Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Gentiles Hear Good News

^34 (A)Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that ^(B)God is not one to show partiality, ³⁵ but ^(C)in every nation the one who ^[a](D)fears Him and ^[b]does what is right is acceptable to Him. ³⁶ The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, ^(E)preaching ^[c](F)peace through Jesus Christ (He is ^(G)Lord of all)— ³⁷ you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. ^38 [d]You know of ^(H)Jesus of Nazareth, how God ^(I)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, ^[e](J)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for ^(K)God was with Him. ³⁹ We are ^(L)witnesses of all the things that He did both in the ^[f]country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on ^[g](M)a cross. ^40 (N)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He ^[h]be revealed, ^41 (O)not to all the people, but to ^(P)witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us ^(Q)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. ⁴² And He ^(R)ordered us to ^[i]preach to the people, and to ^(S)testify solemnly that this is the One who has been ^(T)appointed by God as ^(U)Judge of the living and the dead. ^43 (V)All the prophets testify of Him, that through ^(W)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

New Heavens and a New Earth

²⁴ It will also come to pass that before they call, I will ^(O)answer; while they are still speaking, I will listen. ²⁵ The ^(P)wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the ^(Q)lion will eat straw like the ox; and ^(R)dust will be the serpent’s food. They will ^(S)do no evil or harm on all My ^(T)holy mountain,” says the Lord.

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness.

¹⁹ If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are ^(A)of all people most to be pitied.

The Order of Resurrection

²⁰ But the fact is, Christ ^(B)has been raised from the dead, the ^(C)first fruits of those who ^(D)are asleep. ²¹ For since ^(E)by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²² For ^(F)as in Adam all die, so also in ^[a]Christ all will be made alive. ²³ But each in his own order: Christ ^(G)the first fruits, after that ^(H)those who are Christ’s at ^(I)His coming, ²⁴ then comes the end, when He hands over ^(J)the kingdom to our ^(K)God and Father, when He has abolished ^(L)all rule and all authority and power. ²⁵ For He must reign ^(M)until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶ The last enemy that will be ^(N)abolished is death.

Gentiles Hear Good News

^34 (A)Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that ^(B)God is not one to show partiality, ³⁵ but ^(C)in every nation the one who ^[a](D)fears Him and ^[b]does what is right is acceptable to Him. ³⁶ The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, ^(E)preaching ^[c](F)peace through Jesus Christ (He is ^(G)Lord of all)— ³⁷ you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. ^38 [d]You know of ^(H)Jesus of Nazareth, how God ^(I)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, ^[e](J)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for ^(K)God was with Him. ³⁹ We are ^(L)witnesses of all the things that He did both in the ^[f]country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on ^[g](M)a cross. ^40 (N)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He ^[h]be revealed, ^41 (O)not to all the people, but to ^(P)witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us ^(Q)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. ⁴² And He ^(R)ordered us to ^[i]preach to the people, and to ^(S)testify solemnly that this is the One who has been ^(T)appointed by God as ^(U)Judge of the living and the dead. ^43 (V)All the prophets testify of Him, that through ^(W)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

The Empty Tomb

20 ^(A)Now on the first day of the week ^(B)Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and *saw ^(C)the stone already removed from the tomb. ² So she *ran and *came to Simon Peter and to the other ^(D)disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “^(E)They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have put Him.” ^3 (F)So Peter and the other disciple left, and they were going to the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead, faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; ⁵ and he ^(G)stooped to look in, and *saw the ^(H)linen wrappings lying there; however he did not go in. ⁶ So Simon Peter also *came, following him, and he entered the tomb; and he *looked at the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and ^(I)the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the ^(J)linen wrappings but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ So the other disciple who ^(K)had first come to the tomb also entered then, and he saw and believed. ⁹ For ^(L)they did not yet understand the Scripture, ^(M)that He must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ So the disciples went away again ^(N)to their own homes.

^11 (O)But Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping; so as she wept, she ^(P)stooped to look into the tomb; ¹² and she *saw ^(Q)two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. ¹³ And they *said to her, “^(R)Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because ^(S)they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they put Him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and *^(T)saw Jesus standing there, and yet she ^(U)did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus *said to her, “^(V)Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Thinking that He was the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you put Him, and I will take Him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him ^(W)in ^[a]Hebrew, “^(X)Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to ^(Y)My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ^(Z)ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” ^18 (AA)Mary Magdalene *came and ^(AB)announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

The Resurrection

24 ^(A)But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. ² And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of ^(B)the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were perplexed about this, behold, ^(C)two men suddenly ^(D)stood near them in gleaming clothing; ⁵ and as ^[a]the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why are you seeking the living One among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but He ^(E)has ^[b]risen. Remember how He spoke to you ^(F)while He was still in Galilee, ⁷ saying that ^(G)the Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise from the dead.” ⁸ And ^(H)they remembered His words, ⁹ and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest. ¹⁰ Now these women were ^(I)Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to ^(J)the apostles. ¹¹ But these words appeared ^[c]to them as nonsense, and they ^(K)would not believe ^[d]the women. ¹² Nevertheless, Peter got up and ^(L)ran to the tomb; and when he stooped and looked in, he *saw the linen wrappings ^[e]only; and he went away ^(M)to his ^[f]home, marveling at what had happened.