FIRST READING: Acts 1: 15 - 17, 21 - 26 (RCL) Acts 1: 15 - 17, 20a, 20c - 26 (Roman Catholic) Acts 1:15 (NRSV) In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 "Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus-- 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." 20 "For it is written in the book of Psalms, "Let another take his position of overseer.' 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsab'bas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthi'as. 24 Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthi'as; and he was added to the eleven apostles. Ezekiel 36: 24 - 28 (alt. for C of E) Ezek 36:24 (NRSV) I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. PSALM 1 (RCL) Psal 1:1 (NRSV) Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; 2 but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. 1 Beatus vir qui non abiit (ECUSA BCP) 1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! 2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD, * and they meditate on his law day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; * everything they do shall prosper. 4 It is not so with the wicked; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, * nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked is doomed. Psalm 103: 1 - 2, 11 - 12, 19 - 20ab (Roman Catholic) Psal 103:1 (NRSV) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits-- 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, SECOND READING: 1 John 5: 9 - 13 (RCL) 1Joh 5:9 (NRSV) If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son. 10 Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. h/t Montreal Anglican In vv. 6-7, the author has stated that the Holy Spirit witnesses, “testifies”, to both Jesus’ baptism (“the water”) and his very human agony on the cross (“the blood”) – so anyone who does not accept both is not a true follower of Christ. Three things demonstrate that Jesus is Son of God: the Spirit, working in the Church; baptism; and the crucifixion or the Eucharist (the way we celebrate Christ’s death). Now the author says that the testimony of God the Father, which he made to the Son, is much more significant than any “human testimony” (v. 9). (In John 8:14-19, Jesus says that he testifies and “the Father ... testifies on my behalf”.) One receives this witness through believing (v. 10). Those who willfully disbelieve do the equivalent of calling God “a liar” – for they reject God’s witness that Jesus came as saviour. The testimony is more than a formula; it is living in unison with (“in”) “his Son” (v. 11). Living “in his Son” and having eternal life come together. V. 13 is the start of the conclusion of the epistle, and (as is John 20:31), is the reason that 1 John was written: that the faithful may know that they have eternal life. Verses 1-12: Victorious faith issuing in eternal life. [NOAB] Verse 1: In John 8:12 Jesus tells scribes and Pharisees: “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’”. [NOAB] Verse 1: “everyone who loves the parent loves the child”: A conventional maxim repeats the association between love of God and love of fellow Christians from 4:20-21. [NJBC] Verse 3: “not burdensome”: In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says “‘my yoke is easy, and my burden is light’”. In Philippians 4:13, Paul writes: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. [NOAB] Verse 4: “the victory that conquers the world, our faith”: The victory over the world was won when Christians were converted: 2:13-14 says “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one”. The word of God is the source of this victory (see 4:4), a share in the victory won by Jesus. [NJBC] Verse 4: “that conquers”: That has conquered is also a possible translation. [NOAB] Verses 7-8: The King James Version and various Latin translations contain an expansion of (an insertion in) these verses known as the Johannine Comma. The earliest appearance of this expansion is in the fourth century. It and John 10:30 were used over the centuries to provide scriptural evidence for the doctrine of the equality and unity of personae (roles) in the Trinity; however the expansion is not found in any early Greek manuscripts so, valid as the doctrine is, it cannot be proved from these verses. [NJBC] Verses 6-12: The affirmation that belief is the source of eternal life is expanded in two directions: • belief must include his coming in water and blood • belief in the Son is grounded in God’s own testimony. [NJBC] Verses 6-8: See also John 19:34-35 tells us: “Instead [of breaking Jesus’ legs], one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.)”. [NOAB] Verse 6: “not with the water only but with the water and the blood”: In John 1:31-32, John the Baptist testifies that revelation of Jesus as preexistent Son is linked to the descent of the Spirit and to baptism. (1 John 5:7 refers to the testimony given by the Spirit). Jesus' sending is associated with the boundless gift of the Spirit (see John 3:34; 7:38-39.). Dissidents might have associated salvation and the coming of the Spirit with “the water” (baptism) and not with “the blood” (crucifixion). John 19:35 (quoted above) may have been added to the Gospel to emphasize that this conviction about the death of Jesus goes back to the beloved disciple. [NJBC] Verse 9: “the testimony of God”: The testimony of the Father to the Son is often found in the Gospel according to John. In John 5:32, Jesus says “‘There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true’”. See also John 5:36; 8:18. [NOAB] Verse 9: “the testimony of God is greater”: The claim that God is the real witness to Jesus derives from the controversies in the Gospel according to John. Those who reject Jesus' testimony about his relationship to the Father are confronted with lists of witnesses: see John 5:31-40; 8:14-19. [NJBC] Verse 10: “have the testimony in their hearts”: Several passages in John speak of the ways in which the believer could be said to “have testimony”. God is responsible for a persons' believing response to Jesus (see John 6:44; 10:3-4). The Spirit/Paraclete/Advocate dwelling within the community serves as witness (see John 14:16) and also enables the community to witness to the world (see John 15:26-27). [NJBC] Verse 