From the Heart, Easter 3, April 30, 2017

Third Week of Easter (Year A)

Sunday, April 30, 2017

 

Christ is present, here, now. God, in love, is bodily present with you. Look around you. Look within you. Look slowly, and carefully. Let your prayer be a deepening, widening awareness. The Beloved will appear in forms you do not expect. Remember Jacob and his dream, and the disciples on the road to Emmaus: it is often only afterward that we realize that God has been present in ways we did not know. Christ doesn't always look like Jesus. God doesn't always look like God. The best we can do is to continually open the eyes of our hearts to the indwelling, surrounding, unseen presence of the Loving One.

– Steve Garnaas

Theme: From the Heart

Reflection:  Disappointments. Everyone has them.

Some fall into the commonplace:

• I couldn’t attend a concert because I had to work
• The speaker missed a connection, so the workshop was cancelled.
• We couldn’t afford to take the vacation we planned this summer.
• I wasn’t called for an interview for that job.
• I lost my cell phone.

Others are life-changing:

• The civil war in my country caused us to become refugees.
• I wasn’t able to attend seminary.
• We couldn’t have children.
• After my accident, I couldn’t become a concert pianist.
• We lost the family farm due to foreclosure.

It was one of those major disappointments that Cleopas and another disciple were discussing on the road to Emmaus. Jesus, teacher and prophet, had been crucified. The disciples had scattered. Cut to the heart, they knew it was time to go home and get on with life.
 

As they were engrossed in their conversation, a man overtook them on the road. Or he must have – they were so busy talking they hadn’t noticed him. He overheard their conversation and asked why they were so saddened.

Maybe expecting him to be another pilgrim returning from Jerusalem for the Passover, they readily engaged him in the conversation. Of course, you must know what just happened to Jesus of Nazareth. They crucified him. “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.”

And they went on with the speculations from the women and other disciples about the empty tomb and Jesus risen. Yes, he seemed to know the happenings of the last few days. But he listened to their disappointment and then began teaching them about all the prophecies leading up to the Messiah’s death and resurrection. They were so caught up in the lesson that they didn’t want to stop when the road branched one way to their home, and another way that this man looked like he wanted to take. 

Their despair had started to lift just listening to his words. Their hearts had that fire again, the fire they had when the Teacher was with them. And they didn’t want to lose it.

It’s late, they said. Please stay with us tonight. And he agreed.

When they reached their home, they washed the road dust from their feet and pulled together some meager provisions for dinner. They hadn’t been home for a while. Their guest relaxed and continued their conversation – something about him reclining there looked familiar. This stranger was a good listener and he knew his scripture. They set out bread, a little meat and some figs, and poured the wine. Showing hospitality, they offered their guest the chance to bless the meal. 

He lifted the bread, gave thanks to God, “my Abba,” blessed it and broke it. Just as the two of them had seen Jesus do dozens of times. Jesus!! 

Their eyes met in an instant of recognition, then they looked over at Jesus. But the bread lay on the plate in front of the empty seat.  

Another glance to each other, and they jumped up to look outside. No one. No tracks in the dust, no sandals on the doorstep. But he was here! They left the meal behind as they swiftly covered the seven miles back to Jerusalem and entered the Upper Room breathless, just as the disciples were ready to sit down to eat together … just before Jesus entered the room, through the locked door.

*  *  *

Isn’t the walk to Emmaus the pattern of life itself? Parents, don’t you meet your children where they are, teach them, nurture and nourish them, and then step back out of their lives? Teachers, isn’t it just the same for you as you connect with your students on their educational journeys, instruct them, make sure they have everything they need to thrive, and then let them go to another grade or to college or into the world? 

And isn’t this exactly how we worship: we gather where Christ meets us, read the scriptures and have them interpreted to us, join in our meal where we recognize Christ present, and go in peace to love and serve the Lord? 

Except Christ never really disappears from us, but continues with us on our journeys. Spirit breathed into us like the new believers in Acts. Close enough to hear us, says the Psalmist. Present in our actions when we love one another from the heart, says the writer of 1st Peter. 

