Worship Helps for Easter 3
Christ Appearing to His Disciples
William Blake
If you missed worship on Sunday morning, we again have
worship on Wednesday night at 6:30 pm.
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
At about that time, King Herod laid
violent hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. 2He
had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When
he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days
of Unleavened Bread.
4After arresting Peter, Herod put him in
prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him.
Herod intended to bring him before the people for trial after the Passover. 5So
Peter was kept in prison, but the church earnestly offered up prayer to God for
him.
6The very night before Herod was going to
bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound
with two chains, while sentries were in front of the door, guarding the prison.
7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood near
him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter up by striking him on
the side, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell from his wrists.
8Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed
and put on your sandals.” So he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your
cloak and follow me.” 9Peter went out, following the angel, but he
did not realize that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought
he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed through the first and
second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It
opened all by itself for them. They went outside, walked down one street, and
immediately the angel left him.
11When Peter came to himself, he
said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the
hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”
12When he realized this, he went to
the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is also called Mark. Many had
gathered there and were praying. 13When Peter knocked at the
entrance gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14She
recognized Peter’s voice and was so overjoyed, she did not open the gate.
Instead she ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.
15They told her, “You are out of your
mind!” But she kept on insisting it was so, and they started saying, “It’s his
angel.”
16Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking.
When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter
motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described to them how the Lord
had brought him out of prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the
brothers.” Then he left and went on to another place.
18At daybreak, there was no small
commotion among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19After
Herod searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and
ordered that they be executed.
Then Herod went down from Judea to
Caesarea and stayed there.
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
12When I came to Troas to proclaim
the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord, 13I
had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I
said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia.
14But thanks be to God, who always
causes us to triumph in Christ and reveals the fragrance of his knowledge
through us in every place. 15Yes, we are the fragrance of Christ for
God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To
some we are the odor of death that is a prelude to death, to the others the
fragrance of life that is a prelude to life. And who is qualified for these
things? 17To be sure, we are not like many who peddle the word of
God for profit. Instead, in Christ we speak with sincerity in the sight of God,
as men from God.
3:1Are we beginning to commend
ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to
you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our
hearts, known and read by everyone. 3It is clear that you are a
letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit
of the living God, not on stone tablets, but on tablets that are hearts of
flesh.
4Such is the confidence we have through
Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent by ourselves to claim
that anything comes from us; rather, our competence is from God. 6He
also made us competent as ministers of a new testament (not of letter, but of
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
36As they were talking about these
things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37But they were terrified and
frightened and thought they were looking at a ghost.
38He said to them, “Why are you
troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and
my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh
and bones as you see that I have.” 40When he had said this, he
showed them his hands and his feet. 41While they still did not
believe it (because of their joy), and while they were still wondering, he said
to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42They gave him a piece of broiled
fish and some honeycomb. 43He took it and ate in front of them. 44He
said to them, “These are my words, which I spoke to 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.”
45Then he opened their minds to
understand the Scriptures. 46He said to them, “This is what is
written and so it must be: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the
third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached
in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are
witnesses of these things. 49Look, I am sending you what my Father
promised. But stay in the city until you are 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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