Second Sunday of Easter
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
The church year theological clue
Two major changes were made in the rationale of the Easter season in virtually all of the new lectionaries: the first was dropping the Latin names for the six Sundays between Easter and Pentecost, as was done in Lent. Since these names come from the introits, the psalms, rather than the gospels, and established the theoretical and real themes of the Sundays, something of Easter was often lost in the process. For example, the Fourth Sunday after Easter was Cantate and became known as Church Music Sunday in some parts of the church, a day to promote singing in choirs, etc. "Singing a new song to the Lord," in response to the resurrection, was lost, more often than not, in this special emphasis, which even included turning this Sunday into a day for cantatas and concerts which made spectators of the people of God. By deleting the Latin names and the singing of the introits, the gospels have been given their due. Second, by naming the Sundays "of Easter" instead of "after Easter" places strong emphasis on the Great Fifty Days, indicating that the Sundays of Easter are actually a continuation of the Easter/resurrection celebration. Therefore, Easter, as a season, has been restored to what it was in the primitive church. This almost insignificant alteration in the titles of the Sundays of Eastertide makes Easter what it should be, a seven-week celebration of Jesus' resurrection. The preaching during the Sundays of Easter focuses on the reality of the resurrection, including its completion in the ascension of the Lord, and the implications ofthe resurrection for Chnistian faith and life. "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!" should be sounded and re-sounded on each of these Sundays. On this, the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus' appearances to the disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem announce that the risen Lord is able to make contact and communicate with his disciples in a mysterious manner; he has seen and heard. In the future, he will be heard but not seen. Faith in the good news that Jesus is risen from the grave will come by hearing alone. Hence, the Word must be preached throughout the world, so that people will have an opportunity to hear the gospel, to believe, and to be blessed by the Lord.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW) - The rewording of this prayer is intended to give impetus to the continuing celebration of the resurrection of the Lord, but it tends to put Easter in the past rather than in the present and the future, too: "Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy the festival of our Lord's resurrection...." To be in real harmony with the Easter season, it ought to begin, "Almighty God, we are celebrating with joy our Lord's resurrection." The petition asks God to "help us to show the power of the resurrection in all that we say and do" - in other words, to be genuine and believable witnesses ofthe resurrection of Christ, not only during Easter, but throughout the whole year of the Lord and our entire lives, too.
The Psalm for the Day (LBW) - Psalm 105:1-7 - This psalm connects with the prayer of the day, as well as the readings, sounding the note of thanksgiving for God's deeds and making reference to the work of witnessing to these deeds in the world - make known his deeds among the peoples. The children of God are not only to sing to him and give glory to his name, but to search for him "and his strength; and continually seek his face" by remembering "the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth." The psalm can also remind those who believe in Jesus that they are children of Abraham, suggesting that their new covenant is in Christ; they are the new Israel. God is the God of the whole world, and Jesus is Lord of all, is suggested, if not actually proclaimed, in the psalm.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God our Father, through the death and resurrection of your Son you have fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to redeem the world from slavery and to lead us into the promised land. Grant us living water from the rock and bread from heaven, that we may survive our desert pilgrimage and praise you forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
When the new lectionaries began to appear early in the 1970's, there was some unanimity on the choice of Acts 2:42-47 as the First Lesson, but some of the churches changed this reading, as the list above reveals. The original lesson portrays how the church was actually living out the resurrection of Christ in daily life (the gospel was preached, a genuine community "in Christ" developed, the people "broke bread together," and they were faithful in prayer in the name of their risen Lord). The selection that most non-Roman churches have built into their lectionaries finds Peter preaching to the Israelites on the day of Pentecost, accusing them of being responsible for the illegal crucifixion of Christ, whom God had sent to do his work in the world and had identified as the Chosen One through "miracles and portents and signs." Peter also insists that David had prophesied about - and rejoiced in - the coming of the Christ, who uncorrupted by death, lives again. "God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that." (Jerusalem Bible) This reading affirms the Easter proclamation that Jesus is indeed risen from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3-9
This reading is a perfect selection for the Second Sunday of Easter because it refers to the resurrection of Jesus and it parallels the gospel: "without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy." The reader should not be surprised by this combination of themes in the content, because there is considerable scholarly opinion that suggests that 1 Peter was an Easter/baptismal homily or liturgy. The baptismal theme is clearly sounded in the first sentence after the greeting:
By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Believers, who have been baptized into Christ's death, also anticipate in his resurrection and the new life he gives to his own. The Word and the Water - through the ministry of the Holy Spirit - have sealed the faithful into an everlasting relationship with the living Lord.
