Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹² When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,^(A) has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate,^(B) though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴ You denied the Holy and Righteous One^(C) and asked to have a murderer released to you.^{(D) 15} You killed the source^[a] of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this.^{(E) 16} By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

¹⁷ “And now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders also did.^{(F) 18} In this way God fulfilled what he had predicted through all the prophets—that his Messiah would suffer.^{(G) 19} Therefore repent^(H) and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,^(I)

Psalm 4

A Night Prayer

For the choir director: with stringed instruments.^(A) A psalm of David.

3 See what great love^[a] the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. ² Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.^(A) We know that when he appears,^[b] we will be like him^(B) because we will see him as he is.^{(C) 3} And everyone who has this hope^(D) in him purifies himself just as he is pure.^(E)

⁴ Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,^[c](F) and there is no sin in him.^{(G) 6} Everyone who remains in him^(H) does not sin;^[d](I) everyone who sins^[e] has not seen him or known him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

The Reality of the Risen Jesus

³⁶ As^(A) they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace^(B) to you!” ³⁷ But they were startled and terrified^(C) and thought they were seeing a ghost.^{(D) 38} “Why are you troubled?”^(E) he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself!^(F) Touch me and see,^(G) because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” ⁴⁰ Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish,^{[a] 43} and he took it and ate in their presence.

⁴⁴ He told them, “These are my words^(H) that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets,^(I) and the Psalms^(J) must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds^(K) to understand^(L) the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He also said to them, “This is what is written:^[b] The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day,^{(M) 47} and repentance for^[c] forgiveness of sins^(N) will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations,^(O) beginning at Jerusalem.^{(P) 48} You are witnesses^(Q) of these things.