As we continue to celebrate the fifty
days of Easter, today’s gospel includes Jesus’ promise that he goes to prepare
a place for his followers in his Father’s house. Our baptism commissions us to
share Jesus’ mission in the world. As First Peter reminds us, we are a holy
people, called to proclaim the one who called us out of darkness into light. In
words and deeds we bear witness to the risen Christ—our way, our truth, our
life.
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ is
the way, the truth, and the life. Give us grace to love one another, to follow
in the way of his commandments, and to share his risen life with all the world,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Alleluia. I am the way, the truth, | and the life.* No one comes to the Father ex- | cept through me. Alleluia. (John 14:6)
Acts 7:55-60
The martyrdom of
Stephen
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. (Ps. 31:5)
1 Peter 2:2-10
God’s people chosen
to proclaim God’s mighty acts
John 14:1-14
Christ the way,
truth, and life
Stephen was one of
the seven men chosen by the apostles to serve tables so that the apostles could
be free to serve the word (Acts 6:1-6). Stephen does more than distribute food,
however. For his preaching of God’s word, he becomes the first martyr of the
faith.
55Filled
with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen]
gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand
of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see
the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud
shout all rushed together against him. 58Then
they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid
their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt
down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
When he had said this, he died.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. (Ps. 31:5)
1In
you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be | put to shame;
deliver me | in your righteousness.
2Incline your | ear to me;
make haste to de- | liver me.
3Be my strong rock, a castle to
keep me safe, for you are my crag | and my stronghold;
for the sake of your name, lead | me and guide me.
4Take me out of the net that they have secretly | set for
me,
for you are my tow- | er of
strength. R
5Into your hands I com- | mend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me, O Lord,
| God of truth.
15My times are | in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my
enemies, and from those who | persecute me.
16Let your face shine up- | on your servant;
save me in your | steadfast love.” R
Christ is the
cornerstone of God’s saving work and the foundation of our lives. We are God’s
chosen, holy people who continuously celebrate and declare the mercy of God we
experience through Jesus Christ.
2Like
newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow
into salvation—3if indeed you have
tasted that the Lord is good.
4Come to him, a living stone,
though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5like living stones, let yourselves
be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7To you then who believe, he is
precious; but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,”
8and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may
proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light.
10Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
On the night that he
is to be arrested, Jesus shares final words with his disciples. As the one
through whom God is known, he promises to go before them and act on their
behalf.
[Jesus said to the disciples:]
1“Do not let your hearts be
troubled. Believe in God, believe
also in me. 2In my Father’s
house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you
that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know
where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus
said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. 7If you
know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have
seen him.”
8Philip said to him, “Lord, show
us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9Jesus
said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not
know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the
Father’? 10Do you not believe that I
am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not
speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the
Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me
because of the works themselves. 12Very
truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do
and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the
Father. 13I will do whatever you ask
in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me for anything, I will
do it.”
istian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.