Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Peter’s Pentecost Message

¹⁴ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and spoke loudly and clearly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you residents of Jerusalem, understand this, and listen closely to my words.

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Gentlemen, brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter answered them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your^[a] sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ He testified solemnly with many other words and was appealing to them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

⁴¹ Those who^[b] accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.

Psalm 116

Deliverance From Death

Overview

Future Devotion

¹⁷ If you call on the Father who judges impartially, according to the work of each person, conduct yourselves during the time of your pilgrimage in reverence, ¹⁸ because you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, not with things that pass away, such as silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰ He was chosen before the foundation of the world but revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²² Since you have purified your souls by obeying the truth,^[a] resulting in sincere brotherly love, love one another constantly from a pure heart. ²³ For you have been born again, not from perishable seed but from imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

On the Way to Emmaus

¹³ Now, on that same day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles^[a] from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about all of these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing this, Jesus himself approached and began to walk along with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?” Saddened, they stopped.

¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

¹⁹ “What things?” he asked them.

They replied, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be condemned to death. And they crucified him. ²¹ But we were hoping that he was going to redeem Israel. Not only that, but besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. ²² Also some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning. ²³ When they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb. They found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter his glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

²⁸ As they approached the village where they were going, he acted as if he were going to travel farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, since it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.”

So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he reclined at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and began giving it to them. ³¹ Suddenly their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. Then he vanished from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us along the road and while he was explaining the Scriptures to us?” ³³ They got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those who were with them assembled together. ³⁴ They were saying, “The Lord really has been raised! He has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵ They themselves described what had happened along the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.