We travel on, accompanied by the living and enduring word of God. 

(You always are welcome to respond with your thoughts and reflections in the comments section at the bottom of the blog post.) 

Faith App:  Come alongside someone with the love of Christ. Be present to a co-worker who is struggling, call a friend or family member who is dealing with a negative situation or is under great stress. Help a child with homework or a difficult chore. 

HYMN/SONG SUGGESTIONS

Day of Arising, ELW 374

Abide with Me, ELW 629

I Want Jesus to Walk with Me, ELW 325

Break Now the Bread of Life, ELW 515

The Risen Christ, ELW 390

Stay with Us, WOV 743

Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen, ELW 377

O Jesus, I Have Promised, ELW 810

Thine is the Glory, ELW 376

That Easter Day with Joy was Bright, ELW 384

Help Me Find It, Sidewalk Prophets

Open Our Eyes (We Want to See Jesus), Robert Cull
Abide with Me, Matt Maher

Here With Me, MercyMe

Have You Seen Jesus My Lord, John Fischer

Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing), Phillips, Craig and Dean

Open the Eyes of My Heart, SonicFlood

Shoulders, For King & Country 

LESSONS

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 The promise is for you … everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, save my life!”

1 Peter 1:17-23 Love one another deeply from the heart.

Luke 24:13-35 “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?”

Summary of the Lessons:  We are moved by the Christ in us. Something deeper than our eyes perceives Christ from the beginning of time, and resonates with the Resurrection – our hearts burning, the Spirit breathing in us, our purified souls reverberating. Then in the teaching of the word, the breaking of the bread, Jesus is present once more.

OPENING LITANY based on Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

L:  Christ Is Risen!
C:  Christ Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia! 

L:  I am embraced by God who loves me and hears me,

C:  Listens to me when I’m struggling, knows when I’m lost;

L:  Pulled down by darkness and death, I cry out --  

C:  And my Lord reaches into the pit and rescues me.

L:  Nothing I offer the Lord would be thanks enough –

C:  Tell everyone about God’s forgiveness, freely given,

L:  Raise the chalice of new life to the Lover of my soul,

C:  Keep my promises to reveal Jesus’ love with my life.

L:  No, you ask no payment, so I can serve you joyfully,

C:  And honor my vow to stay faithful to you alone,

L:  Lay my gifts of thanks and praise upon your altar,

C:  And lift my worship in the Lord’s house. Hallelujah!

CONFESSION

L:  Today, two disciples meet the risen Christ on the road,

C:  We too have felt the warmth of Christ’s presence,

L:  When words of understanding bridge an angry silence;

C:  When forgiveness freely spoken heals a cut to the heart.

L:  The grief of “what might have been” blinded their eyes,

C:  The terror of “what comes next” shut down their minds.

L:  We have dwelled there when we’re blindsided by loss,

C:  When a fork in life’s road leaves us uncertain or alone.

L:  They invited the stranger into their home for the night,

C:  Shared a meal and saw Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

L:  We have had our eyes opened when we’ve shared a table,
C:  When we truly hear another, or serve in our Lord's name.

(Silent reflection)

L:  In our confession, we pray together,

C:  Most Merciful God … we pray today that you attune our hearts to your presence in the world around us. Our eyes and our thoughts can convince us you have deserted us, but our hearts burn to trust and follow you.  For only when we allow you to lead the way will we begin to love one another deeply from the heart as you do.  

Hear this Good News:  You have been born anew, not through anything of this world, which is perishable, but of the imperishable living and enduring word of God. Trust in this, that you are forgiven and freed from anything that would keep you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 

In the name of… 

Amen. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

L:  We pray together, 

C:  Faithful God … Open our eyes and our minds to Christ with us as we continue walking on our road beyond the cross. Keep our hearts burning for your presence here among us in the teaching of the word, and in the breaking of the bread. Allow us to see you coming alongside of us in our struggles and our joys.  Amen.

COMMUNION BLESSING

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, most gracious God, for revealing yourself in the breaking of this bread, warming our hearts in the sharing of this cup.  Send us down the roads we travel this week, filled with joy and amazement at the risen Christ, made known to us and living through us. Amen. 

