New Apostolic

Church
Divine Service
Guide

2 April First Sunday | Palm Sunday

Christ is King

7 April Good Friday

We live for the Lord

9 April Second Sunday | Easter

Jesus Christ is risen!

12/13 April Hearts on fire

16 April Third Sunday

Overcoming doubts

19/20 April Freed from shackles

23 April Fourth Sunday

Professing the gospel

26/27 April Arise and walk in the light

30 April Fifth Sunday

Being a missionary

Youth
Who is Jesus?

4 A monthly guide for the ministers

April 2023
Foreword April 2023

The beginning of April is marked by three major celebrations: Palm

Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter. The theme series of the subse-
quent S
­ unday ­services is “Eastertide”.

On Palm Sunday, we commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.

The people welcomed and cheered Him, and celebrated Him as
their King. He had not come to rule an earthly kingdom, however.
His reign is revealed through the nearness of the kingdom of God
which is characterised by love, righteousness, and grace. We can
recognise and experience the kingdom of God already today.

The sermon on Good Friday reinforces our belief that Jesus died
for us. His sacrifice reveals God’s love and solidarity for us. Our
response to this is faith and discipleship. We live for the Lord and
model our lives on His will.

The divine service on Easter emphasises our joy and hope in the
risen Lord. He lives, and we too are to live in eternal fellowship with
God. Christ comes to meet us already today in order to s­ trengthen
and comfort us. The Lord will come soon and lead us into His king-
dom!

The sermon on the third Sunday will emphasise the fact that God
does not reject those who doubt. Rather, He likewise accompanies
those who have difficulties with their faith and entrusts them with a
mission. The interpretation of the Bible word is to show how doubts
can be overcome and illustrate the possibilities that our faith offers
us.

The sermon on the fourth Sunday will focus on professing the

­gospel. Paul’s Damascus experience, which marked a t­ urning-point
in his life, can serve as a stimulus for us to reconsider our own lives.
Then we will be ready to profess Jesus as our Lord and we can be
sure that the Holy Spirit will help us in this endeavour.

The divine service on the fifth Sunday will explore the mission that
Jesus gave the Apostles, namely to bring human beings closer to
God, and to baptise and teach them. The Great Commission not
only applies to the Apostles of biblical times, but is still valid today.
The objective of today’s apostolate is to answer the call of Jesus
and carry out His mission.
First Sunday | Palm Sunday

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming,

sitting on a donkey’s colt.” His disciples did not understand
these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then
they remembered that these things were written about Him
and that they had done these things to Him. John 12:15–16

Bible reading: Luke 19:28–40

Christ is King
Message
Jesus Christ is King and brings us divine justice.

Introduction
On Palm Sunday, we commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. In preparation, Jesus asked two of His disciples to go
and find a donkey in the village ahead of them and bring it to Him.
The disciples did as Jesus had instructed them and brought a
­donkey. Jesus mounted the animal and rode into Jerusalem where
He was welcomed by a large crowd who paid homage to Him as
one would pay homage to a king.

Jesus brings the kingdom of God

Jesus Himself made it very clear that His kingship is not related to
an earthly reign (John 18:37) and that His power was not manifest-
ed in human strength. The Lord made it clear that the kingdom of
God far surpasses anything that the rulers of this world can do. But
the disciples could not yet understand the spiritual dimension of
this kingdom.

Only after His crucifixion and resurrection did the dis­ciples under-
stand the words which are written about Him in Zechariah 9:9.

The greatest power of His reign is the love of God which is

­embodied in Him and has become visible to us. It was this divine
love that made it possible for Christ to bring His sacrifice and break
the power of sin. This love is immutable and eternal. It is granted to
every human being.

Jesus brings the righteousness of God

Jesus walked this earth in righteousness and embodied the right-
eousness of God. This incorporates love and grace. Through Jesus’
sacri­fice, the grace of God is offered to mankind, and it is only

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 2 April 2023

through this grace that fellowship with God can become a reality.
The words and deeds of Jesus make it clear that the human under-
standing of justice is inadequate and that the righteousness of God
surpasses it by far. Jesus Christ is King and Lord of the church. Let
us put His will into practice and manifest His righteousness in our
behaviour and words. This becomes especially evident in the care
we give our neighbour, in our willingness to lend a h ­ elping hand,
and in our acceptance of others.

