Sixth Sunday of Easter
Easter • Sermon • Submitted
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Initial Notes: we are going to try to look at the seven week structure of the readings, and we can’t do it all in one week, it would be confusing, and it would overload the listeners. So on Good Shepherd Sunday we looked at the Gospel selections, last week we looked at the OT selections which are really selections from Acts. Today we’ll look at the epistle readings
West says that when the lectionary makers looked at the season of Easter, they picked selections from books that had an affinity to John, meaning not reading any Paul. So we read (surprise) from the epistle of John and Peter’s epistles. With the exception of Easter Sunday, when we read from 1Co 15, which is the resurrection chapter.
Here in Year B, we have
The tradition of Jesus’ resurrection appearances
We declare what we have heard, seen, touched
We are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed
We ought to lay down our lives for one another
Let us love one another, because love is from God
By this we know we love children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments
This is the testimony: that God gave us life, and life is in the Son
lets see if I can boil that condense that down:
risen J appearances—we are eyewitnesses, touched—already…not yet as God’s children—lay down life—love one another—love God keep commandments—new life in Son
appear-eyewitness-children-sacrifice-love-commandments-life
The readings and comments:
Act 10.44-48
While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
We already spoke of the need to see the larger sweep of readings with respect to the epistles in the Easter Season. It is no less true here. The Daily Lectionary will give us context for this passage. It is fine if you haven’t read it, but if you have, this will be doubly meaningful, because it gives the background to Cornelius, a Gentile, and his group receiving the Holy Spirit. So please, come to church when you can at eight o’clock during weekdays to read the passages for the day.
(LCMS begins with verse 34) Here we see the Holy Spirit fall on the Gentiles, our story is almost over, from death-burial-resurrection, to the birth of the Church which was Jewish, and now Gentile. And we get a foretaste of Pentecost which will be two Sundays from now (seventh Sunday of Easter, like counting yourself you have to take away one, Pentecost is the eight Sunday, taking away the one we have so 7x7+1=50).
Another key point is this is Luke’s big exclamation mark on the witness to the Gentiles being in full force. This story is repeated in Act 11 and 15 which shows how important this was. Remember (have these two verses on the overhead) Jesus’ great commission “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” and Acts “this Gospel shall be preached in Jerusalem, Samaria, to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
The important point to make is from Act 11.20 we know the mission to the Gentiles started earlier but because Peter was the head of the church at this time, his encounter and outreach to the Gentiles was the definitive step, because the other disciples would have not just assented to it, but changed their strategy by definitely including Gentile evangelism in their work. Mention Thomas’ work in India, 11 of 12 disciples gave their lives, excepting John.
Psa 98
A Psalm. O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The Lord has made known his victory, he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
Sing a new song to Yahweh. I love the "sing to the LORD" and "his holy arm" parts but don't forget "Yahweh...has revealed his righteousness to every nation" and "The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God." Another thing I notice is judgment preceded by joy (8-9) which speaks of N.T. Wright's view of judgment, that it is something we should desire, not shy away from, it is good. We should want the dross of our lives to be burnt off. Of course there is another sense that could very well be true, that the people that should be joyful are now being oppressed, in which case the justice and fairness that are coming mean release for them. Judge = shapat
1Jo 5.1-6
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.
(LCMS through verse 8) There is a lot in the opening five verses, but as regards the Spirit, which this season is (about to become and which theme is today) is in the last verse, "The Spirit, who is truth, confirms [that Jesus is God's Son] with his (the Spirit's) testimony."
Joh 15.9-17
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. This I command you, to love one another.
Another love passage, so this directly ties with the epistle today. And it is the same message, that people who love God or say they love God, what is the sign? They obey God's commandments. Love and or love as obedience to God's commandments has to be theme A2 today, a major theme. And joy (11) we also find in today's psalm. I chose you! (God chooses us), "This is my command, love each other" and this we see in John 13 and where Jesus asks Peter three times "do you love me? feed my sheep."
Fuller says something important, that the verbs “the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father are in aorist which is a single concrete act, meaning this is different from the love the Father has had for the Son and vice versa since eternity. The single concrete love here is the Father sending Jesus to earth on a mission to witness and gather disciples and train tham, and then to die on a cross.
Paulist tells us to focus on verse 13-14 some: “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” There is nothing wrong with acquaintances and God doesn’t want us to give up our acquaintances, but we have to one the one hand identify those acquaintances, and then identify friends where you have fidelity and self-giving. If you lack friends, ask God to show you someone, probably now not quite a friend by our definition, and go out and help that brother or sister, giving of yourselves. Make and have a very good friend or two, they could even be from another village and they aren’t even believers in Jesus. That’s ok. Not only is that ok, it is very good. This village should have connections (and you do) with the surrounding villages, Lue, Tai Ya, Jino, Chinese, Akha/Hani/Aini. Maintain those, deepen them. Go to their festivals and bring something to share. If you hear about someone sick in their village, offer to go to their house. Pray for them.