Time in the Word - Easter 3

Time in the Word

13–18 April 2015

Preparation for next week, Easter 3

Collect for Easter 3 – O almighty and eternal God, who hast bestowed on us the paschal mysteries in the token of the covenant of man’s redemption, give us the will to show forth in our lives that which we profess with our lips; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A Morning Prayer: Faithful God, whose mercies are new to us every morning, we humbly pray that You would look upon us in mercy and renew us by Your Holy Spirit; keep safe our going out and our coming in and let Your blessing remains with us throughout this day; preserve us in You righteousness and grant us a portion in that eternal life which is in Christ Jesus; through whom b e glory and praise to You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

An Evening Prayer: Merciful Father, whose guiding hand has brought us to the completion of this day, we humbly pray You to stay with us and shelter us in quiet hours of the night that we who are wearied by the changes and changes of this passing world may rest in Your changeless peace.

For likeness to Christ: O God, by the patient suffering of Your only-begotten Son You have beaten down the pride of the old enemy. Now help us, we humbly pray, rightly to treasure in our hearts all that our Lord has of His goodness borne for our sake that after His example,. We may bear with patience all that is adverse to us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Monday, 13 April 2015 – Psalm 30:1-5; Antiphon, Psalm 16:11b – In Psalm 30, David exuberantly worships the Lord, who lifted him out of the depths, healed him, and brought him up from the grave. He calls upon all saints – including us – to sing to the Lord and praise His holy Name, for we, too have been delivered from sin death, and the power of the devil by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

Tuesday, 14 April 2015 –  Psalm 4 – antiphon v. 7, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when the grain and new wine abound.” The hard work put into spring planning and summer growth pays off in the fall at harvest. Who isn’t overjoyed at a bumper crop? Yet the Psalmist reminds us greater joy is found is in knowing the Lord who has filled the heart. In Biblical language the heart is the center of the human spirit, from which spring emotions, thought, motivations, courage and action, -“the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Wednesday, 15 April 2015 – Acts 3:11-21 – Once again Peter speaks to onlookers concerning the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. The miracle is not found in the healing of man but it the fact that the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus.

Thursday, 16 April 2015 – 1 John 3:1-7 – John does not speak of sinless perfection in the life of the believer but of the new perspective given to the believer. Our focus is upon Christ and His work in the redeemed child of God.

Friday, 17 April 2015 – Luke 24:36-49 – The early Church Fathers had to deal with heretics called Docetists who denied the physical resurrection of Jesus, saying it was only a spiritual resurrection, and that His appearances were that of a phantasm, or else hallucinations by His followers. This heresy persists to this day: the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Christ. But Jesus dispels any sort of nonsensical ideas in Sunday’s Gospel. He appears in the flesh – Why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have – and eats food. This eyewitness account also gives us the assurance of the physical resurrection of Jesus, and of all believers, as we confess in the Creed.

The disciples could not believe that the risen Christ was real because of joy., They were so glad to see Him that they could not believe it was true. Usually joy follows believing, or there is the joy of believing. In this case the presence of the living crucified one was so overwhelming that they had joy even before they believed. Their joy attests to their love and appreciation for Him. Their joy is a witness to the reality of the Resurrection, for it was a response to His presence. The joy of Easter, then, is not in flowers, eggs, clothing, or candy. It is in the presence of the risen Lord.

Saturday, 18 April 2015 – The Strife Is O'er, the Battle Done (LSB 464) – The battle hymn of the Reformation, A Mighty Fortress, proclaims, “One little word can fell him” (the devil). That word is tetelestai – the Greek word for “It is finished.” Jesus’ victory over sin, death, and the devil is complete. Sunday’s hymn proclaims this loud and clear: The strife is o’er, the battle done; Now is the Victor’s triumph won.” Christ has set us free from our mortal enemies, to which we respond over and over, “Alleluia” – “Praise the Lord”!

Source:

Concordia Self-Study Commentary, © 1971, 1979, Concordia Publishing House.

 Lutheran Service Book, © 2006, Concordia Publishing House, .