The Third Sunday of Easter, April 25, 2004

Acts 9:1-19a or Jer. 32:36-41; Psalm 33 or 33:1-11; Rev. 5:6-14 or Acts 9:1-19a; John 21:1-14

As we progress into the Easter season, we come to lessons that feature more and more the implications of the resurrection of Jesus. On Easter Day, the resurrection is proclaimed. On “Thomas Sunday,” the faithful are exhorted to belief in the resurrection. Now, on the Third Sunday of Easter, we begin to catch a glimpse of the universal and eternal implications of the resurrection.

In the lesson from Jeremiah, anticipating the renewal of the people that will be fulfilled in Jesus, the Lord says, “I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place” (Jer. 32:37). Literally fulfilled as this prophecy was when the exiles were brought back to their own land roughly six centuries before Christ, it is also a prefiguration of the forgiveness of sins made possible by Jesus.

In the lesson from Acts, the grim, dedicated persecutor of the church is powerfully converted. The Lord announces to Ananias, who is to become Saul of Tarsus’ first Christian brother, “He is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15).

In the gospel, Jesus, as yet unrecognized by the disciples who are fishing, says, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some [fish]” John (21:6), after the disciples have told him that they have not caught any fish yet. Since it is dawn, they have fished all night without result, but now, following Jesus’ suggestion, they bring in a huge number of fish at one cast. The scene is reminiscent of the call of Peter in Luke 5, when the fishermen also had toiled all night without a catch, but brought in a huge draft of fish after following Jesus’ command. In both occasions, the great catch is almost certainly an indicator of the effective and transforming power of God that was to go through the world to change lives, with the disciples as God’s ambassadors.

Today’s gospel lesson is the prelude to Jesus’ charge to Peter to “feed my sheep”; the charge to Paul is explicit. These two apostles are the leading ambassadors of the gospel to all the people of the world in their generation (see Gal. 2:7). Jesus’ resurrection was not for him alone, but rather to change the world forever.

Look It Up

How does the psalm appointed for today match the theme of the other lessons?

Think About It

Whether you were converted dramatically and suddenly like Paul or gradually grew into firm belief, how has your own life been changed by the resurrection of Jesus? If the answer is not clear, do you realize that you are missing something? What will you do about it?

Next Sunday

The Fourth Sunday of Easter, May 2, 2004

Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39) or Num. 27:12-23; Psalm 100; Rev. 7:9-17 or Acts 13:15-16,26-33(34-39); John 10:22-30