Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation
The Fifth Sunday of Easter Day (Year B)
Acts
8.26-40 Psalm
22.24-30 1 John
4.7-21 John 15.1-8
Acts
8.26-40
1) This lesson is taken from a longer section (8.4-40) concerning Philip and the advance of the Word. (Cf. the programmatic verse for Acts at 1.8.)
a) The account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch is that of the first Gentile conversion, rivaling the account of the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10).
i)
Philip represented the Hellenistic branch of the early
disciples, and Peter the strictly Jewish branch. There is some evidence that the account of
Philip is
ii) That the convert is African adds impetus to the statement at 1.8, that the Gospel will spread to the “end of the earth”.
b) Philip’s mission is part of God’s initiative. Philip is directed by an angel (just as Peter is by the Spirit, at 10.19-20).
2)
Under Deut. 23.1 a eunuch was denied admission to the
religious community of
a) The centerpiece of the conversion story is the quotation of Scripture (from Isaiah 53.7b-8c), which is a cross-reference to Luke 4.16-21.
i) Luke makes it clear that the Messiah foretold by all Scripture is Jesus. Once this message has been proclaimed by Philip, and the eunuch baptized, the Spirit intervene directly, carrying Philip away (literally) to further mission.
Psalm
22.24-30
1) Psalm 22 recites many of the events found in the passion of our Lord.
a) The opening words of this individual lament are the last words of Jesus on the Cross in Matthew (27.46) and Mark (15.34).
b) Later in the psalm (v. 18) there is even a reference to the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ cloak.
3) The verses selected in this lesson are those in which the speech has shifted to that of praise and dedication.
a) Isolation from God and the community has been overcome.
b) The praise offered includes a recitation of events associated with the coming of the Messiah (e.g., that the poor shall eat [v. 25]).
i)
The action of the Lord
in this messianic setting is universal (v. 26).
The Lord is not just the
God of
c) The reference in v. 28 to “those who sleep in the earth” can be read in a number of ways, due to the nature of the Hebrew verb involved.
i) This can include all flesh, who shall one day sleep in the earth, and those who now sleep in the earth (cf. 1 Pet. 4.6).
4) The dimension of time is explicit, and not just the function of a verb.
a) In v. 4 the past had been referred to. Now, the present (as “those who sleep in the earth”), the past (“all who go down to the dust” in v. 28), and future (“descendants” in v. 29 and “a people yet unborn” in v. 30), are specifically invoked in offering praise for the saving works of God.
1
John 4.7-21
1) 1 John in general, and ch. 4 in particular, is known as the “love chapter” in Scripture.
a) The “love” referred to by John is one of four types of love described in Greek, this being agapé, which involves selfless giving, living for the other (as distinguished from philos, brotherly love, eros, romantic love, and storge, love of [identification with] a thing or place, such as home).
b) When John describes God as love, he is calling to mind the commandment given by Jesus at John 15.12, and as described earlier in 1 John (particularly in ch. 3).
2) Jesus has shown us God’s love. God’s love is revealed not just in Jesus but in the Christian community. Christians are to identify with the divine attribute of love in how they live.
a) Love reveals God. “No one has seen God” (v.12), but God is revealed in Jesus (cf. John 1.18; 5.37; 6.46).
3) We know God’s love through the Spirit. At 3.24, John has introduced the truth that the gift of the Spirit is evidence of God’s indwelling in the believer. That theme is associated with the testing of spirits (at 4.1-6).
a) The believer abides in God’s love (again, compare John 15). The Christian need not fear judgment.
b) Abiding in God’s love involves observing the double commandment to love God and to love one’s neighbor (cf. 3.15, 23).
John
15.1-8
1) Before giving the “new commandment” that believers are to love one another as Jesus has loved them, Jesus first describes the truth of His abiding presence, using the figure of the vine and branches.
a) Jesus, in describing Himself as the true vine, uses one of the I AM (ego eimí) sayings by which He reveals His true identity as God.
i) The word “true” is used in the sense as found at 4.23 and 6.32, as the replacement for O.T. reality.
ii) The image of Israel as the vine is found is frequent, e.g. at Isa. 5.1-7; Jer. 2.21; Hos. 10.1; Ezek. 15.1-6; Ps. 80.8-15.
2) Jesus adds the parenthetical expression at v. 3 that the disciple is safe from being “pruned,” because he is “cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.” This is a possible cross-reference to 13.10.
3) The disciples represent Jesus in the world. In this is God glorified. The vine imagery is invoked (the bearing of fruit) as an allusion to the “indwelling language” found in the farewell discourse at 14.10-11, 20.
a) Remaining in Christ allows for confidence in prayer (14.13).