John 20:19-31
The "seeing is believing" theme, which is introduced by Thomas, who was absent when the Lord made his first post-resurrection appearance to his disciples, quite naturally gains a hearing with believers of every age. The faithful have had, ever since the ascension of Christ, to believe by the hearing the Word, the Good News, without having the benefit of actually seeing the resurrected Lord. Thomas' problem is common to all people. Who can believe the word of witnesses who lived nearly twenty centuries ago? After all, this part of Jesus' story - about his rising from the dead - is an incredible tale, even in an age that has known all sorts of medical marvels connected to death and resurrection.
But the first part of the story tends to be overlooked by the natural appeal that Thomas' honest difficulty in believing the incredible news of Jesus; resurrection has for most people. Jesus greeted the disciples with "Peace be with you," and that has remained to this day as the greeting of the risen Lord to his church, as well as the greeting of the faithful to one another. Next, he made it clear that they were not to spend the rest of their lives attempting to untangle the mystery of his death and resurrection; their task was to continue Jesus' ministry in the world - "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." To give them power for this work, he "breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' " Lastly, he gave them the authority to forgive - or retain - the sins of people to whom they would preach and witness. This part of the story is at least as important as the faith problem Thomas had and the subsequent encounter he had with Jesus.
Two sermons on the Gospel
I. John 20:19-21, 24-31 - "The Confession of a Heretic."
A couple of years ago, Dr. James Kennedy, the parish/television preacher, gave an intriguing sermon in which he made a confession to his congregation and the television audience. He apologized for bringing up "this matter" on Easter Sunday, but said that it was so important that it needed to be addressed. "I have been accused of heresy," he declared. "It is said that I have denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ." He said that is one of the most serious charges that could be made against a minister of the gospel. The truth of the matter was that "I did (deny the resurrection)" - and before an important "group of ministers." He went on to say, in this startling introduction, "My name is Thomas." In this first-person narrative sermon he moved from "Doubting Thomas," the person who said, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe," to the man of faith who cried, "My Lord and my God!" That man he called "Doubtless Thomas," the person that God would make of all of us. The text lends itself beautifully to a biblical narrative sermon.
The risen Christ can go anywhere he wants to; there is no barrier that can prevent him from communicating with his own. Neither the thickest wall, the stoutest door, nor the hardest heart, can stop the Lord from reaching his faithful people. He does it with his Word, "Peace be with you" and the report of the witnesses who say and heard him speak.
Like Thomas, people always want more than a word, a report, a tall tale; those who would believe in Jesus often desire to see him for themselves. That would make believing much simpler, more positive; human beings have to have proof, even in matters of faith: "Unless I see...."
Thomas ought to be called "Fortunate Thomas," because he did get his wish; the risen Christ appeared to him and invited him to touch his wounds, and believe; his doubt immediately vanished in genuine faith. Some people have mystical experiences like that to bolster their belief in the risen Christ, but not many are that fortunate. All that most people will ever have on which to base their faith is a word, the witness of believers, the good news. We're not going to get anything more than the Word and Sacraments.
That Word will suffice; it is sufficient to wipe away our doubts and through God's grace, to plant true faith in Christ in our hearts. Otherwise, Jesus would not have asked Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me?" And in an afterthought, he said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Believe! Believe! Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Believe! Believe!
(For narrative and supplemental material that parallels this incident in a man who wanted to be a believer, but never reached the point where he could call Jesus the living Lord, read Loren Eiseley's autobiography All the Strange Hours, along with The Night Country. In one of his books, he said that a preacher never visited his home when he was growing up. It is unclear whether he ever attended worship services in a Christian church, although he read and knew the Bible. Was his "faith-difficulty" a matter of not hearing the Word proclaimed in the community of faith?)
II. John 20:19-24 - "Peace, Peace ... There is no Peace."
1. The risen Lord spoke a word of peace to his church; it is a gift of the resurrection. "The peace of the Lord be with you" is always the greeting of the living Christ to his people.
