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Sunday 19 April 2026 Third Sunday of Easter
Rejoice in God’s Story!
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Luke 24:13-35
Context: Sunday morning service with a small older congregation in a semi-rural village
Aim: to re-ignite enthusiasm and joy in the preached word of God
It was a sad comment made to a father who had finally persuaded his adult son to come to a church service. ‘All you ever talk about is death,’ the son said. He found the worship profoundly depressing and refused to come again.
Regrettably, the son was unable to see either the life beyond death that Jesus promises his followers or the profound miracle of Christ’s resurrection. For whatever reason, he did not receive the message of joyful hope and transformative love gifted to his people by God in his son Jesus Christ.
It is essential that the good news of the gospel is communicated effectively to all, and especially to those who do not yet know that Jesus is alive and with us now through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The two believers walking to Emmaus were talking of death too; Jesus’ death which had shocked and troubled them. Confused by the empty tomb, and the reports of the risen Christ, they poured out the story to the stranger who walked alongside them. As their companion explained the Scriptures, reminding them of the ancient prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah, they were captivated by his exposition. Later, sharing supper together, they suddenly realised the stranger was indeed Jesus himself. No longer mired in sorrow, but affirmed and encouraged by the risen Lord, the two followers rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples of the wonderful truth of the resurrection.
How did Jesus change the hearts and minds of these two downcast followers from sadness to joy?
His approach was to find out and listen to what was troubling them. He took time to explain the history of God’s work in the world leading up to and including his own incarnation. He made it clear that the cross and the resurrection were always part of God’s strategy for rescuing his people and forging a new way of relationship with him through his son.
Of course, this was the risen Christ himself speaking, with all the divine knowledge, charisma and spiritual authority of God.
Peter, on the other hand, was just a fisherman, a flawed human being who despite being named by Jesus as the rock on which he would build his church, deserted Christ and denied him three times. It was only through the gift of the Holy Spirit that Peter was inspired to preach the sermon of his life, so powerful that more than three thousand people were baptised into the new Christian church.
Peter too tapped into the people’s existing knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. He repeated the prophecy of the Old Testament hero Joel; then he spoke of Jesus’ ministry and his God-given authority; he told them that even though they had done terrible wrong in allowing Jesus to be crucified, this act was foreseen and always part of God’s great plan. He proclaimed the supreme power of God in raising Jesus from the dead, declaring him greater even than King David, and finally confirmed Jesus’ identity as Lord and Christ.
When, like the followers on the road to Emmaus, the people were convinced that Jesus was indeed the long promised Messiah, they were aghast at what they had done. Peter gave them the perfect solution: repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus; be forgiven for your sins and receive the Holy Spirit.
Both Jesus and Peter grounded the good news within its context of God’s work in the world throughout history. They established Christ’s credentials, referring back to the great prophets of the past, their faith and trust in God recorded in the Scriptures, before then speaking of Jesus’ ministry, his sacrifice and the triumph of his resurrection.
Peter boldly proclaimed the way forward, forgiveness offered through repentance and baptism, lifting the people from anguish at the death of the Messiah to joy in the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The worldwide Christian church today is built on the faith of the prophets, disciples and such countless believers ever since.
What’s to be sad about?
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