EASTER 6
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Perhaps the most usable unifying theme that is present in all of the texts selected for Easter 6, Series A, in these three lectionaries is that which is expressed in Psalm 66:16, the only verse of Psalm 66 that is used in all three lectionaries on this occasion. Psalm 66:16 is essentially this, "Come and hear, and I will tell you what God has done for me!" There is personal testimony in teach of these texts, and there should be personal testimony in the message that we shall proclaim next Sunday.
Common:
Psalm 66:8-20
Lutheran: Psalm 66:1-6, 14-18
Roman Catholic: Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
Psalm 66 is an excellent example of an Individual Hymn of Praise. It illustrates the essential elements of worship among the ancient Israelites, and we can readily see that our Christian worship does not differ greatly from the elements of worship depicted here. The various portions in the three lectionaries can serve as individual preparation for worship on Easter 6. Perhaps we shall want to have them sung by a choir or soloist at the conclusion of the organ prelude.
The New Testament selections for Easter 6, Series A, provide a strong personal testimony to the message of the resurrection of Jesus within history, as an event from the past that has great significance for the present and for the future. More than anything else, this is what is distinctive about Christianity compared to Judaism and to Islam, where resurrection is also anticipated, but only at the end of this world of time and space, on the "judgment day." The selections from Acts of Apostles, 1 Peter, and the Fourth Gospel come to us from different segments of the early Church from approximately the same time period, around 85-95 C.E. In these New Testament texts, we have good indications of what the resurrection of Jesus meant to various individuals and groups of followers of Jesus near the end of the first century. Perhaps we can incorporate something from each text into our proclamation of the Easter message next Sunday as we share our personal testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, since the congregations in which we serve probably include persons whose interests and background are similar to persons in the groups addressed in these texts.
Common, Lutheran: Acts 17:22-31
Perhaps in every congregation there are some people who, like the Athenians represented in this text, perceive that God is basically "unknown." In a style reminiscent of classical Greek oratory, the Lukan writer has Paul address such people most skillfully, beginning by meeting them where they are and proclaiming God as known through Jesus, a man chosen by God, raised from the dead, and assigned the responsibility of evaluating the entire inhabited world for God. In these few verses, therefore, the inspired Lukan writer incapsulated what must have been an important aspect of early Christian mission, the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus to intelligent, critically-thinking Greeks apart from the context of the Jewish synagogues. By means of the literary drama that we have in Acts 17:16-34, the Lukan writer provided a thumbnail sketch of that aspect of the mission, of that portion of the history of the early Church.
Even though our own proclamation of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus to people today who are similar in their thinking to the Athenians depicted in this text may be as lacking in outward evidence of success as was the proclamation of the Lukan writer's Paul in Athens, this kind of proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus remains important. Since Acts 17:22-31 addresses this important aspect of Christian mission more directly than it is addressed in any other New Testament text, we should share our personal testimony of the resurrection of Jesus to the "Athenians" where we are on Easter 6, Series A. To the people who are like the Athenians depicted in Acts 17:16-34, we should admit that from the viewpoint of reason God is basically unknowable and unknown, but that we "know" God through Jesus and through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. To put it another way, God is known through Jesus in a unique way. We "know" God not by means of irrefutable reason, but through God-given faith by which we feel God's presence and God's action in our lives. The person of Jesus, chosen by God, raised from the dead, and assigned the responsibility of evaluating the entire inhabited world, is central in the Christian proclamation. This is the faith that we proclaim.
Roman Catholic: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
According to this account, the personal testimony of Philip regarding the resurrection of Jesus as the Christ was supported by the casting out of many unclean spirits and their replacement by the Holy Spirit of God within a city of Samaria. It is likely that the inspired Lukan writer was saying in this account that the personal testimony and proclamation that Jesus had shared so boldly that Yahweh rather than Caesar is Lord and that God's kingdom is coming to replace the kingdom of Caesar was received with joy also later, after Jesus had been crucified by the oppressive Roman forces in Palestine. The Lukan writer was saying that followers of Jesus such as Philip proclaimed that Jesus raised from the dead rather than Caesar is Lord, and that this proclamation was received with joy also among Samaritans, who as a result were set free from their bondage to the oppressive Romans and were filled with the Holy Spirit of God. In the name of Jesus raised from the dead, these Samaritans were liberated from the unclean spirits of the advocates of Roman Civil Religion who possessed them, and were no longer lame and paralyzed. They were baptized in the name of Jesus raised from the dead as Lord, who for them replaced Caesar as Lord. In the same way, when we today proclaim that Jesus raised from the dead - rather than whatever political or religious power possesses the people around us - is Lord, people are set free today and are filled with joy.
