Easter

Jan 14 2025

Following the Shepherd

At the end of the day, shepherds would bring their sheep to a common sheep fold, leading them through a gate that was guarded during the night. Shepherds would give names to their sheep and call to them when daylight came, leading them back out to pasture. Because the sheep recognized the shepherd’s voice there was no mix-up with sheep that belonged to others.

The idea that shepherds had a name for each of their sheep brings home the difference between a good shepherd and a stranger. The good shepherd was concerned not only for the flock but for each sheep in it. He knew them and they knew him. “They will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers” (John 10:5).

There are two words in Greek for “good”—agathos and kalos. Agathos refers to moral goodness, as in being a “good person.” Kalos refers to being “good at” something. Certainly Jesus is the Good Shepherd in both senses, but the word used here is kalos, emphasizing his being “good at” shepherding.

Jesus knows his sheep by name, leads them to safety when darkness falls, and returns them to pasture. He was willing to lay down his life for them. Most comforting of all, he came then and comes now so we might have life and have it more abundantly. This image challenges all who have been called to be shepherds in today’s church, to be good shepherds and to be good at shepherding.

Consider/Discuss

What does the image of Jesus as the good shepherd say to you in your life?
What does the promise of “abundant life” mean for you?
Have you come to know the difference between the voice of the good shepherd and the voice of “a stranger”?

Responding to the Word

Jesus, our shepherd, not only cares and searches us out, but he “bore our sins in his body upon the cross so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). We praise the Father for giving us Jesus as “the shepherd and guardian of our souls” and we pray for all who have taken up ministering to God’s people.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

When Peter declares that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ, the people are cut to the heart with remorse. They realize that they put to death the Holy One, God’s anointed. The openness with which they receive Peter’s words of testimony and accusation shows that all of the Jewish people were not hard–hearted, as some have suggested. Peter then exhorts them to repent and be baptized. The promise of which Peter speaks is probably a reference to the promise of the Spirit that was initially made to the ancestors of the people in Peter’s audience. The promise of the Spirit is now made to them.

The author of First Peter claims that when we suffer precisely for having done what is good, we have the example of Christ to follow. Afflicted though innocent, he did not resort to vengeance. The description of the innocent suffering of Christ recalls a passage from one of the Suffering Servant Songs of the prophet Isaiah (53:4–7). This passage also contains the image of the shepherd. It is employed here to indicate that Jesus is the shepherd and his disciples are the sheep. Although at times they wander away from him, they will be safe and will prosper only if they follow his lead.

In the Gospel, Jesus uses figures of speech to make his points. Characterizing himself as a shepherd, he contrasts himself with those who try to steal into the sheepfold. He seeks to guide, guard, and nurture the sheep; strangers want to snatch the sheep. The true shepherd will be recognized by both the gatekeeper and the sheep. Then, using the technical phrase “I am”, he characterizes himself as the gate. Those who go through Jesus will be safe within the pen. As both shepherd and gate, Jesus shows concern for the welfare of the sheep. He insists that he has come so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.

Jan 14 2025

Resurrection Words

The power of words spoken by a person with great conviction can be transformative. I have heard various presidents of our country speak, and many preachers of the gospel. Most memorable were those who offered not only a well-written speech but one communicated with what has been called “fire in the belly.” This does not translate necessarily into a lot of shouting or banging of the podium, but more an experience of word becoming flesh.

Jesus certainly had this ability, as we hear today in the disciples’ reaction: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). The same sense of heat being generated is in today’s first reading when Peter raises his voice and proclaims: “You who are Israelites, hear these words” (Acts 2:22). Peter then goes on to preach Jesus Christ whom “God raised . . . up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it” (2:24). This is a far cry from Peter in the courtyard the night Jesus was arrested.

We spend seven weeks celebrating the Easter event so that the awareness of this mystery might occupy a bigger place in our heart. Like the disciples on the road, we may find ourselves losing hope that our belief in Jesus really matters in today’s world, but seven weeks of Easter can help us recover a stronger sense of what we heard in 1 Peter today, that truly our “faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:21).

Consider/Discuss

Can you think of a time when the words of another have transformed how you were thinking or feeling?
What impact do the words “He has been raised!” have on you?

Responding to the Word

We can pray that we will be welcoming to anyone through whom Jesus continues to meet us on the road and bring us to deeper understanding of what his death and resurrection mean for our lives and the life of the world. We pray for liberation from whatever prevents us from recognizing him.

Jan 14 2025

Scripture Study for

Peter’s speech today proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Messiah follows the pattern of early missionary preaching: announcement of the arrival of the age of fulfillment; summary of events in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus; recourse to the Old Testament showing Jesus as fulfillment of the promises. Only the call to repentance is absent. It is clear from the text that Peter is speaking to a Jewish community. This should be remembered lest we understand his accusation as anti-Judaic. This speech also proclaims Jesus’ resurrection and ascension and the descent of the Spirit. Finally, it provides us with an early statement about the inner workings of the Trinity.

The author of 1 Peter speaks of the cost of salvation and the responsibilities that accompany it. He reminds the audience that calling God “father” is comparable to asking God to act as disciplinarian. This presents a picture different from that of a tender parent. It points to our obligation to live the new life in Christ with integrity. The author insists that the death and resurrection of Christ have ransomed believers from the futile manner of living they inherited from their ancestors, patterns of living into which they had been socialized. Christians must now live differently.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus are probably returning from the celebration of Passover, and they doubtless assume that the unrecognized Jesus is on the road for the same reason. Although Cleopas’ companion is not named, several clues suggest it is his wife. As Jesus shows how the scriptures point to him, the hearts of the disciples burn within them. Their religious tradition is being interpreted in an exciting new way. Finally, it is in the breaking of the bread that their eyes are opened, and they recognize him. The account underscores several important issues: glory comes by way of suffering; remembering the tradition is not enough—in new situations it must be reinterpreted; and we come to know Christ in the breaking of the bread.

Jan 14 2025

Thomas, Our Twin

It is easy to feel superior to Thomas until you realize that he represents just about every person who has ever paused a moment to ask him or herself: do I really believe? Do I still believe as I used to? And some combination of your heart and mind responds: I’m not sure. Be assured, this is not the end of the world.

Thomas stood there and told the rest of the apostles, “I don’t, won’t, can’t accept this wild tale you are telling me.” When Jesus appeared again, he didn’t yell or get all bent out of shape about Thomas’ doubts. He invited Thomas to touch his wounds and then asked him to believe (perhaps indicating that even touching the wounds might not be enough). Then he had a word for all others who would be disciples in the future: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).

Everyone since that select group in the beginning has come to believe on the strength of another’s word. Perhaps it was a parent or friend or teacher or some religious figure. Perhaps it was a book, a movie, or even a television show. Sometimes the invitation to believe comes out of the blue—a soul-shattering event, an unexpected experience; sometimes, from within—an inner restlessness, a seeking after answers to life’s questions. But when the invitation to believe comes, it calls for a leap. It comes down to an act of trust in the word of another, ultimately in the word of God.

Consider/Discuss

Who or what called you to faith in Jesus as your Lord and God?
How have you called others to faith? Are you being asked to do so at this time?

Responding to the Word

We need to remember that faith is a gift. We do not earn it and we do not receive it as a matter of a birthright. So it is good to pray for faith: that the Lord increase it; that it not be tested beyond what we, with God’s grace, can bear; and that we persevere in faith.