Jesus is victorious
After His entry into Jerusalem, those who had been cheering Jesus
quickly turned away from Him. They had expected something else
from Him, namely that He would liberate them from the yoke of the
Romans and restore Israel as a state. In the end, evil seemed to
have won. We can be certain that even if evil manifests its power,
it will not be able to challenge the kingship of Jesus Christ. No one
can change the divine plan of salvation. Jesus will come to take
the bridal congregation unto Himself and establish the kingdom of
peace so that all people of all times will learn about the love and
righteousness of God.

Summary
■ The kingship of Christ
has nothing to do with
an earthly reign.
Context
■ His reign is not manifest
The quotation from Zechariah 9:9 in human strength or
is understood as an Old Testa- power.
ment prediction and serves as a ■ The dominant power of
reference to Jesus Christ’s entry
His kingdom is love,
into Jeru­salem.
righteousness, and
In Jewish tradition, riding on a grace.
donkey is associated with nobility ■ Jesus cannot be
and a reign in wisdom and i­ntegrity.
defeated by evil. The
In the gospel of John, Jesus completion of His plan
makes it clear that His kingdom is of salvation is certain.
not of this world.
Good Friday

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus:

that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that
those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for
Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

Bible reading: Luke 23:13–25

We live for the Lord

Message
We live for the Lord who died for us.

Introduction
The Son of God became man to reveal God’s love for humanity.
Jesus Christ showed that God loves all human beings, irrespect­
ive of background and social status. His sacrifice testifies of His
solidarity with the scorned, the suffering, and the dying. Cruci­
fixion was a particularly humiliating punishment that ancient society
reserved for those whom it deemed unworthy to live among them.
Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ put Himself on
the same level as the worst of criminals, thereby showing that God
desires the salvation of all sinners.

Liberation from the bondage of sin

Christ died for us in order to deliver us from the bondage of sin.

■ As a true human being, He defeated evil by remaining faith-

ful to God against all odds, thus bridging the gap that separ­
ated humankind from God.
■ Through His example, He brought to light the true nature of
sin. Jesus Christ never committed a sin because His love
for God and His neighbour was perfect. We, on the other
hand, sin every time we fail to love God and our neighbour
as Jesus taught us.
■ Thanks to His sacrifice, we can have our sins forgiven.

Jesus died so that all of mankind can be saved. Paul says that
those who believe in Christ die with Him (Romans 6:3–4). They do
not have to die in the same manner as Jesus did, because in His
love, Christ allows them to share in the merit He earned on the
cross and cleanses them from their sins. Jesus, who never com-
mitted a single sin, was willing to die like the worst of sinners so that
we, who sin all the time, can live forever as if we had never sinned.

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 7 April 2023

Faith in Jesus brings salvation

Following Jesus Christ is indispensable if we want to obtain sal­
vation. We must have faith

■ in the love of God because the person, life, and death of

Jesus Christ definitely prove that God loves us.
■ in His grace because without the sacrifice of Jesus, we
­cannot enter into fellowship with God.
■ in His word because the teaching of Jesus is the universal
and unchanging truth.

This faith expresses itself in active love (Galatians 5:6). Christ’s love
for us compels us to reciprocate His love:

■ we align ourselves to His will in order to please Him.

■ we take sin seriously knowing how much Christ suffered.
In order that our sins may be forgiven, we do not play with
grace.
■ we seek fellowship with Him and actively prepare for His
return.

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

In the main part of his second

epistle to the Corinthians, Paul
defends his apostolic ministry. It is
the ministry of reconciliation, refer-
enced in 2 Corinthians 5:18. The
basis for this ministry is the sacri-
fice of Christ: Jesus Christ died for
us! The certainty of the resur­
rection lends Paul the strength to
carry out his ministry. As a minis-
ter of reconciliation and an ambas-
sador in Christ’s stead, Paul calls
on the Corinthians to be recon-
ciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Summary
■ The sacrifice of Jesus
reveals God’s love and
solidarity for mankind.
■ When we look to Christ
we become aware of
our sins.
■ We live for Him who
died for us.
Second Sunday | Easter

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while
longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see
Me. Because I live, you will live also. John 14:18–19

Bible reading: Luke 24:1–12

Jesus Christ is risen!

Message
Christ lives and wants to give us eternal life too.

Introduction
Jesus told His disciples that He would die and that the world would
see Him no more. In this context, the world refers to those who did
not believe in Him. For His adversaries, the death of Jesus Christ
meant

■ that He was definitively incapable of any further action;

■ that His teaching was ultimately a utopia, completely dis­
connected from reality;
■ that His claim to have fellowship with God was unfounded.

