Third Sunday Of Easter
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle A
Object:
Seasonal Theme
Jesus out of the grave and alive and with us.
Theme For The Day
Recognizing the risen Christ in our midst and sharing it with others.
First Lesson
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
3,000 Baptized
We finish up Peter's Pentecost sermon and hear the results of it being preached. The listeners ask the following question every preacher wants to hear, "What should we do?" (v. 37b). And Peter told them what to do: "Repent and be baptized" (v. 38) and they were -- about 3,000 (v. 41). Wow!
What a day! The birthday of the Christian Church right there in the square in Jerusalem. It would not be an easy task to baptize 3,000 there even if all the disciples helped! Luke seems to argue that being sorry for our sins ought to lead to baptism. This is what forgives our sins and then gives us the power to change our lives for the future by the gift of the Holy Spirit. So the past is forgiven, the present is celebrated as God's children, and the future empowered with God's spirit. We are freed from the guilt of the past and empowered to face the new battles of the future.
New Testament Lesson
1 Peter 1:17-23
A Community Of Faith
Here is the judgment of God (v. 17) and the awful cost of redemption (v. 19); blood is that which is poured out for a sacrifice. Then is the Christ event in verse 21. Verse 2:22-34 pictures a community of faith born anew, people who love each other and thrive on God's word. This love for each other is not simply good behavior toward each other, it is the changed lives of being "born anew." Verse 21 is the connecting verse with today's Easter 3 message: We have come to trust, have faith, and hope in God who raised Jesus from the grave.
This letter of 1 Peter is used as the Second Lesson all through the Easter season. Its authorship has been seriously questioned, but if we factor in the possibility that "Silas" or Silvanus of 2 Corinthians 1:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:1, a fellow missionary of Paul, could have written the letter as Peter's secretary as stated in verses 5:12 then Peter's authorship can be accepted. It seems to be written basically to provide encouragement and hope to those under persecution. And there seems to be an emphasis on the new life in the risen Christ which makes it especially appropriate for Easter season reading.
So in this season the Gospel tells us what happened after Easter, the First Lesson tells us how early Christians applied their faith, and the Peter readings describe how our lives ought be changed radically because of it all.
The Gospel
Luke 24:13-35
The Walk To Emmaus
This third Sunday of Easter we have the walk to Emmaus story to reinforce again the fact that Jesus was alive and out of the grave and people experienced him so. It is perhaps the greatest of the resurrection stories but told only by Luke. William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible commentary makes logical and preachable observations about this story.
1. The two men were walking toward the sunset, whereas the Christian ought be walking toward the sunrise.
2. Jesus has the ability to make sense out of things as he explains the reason for the events in Jerusalem (vv. 26-27).
3. Jesus was known to them by the breaking of bread -- not the sacrament but at an ordinary meal. We can be with Christ at the dinner table as well as the communion table (v. 31).
4. When the two men received their own joy, they hurried to share it (v. 33).
5. In Jerusalem they found others who had shared their experiences (v. 34).
6. We learn of Jesus' special appearance to Peter (v. 34 also). How we would like to know more about this appearance to Peter who had first defended and then denied him.
Preaching Possibilities
A. If we wish to use these Easter readings together, we can take the three for today and present them as continuations of the Peter story:
1. Acts 36-41 is the second part of Peter's Pentecost sermon where earlier he had told them what they had shamefully done to Jesus, God's promised Messiah. Today continues with Peter telling them what they ought do now: be sorry (repent) and be baptized. They do and the Christian Church is born with the baptism of 3,000.
2. 1 Peter continues also from last week's reading. We learned last week from Peter's letter written by Silas, his secretary, that we have a living hope through our new birth and Jesus' resurrection. Salvation is ours as well. Now today the letter continues with a plea for holy living with our hearts centered on God. This should lead to our loving each other.
