Episcopal Church of the Incarnation

West Point, Mississippi

Easter Day (Primary Service)

Acts 10.34-43 Psalm 118.1-2, 14-24 1 Corinthians 15.1-11 John 20.1-18

The celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord (Easter) comprises, actually, four distinct services:

1. The Great Vigil of Easter is celebrated after sundown on Saturday. Up to nine lessons are used, together with a psalm or canticle after each lesson. The lessons summarize the history of salvation as found in the Old Testament, and thus summarize revelation up to the advent of Jesus.
2. The early service (which may be a “sunrise” service) on Easter Day uses one of the Old Testament lessons from the Vigil, plus Psalm 114, Romans 6.3-11, and Matthew 28.1-10.
3. The lessons for the primary service are included in this Bible Study summary.
4. The evening service begins with Isaiah 25.6-9, includes Psalm 114, proceeds to 1 Corinthians 5.6b-8, and concludes with Luke 24.13-49.

Acts 10.34-43

1) This selection from Acts includes a speech given by Peter at the conversion of St. Cornelius and his household.

a) Cornelius was a Roman soldier (a centurion) and thus a Gentile. Ch. 10 of Acts relates how Cornelius (in response to prayer) was instructed to summon Peter. Peter had a vision that all things are clean to God, i.e., that the “kosher” restrictions of the Law did not obtain for Christians.

i) Following this vision, Peter was summoned to Cornelius.

ii) While Peter was meeting with Cornelius, Peter gave the speech contained in this lesson.

(1) The Good News is preached to Gentiles.

iii) Following this speech, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household, whereupon Peter baptized them.

(1) This is the only example in Scripture of the Baptism of the Spirit preceding baptism with water.

2) The whole sequence involving Cornelius and Peter is the very pivot of Luke’s argument in Acts: that the Gospel is for all people, and that the Gospel must be witnessed to “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1.8).

a) Peter’s sermon changes the proclamation typical throughout Acts, of a call to repentance, to a proclamation of universal forgiveness of the one appointed judge of the world (Jesus).

i) Compare Paul’s argument at Acts 17.30-31 and 1 Thess. 1.10.

Psalm 118.1-2, 14-28

1) An individual song of thanksgiving.

a) Vv. 15-19 are a “victory shout” and petition to enter the Temple; 20-25 and 26-28 being praise to God offered in the Temple’ with v. 29 being an exhortation to offer praise.

b) V. 14 is a citation from Exodus 15.2a, from Israel’s classical victory song, with Exodus 15.2b being paraphrased at the end of this praise section (at v. 28).

2) “The same stone which the builders rejected” (v. 22) represents, probably, an ancient proverb.

a) In the psalm this may refer either to the king’s rise to power (this is a Davidic hymn) or to his recent victory.

b) This saying appears at Matt. 21.42 and Acts 4.11. See also 1 Cor. 3.11; Eph. 2.20; 1 Pet. 2.7-8.

3) The cry “Hosannah” (v. 25) comes from the Hebrew verb hôšî’a-nnā’, which means “save us!”

a) Crying “hosannah” (as at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem), is therefore an acclamation which acknowledges lordship and pleads for deliverance.

1 Corinthians 15.1-11

1) Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth is older than any of the gospels, having been written some time between A.D. 52 and 57 (i.e., more than a decade prior to the writing of the first gospel, that of Mark).

a) It is especially notable, therefore, that before the writing of any gospel account, and within about twenty year’s of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul’s creedal statement is described as “of the first importance” and “what I ... had received” (1 Cor. 15.3).

i) The affirmation of faith in Jesus’ resurrection began immediately. This gives the utter lie to such nonsense as is argued by those who argue that before the First Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) Christian’s thought of Jesus only as a wise but human teacher, and that the divinity of Jesus was “invented” for political ends by the Church and emperor at Nicaea.

b) Paul writes to Corinth about the resurrection because already there are believers who question whether it was (and is) real or metaphorical only. (Nothing is new under the sun!)

2) Because Jesus actually rose from the dead, resurrection is not just a theory about how we might live after death.

a) That Jesus was actually buried is recited as a guarantee that He actually died. His death was not symbolic or fake. Neither was He in Spirit only, and therefore not subject to bodily death.

3) Paul states that Jesus “showed Himself”. In Greek this is stated in the “middle voice,” i.e., Jesus was not seen (passive) by those to whom He appeared, but actively revealed Himself to them.

a) In v. 6 Paul makes the point that there are still living eyewitnesses who can confirm what he writes.

4) Paul refers to himself as “one untimely born” (v.8). The literal meaning of the phrase is as to “an abortion”. This may refer to a term of abuse used by Paul’s opponents, who mocked his physical appearance (2 Cor. 10.10) and denied his apostleship (1 Cor. 9.1-18).

John 20.1-18

1) All four gospel accounts describe women coming to Jesus’ tomb and finding it empty. All accounts tell of Peter confirming that the tomb is empty, and also how Jesus appears to various disciples.

a) John, writing long after the event, incorporates narrative tradition.

i) Thus, Mary Magdalene is described as coming to the tomb alone, but in v. 2 she tells Peter “... we do not know where they have paid him.” This corroborates the other accounts which refer to women coming to the tomb.

b) John’s account is a brief report of Mary’s discrovery, followed by a longer account of Peter and the Beloved Disciple at the tomb.

2) The Beloved Disciple does not enter the tomb. He relies on the report of Mary. Then Peter enters, and he follows.

a) In Eastern Orthodox tradition, Mary is referred to as “apostle to the apostles,” since she is the first one to bring the news that Jesus is risen, saying “I have seen the Lord!) (v.18).

i) So much for the argument that the Church has always accorded a low status to women!

3) Jesus tells Mary to not hold onto Him, for He has not yet gone to the Father. Mary has first not known where Jesus is, and now she seeks to hold Him, although He has already told the disciples where He will be:

a) He returns to the Father (13.1-3; 14.12, 28; 17.21-26).

b) He abides with His disciples (14.3, 18, 20, 23, 28).