2. "Peace" is a greeting that exacts a response in the form of action by the believers. Christ expects his own - all of them, every one - to be witnesses, peacemakers, who by word and deed proclaim the good news that God has given peace to the world in the risen Lord.
3. He empowers his followers to do his bidding by giving them the Holy Spirit. All Christians, in this sense, are charismatic; they can neither believe nor witness effectively without the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
4. The church is given the care of souls in the form of power to forgive - or retain - the sins of people who claim to be believers. Through the preaching of the law, people must be brought to repentance, and through the absolution as the gospel is preached, their faith in Christ will be renewed and they will come to understand Jesus' greeting, "Peace be with you."
A sermon on the First Lesson - Acts 2:14a, 22-32 - "Peter's Plea for Repentance."
1. Any person who has lived in the midwest for any length of time knows what a "mighty wind" really is. The wind and flames that touched the people on Pentecost must have driven them out of the upper rooms into the street where they acted as if they were drunk. They were - with the Holy Spirit.
2. Peter, backed by the rest of the Eleven, explained what was happening and took the occasion to preach for repentance by talking about the death of Christ. "This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the law." (Jerusalem Bible) Every sinner participates in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, now as then.
3. "You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades." And, Peter adds, "All of us are witnesses to that." That's what the new life in Christ is all about: witnessing to the resurrection of the Lord. That's what God wants from us.
A sermon on the Second Lesson, 1 Peter 1:3-9 - "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered."
1. Signed: Christians are "marked with the cross of Christ forever." The cross is the sign that they have died with Jesus in baptism.
2. Sealed: The Holy spirit "seals" people into the resurrection of the Lord and the new life that he gives now to his believers. Through baptism, in which water is poured, the Word is spoken, and the Spirit is active, people are sealed into that relationship.
3. Delivered: Baptism delivers us into the hands of God for time and eternity. Christ is ours, and we are his - and at last, we are promised, the final enemy - death - will be overcome and we will see him face to face.
4. Signed, sealed, and delivered - in Holy Baptism: That's the Christian's condition in Christ that links the believer to God in heaven, and to the earth and the work he has for us in it.
Two major changes were made in the rationale of the Easter season in virtually all of the new lectionaries: the first was dropping the Latin names for the six Sundays between Easter and Pentecost, as was done in Lent. Since these names come from the introits, the psalms, rather than the gospels, and established the theoretical and real themes of the Sundays, something of Easter was often lost in the process. For example, the Fourth Sunday after Easter was Cantate and became known as Church Music Sunday in some parts of the church, a day to promote singing in choirs, etc. "Singing a new song to the Lord," in response to the resurrection, was lost, more often than not, in this special emphasis, which even included turning this Sunday into a day for cantatas and concerts which made spectators of the people of God. By deleting the Latin names and the singing of the introits, the gospels have been given their due. Second, by naming the Sundays "of Easter" instead of "after Easter" places strong emphasis on the Great Fifty Days, indicating that the Sundays of Easter are actually a continuation of the Easter/resurrection celebration. Therefore, Easter, as a season, has been restored to what it was in the primitive church. This almost insignificant alteration in the titles of the Sundays of Eastertide makes Easter what it should be, a seven-week celebration of Jesus' resurrection. The preaching during the Sundays of Easter focuses on the reality of the resurrection, including its completion in the ascension of the Lord, and the implications ofthe resurrection for Chnistian faith and life. "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!" should be sounded and re-sounded on each of these Sundays. On this, the Second Sunday of Easter, Jesus' appearances to the disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem announce that the risen Lord is able to make contact and communicate with his disciples in a mysterious manner; he has seen and heard. In the future, he will be heard but not seen. Faith in the good news that Jesus is risen from the grave will come by hearing alone. Hence, the Word must be preached throughout the world, so that people will have an opportunity to hear the gospel, to believe, and to be blessed by the Lord.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW) - The rewording of this prayer is intended to give impetus to the continuing celebration of the resurrection of the Lord, but it tends to put Easter in the past rather than in the present and the future, too: "Almighty God, we have celebrated with joy the festival of our Lord's resurrection...." To be in real harmony with the Easter season, it ought to begin, "Almighty God, we are celebrating with joy our Lord's resurrection." The petition asks God to "help us to show the power of the resurrection in all that we say and do" - in other words, to be genuine and believable witnesses ofthe resurrection of Christ, not only during Easter, but throughout the whole year of the Lord and our entire lives, too.
