Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁵ In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were relatives of the high priest. ⁷ When they had stood Peter and John in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people and elders of Israel, ⁹ if we are examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ may it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands here before you whole in him. ¹¹ He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’^{(A) 12} There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

A Psalm by David.

¹⁶ By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

¹⁸ My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, ²⁰ because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; ²² so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³ This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. ²⁴ He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd.^(A) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; ¹⁵ even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep which are not of this fold.^(B) I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd. ¹⁷ Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, ^(C) that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”