In today’s gospel the risen Christ
appears to the disciples and offers them the gift of peace. Even amid doubts
and questions, we experience the resurrection in our Sunday gathering around
word and meal, and in our everyday lives. Throughout the coming Sundays of
Easter the first two readings will be from the Acts of the Apostles and the
first letter of Peter. Even as the early Christians proclaimed the
resurrection, we rejoice in the new birth and living hope we receive in
baptism.
Almighty and eternal God, the strength
of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt, may we, who have not
seen, have faith in you and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing, who
lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Alleluia. Blessed are those who | have not seen* and yet have come | to believe. Alleluia. (John 20:29)
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Christ’s
resurrection: the fulfillment of God’s promise to David
Psalm 16
In your presence there is fullness of
joy. (Ps. 16:11)
1 Peter 1:3-9
New birth to a living
hope through the resurrection
John 20:19-31
Beholding the wounds
of the risen Christ
After the Holy Spirit
came to the apostles on Pentecost, Peter preaches the gospel to the gathered
crowd. He tells them that Jesus, who obediently went to his
death according to God’s plan, was raised from the dead by God. Finally,
he appeals to scripture, quoting Psalm 16:8-11, to show that Jesus is the
Messiah: though crucified, the risen Jesus is now enthroned.
14aPeter,
standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed [the crowd],
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—23this 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. 24But God raised him up, having freed him from
death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25For 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;
26therefore my heart was glad, and
my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul
to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28You 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. 30Since
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. 31Foreseeing
this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
‘He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.’
32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.”
In your presence there is fullness of
joy. (Ps. 16:11)
1Protect
me, O God, for I take ref- | uge in you;
I have said to the Lord, “You
are my Lord, my good a- | bove all other.”
2All my delight is in the godly that are | in the
land,
upon those who are noble a- | mong the
people.
3But those who run after | other gods
shall have their troubles | multiplied.
4I will not pour out drink offerings | to such gods,
never take their names up- | on my
lips. R
5O Lord,
you are my portion | and my cup;
it is you who up- | hold my lot.
6My boundaries enclose a | pleasant land;
indeed, I have a | rich
inheritance.
7I will bless the Lord who | gives
me counsel;
my heart teaches me night | after night.
8I have set the Lord
al- | ways before me;
because God is at my right hand, I
shall | not be shaken. R
9My heart, therefore, is glad, and
my spir- | it rejoices;
my body also shall | rest in hope.
10For you will not abandon me | to the grave,
nor let your holy one | see the
pit.
11You will show me the | path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are
pleasures for- | evermore. R
This epistle was
written to encourage Christians experiencing hardships and suffering because of
their faith in Christ. The letter opens by blessing God for the living hope we
have through Christ’s resurrection even in the midst of difficult circumstances
and surroundings.
3Blessed
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, 4and
into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in
heaven for you, 5who are being
protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time. 6In this
you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various
trials, 7so 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. 8Although 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, 9for you are receiving the outcome of your
faith, the salvation of your souls.
The risen Jesus
appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction, a commission, and the
gift of the Holy Spirit. But one of their number is
missing, and his unbelief prompts another visit from the Lord.
19When
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.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands
and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When
he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
24But Thomas (who was called the
Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So 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.”
26A 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.” 27Then 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.” 28Thomas
answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus
said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.
on of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.