The Psalm for the Day (LBW) - Psalm 105:1-7 - This psalm connects with the prayer of the day, as well as the readings, sounding the note of thanksgiving for God's deeds and making reference to the work of witnessing to these deeds in the world - make known his deeds among the peoples. The children of God are not only to sing to him and give glory to his name, but to search for him "and his strength; and continually seek his face" by remembering "the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgments of his mouth." The psalm can also remind those who believe in Jesus that they are children of Abraham, suggesting that their new covenant is in Christ; they are the new Israel. God is the God of the whole world, and Jesus is Lord of all, is suggested, if not actually proclaimed, in the psalm.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God our Father, through the death and resurrection of your Son you have fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to redeem the world from slavery and to lead us into the promised land. Grant us living water from the rock and bread from heaven, that we may survive our desert pilgrimage and praise you forever; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
When the new lectionaries began to appear early in the 1970's, there was some unanimity on the choice of Acts 2:42-47 as the First Lesson, but some of the churches changed this reading, as the list above reveals. The original lesson portrays how the church was actually living out the resurrection of Christ in daily life (the gospel was preached, a genuine community "in Christ" developed, the people "broke bread together," and they were faithful in prayer in the name of their risen Lord). The selection that most non-Roman churches have built into their lectionaries finds Peter preaching to the Israelites on the day of Pentecost, accusing them of being responsible for the illegal crucifixion of Christ, whom God had sent to do his work in the world and had identified as the Chosen One through "miracles and portents and signs." Peter also insists that David had prophesied about - and rejoiced in - the coming of the Christ, who uncorrupted by death, lives again. "God raised this man Jesus to life, and all of us are witnesses to that." (Jerusalem Bible) This reading affirms the Easter proclamation that Jesus is indeed risen from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3-9
This reading is a perfect selection for the Second Sunday of Easter because it refers to the resurrection of Jesus and it parallels the gospel: "without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy." The reader should not be surprised by this combination of themes in the content, because there is considerable scholarly opinion that suggests that 1 Peter was an Easter/baptismal homily or liturgy. The baptismal theme is clearly sounded in the first sentence after the greeting:
By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Believers, who have been baptized into Christ's death, also anticipate in his resurrection and the new life he gives to his own. The Word and the Water - through the ministry of the Holy Spirit - have sealed the faithful into an everlasting relationship with the living Lord.
John 20:19-31
The "seeing is believing" theme, which is introduced by Thomas, who was absent when the Lord made his first post-resurrection appearance to his disciples, quite naturally gains a hearing with believers of every age. The faithful have had, ever since the ascension of Christ, to believe by the hearing the Word, the Good News, without having the benefit of actually seeing the resurrected Lord. Thomas' problem is common to all people. Who can believe the word of witnesses who lived nearly twenty centuries ago? After all, this part of Jesus' story - about his rising from the dead - is an incredible tale, even in an age that has known all sorts of medical marvels connected to death and resurrection.
But the first part of the story tends to be overlooked by the natural appeal that Thomas' honest difficulty in believing the incredible news of Jesus; resurrection has for most people. Jesus greeted the disciples with "Peace be with you," and that has remained to this day as the greeting of the risen Lord to his church, as well as the greeting of the faithful to one another. Next, he made it clear that they were not to spend the rest of their lives attempting to untangle the mystery of his death and resurrection; their task was to continue Jesus' ministry in the world - "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." To give them power for this work, he "breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.' " Lastly, he gave them the authority to forgive - or retain - the sins of people to whom they would preach and witness. This part of the story is at least as important as the faith problem Thomas had and the subsequent encounter he had with Jesus.
Two sermons on the Gospel
I. John 20:19-21, 24-31 - "The Confession of a Heretic."
A couple of years ago, Dr. James Kennedy, the parish/television preacher, gave an intriguing sermon in which he made a confession to his congregation and the television audience. He apologized for bringing up "this matter" on Easter Sunday, but said that it was so important that it needed to be addressed. "I have been accused of heresy," he declared. "It is said that I have denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ." He said that is one of the most serious charges that could be made against a minister of the gospel. The truth of the matter was that "I did (deny the resurrection)" - and before an important "group of ministers." He went on to say, in this startling introduction, "My name is Thomas." In this first-person narrative sermon he moved from "Doubting Thomas," the person who said, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe," to the man of faith who cried, "My Lord and my God!" That man he called "Doubtless Thomas," the person that God would make of all of us. The text lends itself beautifully to a biblical narrative sermon.