Death and the devil have no power over Jesus

Jesus made it clear to His disciples that the power of the evil one
was limited (John 14:30). While this power was capable of ending
Jesus’ earthly life, it could not by any means deprive Him of divine
life. Nothing and no one could ever do anything to diminish the
relation­ship between Jesus Christ and His Father.

Jesus also announced to those who believed in Him that He would

return to them. And this is exactly what He did. The risen Lord
appeared to the women who had come to the tomb (Luke 24:1–10),
to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13 et seq.), to
Peter, to the Apostles, and even to more than five hundred breth-
ren at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6). In these encounters, He
comforted His disciples and showed them His grace and love. He
taught them, ate and drank with them, and sent them out to teach
all nations.

After Pentecost, Jesus revealed Himself to the believers through

the Holy Spirit. And it was through the Holy Spirit that the believers
were given access to eternal life, a life in fellowship with God.

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 9 April 2023

Jesus lives and we are to live too

We know that Jesus Christ is alive! We believe

■ that He is pursuing His plan of salvation and that nothing

can stop Him.
■ that His teaching is eternally valid and therefore perfectly
suited to the present situation.
■ that Christ is at work in His church and that He will lead His
own to perfection.

Jesus lives and we are to live too. It is true that we still live in a
world dominated by evil and share the common fate of all human
beings. But we have decided to live in Christ! No power or force
can ever separate us from God against our will (John 10:28–29).
Let us remain firm in our resolve to follow Christ, come what may.

Today too, the Lord comes to meet those who believe in Him.
Through the Holy Spirit, He gives them His grace, comfort, and
His love. He reveals the future to them and prepares them for it. He
invites them to His table and offers them heavenly food. He entrusts
them with a mission and gives them the strength to carry it out. And
soon He will return to lead them into His kingdom.

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

In His farewell discourse shortly Summary

before His Passion, Jesus speaks
of Himself as the way of truth and
life (John 14:6). Then Jesus prom-
ises the disciples the Holy Spirit,
whom He calls the Comforter and
the Spirit of truth. This Holy Spirit
will remain with the disciples and
live within them (John 14:16–17). In
the passage that follows our Bible
word, Jesus urges His dis­ciples to
keep His commandments and
again refers to the Holy Spirit, who
will teach the disciples and remind
them of everything that Jesus said
to them (John 14:26).
■ Nothing can ever dimin-
ish the relationship of
Jesus Christ to His
Father.
■ Nothing can separate
us from Christ as long
as we are determined to
follow Him.
■ Christ meets us to
strengthen us and will
soon return to lead us
into His kingdom.
Midweek

Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He
vanished from their sight. And they said to one another,
“Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on
the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So
they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and
found the eleven and those who were with them gathered
together. Luke 24:31–33

Hearts on fire
Message
Jesus turns to those who have been disappointed and helps them
return to the fellowship.

Introduction
We do not know much about the disciples who left Jerusalem to go
to Emmaus. The fact that the gospel of Luke mentions only one of
the men’s names is not insignificant. It underlines Christ’s concern
for those who live in the shadows. The two men do not hesitate
to say that they love Jesus and that they are His disciples. But the
news of His death has left them distraught. They are so sad and dis-
appointed that they have no response to the account of the women
who met the angel, nor to the report of the Apostles who saw the
empty tomb. With no reason to stay in Jerusalem, they leave the
circle of the disciples to return home. When Jesus joins them and
questions them, they tell Him of their grief. The Risen One explains
God’s plan of re­­demption to them. Deeply moved by His words,
they ask Him to stay with them. And then when Jesus breaks the
bread, they recognise Him. This is not because His appearance
has changed, but because God has opened their eyes. Full of joy,
they immediately return to Jerusalem to find the other disciples.

Jesus turns to those who are disappointed

Some New Apostolic Christians today are disappointed for one
reason or another. Others are distraught, many are simply weary.
This spiritual sense of discomfort manifests itself in different ways.
Some continue to love Jesus and believe in Him, but there is a
­tendency to become insensitive to the preaching of the gospel: we
may well hear the word, but it no longer has any effect on us. We
no longer feel the need to have fellowship with Christ in Holy Com­
munion, nor to have fellowship with our brothers and sisters in faith.
Instead, we prefer to watch online services from home because it is

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 12/13 April 2023

so much more convenient. And with time, the need to attend divine
services becomes smaller and smaller.

The Holy Spirit points us in the right direction

The Lord Jesus loves us all, without exception. He comes to us in
spirit and asks: “What about your faith, your relationship with Me?”
Out of love and respect for Christ, let us answer Him sincerely in
prayer. Let us not lie to ourselves and pretend that everything is fine
when it is not. Let us have the courage to tell God how we feel and
try and put our discomfort into words!

