Worship Helps for Easter 3

Artwork: Christ’s Charge to Peter 

Artist: Raphael

Date: 1515-1516

Worship Theme: The risen Christ appears to his apostles in the power of his majesty.

First Lesson: Acts 9:1–19a  

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them to Jerusalem as prisoners.

³As he went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”

He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.”

⁷The men traveling with him stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. ⁸They raised Saul up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see anything. They took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

¹⁰There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹The Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. In fact, at this very moment he is praying. ¹²In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he can regain his sight.”

¹³Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

¹⁵The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ¹⁶Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

¹⁷Ananias left and entered the house. Laying his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw on your way here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹And after taking some food, he regained his strength.

1. Whom did Jesus say that Paul was persecuting?

2. What was God’s means to convert Paul?

3. What kind of future did God promise to Paul?

Epistle: Revelation 5:11–14  

¹¹And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels who were around the throne and around the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands. ¹²With a loud voice they were saying: Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.

¹³I also heard every creature that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.

¹⁴The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders bowed down and worshipped.

4. What great irony does John hear as innumerable angels sing Jesus’ praise?

5. How many things do the angels say that Jesus, the Lamb, is worthy to receive?

Gospel: John 21:1-14

After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how he showed himself: ² Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.”

They replied, “We’ll go with you.”

They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴ Early in the morning, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know it was Jesus.

⁵ Jesus called to them, “Boys, don’t you have any fish?”

“No!” they answered.

⁶ He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they cast the net out. Then they were not able to haul it in because of the large number of fish.

⁷ The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard, “It is the Lord!” he tied his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the little boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about one hundred yards. ⁹ When they stepped out on land, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. ¹⁰ Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”

¹¹ So Simon Peter climbed aboard and hauled the net to land, full of large fish, 153 of them. Yet even with so many, the net was not torn.

¹² Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.”

None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.

¹³ Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and also the fish. ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

6. How many times had Jesus appeared to his disciples before this blessed incident along the lake shore?

7. How many fish did Peter and the others catch?

8. What is ironic about Jesus fixing fish over a fire?

Answers:

1. Jesus said that Paul was persecuting Jesus himself. What comfort this gives! Jesus so dearly loves those who trust in him that if someone attacks us, he is attacking our Lord.

2. Paul was converted the same way we all came to faith: through the power of God’s holy Word. The Word came to Paul in two ways—words in his ears and words connected with water in the gift of holy baptism.

3. God did not promise Paul an easy road, any more than he promises any of us a downhill “coast” into God’s eternal kingdom. He told Ananias, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

4. John hears the angels sing, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain …” But Jesus did not die for the angels, he died for us sinners.

5. The Lamb, the angels sing, is worthy to receive seven things: “Power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.” Seven, significantly, is the number for completeness in Revelation and many other places in the Bible. That is, Jesus is worthy to receive complete worship from all creation.

6. John says this was now Jesus’ third appearance. The previous two times were in Jerusalem: Easter evening and the following Sunday evening. (See John 20.)

7. Peter and the others caught 153 fish. This is not trivia, but the mark of an eyewitness account.

8. The last time Jesus and Peter were involved with an outdoor fire, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus. (See John 18:18.) Now Jesus will officially reinstate Peter.

Putting your faith into action

When the glory of the Lamb was on display, what else could the elders do but fall down and worship? For you and me, the glory of the Lamb is always on display in his powerful Word. How else can we respond, but to fall down before his merciful throne in worship—not only with our lips, but also with our actions and our trust? Let us shower our Lord with a worship that is due his name.

A reading from the Book of Concord for the 3^rd Sunday of Easter

Here we learn to know the Second Person of the Godhead... and how we have been redeemed.

If you are asked, “What do you believe in the Second Article about Jesus Christ?” answer, “I believe that Jesus Christ, God’s true Son, has become my Lord.”  “But what does it mean to become Lord?”  “It is this.  He has redeemed me from sin, the devil, death, and all evil.  Before I did not have a Lord or King, but was captive under the devil’s power, condemned to death, stuck in sin and blindness”...

So those tyrants and jailers are all expelled now.  In their place has come Jesus Christ, Lord of life, righteousness, every blessing, and salvation.  He has delivered us poor, lost people from hell’s jaws, has won us, has made us free, and has brought us again into the Father’s favor and grace.  He has taken us as His own property under His shelter and protection so that He may govern us by His righteousness, wisdom, power, life, and blessedness.

The word Lord means simply the same as redeemer.  It means the One who has brought us from Satan to God, from death to life, from sin to righteousness, and who preserves us in the same.  But all the points in this article serve to explain and express this redemption. They explain how and by whom it was accomplished.  They explain how much it cost Him and what He spent and risked so that He might win us and bring us under His dominion. - Large Catechism, Article II, The Apostles’ Creed (paragraphs 26-27, 30-31)

720  Christ Jesus Layin Death’s Strong Bands

1  Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands For our offenses given;

But now at God’s right hand he stands And brings us life from heaven.

Therefore let us joyful be And sing to God right thankfully

Loud songs of alleluia! Alleluia!  Alleluia!

2  No son of man could conquer death, Such ruin sin had wrought us.

No innocence was found on earth, And therefore death had brought us

Into bondage from of old And ever grew more strong and bold

And held us as its captive.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

3  Christ Jesus, God’s own Son, came down, His people to deliver;

Destroying sin, he took the crown From death’s pale brow forever.

Stripped of pow’r, no more it reigns; An empty form alone remains;

Its sting is lost forever.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

4  It was a strange and dreadful strife When life and death contended.

The victory remained with life; The reign of death was ended.

Holy Scripture plainly says That death is swallowed up by death;

Its sting is lost forever. Alleluia!  Alleluia!

5  Here the true Paschal Lamb we see, Whom God so freely gave us;

He died on the accursed tree—So strong his love—to save us.

See, his blood now marks our door; Faith points to it; death passes o’er,

And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia!  Alleluia!

6  So let us keep the festival To which the Lord invites us;

Christ is himself the joy of all, The sun that warms and lights us.

Now his grace to us imparts Eternal sunshine to our hearts;

The night of sin is ended. Alleluia!  Alleluia!

7  Then let us feast this Easter Day On Christ, the bread of heaven;

The Word of grace has purged away The old and evil leaven.

Christ alone our souls will feed; He is our meat and drink indeed;

Faith lives upon no other!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

This important and historic Easter text is set to a new tune with the hope of reviving its use within the church.

Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Richard Massie, 1800–1887, alt.