The risen Christ can go anywhere he wants to; there is no barrier that can prevent him from communicating with his own. Neither the thickest wall, the stoutest door, nor the hardest heart, can stop the Lord from reaching his faithful people. He does it with his Word, "Peace be with you" and the report of the witnesses who say and heard him speak.
Like Thomas, people always want more than a word, a report, a tall tale; those who would believe in Jesus often desire to see him for themselves. That would make believing much simpler, more positive; human beings have to have proof, even in matters of faith: "Unless I see...."
Thomas ought to be called "Fortunate Thomas," because he did get his wish; the risen Christ appeared to him and invited him to touch his wounds, and believe; his doubt immediately vanished in genuine faith. Some people have mystical experiences like that to bolster their belief in the risen Christ, but not many are that fortunate. All that most people will ever have on which to base their faith is a word, the witness of believers, the good news. We're not going to get anything more than the Word and Sacraments.
That Word will suffice; it is sufficient to wipe away our doubts and through God's grace, to plant true faith in Christ in our hearts. Otherwise, Jesus would not have asked Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me?" And in an afterthought, he said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
Believe! Believe! Christ has risen! He has risen indeed! Believe! Believe!
(For narrative and supplemental material that parallels this incident in a man who wanted to be a believer, but never reached the point where he could call Jesus the living Lord, read Loren Eiseley's autobiography All the Strange Hours, along with The Night Country. In one of his books, he said that a preacher never visited his home when he was growing up. It is unclear whether he ever attended worship services in a Christian church, although he read and knew the Bible. Was his "faith-difficulty" a matter of not hearing the Word proclaimed in the community of faith?)
II. John 20:19-24 - "Peace, Peace ... There is no Peace."
1. The risen Lord spoke a word of peace to his church; it is a gift of the resurrection. "The peace of the Lord be with you" is always the greeting of the living Christ to his people.
2. "Peace" is a greeting that exacts a response in the form of action by the believers. Christ expects his own - all of them, every one - to be witnesses, peacemakers, who by word and deed proclaim the good news that God has given peace to the world in the risen Lord.
3. He empowers his followers to do his bidding by giving them the Holy Spirit. All Christians, in this sense, are charismatic; they can neither believe nor witness effectively without the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
4. The church is given the care of souls in the form of power to forgive - or retain - the sins of people who claim to be believers. Through the preaching of the law, people must be brought to repentance, and through the absolution as the gospel is preached, their faith in Christ will be renewed and they will come to understand Jesus' greeting, "Peace be with you."
A sermon on the First Lesson - Acts 2:14a, 22-32 - "Peter's Plea for Repentance."
1. Any person who has lived in the midwest for any length of time knows what a "mighty wind" really is. The wind and flames that touched the people on Pentecost must have driven them out of the upper rooms into the street where they acted as if they were drunk. They were - with the Holy Spirit.
2. Peter, backed by the rest of the Eleven, explained what was happening and took the occasion to preach for repentance by talking about the death of Christ. "This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the law." (Jerusalem Bible) Every sinner participates in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, now as then.
3. "You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades." And, Peter adds, "All of us are witnesses to that." That's what the new life in Christ is all about: witnessing to the resurrection of the Lord. That's what God wants from us.
A sermon on the Second Lesson, 1 Peter 1:3-9 - "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered."
1. Signed: Christians are "marked with the cross of Christ forever." The cross is the sign that they have died with Jesus in baptism.
2. Sealed: The Holy spirit "seals" people into the resurrection of the Lord and the new life that he gives now to his believers. Through baptism, in which water is poured, the Word is spoken, and the Spirit is active, people are sealed into that relationship.
3. Delivered: Baptism delivers us into the hands of God for time and eternity. Christ is ours, and we are his - and at last, we are promised, the final enemy - death - will be overcome and we will see him face to face.
4. Signed, sealed, and delivered - in Holy Baptism: That's the Christian's condition in Christ that links the believer to God in heaven, and to the earth and the work he has for us in it.