Common:
1 Peter 3:13-22
Lutheran: 1 Peter 3:15-22
Roman Catholic: 1 Peter 3:15-18
The reading actually should begin with 1 Peter 3:8. There are at least five important issues in this text. First, there is the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus as the Christ (3:18). Second, there is the proclamation of where Jesus the Christ is now, in heaven "at the right hand of God" (3:22). Third, there is the proclamation that after Jesus was raised from the dead he addressed himself to the spirits of those who were destroyed at the time of Noah (3:19-20). Fourth, there is the somewhat obscure analogy between salvation on Noah's Ark and salvation now through Baptism in the name of Jesus as the Christ raised from the dead (3:21). (We should note that Richard L. Jeske, Understanding and Teaching the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981), p. 35, points out that The Living Bible translation basically rewrote 1 Peter 3:21, apparently because the verse does not correspond to the Theology of the translator of The Living Bible.) Finally, there is the insight into the effectiveness of suffering, if necessary, as those addressed revere Jesus raised from the dead rather than Caesar as Lord (3:8-17). Obviously, there is much for us to proclaim in this text.
John 14:15-21
This selection is certainly one of the most beautiful and most meaningful portions of the basic John 14 "farewell discourse" of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Especially beautiful and meaningful is 14:19c, "Because I (the Johannine Jesus) live, also you shall live." Those who hear this message and respond as they should will not be left as orphans. Instead, the Spirit of Truth, who is another Paraclete like Jesus, will be with them forever in order to provide for them whatever they need. In 1 Peter 3:8-22 and in John 14:15-21 God and the People of God are said to be mutual advocates of each other. We are called to proclaim this on Easter 6, Series A. It will not be difficult for us to give our personal testimony to this.
Common:
Psalm 66:8-20
Lutheran: Psalm 66:1-6, 14-18
Roman Catholic: Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
Psalm 66 is an excellent example of an Individual Hymn of Praise. It illustrates the essential elements of worship among the ancient Israelites, and we can readily see that our Christian worship does not differ greatly from the elements of worship depicted here. The various portions in the three lectionaries can serve as individual preparation for worship on Easter 6. Perhaps we shall want to have them sung by a choir or soloist at the conclusion of the organ prelude.
The New Testament selections for Easter 6, Series A, provide a strong personal testimony to the message of the resurrection of Jesus within history, as an event from the past that has great significance for the present and for the future. More than anything else, this is what is distinctive about Christianity compared to Judaism and to Islam, where resurrection is also anticipated, but only at the end of this world of time and space, on the "judgment day." The selections from Acts of Apostles, 1 Peter, and the Fourth Gospel come to us from different segments of the early Church from approximately the same time period, around 85-95 C.E. In these New Testament texts, we have good indications of what the resurrection of Jesus meant to various individuals and groups of followers of Jesus near the end of the first century. Perhaps we can incorporate something from each text into our proclamation of the Easter message next Sunday as we share our personal testimony of the resurrection of Jesus, since the congregations in which we serve probably include persons whose interests and background are similar to persons in the groups addressed in these texts.
Common, Lutheran: Acts 17:22-31
Perhaps in every congregation there are some people who, like the Athenians represented in this text, perceive that God is basically "unknown." In a style reminiscent of classical Greek oratory, the Lukan writer has Paul address such people most skillfully, beginning by meeting them where they are and proclaiming God as known through Jesus, a man chosen by God, raised from the dead, and assigned the responsibility of evaluating the entire inhabited world for God. In these few verses, therefore, the inspired Lukan writer incapsulated what must have been an important aspect of early Christian mission, the proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus to intelligent, critically-thinking Greeks apart from the context of the Jewish synagogues. By means of the literary drama that we have in Acts 17:16-34, the Lukan writer provided a thumbnail sketch of that aspect of the mission, of that portion of the history of the early Church.
