The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday

 Sermon Text: Acts 13:15,16a,26-39

 Other Readings: Revelation 7:9-17 and John 10:22-30


 

  1. Why does Paul address his audience as “fellow children of Abraham and God-fearing Gentiles” (v. 26)? Confer verse 14.
     
  2. There always are crazy stories and shocking headlines in the news. What’s one that you remember seeing recently? As you think about that, what encouragement can you draw from verses 26-30?
     
  3. What do we learn did not happen to Jesus’ body during the time he spent in the grave (vv. 34-37)?
     
  4. Paul uses a very theologically technical term in verse 39; that term is “justification.” In biblical contexts, what does justification mean?
  1. Paul was at a synagogue in what we call modern day Turkey. At synagogues like that one, the Jewish people, who descended from Abraham, met on Saturdays (the Sabbath) to worship God. But Gentiles (anyone not of the Jewish race) sometimes converted to the faith. These “God-fearing” (meaning, God-respecting and God-worshiping) Gentiles also would meet at the synagogues.
     
  2. God uses the craziness and shock of Holy Week–his only Son being murdered–as the way to accomplish his plan. Thus, we know that God can use the shocking headlines of our days to accomplish his will; his plans will not be thwarted.
     
  3. Jesus’ body did not decay one bit!
     
  4. In biblical contexts, justification means that God has declared sinners “not guilty” of their sins for the sake of Jesus Christ. Saint Paul frequently uses this word in his epistles (especially Romans).