If we listen to the Holy Spirit within us we will find the right answers.
And our hearts will begin to burn. We will discover, or re­­discover,
the relevance of the message of Jesus Christ, and will become
aware of the greatness of His love. And we will once again feel the
longing to hear His voice and to be in fellowship with Him.

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context
Summary
The two disciples who set out
from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the ■ The disciples of
day of Jesus’ resurrection are Emmaus were dis­
trad­itionally referred to as the dis- appointed and deeply
ciples of Emmaus. The risen Lord troubled. When the
joins them on the road to Risen One joined them,
Emmaus. They do not recognise they were strengthened.
Him. In the course of the conver- ■ There are New Apos­
sation with Jesus, the two dis­ tolic Christians who are
ciples recount the events that have disappointed and find
transpired since Good Friday. themselves drifting
Jesus then explains the Scriptures away from the congre-
to them so that they are able to gation.
understand why He had to suffer.
When they are with Jesus in the ■ Those who listen to the
evening and He breaks bread with Holy Spirit will receive
them, they recognise the Lord and the proper instruction
return to Jerusalem where they and return to the fellow-
meet up with the Apostles and ship.
other disciples (Luke 24:30–33).
Third Sunday | Eastertide

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table;

and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they did not believe those who had seen Him
after He had risen. Mark 16:14

Overcoming doubts
Message
Let us gain a deeper understanding of God and the world.

Introduction
The disciples had doubts and found it difficult to believe in the resur­
rection of Jesus based on the various testimonies. For ex­­ample,
they did not believe what Mary Magdalene told them (Mark 16:11).
Nor did they believe the two disciples who had gone into the coun-
try and to whom the Risen One had appeared (Mark 16:12—13).
Nor did they try to downplay or suppress the catas­trophe that the
death of Jesus represented for them. They were realists who were
not easy to convince. So the resurrected Jesus Himself appeared
to the eleven Apostles and rebuked them for not be­­lieving those
who had proclaimed the message of His resur­rection to them.

God does not reject those who doubt

So it is that the Risen One appears to His disciples and criticises
them for their unbelief. However, this does not prevent Him from
entrusting them with an important mission: “Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature.” Jesus did not reject them
for their doubt. Even John the Baptist was in doubt as to w ­ hether
Jesus was indeed the one who was to come, the one whom he
(John) had been expecting and about whom he had been preach-
ing. The doubts John the Baptist had did nothing to change the
important role he played within salvation history. The same is true
for the disciples. Christ did not reject them because of their doubts,
and their doubts did nothing to change their mission. In fact, He
promised them that He would be with them always, even to the end
of the age (Matthew 28:19–20).

We want to overcome doubts

It is not surprising that people doubt the reality of some of the
events within the Christian faith. There are elements that contra-
dict human experience and imagination. The message of the resur­
rection, ascension and the return of Christ is not compat­ible with

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 16 April 2023

a worldview based solely on science and the material world. It

requires faith.

Divine activity is beyond anything we can imagine

We may likewise have doubts, and these can only be overcome if
we do not rely exclusively on our understanding and know­ledge
of reality. The prerequisite for this is the conviction that no­­thing is
impossible for God. The reality of God Himself, His actions and
words, as well as His promises can only be recognised by faith. The
prerequisite for this is trust in God’s goodness, omnipotence, and
reason. A purely rational understanding of reality is often unable to
grasp such things.

Such faith does not mean that we must hold everything and any-
thing, no matter how improbable, to be likely or true. Rather, it
imparts insight into the necessities of divine activity and into the
necessary course of salvation history. Faith makes it possible for us
to have a deeper—and perhaps even a brand new—understanding
of God and the world.

Context

Mark 16:14 relates that the Risen Summary

One appeared to the eleven ■ The disciples’ doubts
­Apostles and rebuked them. He did not lead Christ to
did so because the Apostles and reject them, nor did
the other disciples refused to they prevent Him from
believe and take seriously the giving them the Great
message of the women about the Commission.
empty tomb and the resurrection.
Verse 15 is reminiscent of the pas- ■ Our doubts can only be
sage in Matthew 28:19, in other overcome if we do not
words, the Great Commission, rely exclusively on our
except that there is no reference understanding and
to the baptismal formula in the know­ledge of reality.
gospel of Mark. The disciples who
have remained in hiding until now, ■ Faith makes it possible
who are despondent, and who do for us to have a
not really know what they are sup- ­deeper—and perhaps
posed to do now receive a com- even a brand new—
mandment from the risen Lord under­­­­standing of God
to go into all the world and to all and the world.
people.
Midweek

Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder

his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then
he will plunder his house. Matthew 12:29

Freed from shackles

Message
Let us not allow evil to captivate and bind us, but remain in the liber­
ating fellowship of Christ.