3. Luke 24:13-35. Here, in addition to what those witnesses told before, like Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, and finally Thomas, we can add two men walking to their home in Emmaus who shared dinner with him and recognized him by the way he broke the bread.
B. The Acts account for today will stand alone as we could organize it simply:
1. We, too, need to repent of our sins (v. 38).
2. We, too, have the Holy Spirit given to us (v. 38).
3. We, too, are one of the baptized of God (v. 41).
4. We, too, can break bread, know the fellowship, and learn from the teaching (v. 42).
But I will save this for next Sunday when I want to put the Acts passages together and consider Peter's preaching content, result, and the new life which resulted together.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Of course that greatest of biblical short stories begs to be retold in a narrative sermon. It might go like this:
1. Introduction: Two weeks ago we heard of Mary Magdalene discovering the stone rolled away and Peter and John discovering the empty tomb. Then Mary was the first to see him alive again. Last week it was his appearance in the upper room to the disciples and then to doubting Thomas who firmly believed. Now today, Luke picks up the story with Jesus' appearance to two more people walking home to Emmaus confused. It went like this:
a. Tell of verses 13 to 24. These men were facing the sunset instead of the sunrise. It may have been the same reason Mary did not recognize Jesus either. We often look for him in the wrong direction, too, in an empty tomb of long ago and far away instead of with us now in spirit.
b. Tell of verses 25-27. Jesus makes sense out of the confusing events for them. He can make sense out of our lives as well. These men's hopes were dashed but he could give new hope again.
c. Tell of verses 28-31. They recognized him probably not as at the Lord's table breaking of bread but at the regular routine of the dinner table. Make the point that it's not only in church God wants God's real presence experience but in the home, at work, and at play as well.
d. Tell of verses 32-35 where they return all the way back to Jerusalem to share the good news. We could call it1 "Emmaus heart burn" when we feel compelled to share this glorious news that we do not worship a dead martyr of long ago and far away but an alive presence with us here and now.
2. Then close by telling your people that this is not the end of the story yet. Just wait till next week when we hear what happened after Emmaus, after Peter's Pentecost sermon, and after his telling the Christian's hope and possibility of holy living. And there may be sheep and shepherds thrown in as well.
Prayer Of The Day
You make sense out of our confusing lives, God, and turn us in the right direction to experience your presence in all the places where we are all week long. Make our heart burn, too, with the gospel of your Easter resurrection to be shared with all we can tell. And fill us with your spirit. In the resurrected Christ we pray. Amen.
Possible Stories
While working on this manuscript on the back deck of our home, I saw our neighbor's 32-foot wooden boat, which had been neglected for several years, suddenly sink. I called the "Vessel Rescue" organization. Two divers soon arrived with large rubber bladders which they somehow slipped under the submerged boat's hull. Then from their boat they pumped air into the bladders while at the same time pumping water out of the hull. Gradually the boat came up from the muddy bottom and to its former floating position. And then it stayed up because being submerged caused the wood to swell and closed the many leaks. Easter not only raised up the Christ but also raises us and gives new abilities to keep our heads above that which would swallow us up and inundate us. Out of the mud and dark depths we come floated by the breath of the spirit and as Easter people floating on our baptismal water.
For my class in advanced preaching, Roger and I wheeled a casket by a seminary classroom and into the chapel. It caused quite a stir in the class. Perhaps eschatology needs more emphasis in all our theological studies. The casket brought the discussion very close to the ground! It was for my students to use in preaching a practice funeral sermon. It's especially true that the awareness of life's brevity brings an awareness of life's gift nature.
Sometimes when there is a typhoon in the Philippines some trees survive and are still standing, even with green leaves. But those who know will say, "That tree is already timber," meaning even though it doesn't look like it, it is dead (an old man interviewed on CBS news). We also can look like we are living but already are dead. In the Christ there is new life.
____________
1. For the development of this Easter theme as a sermon, see the author's The Vine And The Branches, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, 1992.
