Today in the Spirit: Easter 3C
In the lessons for Easter 3C, the church leads us in worship to the third resurrection appearance of Jesus to his disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of John. In the assigned text, in John 21:1-14, our Lord reveals himself to a group of seven disciples while they are fishing on “the Sea of Tiberias” (also known as the Sea of Galilee, vs. 1). Similar to the story in Luke 5 we heard earlier this year at Epiphany 5C, Jesus instructs them to cast their nets in a different position, resulting in another miraculous catch of fish. Peter goes to Jesus on the beach, setting the stage for his reinstatement in the next and final passage in this Gospel.
To support this Gospel reading, the church assigns three signature Bible passages that only appear in this spot in the Sunday lectionary. The selected Acts reading, from Acts 9:1-19a, recounts Jesus’ dramatic post-Pentecost resurrection appearance to Saul of Tarsus, during which he is converted to Christ. While recuperating in Damascus, he is baptized by a Christian elder named Ananias. To convince Ananias to go and meet Saul, Jesus tells him, “‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name’” (15-16).
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The assigned OT reading, Jeremiah 32:36-41, proclaims a promise for the restoration of Israel after their exile in Babylon. Though appearing in the larger context of oracles of woe to Jerusalem for their sinful behavior, the passage contains the promise: “Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety” (37).
The appointed Psalm 33 or 33:1-11 comes up often in the Sunday lectionary (Lent 2A, Easter 3C, Easter 6B, and Pentecost, Proper 14C). It is a song of praise in which the psalmist seeks to stir up congregational praise: “Praise the Lord with the harp; sing praises unto him with the ten-stringed lute” (2). As with Psalm 111 last week, this psalm encourages praise to the LORD for his great “works,” commending to our minds in this season the resurrection of Christ as chief among them.
The assigned NT reading from Revelation 5:(1-5)6-14 brings us to the heart of the second vision of the book, in which the Lamb, “as though it had been slain” (6), is presented to God at the throne of glory and takes the scroll containing the revelation of future judgments in the world. He is deemed the only One worthy to open the scrolls (and thereby set into motion) the revelation of the last things of God: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (9-10).
The assigned Collect for Easter 3, which does not appear in other Prayer Books (as far as I can see), sets forth a double purpose for the Father’s revelation of the Son, that he might “be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living,” before pleading for grace that we as a people of God might received the “inestimable benefits” from both.
The Collect
Almighty God, you gave your only Son to be for us both a sacrifice for sin and an example of godly living: Give us grace thankfully to receive his inestimable benefits, and daily to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[Saul] Has Seen a Vision (Acts 9:1-19a)
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.
Acts 9:1-19a
Visions are a thing for Luke, especially in Acts. In his second volume, there are seven reports of visions of received (7:55f, 9:3f, 9:12, 10:3, 10:10, 16:9, 18:9) and six recollections of visions (11:5, 11:13 12:7, 22:6, 16:12f, 27:23f). Here what we have is the first of two incidents, almost back-to-back in the narrative, of paired visions, manifestations to two different people at nearly the same time, ultimately drawing them together. Saul receives one vision, and Ananias receives another, which sends him to Saul. In Chapter 10, Cornelius and Peter also each receive visions that draw them together.
Hearing stories like this, we may find ourselves longing for similar manifestations of the Spirit from God in our time. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if God were simply orchestrating the work of the church through visions given to convert stubborn non-Christians and to direct Christians to do the Lord’s will in response?
A few things in response to that kind of yearning: 1) In Acts, we have the report of the greatest revival in Christian history through the apostles. People’s hearts were especially inclined to obey God according to the visions they saw. 2) There are visions from God today, but less in a highly secularized society such as ours; and 3) We live in the age of the NT, in which apostolic authority comes to us in written form rather than the reports of spontaneous visitations. God enlightens our minds mostly through inspiration that comes to us in the teaching and study of the Word, the sacraments, and the fellowship of the church.
Today, in the Spirit, we rejoice in this account of the fiery launch of the church’s world mission through visions given to the apostles and the continuation of that mission through the inspiration of the Spirit coming to us by other means.
Behold I Will Gather Them (Jeremiah 32:36-41)
36 “Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:36-41
The siege ramps have been laid by the Babylonian army around Jerusalem (32:24). In the midst of the chaos, Jeremiah has received instructions from YHWH to buy a field near the city from his uncle who, for obvious reasons, wants to exercise his right to sell it to his kin (32:6-8). Jeremiah and the people who have believed his preaching need reassurance about the future.
Our passage reports the delivery of the divine promise. There will be exile, but there will be restoration: “Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety” (37). But, beyond physical comfort, there will be spiritual renewal: “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (40).