Introduction
The Bible word summarises the mission of the Son of God: He
came into a world dominated by evil in order to defeat sin and deliv-
er mankind from its power. This is why He entered Jerusalem. But
the Jews thought that He would use His power and the support
of the crowds following Him to deliver them from the yoke of the
Romans and restore the political kingdom of David.

Jesus’ victory over evil

The strength that enabled Jesus to triumph over evil was based on

■ the fellowship that He maintained with His Father, especially

in prayer.
■ His humility: His Father was with Him because He did the
will of His Father (John 8:28).
■ His perfection: the ruler of this world had no power over Him
(John 14:30).
■ His absolute trust in the Father.
■ H is love for mankind, which enabled Him to persevere
(John 13:1).

Through His sacrifice on the cross, He disarmed the ruler of this

world and delivered mankind from the grip of sin (Colossians 2:14–
15).

Let us not allow ourselves to be bound

Today, it is our adversary, the evil one, who wants to steal our treas-
ure, namely eternal life. As long as we are in fellowship with Jesus
we are strong. In order to attain his goal, the enemy must first bind
us to prevent us from using the spiritual strength that Christ makes
available to us.

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 19/20 April 2023

Material concerns can also tie us down. But we can learn from
Jesus who told us to trust in God because He knows what we need
(Matthew 6:31–32). Let us take the time to pray and attend the
divine services so that our fellowship with Christ may be strength-
ened.

In order to obtain the forgiveness of our sins, we must be prepared

to acknowledge them and show repentance. In view of this, we
must overcome the egoism that undermines our love for God and
our neighbour, because it discourages us from sharing and makes
us intolerant of our neighbour.

Let us be vigilant and remain in fellowship with Christ. With Christ,

we will prevail!

Thoughts from the Chief Apostle

Context

On the Sabbath, Jesus heals a

man who is blind, mute, and
­possessed by demons. The
crowds are amazed and ask
Jesus if He is the Son of David
(Matthew 12:22–23). The Phari-
sees accuse him of casting out
demons “by Beelzebub, the ruler
of the demons”. Beelzebub (a likely
translation is “lord of the flies”) is
the prince of demons, in other
words, the devil. Jesus answers
them by explaining that it is
because He has cast out demons
that the kingdom of God has
dawned (Matthew 12:24–28). This
image of entering a strong man’s
house and binding the strong man
is followed by Jesus’ invitation to
decide for or against Him (Mat-
thew 12:30).
Summary
■ Jesus Christ defeated
the ruler of this world
and delivered mankind
from the rule of evil.
■ By remaining in fellow-
ship with Christ, we
prevent the adversary
from stealing our
spiritual treasure.
■ With Christ, we will
­prevail.
Fourth Sunday | Eastertide

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom
I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15

Professing the gospel

Message
Christ calls us to profess the gospel.

Introduction
In the period after Easter, we remember the fact that the Risen
Jesus appeared to the disciples. Their encounters with Him not
only broadened their own perception, but also brought about a
turnaround in their lives. A good example here is Mary: His death
had left her so sad that when she first saw the man standing by
Jesus’ tomb, she saw Him as nothing more than a simple gardener.
But when she heard His voice, she realised that it was not a gar-
dener, but the Risen One. Sadness turned into joy (John 20:11–18).

The transformation of Saul

Following His resurrection and ascension, Jesus Christ appeared
to the later Apostle Paul. Our Bible word is a reference to Saul’s
encounter with Jesus Christ in Damascus. At first, Saul had taken
pleasure and satisfaction in the stoning of Deacon Stephen.
However, his direct encounter with Jesus Christ transformed the
­one-time persecutor of Christians into a fighter for the Lord (Acts
7:58; 9:3–5).

Election
Our Bible word underlines the value of God’s grace and love for
humankind, whom He wants to save. Our salvation begins with our
election. This is not a privilege based on existing gifts or abilities,
but rather a calling to serve in the community. Anyone who wants to
have eternal fellowship with God must let go of the old and accept
what is new. This requires repentance.

Repentance and professing our faith

The first step to repentance is to take stock of ourselves. We are
encouraged to reflect on ourselves in order to clarify the questions
of who we are and who we want to be.

