Preparing for Worship - April 9, 2023

This coming Sunday is Easter Sunday, and there are numerous readings possible, depending on whether yours is a sunrise service or other kind of service. I will simply touch on the most likely readings, all having to do, of course, with the resurrection of Jesus.

The Old Testament lesson could be from Jeremiah 31:1-6. God speaks of His everlasting love and continued faithfulness to His people. He will seek to build them up once again in the land of Zion, and later on in this chapter, He promises a whole New Covenant, in verses 31-34, which centers in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins, through Him.

Many churches will likely use, in place of the Old Testament lesson, a New Testament lesson from the Book of Acts, during the whole Easter season. This week’s reading is from Acts 10:34-43. Peter speaks of the fact that God shows no partiality, and under the New Covenant, the Savior came for every nation and people, not just the Jews. The Savior is Jesus, who died and rose again for all people. “To Him the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”

The Psalm is Psalm 16, where David knows that the Lord is his Refuge, and all good comes only from Him. The Lord Himself will be his “portion” and his “cup” of blessing and stays at his right hand to guide and counsel him with His Word, through his life, and give him “pleasures forevermore” in His presence. David also prophecies of a “Holy One“ to come who will never see corruption (predicting the death but also the resurrection of Jesus, without any corruption to Himself and His Body). See Acts 2:23-36 and Acts 13:35-39. See also my podcast this week for a full study of this psalm, with related Scriptures.

The Epistle lesson is from Colossians 3:1-4. Paul speaks of dying to our old life and being raised to a whole new life, through Christ and our connection now to Him by faith. We are called to set our minds on Christ and things above, as we are now already hidden with Christ, who is in heaven (though He can be here with us, too). Christ is now our life, and we will appear with Him in glory when He appears again. Our future is secure with Him.

The Gospel lesson is from Matthew 28:1-10. We hear that a glorious angel came from heaven and rolled back the stone of the tomb of Jesus and announced that Jesus, who was crucified, had risen from the dead, just as He had predicted. The women there were invited to see that the tomb was empty and were then to go and tell the disciples that Jesus had risen and that they were to meet Him in Galilee. The guards at the tomb were like dead men, but the women left quickly, with fear and joy, and while they were running to the disciples, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to them and greeted them. They then grabbed His feet and worshipped Him, and He Himself sent them off again to tell the disciples He had risen. (Each Gospel writer, of course, tells only part of the story, as God inspired him to write and revealed things to him.)