SENDING 

L:  Minds challenged by the word revealed,

C:  Eyes opened in the breaking of the bread;

L:  Spirits filled by worship and life together,

C:  Christ risen and present in the Church today.

L:  Go now, eyes wide open, to love and to serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God!

First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36-41 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: The Apostle Peter concludes last week’s sermon to the Jewish people who have returned to Jerusalem and have witnessed the Holy Spirit stirring things up at Pentecost.

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

³⁶ Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”  ³⁸ Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  ³⁹ For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”  ⁴⁰ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”  ⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.  

Second Reading 1 Peter 1:17-23 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: 1 Peter was a letter written to churches that had formed from exiled Jews and gentiles. Members of the church would know what it is to be an outcast, persecuted for their faith. These words of inclusion and Christian community would have heartened them.

¹⁷ If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.  ¹⁸ You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,  ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.  ²⁰ He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake.  ²¹ Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.

²² Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.  ²³ You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

Gospel Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: The encounter on the road to Emmaus is unique to Luke’s gospel. The location and names aren’t perfectly clear. Meals, however, are intensely personal relationship and teaching times for Luke.

¹³ Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,  ¹⁴ and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,  ¹⁶ but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.  ¹⁸ Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”  ¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  ²⁰ and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  ²² Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,  ²³ and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.  ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”  ²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!  ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”  ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

²⁸ As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on.  ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them.  ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  ³¹ Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.  ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  ³³ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.  ³⁴ They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!”  ³⁵ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Recognizing Jesus, Easter 2, April 23, 2017

Second Week of Easter (Year A)

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Sometimes we have to keep at it in order to get it. We keep talking, keep showing up in worship, keep praying, keep singing hymns, keep forgiving and receiving forgiveness, keep feeding the hungry and giving a cup of cool water in his name, keep practicing the Way of Jesus and we too will see the Risen Jesus. By our continuing dialogue with Jesus, we are trained and taught by him in how to see him. It is as if the scales slowly fall from our eyes, and one day we look up and we recognize the Risen Christ in ways and places we never had before. He was in front of our noses the whole time. 

– Kyle Childress

Theme: Recognizing Jesus

Reflection:  I can’t think of anything quite as embarrassing as the many times I’ve run into someone and was totally at a loss at who he or she was: He looks familiar – I should be able to place him. And I make conversation until it clicks, or I am forced to admit my memory isn’t what it used to be.

It never happens in the right element. When I see someone in his or her workplace, the name comes more easily. When I see a church member at my church, no problem. If the person is with his or her family, it becomes obvious. But if it is one isolated person at the grocery store, the movie theater or a concert, watch out.

“Hi, Gail,” he says. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” (Oh, boy, I think. I haven’t seen you in a while, either.)

“Hi! How have you been?” (Make it easy, I plead silently. Say something that will give me a clue.)

Some of the strangest encounters have happened in places I would never have expected to meet someone I knew. Running into a former classmate at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. And then that day at a spring training baseball game in Chandler not too long after we moved to Arizona. Who in the world would know us there? Unbelievably, a university official we knew from our days at the same college, visiting Arizona on vacation.

As soon as we recognize someone, we are no longer isolated individuals, but members of a group. Three people from the same college. Friends returning to a summer workshop. Former colleagues. Distant relatives.

Today’s lessons are tied together in our Easter season by the common thread of recognizing Jesus. Not just Jesus the Nazarene, but Jesus, who died on a cross and has been raised. Jesus, the Christ.

In today’s first lesson from Acts, Peter tells a group of Jewish people that Jesus is the real deal, the awaited Messiah. Peter speaks of today’s Psalm, in which David foresaw the birth, death and resurrection of this one of God. You know this in your heart to be true, Peter tells them. This Jesus, he is the one David was talking about, and we saw him.

In 1 Peter, the letter addresses Gentiles from one of the new Christian churches. They recognize Jesus as Lord, even though their only information is the witness of the apostles. Yet, the Spirit has grabbed hold of them and they have a strong, growing faith and a joy that comes from knowing Jesus. These are the blessed ones Jesus references in today’s Gospel. As are you and I.