For Saul, the encounter with Christ was dramatic. He lost his eye-
sight and did not eat or drink anything for three days. God sent him

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 23 April 2023

Ananias who opened his eyes and baptised him. The per­secutor
of Christians was thus transformed into a persuaded confessor of
Jesus Christ as the Saviour. He professed Jesus as the crucified
Lord, who had died and had been buried, who had resurrected, and
who would return. Saul recognised that he was a sinner to whom
salvation had been granted by Jesus Christ. He wanted to make
this salvation, which brings eternal life, available to other ­sinners as
well, so he preached to them to believe in Jesus ­­­(1 ­Timothy 1:16).

Salvation in Christ
God became human in Jesus Christ. He became a teacher and an
example. In many parables, He described human behaviour and
gave pause for thought about God’s will. Self-reflection, repent-
ance, and professing Christ are essential steps to sal­vation.

The love of God and His patience for us, as well as His grace and
daily assist­ance are our strength.

The Holy Spirit provides for our needs. He guides us to renewal.

This act of God’s grace urges us to profess the gospel.

Context

The passage in 1 Timothy 1:12–16

reflects on the fate of Paul, who
went from being a persecutor of
the Christian faith to a confessor
of the same. This reversal is to be
seen as an act of God’s grace and Summary
is in some way exemplary for any- ■ Encounters with Christ
one who has been converted. bring about a turn­
Paul is a model for all sinners who around.
come to salvation by the grace of
God. ■ Election is the call to
service.
Verse 15 focuses on the statement
that the Son of God came into the ■ Professing our faith in
world to save sinners. This phrase Christ and our willing-
expresses the importance of God’s ness to be renewed
incarnation in Jesus Christ and His lead to salvation.
activity on human beings.
Midweek

Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the

dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk
circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Ephesians 5:14–15

Arise and walk in the light

Message
Let us not sleep, but live for Christ and for our neighbour.

Introduction
When God created man and woman in His image, He was satisfied
with His work because it was good. The first human beings lived in
perfect harmony with God and with one another. Since the fall into
sin, humankind has been separated from God and condemned to
spiritual death (Romans 6:23).

Wake up and arise

The images of awakening and resurrecting in our Bible word evoke
the salvation offered by Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20–21) and the
opportunity to return to the perfect harmony with God and one
another in His kingdom.

At the time of our baptism, we decided to die to sin, that is, to

renounce evil and fight against sin. We are given the opportunity
to live with Jesus Christ upon His return, but also already today.
Our Bible word urges us to wake up from the sleep of sin and arise
without wasting any time.

Walk circumspectly
Since we have become a new creation in Christ through the rebirth
out of water and the Spirit, we strive to become like Jesus Christ.
When we walk as children of light, we seek to produce the fruit of
the Spirit such as goodness, righteousness, and truth (Ephesians
5:8–9).

We also want to walk with wisdom and fulfil God’s will as sum­
marised by Jesus Christ in His great commandment of love. Let us
grow in the love that was poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit (Romans 5:5). And let us walk circum­spectly, meaning with a
heart’s disposition that pleases Him: truly motivated by love for God
and for our neighbour.

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 26/27 April 2023

We have been called to help those who are asleep, that is, those
who are ignorant of their sinfulness and of their opportunity for sal-
vation. Motivated by love for our neighbour, we long to show them
Christ’s love, both today and in His future kingdom.

Context

Already in the ancient world, sleep

was an image for death. Sleep
and death are likely a reference to
the state of sin.
Verse 14 quotes a liturgical invi­
tation associated with divine ser-
vice which probably originated
from the act of baptism.
The contrast in verse 15 between
the wise and the foolish is remin­
iscent of the wisdom literature in
the Old Testament, which, on one
hand, speaks of the wise who act
according to the Mosaic Law and,
on the other hand, of fools who
disregard the law. To be wise
means to act on the will of God
and avoid sin.
Summary
■ God wants all human
beings to be awake and
accept His offer of sal-
vation by renouncing sin
and following Christ.
■ Through the rebirth out
of water and Spirit, we
have become a new
creation.
■ Christ helps us to walk
in a new life.
Fifth Sunday | Eastertide

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority

has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age.” Matthew 28:18–20

Being a missionary
Message
The gospel is to reach all people.

Introduction
After meeting with individual people, the risen Son of God appeared
to all the disciples together. This appearance is another story entirely.
Now He no longer focuses His attention on individuals, but on the
whole of creation, no longer on the present moment, but on the
future and the completion of His work.

