Lectionary Readings for Sunday 3.31.24 (Easter Sunday, Year B)
The interwoven story of Christ in the Scriptures
Enter the Story
Eastertide
The Season of Easter (often called Eastertide or The Great Fifty Days) is the theological center of the liturgical year. It begins with the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening and continues fifty days until Pentecost. In sum, the season is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection, the events that proceed from the resurrection (discovery of the empty tomb, appearances of the risen Christ, the ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit), the beginnings of the post-resurrection church (as narrated in the Acts of the Apostles), and the theological and existential implications of the resurrection for a life of faith. 1
Easter Sunday
At the center of Christian theology, experience, and worship is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Easter Sunday, “Alleluias” ring out as the church listens again to the story it knows so well: the story of the empty tomb and Jesus’ first resurrection appearance.
Weekly Collect Prayer
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
or this
O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord's resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
or this
Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.2
Liturgical Color - White or Gold
Monday 3.25.24: John 20:1-18 (The Jesus Story)
On Easter Sunday every year, we join the women in discovering that the tomb is empty. In John’s version of the story, Peter and the beloved disciple run to the tomb to confirm the women’s findings and then Mary Magdalene mistakes the risen Christ for a gardener who might have stolen Jesus’ body. This lesson initiates a series of readings from John throughout Eastertide.
John 20:1-18 (The Message)
1 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance.
2 She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, "They took the Master from the tomb. We don't know where they've put him."
3 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb.
4 They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter.
5 Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.
6 Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed.
9 No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.
10 The disciples then went back home.
11 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus' body had been laid.
13 They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."
14 After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn't recognize him.
15 Jesus spoke to her, "Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?" She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, "Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him."
16 Jesus said, "Mary." Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" meaning "Teacher!"
17 Jesus said, "Don't cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.'"
18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: "I saw the Master!" And she told them everything he said to her.
Summary: Mary Magdalene finds the tomb with stone rolled away and tells Peter and the other disciples. Then Peter and the disciple Jesus loved go and investigate and find the tomb empty. After they have left, Mary encounters Jesus and returns to the disciples to tell them what she has seen.3
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Tuesday 3.26.24: 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 & Acts 10:34-43
1 Corinthians 15:1–11
First Corinthians 15 is Paul’s defense of the belief in the resurrection of the body based on the claim that Christ’s resurrection was a bodily resurrection. We read from this chapter every Easter. In this year’s passage, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the tradition that recounts Jesus’ resurrection appearances, a tradition quite different than that found in the Gospels.
1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (The Message)
1 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time - this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand
2 and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.)
3 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it;
4 that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says;
5 that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers,
6 and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died);
7 that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him;
8 and that he finally presented himself alive to me.
9 It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence.
10 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it.
11 So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it's all the same: We spoke God's truth and you entrusted your lives.
Summary: The message that was preached by all of the apostles, and in which the believers believed was that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again, as witnessed by hundreds of disciples.
Acts 10:34-43
Since ancient times, the church has substituted readings from Acts for First Testament lections during Eastertide. This is appropriate since the resurrection transformed the Jesus movement into the church. Today’s reading comes from the story of Peter preaching to Cornelius’ household, the first Gentile converts. At the core of Peter’s sermon is the apostle’s witness to the resurrection.
Acts 10:34-43 (The Message)
34 Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites!
35 It makes no difference who you are or where you're from - if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.
36 The Message he sent to the children of Israel - that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again - well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone.
37 "You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change.
38 Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.
39 "And we saw it, saw it all, everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross.
40 But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen.
41 Not everyone saw him - he wasn't put on public display. Witnesses had been carefully handpicked by God beforehand - us! We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead.
42 He commissioned us to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead.
43 But we're not alone in this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by the witness of all the prophets."
Summary: Peter preaches about the way God does not show favouritism, but welcomes and saves all, reflecting on his witness to the resurrection of Jesus, and the forgiveness that is available to all who believe in Christ.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Wednesday 3.27.24: Isaiah 25:6-9
The prophet offers a vision of a great feast of salvation in which death is swallowed up forever.
Isaiah 25:6-9 (The Message)
6 But here on this mountain, God-of-the-Angel-Armies will throw a feast for all the people of the world, A feast of the finest foods, a feast with vintage wines, a feast of seven courses, a feast lavish with gourmet desserts.
7 And here on this mountain, God will banish the pall of doom hanging over all peoples, The shadow of doom darkening all nations.
8 Yes, he'll banish death forever. And God will wipe the tears from every face. He'll remove every sign of disgrace From his people, wherever they are. Yes! God says so!
9 Also at that time, people will say, "Look at what's happened! This is our God! We waited for him and he showed up and saved us! This God, the one we waited for! Let's celebrate, sing the joys of his salvation.
Summary: God will create a feast for all people, will swallow up death, and will wipe away all tears. All people will celebrate that God has saved them.
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Thursday 3.28.24: Psalm 118:1–2, 14-24
On Palm/Passion Sunday, we read portions from Psalm 118. We return to portions of that psalm, but the line that rings out in the context of Easter is, “I shall not die, but I shall live.” But we should also be aware that the early church repeatedly applied the metaphor of the stone rejected by the builders becoming the chief cornerstone to Christ, especially his rejection and execution by the religious and political leaders and his exaltation to the right hand of God.
Psalms 118:1-2, 14-24 (The Message)
1 Thank God because he's good, because his love never quits.
2 Tell the world, Israel, "His love never quits."
14 God's my strength, he's also my song, and now he's my salvation.
15 Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs in the camp of the saved? "The hand of God has turned the tide!
16 The hand of God is raised in victory! The hand of God has turned the tide!"
17 I didn't die. I lived! And now I'm telling the world what God did.
18 God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't hand me over to Death.
19 Swing wide the city gates - the righteous gates! I'll walk right through and thank God!
20 This Temple Gate belongs to God, so the victors can enter and praise.
21 Thank you for responding to me; you've truly become my salvation!
22 The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone!
23 This is God's work. We rub our eyes - we can hardly believe it!
24 This is the very day God acted - let's celebrate and be festive!
Summary: A psalm of celebration and thanksgiving for God’s salvation, affirming that the psalmist will not die, but will live, and rejoicing that the rejected stone has become the main foundation stone..
Questions
If this story happened today, what would it look like?
What is the story showing or telling me?
Could it make a difference to my life? How? Did it? How?
How does this passage point to Jesus?
How does this passage connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does this passage shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Friday 3.29.24: Find the Story Threads
How does these passages point to Jesus?
How does these passages connect or conflict with Jesus' teachings, loving actions, or mission?
How does these passages shape me to be more loving like Jesus?
Check out my post this Friday where I will share the Story Threads that I found.
https://pcpe.smu.edu/01b_Year_B.pdf
https://www.lectionarypage.net/
https://sacredise.com/