Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A 2023

Title

Bad News Precedes Good News

Outline

We like to be good news affirming folk

We do not want to be bad news Puddleglum folk

We want to affirm others and speak positively -nI’m OK you are OK, expect the good.

Unfortunately, the good news does not make sense unless one grasps the bad news

The bad news is that the crucified Jesus is exalted

“God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The idea that he is both Lord and Messiah is not good news when one realizes that he or she has crucified him. The people knew well what an anointed Lord would do to those who tried to kill him.

They also knew what a shepherd would do to a thief who scaled the wall to sneak into the sheepfold.

We often try to escape this implication, to play down the idea that it is not good news that Jesus is Lord so long as one is identified with the rebels.

But until the disease is identified there can be no cure.

The good news is that Jesus offers forgiveness and life

Speaking to not-yet-believers who do believe in the God of Israel Peter gives the 4 part message: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.” (1) Repent, change your mind; (2) be baptized = confess allegiance to Jesus as you are sacramentally cleansed from your past; (3) this confession is indeed into Jesus or “the name of” Jesus and it cleanses one of past rebellion; and (4) “you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit,” which is not an added extra but the One who is God in you and joins you to God, to Jesus. The Spirit is how one hears the Shepherd’s voice.

Speaking to already-believers Peter explains the mechanism of forgiveness: “He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” The cross is our healing. Of course, in John Jesus says that he came so that we might have life, not so that he might have mutton.

Sometimes we try to explain the mechanism to not-yet-believers and get them confused, for there are things that one can understand through the Spirit when one is inside that do not make sense when one is outside and lacks the Spirit.

But there is also bad and good news for us

If we follow the Shepherd we will follow him into suffering: “if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” What? We are to follow the example of Christ which is one of suffering for others, of suffering for doing what is good. Now there is good in the end, “grace before God” and “Christ’s suffered for you” and so heals us. But unless one is a masochist identification with the suffering of Christ is not good news.

The good news is that “By his wounds you have been healed.” And that therefore, “you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” There is a shepherd and he is your guardian.

Too often Christians have sought healing and protection and reigning with Christ without embracing following the example of Christ and being one with him in suffering for others.

Bad news and good news: we need both

We need to embrace the bad to receive the conversion to the good. We need to watch what we say to whom so that we do not estrange people who are not ready to deal with the teaching for “those in the fold who know the Shepherd’s voice.” Most of all we need to embrace identification with Christ in suffering so that we who have been conformed to his death in baptism may be conformed to his resurrection life both in our transformation of life and as we with joy embrace sister death to enter our post-mortem unity with Jesus.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 4-30-2023: Fourth Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING

Acts 2:14a, 36–41

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words.

36 Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38 Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Catholic Daily Readings 4-30-2023: Fourth Sunday of Easter

RESPONSE

Psalm 23:1

1 A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

PSALM

Psalm 23:1–6

1 A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

2 In green pastures he makes me lie down;

to still waters he leads me;

3 he restores my soul.

He guides me along right paths

for the sake of his name.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff comfort me.

5 You set a table before me

in front of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me

all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD

for endless days.

Catholic Daily Readings 4-30-2023: Fourth Sunday of Easter

SECOND READING

1 Peter 2:20b–25

20 But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.

22 “He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

23 When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Catholic Daily Readings 4-30-2023: Fourth Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 10:14

14 I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,

GOSPEL

John 10:1–10

1 “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. 2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was trying to tell them.

7 So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came [before me] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 4-30-2023: Fourth Sunday of Easter

SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2023 | EASTER

FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36–41

Response Psalm 23:1

Psalm Psalm 23:1–6

Second Reading 1 Peter 2:20b–25

Gospel Acclamation John 10:14

Gospel John 10:1–10

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