What do we make of Thomas? The unfortunate apostle who missed the get-together in week 1, isolated since Good Friday, arrives a week later. Thomas, for whom “doubting” has become his identity. Cheap shot. Ten disciples saw Jesus on the day of the resurrection, and not one is remembered for his intense reaction to the risen Savior. Thomas arrives a week later, sees Jesus, recognizes him in a new and transformed way, and responds with an impassioned, “My Lord and my God!”

Pastor and author John van de Laar puts it this way: “This is the shift that happens for Thomas. I don’t know what he saw with his eyes on that day, but I do have an idea of what he saw with his heart. Where he had been looking for proof that Jesus was risen, he now discovers a whole new reality. He recognises Jesus in a way that he has not done up to this point – as Lord and God. He believes, not just in a resurrected teacher, but in an incarnate deity. And he doesn’t just believe as a kind of intellectual assent. He encounters this new reality, he experiences it, and he is changed by it. This is the kind of faith that Jesus has been seeking throughout the Gospel.”

And the question that hangs over today’s text for me is: Has this resurrection message really hit home? Is Jesus’ life, death and resurrection just an Easter story or has it transformed me? Do I see Jesus as a wise teacher as most of the disciples did, or more like Thomas, recognizing this One who came back from the dead to give me life as “My Lord and my God!”?

[Just an aside: Called the Twin (Didymus), Thomas is mentioned, but never his sibling. Did Thomas choose Jesus and his sibling reject the Lord? Or perhaps the Twin refers to Thomas’ two sides – the doubting side that required proof of everything, and the courageous believer, leading the way behind Jesus to Judea; committed missionary unto his death. Legend has it that Thomas was martyred, stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church there.]

(You always are welcome to respond with your thoughts and reflections in the comments section at the bottom of the blog post.) 

Faith App:  Sometimes the hardest way to share God’s love and resurrection message is with our voices. Don’t fear – let your hands and feet lead the way. Hands outstretched to comfort and serve, and feet moving to walk and work with others are active messages of Christ alive, in us!

HYMN/SONG SUGGESTIONS

Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing, ELW 389 (esp. v.2)

We Walk By Faith, and Not By Sight, ELW 635

We Have Seen the Lord, ELW 869

O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing, ELW 386/387

Crown Him with Many Crowns, ELW 855

Alleluia! Christ Is Arisen, ELW 375

Day of Arising, ELW 374

Bread of Life, Our Host and Meal, ELW 464

Here Is Bread, ELW 483

Open Our Eyes (We Want to See Jesus), Robert Cull

Help Me Find It, Sidewalk Prophets

Open the Eyes of My Heart, SonicFlood

Here With Me, MercyMe

Shoulders, For King & Country

Have You Seen Jesus my Lord, John Fischer

Refrain:

                C       E7      F  Ab  7

Have you seen Jesus my Lord?

C      G7        C     F C

He's here in plain view.

Dm      C       E7      F     Ab

Take a look, open your eyes,

C      G7          C   FC

He'll show it to you.

                     Am                       Em

1. Have you ever looked at the sunset

               F    G7            C

With the sky mellowing red,

              Am                               Em

And the clouds suspended like feathers

           F         Fm6     Ab

Then I say... (pause)

             C        G7         C

You've seen Jesus my Lord.

2. Have you ever stood at the ocean

with the white foam at your feet,

Felt the endless thundering motion?

Then I say...(pause)

You've seen Jesus my Lord.  (refrain)

3. Have you ever looked at the cross,

with a man hanging in pain

And the look of love in his eyes?

Then I say...(pause)

You've seen Jesus my Lord.  (refrain)

4. Have you ever stood in the family

With the Lord there in your midst

Seen the face of Christ on each other?

Then I say... (pause)

You've seen Jesus My Lord.  (refrain)

LESSONS

Acts 2:14, 22-32 Peter preaches that David foresaw the resurrection of the Messiah.

