Readings for Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle A s1

Readings for Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle B

Prepared by Lutheran Bible Ministries (www.bibleministries.org)

April 8, 2018

Second Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING: Acts 4:32--35

32The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. 33In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers, 34and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money 35to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone who needed it.

PSALMODY: Psalm 133

1It is truly wonderful
when relatives live together in peace.
2It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron's heada
and running down his beard and the collar of his robe.
3It is like the dew from Mount Hermon,
falling on Zion's mountains,
where the LORD has promised to bless his people
with life forevermore.

SECOND READING: 1 John 1:1 – 2:2

The Word that gives life was from the beginning,
and this is the one our message is about.
Our ears have heard, our own eyes have seen,
and our hands touched this Word.

2The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us. 3We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4We are writing to tell you these things, because this makes us truly happy.

5Jesus told us that God is light and doesn't have any darkness in him. Now we are telling you.
6If we say that we share in life with God and keep on living in the dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth. 7But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away. 8If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. 9But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
10If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his message isn't in our hearts.

GOSPEL: John 20:19-31

19The disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders, and on the evening of that same Sunday they locked themselves in a room. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group. He greeted them 20and showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they became very happy.
21After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, "I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me." 22Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone's sins, they will be forgiven. But if you don't forgive their sins, they will not be forgiven."

24Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn't with the others when Jesus appeared to them. 25So they told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But Thomas said, "First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won't believe unless I do this!"
26A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples 27and said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!"
28Thomas replied, "You are my Lord and my God!"
29Jesus said, "Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!"

30Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. 31But these are written so that you will put your faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life.