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Fourth
Sunday of Easter |
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Jesus is Rejected by the Jews |
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people: Grant that when
we hear his voice we may know him who calleth us each by name, and follow
where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Lesson - Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39) or Numbers 27:12-23 |
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pasidia
After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue
sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the
people, say it." So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of
Israel, and you that fear God, listen. "Brethren, sons of the family of
Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message
of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because
they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets
which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. Though they
could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have
him killed. 29: And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him,
they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him
from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him
from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we
bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has
fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in
the second psalm, `Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee.' And as for
the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption,
he spoke in this way, `I will give you the holy and sure blessings of
David.' Therefore he says also in another psalm, `Thou wilt not let thy Holy
One see corruption.' For David, after he had served the counsel of God in
his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw
corruption; but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Let it be known to
you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you, and by him every one that believes is freed from
everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
or
Joshua Appointed Moses' Successor
The LORD said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Ab'arim, and see the
land which I have given to the people of Israel. And when you have seen it,
you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was
gathered, because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin
during the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before
their eyes." (These are the waters of Mer'ibah of Kadesh in the wilderness
of Zin.) Moses said to the LORD, "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of
all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who shall go out before them
and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in; that the
congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no shepherd." And
the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the
spirit, and lay your hand upon him; cause him to stand before Elea'zar the
priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their
sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the
congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before
Elea'zar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim
before the LORD; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall
come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole
congregation." And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; he took Joshua and
caused him to stand before Elea'zar the priest and the whole congregation,
and he laid his hands upon him, and commissioned him as the LORD directed
through Moses.
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Epistle - Revelation 7:9-17 or Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39)A |
The Multitude from Every Nation
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could
number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing
before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm
branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation
belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the
angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living
creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and
power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen." Then one of the
elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and
whence have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me,
"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they
before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and
he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor
any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their
shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will
wipe away every tear from their eyes."
or
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pasidia
After the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue
sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the
people, say it." So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of
Israel, and you that fear God, listen. "Brethren, sons of the family of
Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been sent the message
of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because
they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets
which are read every sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning him. Though they
could charge him with nothing deserving death, yet they asked Pilate to have
him killed. 29: And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him,
they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him
from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him
from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we
bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has
fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus; as also it is written in
the second psalm, `Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee.' And as for
the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption,
he spoke in this way, `I will give you the holy and sure blessings of
David.' Therefore he says also in another psalm, `Thou wilt not let thy Holy
One see corruption.' For David, after he had served the counsel of God in
his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw
corruption; but he whom God raised up saw no corruption. Let it be known to
you therefore, brethren, that through this man forgiveness of sins is
proclaimed to you, and by him every one that believes is freed from
everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
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Gospel - John 10:22-30 |
Jesus is Rejected by the Jews
It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus
was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered
round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you
are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you
do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness
to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My
sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out
of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no
one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are
one."
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