Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Peter Speaks to the People
14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles. He spoke loudly so that all the people could hear. He said, “My Jewish brothers and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me. I will tell you something you need to know. Listen carefully.
22 “My fellow Israelites, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you. He proved it by the miracles, wonders, and miraculous signs he did through Jesus. You all saw these things, so you know this is true. 23 Jesus was handed over to you, and you killed him. With the help of evil men, you nailed him to a cross. But God knew all this would happen. It was his plan—a plan he made long ago. 24 Jesus suffered the pain of death, but God made him free. He raised him from death. There was no way for death to hold him. 25 David said this about him:
‘I saw the Lord before me always;
he is at my right side to keep me safe.
26 So my heart is happy,
and the words I speak are words of joy.
Yes, even my body will live with hope,
27 because you will not leave me in the place of death.[a]
You will not let the body of your Holy One rot in the grave.
28 You taught me how to live.
You will come close to me and give me great joy.’ (A)
29 “My brothers, I can tell you for sure about David, our great ancestor. He died, was buried, and his tomb is still here with us today. 30 He was a prophet and knew something that God had said. God had promised David that someone from his own family would sit on David’s throne as king.[b] 31 David knew this before it happened. That is why he said this about that future king:
‘He was not left in the place of death.
His body did not rot in the grave.’
David was talking about the Messiah rising from death. 32 So Jesus is the one God raised from death. We are all witnesses of this. We saw him.
A miktam of David.
16 Protect me, God, because I depend on you.
2 Some of you[a] have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord.
Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 But you have also said about the gods[b] of this land,
“They are my powerful gods.
They are the ones who make me happy.”
4 But those who worship other gods will have many troubles.
I will not share in the gifts of blood they offer to their idols.
I will not even say their names.
5 Lord, you give me all that I need.
You support me.
You give me my share.
6 My share[c] is wonderful.
My inheritance[d] is very beautiful.
7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well.
Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind.[e]
8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.[f]
He is here, close by my side,
so nothing can defeat me.
9 So my heart and soul will be very happy.
Even my body will live in safety,
10 because you will not leave me in the place of death.
You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave.
11 You will teach me the right way to live.
Just being with you will bring complete happiness.
Being at your right side will make me happy forever.
A Living Hope
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.
5 God’s power protects you through your faith, and it keeps you safe until your salvation comes. That salvation is ready to be given to you at the end of time. 6 I know the thought of that is exciting, even if you must suffer through different kinds of troubles for a short time now. 7 These troubles test your faith and prove that it is pure. And such faith is worth more than gold. Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold will ruin. When your faith is proven to be pure, the result will be praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes.
8 You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. 9 Your faith has a goal, and you are reaching that goal—your salvation.
Jesus Appears to His Followers(A)
19 The day was Sunday, and that same evening the followers were together. They had the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 20 As soon as he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the followers saw the Lord, they were very happy.
21 Then Jesus said again, “Peace be with you. It was the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven. If there is anyone whose sins you don’t forgive, their sins are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Thomas (called Didymus) was one of the twelve, but he was not with the other followers when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We saw the Lord.” Thomas said, “That’s hard to believe. I will have to see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side. Only then will I believe it.”
26 A week later the followers were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand here in my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “You believe because you see me. Great blessings belong to the people who believe without seeing me!”
Why John Wrote This Book
30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs that his followers saw, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you can believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, by believing, you can have life through his name.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International