Even though our own proclamation of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus to people today who are similar in their thinking to the Athenians depicted in this text may be as lacking in outward evidence of success as was the proclamation of the Lukan writer's Paul in Athens, this kind of proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus remains important. Since Acts 17:22-31 addresses this important aspect of Christian mission more directly than it is addressed in any other New Testament text, we should share our personal testimony of the resurrection of Jesus to the "Athenians" where we are on Easter 6, Series A. To the people who are like the Athenians depicted in Acts 17:16-34, we should admit that from the viewpoint of reason God is basically unknowable and unknown, but that we "know" God through Jesus and through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. To put it another way, God is known through Jesus in a unique way. We "know" God not by means of irrefutable reason, but through God-given faith by which we feel God's presence and God's action in our lives. The person of Jesus, chosen by God, raised from the dead, and assigned the responsibility of evaluating the entire inhabited world, is central in the Christian proclamation. This is the faith that we proclaim.
Roman Catholic: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
According to this account, the personal testimony of Philip regarding the resurrection of Jesus as the Christ was supported by the casting out of many unclean spirits and their replacement by the Holy Spirit of God within a city of Samaria. It is likely that the inspired Lukan writer was saying in this account that the personal testimony and proclamation that Jesus had shared so boldly that Yahweh rather than Caesar is Lord and that God's kingdom is coming to replace the kingdom of Caesar was received with joy also later, after Jesus had been crucified by the oppressive Roman forces in Palestine. The Lukan writer was saying that followers of Jesus such as Philip proclaimed that Jesus raised from the dead rather than Caesar is Lord, and that this proclamation was received with joy also among Samaritans, who as a result were set free from their bondage to the oppressive Romans and were filled with the Holy Spirit of God. In the name of Jesus raised from the dead, these Samaritans were liberated from the unclean spirits of the advocates of Roman Civil Religion who possessed them, and were no longer lame and paralyzed. They were baptized in the name of Jesus raised from the dead as Lord, who for them replaced Caesar as Lord. In the same way, when we today proclaim that Jesus raised from the dead - rather than whatever political or religious power possesses the people around us - is Lord, people are set free today and are filled with joy.
Common:
1 Peter 3:13-22
Lutheran: 1 Peter 3:15-22
Roman Catholic: 1 Peter 3:15-18
The reading actually should begin with 1 Peter 3:8. There are at least five important issues in this text. First, there is the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus as the Christ (3:18). Second, there is the proclamation of where Jesus the Christ is now, in heaven "at the right hand of God" (3:22). Third, there is the proclamation that after Jesus was raised from the dead he addressed himself to the spirits of those who were destroyed at the time of Noah (3:19-20). Fourth, there is the somewhat obscure analogy between salvation on Noah's Ark and salvation now through Baptism in the name of Jesus as the Christ raised from the dead (3:21). (We should note that Richard L. Jeske, Understanding and Teaching the Bible (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981), p. 35, points out that The Living Bible translation basically rewrote 1 Peter 3:21, apparently because the verse does not correspond to the Theology of the translator of The Living Bible.) Finally, there is the insight into the effectiveness of suffering, if necessary, as those addressed revere Jesus raised from the dead rather than Caesar as Lord (3:8-17). Obviously, there is much for us to proclaim in this text.
John 14:15-21
This selection is certainly one of the most beautiful and most meaningful portions of the basic John 14 "farewell discourse" of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Especially beautiful and meaningful is 14:19c, "Because I (the Johannine Jesus) live, also you shall live." Those who hear this message and respond as they should will not be left as orphans. Instead, the Spirit of Truth, who is another Paraclete like Jesus, will be with them forever in order to provide for them whatever they need. In 1 Peter 3:8-22 and in John 14:15-21 God and the People of God are said to be mutual advocates of each other. We are called to proclaim this on Easter 6, Series A. It will not be difficult for us to give our personal testimony to this.