Jesus out of the grave and alive and with us.
Theme For The Day
Recognizing the risen Christ in our midst and sharing it with others.
First Lesson
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
3,000 Baptized
We finish up Peter's Pentecost sermon and hear the results of it being preached. The listeners ask the following question every preacher wants to hear, "What should we do?" (v. 37b). And Peter told them what to do: "Repent and be baptized" (v. 38) and they were -- about 3,000 (v. 41). Wow!
What a day! The birthday of the Christian Church right there in the square in Jerusalem. It would not be an easy task to baptize 3,000 there even if all the disciples helped! Luke seems to argue that being sorry for our sins ought to lead to baptism. This is what forgives our sins and then gives us the power to change our lives for the future by the gift of the Holy Spirit. So the past is forgiven, the present is celebrated as God's children, and the future empowered with God's spirit. We are freed from the guilt of the past and empowered to face the new battles of the future.
New Testament Lesson
1 Peter 1:17-23
A Community Of Faith
Here is the judgment of God (v. 17) and the awful cost of redemption (v. 19); blood is that which is poured out for a sacrifice. Then is the Christ event in verse 21. Verse 2:22-34 pictures a community of faith born anew, people who love each other and thrive on God's word. This love for each other is not simply good behavior toward each other, it is the changed lives of being "born anew." Verse 21 is the connecting verse with today's Easter 3 message: We have come to trust, have faith, and hope in God who raised Jesus from the grave.
This letter of 1 Peter is used as the Second Lesson all through the Easter season. Its authorship has been seriously questioned, but if we factor in the possibility that "Silas" or Silvanus of 2 Corinthians 1:19 and 1 Thessalonians 1:1, a fellow missionary of Paul, could have written the letter as Peter's secretary as stated in verses 5:12 then Peter's authorship can be accepted. It seems to be written basically to provide encouragement and hope to those under persecution. And there seems to be an emphasis on the new life in the risen Christ which makes it especially appropriate for Easter season reading.
So in this season the Gospel tells us what happened after Easter, the First Lesson tells us how early Christians applied their faith, and the Peter readings describe how our lives ought be changed radically because of it all.
The Gospel
Luke 24:13-35
The Walk To Emmaus
This third Sunday of Easter we have the walk to Emmaus story to reinforce again the fact that Jesus was alive and out of the grave and people experienced him so. It is perhaps the greatest of the resurrection stories but told only by Luke. William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible commentary makes logical and preachable observations about this story.
1. The two men were walking toward the sunset, whereas the Christian ought be walking toward the sunrise.
2. Jesus has the ability to make sense out of things as he explains the reason for the events in Jerusalem (vv. 26-27).
3. Jesus was known to them by the breaking of bread -- not the sacrament but at an ordinary meal. We can be with Christ at the dinner table as well as the communion table (v. 31).
4. When the two men received their own joy, they hurried to share it (v. 33).
5. In Jerusalem they found others who had shared their experiences (v. 34).
6. We learn of Jesus' special appearance to Peter (v. 34 also). How we would like to know more about this appearance to Peter who had first defended and then denied him.
Preaching Possibilities
A. If we wish to use these Easter readings together, we can take the three for today and present them as continuations of the Peter story:
1. Acts 36-41 is the second part of Peter's Pentecost sermon where earlier he had told them what they had shamefully done to Jesus, God's promised Messiah. Today continues with Peter telling them what they ought do now: be sorry (repent) and be baptized. They do and the Christian Church is born with the baptism of 3,000.
2. 1 Peter continues also from last week's reading. We learned last week from Peter's letter written by Silas, his secretary, that we have a living hope through our new birth and Jesus' resurrection. Salvation is ours as well. Now today the letter continues with a plea for holy living with our hearts centered on God. This should lead to our loving each other.
3. Luke 24:13-35. Here, in addition to what those witnesses told before, like Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, and finally Thomas, we can add two men walking to their home in Emmaus who shared dinner with him and recognized him by the way he broke the bread.
