Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹² Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “Men of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why look at us as though we by our own power and godliness had made this man walk? ¹³ For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. I refer to the Jesus whom you rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s determination to release him. ¹⁴ You didn’t want him freed—this holy, righteous one. Instead you demanded the release of a murderer. ¹⁵ And you killed the Author of Life; but God brought him back to life again. And John and I are witnesses of this fact, for after you killed him we saw him alive!

¹⁶ “Jesus’ name has healed this man—and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name—faith given us from God—has caused this perfect healing.

¹⁷ “Dear brothers, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. ¹⁸ But God was fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah must suffer all these things. ¹⁹ Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord

4 O God, you have declared me perfect in your eyes;^[a] you have always cared for me in my distress; now hear me as I call again. Have mercy on me. Hear my prayer.

² The Lord God asks, “Sons of men, will you forever turn my glory into shame by worshiping these silly idols, when every claim that’s made for them is false?”

³ Mark this well: The Lord has set apart the redeemed for himself. Therefore he will listen to me and answer when I call to him. ⁴ Stand before the Lord in awe,^[b] and do not sin against him. Lie quietly upon your bed in silent meditation. ⁵ Put your trust in the Lord, and offer him pleasing sacrifices.

⁶ Many say that God will never help us. Prove them wrong,^[c] O Lord, by letting the light of your face shine down upon us. ⁷ Yes, the gladness you have given me is far greater than their joys at harvest time as they gaze at their bountiful crops. ⁸ I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, you will keep me safe.

3 See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children—think of it—and we really are! But since most people don’t know God, naturally they don’t understand that we are his children. ² Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, right now, and we can’t even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is. ³ And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure.

⁴ But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is done against the will of God. ⁵ And you know that he became a man so that he could take away our sins, and that there is no sin in him, no missing of God’s will at any time in any way. ⁶ So if we stay close to him, obedient to him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really known him or become his.

⁷ Oh, dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: if you are constantly doing what is good, it is because you are good, even as he is.

³⁶ And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them, and greeted them. ³⁷ But the whole group was terribly frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

³⁸ “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why do you doubt that it is really I? ³⁹ Look at my hands! Look at my feet! You can see that it is I, myself! Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost! For ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do!” ⁴⁰ As he spoke, he held out his hands for them to see the marks of the nails,^[a] and showed them the wounds in his feet.

⁴¹ Still they stood there undecided, filled with joy and doubt.

Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”

⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he ate it as they watched!

⁴⁴ Then he said, “When I was with you before, don’t you remember my telling you that everything written about me by Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must all come true?” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand at last these many Scriptures! ⁴⁶ And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah must suffer and die and rise again from the dead on the third day; ⁴⁷ and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all the nations: There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me. ⁴⁸ You have seen these prophecies come true.