Worship Helps for Easter 3
The Incredulity of St. Thomas
Benjamin West
Worship Theme: Does telling others about Christ intimidate
you? Do you fear how people will react? Today we see that Jesus’ death and
resurrection give believers confidence. Our sins have been washed clean in his
blood. We have forgiveness for any and all sins. Such truths give us the
courage to witness boldly to the lost about Christ’s love and the rescue we
have in his name.
First Lesson: Acts 12:1-19
It was about this time that King Herod arrested
some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He
had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When
he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This
happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting
him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of
four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the
Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was
earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to
bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two
chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel
of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side
and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off
Peter's wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Put on your
clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you
and follow me," the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of
the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really
happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the
first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It
opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the
length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter
came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his
angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish
people were anticipating." 12 When this had dawned on him, he
went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many
people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer
entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14
When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without
opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!" 15
"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting
that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel." 16 But
Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were
astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and
described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the
brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place. 18
In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had
become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him
and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be
executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while.
1. Compare 12:5 with 12:15 .
What is ironic?
2. This story does not prove that a Christian will never
suffer unjust imprisonment or death. What does it prove?
Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6
Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of
Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still
had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said
good-by to them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thanks be to God,
who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to
God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are
perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other,
the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so
many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ
we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. 3:1 Are we
beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters
of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter,
written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3 You show that
you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink
but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets
of human hearts. 4 Such confidence as this is ours through Christ
before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim
anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has
made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-- not of the letter but of the
Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
3. How does God always lead Paul and those who spread the
gospel with him?
4. What does Paul mean, practically, when he says that to
some we are the aroma of life, and to others, the smell of death?
5. What does Paul mean by “the letter” and “the Spirit” in
3:6?
Gospel: Luke 24:36-49
While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them
and said to them, "Peace be with you." 37 They were
startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to
them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39
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." 40 When he had
said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they
still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do
you have anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of
broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with
you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he opened their minds so
they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is
what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third
day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in
his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are
witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father
has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from
on high."
6. What did the disciples think when Jesus appeared to
them?
7. We have not seen Jesus with our own eyes. In what way
are we also witnesses?
Answers:
1. In 12:5 the believers pray earnestly that Peter will be
released. When he is released, though, they can’t imagine how it could be true.
2. This story shows the power of God’s Word; it changed
Peter from a man scared of a slave girl, denying his Lord three times, to a man
who can sleep peacefully in prison. This story also proves that God answers
prayer for the good of the spread of the gospel. It proves that God gives the
holy angels great power; we should thank God for his holy angels and ask him to
guard our loved ones.
3. God always leads Paul and his companions in triumphal
procession in Christ. The picture of “triumph” calls to mind a lavish victory
parade through the streets of Rome
after a Roman general and his army won a great victory.
4. In Roman triumphs, according to one historian,
“garlands of flowers were prepared to decorate every shrine and image. Incense
smoked on every altar.” Victorious Roman soldiers enjoyed those sweet smells,
but the same sweet odors told Roman captives being dragged through the streets
that they were soon to die. In the same way, Jesus’ resurrection attracts
believers but repels unbelievers.
5. Paul means law and gospel. The letter of the law kills,
for we are sinners. But by the gospel, the Spirit gives life.
6. The disciples thought Jesus was a ghost. Even after
Jesus rose the disciples were slow to catch on. At first they did not grasp the
meaning of what Jesus’ dying and rising meant. Only after a special outpouring
of the Spirit on Pentecost did they “get it,” and receive the strength to be
witnesses to the gospel.
7. We too are witnesses of the resurrection, even though
we have not seen Jesus physically. We have come to know him through his Word. We now have the privilege and
responsibility of sharing that precious message with others.
“Peace be with you.” Is there a greater phrase that can be
uttered for our soul’s comfort? We have peace with God through the forgiveness
of sins won for us by his Son. In this peace we are prepared to serve him with
all our heart and soul.
We read in the Smalcald
Articles (Repentance): In Christians, this repentance continues until
death. For through one’s entire life,
repentance contends with the sin remaining in the flesh. Paul testifies that he wars with the law in
his members not by his own powers, but by the gift of the Holy Spirit that
follows the forgiveness of sins. This
gift daily cleanses and sweeps out the remaining sins and works to make a
person truly holy.
These words say nothing at all
about our will, or that even in regenerate people our will does anything by
itself. But they credit this work to the
gift of the Holy Spirit, who cleanses a person and makes him daily more godly
and holy. Our own powers are entirely excluded from this work.
In Dr. Luther’s Large Catechism this is written: I am also
a part and member. I am incorporated
into it by the Holy Spirit through having heard and continuing to hear God’s
Word. In the past, before we had
attained to this, we were altogether of the devil, knowing nothing about God
and about Christ. So, until the Last
Day, the Holy Spirit abides with the holy congregation. Through this congregation He brings us to
Christ and He teaches and preaches to us the Word. By the Word He works and promotes
sanctification, causing this congregation to become strong in the faith and its
fruit – Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article II, Free Will
(paragraphs 34-37)
This joyful Eastertide
Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow.
Refrain: Had
Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst his three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now is Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
But now is Christ arisen!
Death's flood has lost its chill
Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver.
Refrain
My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number.
Refrain
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