B. The Acts account for today will stand alone as we could organize it simply:
1. We, too, need to repent of our sins (v. 38).
2. We, too, have the Holy Spirit given to us (v. 38).
3. We, too, are one of the baptized of God (v. 41).
4. We, too, can break bread, know the fellowship, and learn from the teaching (v. 42).
But I will save this for next Sunday when I want to put the Acts passages together and consider Peter's preaching content, result, and the new life which resulted together.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Of course that greatest of biblical short stories begs to be retold in a narrative sermon. It might go like this:
1. Introduction: Two weeks ago we heard of Mary Magdalene discovering the stone rolled away and Peter and John discovering the empty tomb. Then Mary was the first to see him alive again. Last week it was his appearance in the upper room to the disciples and then to doubting Thomas who firmly believed. Now today, Luke picks up the story with Jesus' appearance to two more people walking home to Emmaus confused. It went like this:
a. Tell of verses 13 to 24. These men were facing the sunset instead of the sunrise. It may have been the same reason Mary did not recognize Jesus either. We often look for him in the wrong direction, too, in an empty tomb of long ago and far away instead of with us now in spirit.
b. Tell of verses 25-27. Jesus makes sense out of the confusing events for them. He can make sense out of our lives as well. These men's hopes were dashed but he could give new hope again.
c. Tell of verses 28-31. They recognized him probably not as at the Lord's table breaking of bread but at the regular routine of the dinner table. Make the point that it's not only in church God wants God's real presence experience but in the home, at work, and at play as well.
d. Tell of verses 32-35 where they return all the way back to Jerusalem to share the good news. We could call it1 "Emmaus heart burn" when we feel compelled to share this glorious news that we do not worship a dead martyr of long ago and far away but an alive presence with us here and now.
2. Then close by telling your people that this is not the end of the story yet. Just wait till next week when we hear what happened after Emmaus, after Peter's Pentecost sermon, and after his telling the Christian's hope and possibility of holy living. And there may be sheep and shepherds thrown in as well.
Prayer Of The Day
You make sense out of our confusing lives, God, and turn us in the right direction to experience your presence in all the places where we are all week long. Make our heart burn, too, with the gospel of your Easter resurrection to be shared with all we can tell. And fill us with your spirit. In the resurrected Christ we pray. Amen.
Possible Stories
While working on this manuscript on the back deck of our home, I saw our neighbor's 32-foot wooden boat, which had been neglected for several years, suddenly sink. I called the "Vessel Rescue" organization. Two divers soon arrived with large rubber bladders which they somehow slipped under the submerged boat's hull. Then from their boat they pumped air into the bladders while at the same time pumping water out of the hull. Gradually the boat came up from the muddy bottom and to its former floating position. And then it stayed up because being submerged caused the wood to swell and closed the many leaks. Easter not only raised up the Christ but also raises us and gives new abilities to keep our heads above that which would swallow us up and inundate us. Out of the mud and dark depths we come floated by the breath of the spirit and as Easter people floating on our baptismal water.
For my class in advanced preaching, Roger and I wheeled a casket by a seminary classroom and into the chapel. It caused quite a stir in the class. Perhaps eschatology needs more emphasis in all our theological studies. The casket brought the discussion very close to the ground! It was for my students to use in preaching a practice funeral sermon. It's especially true that the awareness of life's brevity brings an awareness of life's gift nature.
Sometimes when there is a typhoon in the Philippines some trees survive and are still standing, even with green leaves. But those who know will say, "That tree is already timber," meaning even though it doesn't look like it, it is dead (an old man interviewed on CBS news). We also can look like we are living but already are dead. In the Christ there is new life.
____________
1. For the development of this Easter theme as a sermon, see the author's The Vine And The Branches, CSS Publishing, Lima, Ohio, 1992.
