21 April 2024
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Acts 4:5-12
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
The Jewish rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,
with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly family.
When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired,
‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
‘Rulers of the people and elders,
if we are questioned today
because of a good deed done to someone who was sick
and are asked how this man has been healed,
let it be known to all of you,
and to all the people of Israel,
that this man is standing before you in good health
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
This Jesus is “the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.”
There is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals
by which we must be saved.’
1 John 3:16-24
A reading from the first letter of John.
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—
and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods
and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love,
not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
And by this we will know that we are from the truth
and will reassure our hearts before him
whenever our hearts condemn us;
for God is greater than our hearts,
and he knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have boldness before God;
and we receive from him whatever we ask,
because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment,
that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
All who obey his commandments abide in him,
and he abides in them.
And by this we know that he abides in us,
by the Spirit that he has given us.
John 10:11-18
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Jesus said to the Pharisses:
‘I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
The hired hand, who is not the shepherd
and does not own the sheep, s
ees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
The hired hand runs away
because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd.
I know my own and my own know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.
And I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.
I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me,
but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it up again.
I have received this command from my Father.’