An astonishing testimony of power

In order to make this change of perspective clear to His disciples,
who had been on an emotional rollercoaster over the previous
weeks, He tells them who He is and leaves them in no doubt about
it. He is not powerless or unable to defend Himself (Isaiah 53:7),
nor has He been humiliated or subjugated by others, as one might
surmise from His suffering. On the contrary, He has all power over
the whole cosmos, and before Him and His name, every knee must
bow (Philippians 2:6 et seq.). He is the ruler over life and death and
the judge who will speak the last word (John 5:27).

An enormous mission
By virtue of this power, He entrusts His disciples with a remarkable
mission: they are to transcend all national and geographical bound-
aries and take the message of God’s love and salvation to the
whole world. Although in His formative years, Jesus Himself ­initially
said that He had only been sent to the Jews (Matthew 15:24), He
nonetheless also reached out to people from other nations. In His
Great Commission, He gave the Apostles the mandate to make
disciples of all the nations through baptism and by applying His
message in their own lives.

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 30 April 2023

According to the words of the Son of God, a person thus becomes

a disciple of Jesus, a Christian, not only by accepting the gospel,
but above all by being baptised. Only those baptisms that are
expressly administered in the name of the triune God have a salvific
effect and only such baptisms unite all Christians with one another
(CNAC 8.1.6).

The content that the Apostles teach to the nations must be directly
related to the preaching of Jesus, as attested in the New Testa-
ment. The Apostles are not ambassadors for their own cause and
do not pursue their own goals, but are dependent on Jesus, for
without Him they have no message to proclaim and no authority.
This is also true for those who are entrusted by the Apostles with
apostolic and missionary service, and likewise for the church as
a whole, if it considers itself to be an apostolic church (that is, a
church sent by Christ).

A sensational promise
We can only imagine the questions and concerns the disciples
must have had about the mission they had been given, not to
­mention its magnitude and impact. But even this time, Jesus ­likely
knew what was on their mind and gave them a promise: “I am with
you always!” Immanuel, which means “God with us”, also lifts all
bar­riers to His presence. Nothing and no one can separate the dis-
ciples from their Lord when they seek to be united with Him. It is
in this awareness that the teaching of Jesus is courageously pro-
claimed to this day—and we are all called to participate in this.

Summary
Context
■ After His resurrection,
The final words of the gospel of Jesus testifies of His
­Matthew describe Jesus’ encounter power, which is not
with the disciples, who bow down ­limited by space or
to Him and worship Him as Lord time.
and God. ■ The Great Commission
The mission to make disciples of includes the mandate
all the nations (verse 19) illustrates to lead people closer to
the rabbinic understanding of God through God’s
teaching. The purpose of teaching word and the sacra-
is not to impart knowledge but to ments.
create discipleship.
Youth

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Matthew 16:15

Who is Jesus?
Message
The more we love Jesus, the more of an impact He has on our lives.

Introduction
The question of who Jesus is already occupied His contempor­
aries. There were some completely different views on this subject
(Matthew 16:13–14). Peter finally professed what the disciples of
Jesus had initially believed and then also recognised: “You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.” In response to this ­un­equivocal
statement, Jesus said: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is
in heaven” (Matthew 16:16, 17).

Jesus, the Messiah and Redeemer

Peter speaks of Jesus as the “Christ”. This is the Greek desig­nation
for Messiah, which means “anointed one”. In Israel, kings and
prophets were anointed. The term Messiah, however, goes beyond
the anointed king or prophet in the case of Jesus, because the
­Messiah is the bringer of salvation, in other words, the Redeemer.
His appearing marks the beginning of the reign of God which Israel
has been waiting for so long, as well as the realisation of the king-
dom of God among mankind.

Jesus is the Son of God

The term Son of God illustrates Jesus’ close relationship with God
as well as His divine nature.

After His resurrection, Mary Magdalene first thought that Jesus

was the gardener. When Jesus approached the disciples, they
­recognised Him as their Lord. But it was Thomas who professed
his faith by ex­­claiming, “My Lord and my God!” And it had been he
who had his doubts at first!

And who is Jesus for us?

And what about us? Who is Jesus for us? Like the disciples of
Jesus’ time, we too believed and then recognised and acknow­
ledged: “Truly, Jesus Christ is the Son of God!” He is

22 | 23
 April 2023

■ our best friend (John 15:14). He loves us unconditionally (!)

and wants only the very best for us. And because He loves
us, He wants us to be with Him forever. If we want that too,
let us seek fellowship with Him, listen to His advice, and
­follow Him. And because He is our friend, we also involve
Him in our decisions.
■ the good shepherd (John 10). On the one hand, it becomes
clear just how much Jesus loves us and understands our
personal needs, distresses, fears, and worries. Jesus is a
real human being who is therefore well acquainted with the
full spectrum of human emotions, and can therefore give us
comfort, peace, and courage. On the other hand, He draws
attention to the essential fact that He Himself is the only way
to God, and thus to eternal life.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, through the strength of the word of
God and the Lord’s Supper, we can also be a friend to others and
help them become acquainted with Jesus Christ.

