1. Peter 5,1-4 2423
Misericordias Domini 38
George, Martyr 303 (Diocletian, 284-311/12; persecution 302-11)
Adalbert, Bishop of Prague, Martyr 997
23. April 2023
1. ℣ The earth is full of the goodness of Yahweh:
℟ By the Word of Yahweh were the heavens made (Psalm 33,5.6).
O Lord Jesus Christ, who is known in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread; provide and protect us, so that we remain safe and sound in Your fold. Amen. (Luke 24,35; John 10,14 Versicles).
2. »So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.«
3. At the end of his Gospel, the Apostle John records the story where 3 times Jesus asked the Apostle Peter: do you love Me? And 3 times Peter replied: yes. After each answer, Jesus exhorted Peter: feed My lambs, tend My sheep and feed My sheep (John 21,15-17). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, called Peter, to be His shepherd. The Apostle Peter would become the first Bishop of Rome; he held that office for about 30 years (ad 33-64/68); the Bishop of Rome is also connected to Paul. All of the apostles were shepherds: the Bishop of Ephesus traces back to the Apostle John, the Bishop of Jerusalem, traces back to the Apostle Peter and James, the brother of Jesus.
4. The apostles continued the ministry of Jesus. One of their primary tasks was preaching the resurrected Christ. Peter begins his epistle with these words: »Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time« (1. Peter 1,3-5). The resurrection is the cornerstone of apostolic preaching. The bishops ordained by the apostles preached the Resurrection, and the pastors the bishops ordained likewise preached the resurrection.
5. Preaching about the risen Christ quickly garnered opposition. »And as Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Annas the high priest and Caiaphas, John, Alexander and all who were of the high-priestly family called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus« (Acts 4,1-2.6.18).
6. It should come as no surprise that opposition to Christ’s resurrection is quickly pursued, because as Paul wrote: »If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain in your faith is in vain and you are still in your sins« (1. Corinthians 15,14.17).
7. Jesus taught His apostles and disciples that He would suffer, die and rise. The apostles preach this message. Pastors 2000 years later preach this message. It is the foundation of the gospel and our faith. Tending and feeding Christ’s people involves preaching and teaching Christ’s resurrection.
8. In his second epistle, Peter warns that false prophets and false teachers will arise to bring destructive heresies (2. Peter 2,1). In the first century ad, the Docetist heresy arose; the Docetists denied the reality of Jesus’ physical body and thought that He only appeared to be human. They obviously denied the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Another first century ad heresy was Gnosticism; the Gnostics believed that matter and the body were evil, and they denied Jesus’ resurrection because the physical body was corrupt. The end of the Apostolic Era dealt with both heresies, arguing from Scripture that Jesus’ resurrection is a core doctrine of the faith.
9. „The flesh is not by nature mortal, neither was it originally created so, but it became mortal through the transgression of Adam … and in this flesh Jesus was crucified and died, thus effecting our salvation by His own body. But He rose again from the dead, not as if He had cast aside His body beforehand like a garment, but because He had raised it up again after it had been placed aside in the tomb, leaving behind it the corruption of death“ (Irenaeus Against Heresies 5,1). „The Lord Himself declared: destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. What temple, then, did He mean, if not His own body? … And He says to His disciples: touch Me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have. … By these words He showed that it was the same body which had been placed in the tomb“ (Against Heresies 5,7).
10. Peter quotes Psalm 2 in regards to Jesus’ resurrection: »The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him at His right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins« (Psalm 2,7; Acts 5,30-31). Paul refers to Hosea 6: »Draw near, and let us return to Yahweh; … He has struck us down, and He has bound us up. … On the third day He will raise us up, that we may live before Him« (Hosea 6,1.2) when he tells the Corinthians: »Christ was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures« (1. Corinthians 15,4).
11. We live in a culture that speaks of religion and the spiritual, but does not comprehend spiritual truths. John tells us: »Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also (1. John 1,23). To confess the Son is to confess His resurrection. To confess His resurrection is to confess that He has forgiven our sin, and promised us eternal life. Thus we preach Christ risen from the dead.
12. Lord, to believe, so help us,
And keep us steadfast in it,
Of hope, let nothing rob us,
Let love be heartfelt.
And will dawn the day
When You the world will see
That we stand on You, the Way
And at Your right hand be (Es kennt der Herr die Seinen elkg 282,6 2021 Philipp Spitta 1843).
This is most certainly true.
13. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.
14. Let us pray. O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire Thee with our whole heart, that so desiring, we may seek and find Thee, and so finding Thee we may love Thee and loving Thee we may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed us. Amen. (Misericordias Domini, Vespers Collect 2. The Daily Office.)
To God alone be the Glory
Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm
✠
All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2021 Selbständige Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche, Hannover.
The Daily Office. Copyright © 1965 Concordia Publishing House.
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