12: “Whoever has the Son has life”: That the Son has been sent to give life to those who believe is found throughout the Fourth Gospel (e.g. John 1:4; 3:36; 5:24, 26; 6:57; 20:31). [NJBC] [NOAB] Verse 13: John was written for non-believers, that they may believe; 1 John is written for believers, that they may know that they have eternal life. GOSPEL: John 17: 6 - 19 (RCL) John 17: 11b - 19 (Roman Catholic) John 17:6 (NRSV) "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth. The Last Supper is over; soon Jesus will be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. In meditation, he looks up to heaven; he prays to the Father “glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you” (v. 1). Jesus waits to be restored to heaven. He has come to earth to provide eternal life to all who believe. Now he prays to the Father for the disciples. He has made the Father known to those who would believe. (To John, the “world”, v. 6, is notable for its unbelief and hatred.) The disciples have been faithful to “your word”, to truth, to God, to Jesus’ teaching. They have come to realize the relationship of the Son to the Father (v. 7); they know Jesus’ origin and mission (v. 8). This prayer is on behalf of believers (who are God’s), not all people (v. 9). Then v. 10: belonging to God implies belonging to the Son; Jesus’ power and authority have been shown to them. V. 11 is written as though Jesus has already risen. Jesus asks four things of the Father: • that they may be “one”, a unity, as he and the Father are; • that they may have “my joy” (v. 13, of eternal life); • protection from the influence of evil; and • to enable them to fulfill his mission in the world (vv. 16-19). Jesus asks the Father to “protect them in your name” (v. 11), by his authority and as his representatives. The Father has given Jesus this authority. He has protected them, except for one: Judas. In fulfilment of “the scripture” (v. 12), per God’s will expressed there, he was “destined to be lost”, damned. The disciples have been “hated” (v. 14), as he was, because they are unlike others, but they (unlike him) continue “in the world” (v. 11). May the Father set them apart for service (“sanctify”, v. 17), make them intermediaries between the world and God, offering sacrifice as Jesus did in his death. This prayer of Jesus for his followers and those who will believe in him through them is a fitting culmination to Jesus’ ministry, and leads on to the cross. Verses 1-26: This is Jesus’ high priestly prayer. It falls naturally into three parts: • Vv. 1-5: Jesus’ prayer for himself • Vv. 6-19: His prayer for his disciples, left in the world after his ascension, and • Vv. 20-26: His prayer for the Church universal. [NOAB] There are parallels to the Lord's Prayer. [NJBC] Verse 1: “looked up to heaven”: Presumably standing – the conventional Jewish attitude of prayer. See also 11:41; Luke 9:16; 18:13; Mark 6:41; 7:34; Matthew 14:19; 1 Enoch 13:5. Verse 2: “you have given him authority”: To judge, lay down and take up his life. See also 5:27; 10:18; 19:10-11 (Jesus before Pilate); 3:27, 35. Verse 4: “by finishing the work”: See also 4:34; 5:36; 19:28, 30. Verse 4: “that you gave me to do”: See also 10:25. Verse 5: “before the world existed”: See also 1:1ff; 8:58; 17:24. Verse 6: “‘I have made your name known’”: The Greek verb ephanerosa is used of the manifestation of Jesus, or of his glory, or of God’s works, in 1:31; 2:11; 9:3; 21:1, 14. Here it is to those given to Jesus by the Father that Jesus, by his words and deeds, makes known God’s “name”, i.e. his character and person. [BlkJn] Verse 7: “‘everything you have given me’”: i.e. the entire ministry of Jesus with all that this involves. [BlkJn] Verse 8: “‘for the words ...’”: Jesus’ words are the Father’s words: 3:34 says “He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure”. See also 7:16; 12:49-50; 14:10, 24. [BlkJn] Verse 8: “‘they ... know in truth that I came from you’”: See also 16:27. In context, Jesus does not merely mean that he is Messiah, far less that he is a superman, one of the divine heroes of the ancient world, but that his claims to pre-existence (see v. 5) are justified. [BlkJn] Verse 9: “‘I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me’”: Others are not capable, unless they come to faith in Jesus (see v. 20), of sharing in what the Father gives. [BlkJn] Verses 11-12: 13:1 tells us that Jesus’ departure is imminent: “Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father ...”. On the disciples being left exposed to the hostility of the world, in 15:18 Jesus says “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you”. See also 17:14 and 16:1-5a (for an alternative presentation of the ideas). [BlkJn] Verse 11: The unity of believers is modelled on the shared purpose and character of the Father and the Son, who are in complete unity. [BlkJn] Verse 12: “‘the scripture’”: That “scripture” is in the singular implies that John has a particular passage in mind. It may be Psalm 41:9 (“Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me”), which Jesus quotes in 13:18. [BlkJn] Verse 12: “‘the one destined to be lost’”: This phrase is also found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3; there it refers to the Antichrist. [BlkJn] Verse 14: “‘word’”: See also 1:1-19: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...”. Verse 17: “‘your word is truth’”: God’s “word” (Greek: logos) is the means of sanctification. The Father’s “word” is characterized as the revelation of ultimate reality. 1:14 says that the incarnate “Word”, Jesus, is “full of grace and truth”. The “truth” sets free those who persevere in Jesus’ word: see 8:31-36. [BlkJn] Verse 18: In 20:21, in his appearance to the disciples, Jesus tells them: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. [BlkJn] Verse 19: “‘sanctify myself’”: In the Septuagint translation, the Greek verb agiadzo (“sanctify”) is used both for the setting apart for God (in Exodus 3:2 and Deuteronomy 15:19) and for the consecration of people to God’s service (in Jeremiah 1:5, of a prophet, and in Exodus 28:41, of priests). Christ’s perfect self-offering is the means by which the disciples whom he is sending into the world are dedicated in obedience to God. [BlkJn]