Friday April 22 Easter Friday
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Psalm 136
God’s relentless love (‘mercy’ in the relentless refrain of this hymn) is seen first in creation, then in Israel’s rescue from Egypt as if that rescue was another part of creation, and finally for every creature.
Exodus 13.1-2, 11-16 What’s Exodus about?
The Lord continues to give Moses instructions about how this rescue is to be commemorated after the people have arrived in Canaan. All first-born animals and humans are to be dedicated to God. Since God struck down all firstborn Egyptian males and animals, the people are to acknowledge God’s generosity by symbolically offering their own first-born back to God. However, firstborn males don’t actually have to be sacrificed—circumcision is the sign that is now substituted for actual sacrifice.
Luke 24.1-12 What’s Luke about?
In Luke, the women run to tell the disciples but are not believed. This seems to be a theme, that even disciples do not believe the resurrection has happened. Perhaps that will give us support in a time when the faith is no longer taken seriously by our society—the same was true at the time of Jesus.
We have now read about the resurrection from the perspective of all four gospels.
This week’s collect:
Lord of life and power,
through the mighty resurrection of your Son,
you have overcome the old order of sin and death
and have made all things new in him.
May we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
reign with him in glory,
who with you and the Holy Spirit is alive,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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