Context

In Matthew 16:13–16, Jesus asks

the disciples who the people think
He is. The disciples express the
various opinions that are being
­circulated about Him. Some Summary
assume Jesus is the risen John ■ Jesus is the Messiah,
the ­Baptist, others think he is the Redeemer, and the
­Elijah, ­Jeremiah, or some other Son of God who brings
prophet. There is great un­­certainty salvation to humanity.
about the ­person and importance
of Jesus. Then Jesus asks His dis- ■ He is our friend and we
ciples who they think He is. Peter want to do what is in
gives an answer that is totally accordance with His
­different from the ideas circulating will.
among the people:“You are the ■ He presents Himself as
Christ, the Son of the living God”
a good shepherd. He
(Matthew 16:16).
guides us, leads us,
Suggested optional reading for the divine and provides for us.
service: Matthew 16:13–20
Reading

Reading for Palm Sunday

Luke 19:28–40

The triumphal entry

When He [Jesus] had said this, He went on ahead, going
up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when He drew near
to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet,
that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village
opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on
which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And
if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall
say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” So those who
were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to
them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said
to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”

And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” Then they
brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on
the colt, and they set Jesus on him. And as He went, many
spread their clothes on the road. Then, as He was now
drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God
with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen,
saying: “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the
Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd,

“Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and
said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the
stones would immediately cry out.”

24 | 25
 April 2023

Reading for Good Friday

Luke 23:13–25

Taking the place of Barrabas

Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests,
the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought
this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And
indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have
found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which
you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back
to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been
done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”
(for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the
feast). And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this
Man, and release to us Barabbas”—who had been thrown
into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for
murder.

Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out

to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify
Him!”

Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He
done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will there-
fore chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent,
demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the
voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So
Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
And he released to them the one they requested, who for
rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he
delivered Jesus to their will.
Reading

Reading for Easter

Luke 24:1–12

He is risen!
Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morn-
ing, they, and certain other women with them, came to the
tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they
found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went
in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this,

that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.
Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the
earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among
the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He
spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son
of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and
be crucified, and the third day rise again.’” And they remem-
bered His words.

Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things
to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary ­Magdalene,
Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women
with them, who told these things to the Apostles. And
their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did
not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb;
and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by them-
selves; and he departed, marvelling to himself at what had
­happened.

26 | 27
 April 2023

Reading for the youth service

Matthew 16:13–20

Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He
asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the
Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and
others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the
Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon

Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you,
but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and
the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no

one that He was Jesus the Christ.
Notes
Notes
Notes
 April May

1 Sat. 1 Mon.
2 Sun. John 12:15–16 Palm Sunday 2 Tue.
3 Mon. 3 Wed. Mark 1:11
4 Tue. 4 Thur.
5 Wed. 5 Fri.
6 Thur. 6 Sat.
Good
7 Fri. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 Friday 7 Sun. Ezekiel 36:27
8 Sat. 8 Mon.
9 Sun. John 14:18–19 Easter 9 Tue.
10 Mon. 10 Wed. 1 Chronicles 29:17
11 Tue. 11 Thur.
12 Wed. Luke 24:31–33 12 Fri.
13 Thur. 13 Sat.
14 Fri. 14 Sun. John 14:16–17
15 Sat. 15 Mon.
16 Sun. Mark 16:14 16 Tue.
17 Mon. 17 Wed.
18 Tue. 18 Thur. John 7:33 Ascension Day

19 Wed. Matthew 12:29 19 Fri.

20 Thur. 20 Sat.
21 Fri. 21 Sun. John 7:38–39
22 Sat. 22 Mon.
23 Sun. 1 Timothy 1:15 23 Tue.
24 Mon. 24 Wed. Acts 1:18
25 Tue. 25 Thur.
26 Wed. Ephesians 5:14–15 26 Fri.
27 Thur. 27 Sat.
28 Fri. 28 Sun. Pentecost

29 Sat. 29 Mon.
30 Sun. Matthew 28:18–20 30 Tue.

Youth service: Matthew 16:15 31 Wed. Isaiah 43:19

Youth service: Deuteronomy 5:3

Children’s service: Luke 12:27
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