Psalm 16 “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”

1 Peter 1:3-9 “even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice...”

John 20:19-31 “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Summary of the Lessons:  Only a handful of people were fortunate enough to see Jesus in the weeks after the resurrection. All of the others would come to recognize him as “My Lord and my God,” not by sight, but by the word and the sharing of the Good News. And some would know him as David did, through prophecy and the Spirit foretelling of a Messiah who would live, die and rise again.

OPENING LITANY based on Psalm 16

L:  Christ is Risen!

C:  Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!

L:  Gather me close, O Lord, my safe place is with you;

C:  Good things happen when I stay connected to you.

L:  With joy, I thank my wisdom teachers and guides,

C:  The family and friends who pointed me to you,

L:  Who helped me reject false gods and fake truths,

C:  Who led me from longings that offered no life.

L:  Recognizing you, I say, “My Lord and my God!”

C:  I follow you – your ways for my life make sense.

L:  You don’t reject me or hand me over to evil ones;

C:  Joy and abundant life are mine when I’m with you.

CONFESSION

L:  Holy Week is over, and the lilies are beginning to fade,

C:  Could our Easter excitement already be dying as well?

L:  From crowded and boisterous to comfortably subdued;

C:  Trading the joyful “He Is Risen” for tame “Peace be with you.”

L:  As the world moves on, Lord, our hearts are tested –  

C:  Afraid of the rhythm of resurrection’s wild abandon,

L:  Dwelling in sorrows the world says we can’t escape,

C:  Doubting a love that death’s power cannot restrain.

L:  Through our locked doors, unshaken by injustice,

C:  Carried in our refrains, in the hopefulness of prayer,

L:  Blown by the fresh breeze of worship and service,

C:  We sense the Spirit stirring, breathing us to life.

(Silent reflection)

L:  In our confession, we pray together,

C:  Most Merciful God … refresh us daily with the vision of our Lord’s resurrection, the joy and wonder of our first gasp at our view of the empty tomb. Keep our eyes and our hearts wide open to recognize the wonder of our risen Lord every day, as we see you in acts of service and the faces of your people.

Hear this Good News:  A love so strong that death cannot hold it – that is God’s love for you. A love so powerful that it did the impossible – that, too, is God’s love for you. Blessed are you, wrestling with doubt, who come in faith to this place in hope of seeing the risen Christ.  Sense the Spirit, the breath of Jesus, alive in this place. You are forgiven from all that would keep you from this gift of grace, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

In the name of…

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

L:  We pray together, 

C:  Revealing God … we pray today that you would teach us to recognize our Lord and Savior in our midst now:

•               In the patient guiding of Sunday school and confirmation teachers,

•               In the resolute action of advocates for the poor and the powerless,

•               In the gentle compassion of prayer ministers and hospice workers,

•               In the healing touch of doctors and other health-care professionals,

•               In the fresh interpretation of scripture by pastors and Bible study leaders,

•               In the call of every member to encourage disciples and to share the Good News everywhere.

Open our eyes to see you at work in the life of our congregations, our communities and our world, and help us believe so that we continue to have life in your name.  Amen.

COMMUNION BLESSING

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the new birth in this bread, the living hope in this cup.  Send us out, souls rejoicing, hearts open to your word, filled with a confident faith that recognizes and models Jesus through acts of love performed with indescribable joy. Amen. 

SENDING

L:  Even though we have not seen Jesus,

C:  We recognize Jesus at work in the world.

L:  While we will never touch his hands and side,

C:  We are touched by his new life, born in us!

L:  Go now, eyes wide open, to love and to serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God!

First Reading Acts 2:14a, 22-32 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Acts of the Apostles is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke, written for new converts to the Way. Today’s passage follows the beginning of the church at Pentecost, and the Spirit of God, working through Peter's message, persuades 3,000 new believers to join the church.

¹⁴ 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.

Second Reading 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: The First Letter of Peter was written to a group of persecuted new Christians for encouragement, possibly by a strong follower of the Apostle Peter after Peter’s death. Parts of the letter may have been intended to be read at baptisms.

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 John 20:19-31 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: The Gospel of John draws to a close, and today’s lesson may have been the original ending. Its focus is to encourage believers to share the Good News.

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.