According to God’s Plan
Easter 3 20-25 April 2020
On the Third Sunday of Easter, we consider the response to the resurrection. In the Gospel, the two followers of Jesus did not recognize the risen Christ until the breaking of bread. Three thousand people responded to Peter’s sermon dealing with the cross and resurrection with repentance and baptism. In the Epistle, we are told that because of the resurrection, the living Word, we are born anew in love and faith. Psalm 116 harmonizes with the theme of response: “What shall I render...?” The prayer and hymn continue with the resurrection theme.
Collect for Easter 3 - O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
A Daytime Collect for Eastertide - Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit.
O Almighty and eternal God, now that You have assured us of the completion of our redemption through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, give us the will to show forth in our lives what we profess with our lips; through Jesus Christ Your Lord our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one god, now and forever.
An Evening Collect for Eastertide – Abide with us, Lord, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. Abide with us and with Your whole Church. Abide with us in the end of the day, in the end of our life, in the end of the world. Abide with us with Your grace and goodness, with Your Holy Word and sacrament, with Your strength and blessing. Abide with us when the night of affliction and temptation comes upon us, the night of fear and despair when death shall come. Abide with us and with all the faithful through time and eternity.
Collect for St. Mark (April 25): Almighty God, You have enriched Your Church with the proclamation of the Gospel through the evangelist Mark. Grant that we may firmly believe these glad tidings and daily walk according to Your Word;
Morning Prayer Readings for the Coming Week:
April 20 Monday The Ascension Acts 1:1-11
April 21 Tuesday Pentecost Acts 2
April 22 Wednesday Chapel
April 23 Thursday The Lame Beggar Healed Acts 3:1-10
April 24 Friday Stephen Acts 6-7
Catechism Review: “What is Confession?"; "What sins should we confess?"; "What is the Office of the Keys?"
Monday, 20 April 2020 – Psalm 133– The Antiphon for next Sunday’s Introit is taken from Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” After much conflict, the people of God came together. In the world today there appears to be much conflict. How do we achieve unity? Some claim that unity comes through diversity. We find unity when we are at one especially when there is agreement, especially when we consider the person of Christ.
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 – Acts 2:14a, 26-41 – The apostolic church described in this lesson serves as a model of the true church. It is a community of faith in Christ. The church is characterized by the Word (teaching) and sacraments (breaking bread which “added to their number”). Worship was a regular activity — daily attendance at temple services and “prayers.” Fellowship was a part of their church — a fellowship in Christ, a fellowship of caring.
Wednesday, 22 April 2020 – 1 Peter 1:17-25 – God has a destiny for every person, even for Jesus. God had the cross in mind even before the creation of humanity. He knew of humanity’s upcoming fall. He knew of the disobedience and rebellion before humanity’s creation. God had a plan to restore us to fellowship before the sacrifice of Christ. It was the eternal destiny of Jesus to be the Messiah, to die, and rise again (verse 20). The question arises: If God knew in advance of humanity’s sin and the horrible death necessary on the cross, why did God bother to make us? Only God can answer that.
Thursday, 23 April 2020 – Luke 24:13-35 – Jesus was driven to the cross. He asked, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (verse 26).
If Jesus is the Messiah, a satisfaction of God’s wrath against sin, the sacrifice on the cross was necessary.
This indicates that the cross was a divine project; also, it means that only God could remove the offense of sin. God in Christ satisfies his own justice resulting in God’s acceptance of us as forgiven children.
Friday, 24 April 2020 – Psalm 116:1-14– The Psalm portion for this coming week is centered on a question, “What shall I render to the Lord for all his bounty to me?” (verse 12) How can we repay the Lord when we consider all of the goodness He has showered down upon us? By offering to the Lord those expressions of devotion, which He desires. The Hebrew word for “goodness” occurs only here in the Old Testament but represents the same basic root as “has been good” in verse 7.
Saturday, 25 April 2020– Mark 16:15 – This verse is the inspiration for the hymn “With High Delight let us Unite“{LSB #483}.Having experienced the Lord Jesus risen from the dead, we as the people of God reach out into the world proclaiming the good news. This is the response of Easter. The early Christians simply told others, “We are witnesses of these things.” Likewise, we share with others the good things the Savior has done for us.
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Sources:
THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL © 1940 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LUTHERAN WORSHIP © 1982 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LUTHERAN SERVICE BOOK © 2008 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
LUTHERAN SEVICE BOOK LECTIONARY © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO
Schnorr von Carolsfeld, woodcuts © WELS Permission to use these copyrighted items is limited to personal and congregational use.
The Road to Emmaus, Icon for St. Mark, copyright © Google Images
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