 Thomas answered
him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus
said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30 Now
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
written in this book. 31 But these
are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son
of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
The
Scripture quotations (except for the psalm) are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ
in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. The Collect of the Day and the Psalm
translation are from The Book of Common
Prayer. Commentaries are copyright ©
2020, Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, www.epiphanyesources.com. All
rights reserved. Permission given to copy for group study.
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