Even on the other side of the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is himself the “everlasting covenant,” we, like Jeremiah and his followers, remain a people of God looking at destruction around us and straining for deliverance from exile in our time. So Paul describes the “groaning” of every generation of Christians: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:22-23). Much has changed with the saving ministry of our Lord, and yet our posture remains the same as the people of Israel centuries before him.
Today, Holy Spirit, in our worship, we hear the delivery of the word of promise to ancient Israel with relief to our own groaning in hope for a full end.
Steadfast Love (Psalm 33 or 33:1-11)
19 Our soul has patiently waited for the LORD; *
Psalm 33:19-21, New Coverdale Psalter (BCP 2019)
for he is our help and our shield.
20 Our heart shall rejoice in him, *
because we have hoped in his holy Name.
21 Let your merciful kindness, O LORD, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.
There it is again, that phrase “merciful kindness,” or more frequently steadfast love (ESV). It is actually one word in Hebrew (hesed), which appears 244 times throughout the entire OT and three times in this assigned song of praise. We need to understand that when the ancient Israelites wrote about this “steadfast” (or “unfailing,” NIV) love of God, they were not guessing at feelings God might have for them, like when a young man confesses his affection for a girl hoping but not altogether certain she might feel the same. No.
For Israel hesed is contractual language based on the covenant of love YHWH has made with his people. So Moses declares: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Dt. 7:9; also 1 Kgs. 8:23, Neh. 1:5).
As Christians, we understand the covenant of love pronounced from Sinai and celebrated in the psalms to have been fulfilled by the flesh and blood revelation of the Son of God. The fullness of God dwelling in him (Colossians 1:19) is the fullness of his love. Jesus Christ is living, dying, and rising with steadfast love for his people. So in 1 John, we read:: In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 Jn. 4:9). Today, in Easter, with the help of the Spirit, we sing this psalm invoking the contracted steadfast love of the One God we find in the appearance of our Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him Who Sits on the Throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 5:[1-5]6-14)
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,
Revelation 5:6-14
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in 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!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Nowhere else in Scripture do we find such an unhurried, expansive description of heavenly worship. Starting with Chapter 4, we come into a vision, with sight and sound, of God the Father on the throne. The worship of the Father seems complete, until in Chapter 5, we find that there is a need for something more: “the scroll” comes into view, but with “seals” keeping what is written closed so that no one can see. We join in the anticipation of something critical in the cosmos yet to be accomplished.
Then comes the Lamb. Only ESV suggests he is “among the elders” (6). Most translations give him a place apart from the others, with the Father “at the center of the throne” (NIV). Then the worship, “a new song” (9, see Pss, 40, 98, 149) is heard to the Lamb: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (11); and finally, completion: “To him who sits on the throne and to Lamb” (13). (Note: the Spirit is represented by “the seven spirits,” which are associated both with the Father (4:5) and the Lamb (5:6) separately in the text.)
Devotionally, it is the unhurried nature of the vision that I find myself most resistant to surrender to. I’m impatient to get the complete picture. But the text would have me wait–wait for the vision of the Father on the throne, wait for the sight of the unopened scrolls, wait for the longing in heaven before the Lamb appears, wait for the song to the Lamb himself, until, finally, there can be “worship” (a term not used until this point) of the Father and Jesus, with the Spirit. I am impatient for the Lamb, but I must wait for him, wait to see him alive but bloodied; for only then can I have hope that the seals can be broken and all things can come to completion.
Today, in the Spirit, I pray for the patience in my spirit to welcome the coming of the Lamb, slain and risen, into my worship.
He Came and Took Bread and Gave It to Them (John 21:1-14)
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
John 21:1-14
“Jesus came and took bread and gave it to them” (14). This is unusual language just to describe what Jesus does next in the narrative. There are definitely some larger theological allusions to earlier events and ideas developed in the Gospel as a whole. “Jesus came’ brings us as worshipers back to the prologue, “And the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us” (1:14). “He took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish,” of course, takes us back to the feeding of the five thousand (6:1ff) but also to the last Passover meal. It is the focus on Jesus’ serving the disciples, feeding them like he is about to ask Peter to do, that clearly comes into view.
Lord, I sit—not stand but sit—under the reading of this text in worship and receive your service. As you came into the world to dwell with humanity and appeared to the disciples to give them a meal, I humbly receive my portion. In the company of my brothers and sisters, I receive the bread and wine this morning as an extension of this meal with your disciples.
Today, Holy Spirit, quiet my soul to watch and wait and enjoy the continuing service of the risen Son of God over his people.
Today in the Spirit
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