Daily Readings - Thu Apr 12 2018
Acts
27Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.28"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood."29Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!30The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.31God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."33When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
John
31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."
Sermon
The readings today present a powerful contrast between human authority and divine truth. In the first reading from Acts, Peter and the Apostles stand before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, refusing to stop preaching about Jesus. Despite the council's orders to silence them, they boldly declare that they must obey God rather than men. This moment captures the early Church's courage in the face of persecution, as they bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus and the salvation he offers. The tension here is clear: the religious leaders see the Apostles as a threat to their authority, but Peter and the others remain steadfast, trusting in God's plan.
In the Gospel, John 3:31-36, Jesus speaks of his divine origin and mission. He comes from above, bearing testimony to what he has seen in heaven, and his words are the words of God. The passage emphasizes the gravity of belief: those who accept Jesus' testimony affirm that God is truthful, and they receive eternal life. Conversely, those who reject him remain under God's wrath. This passage reminds us that faith in Jesus is not merely an intellectual assent but a spiritual surrender to the One who speaks the words of eternal life.
Both readings invite us to reflect on the nature of authority and truth. The Apostles in Acts show us that true authority comes from God, and we must be willing to stand by that truth, even when it costs us. Jesus in John reminds us that his words are not merely human opinions but divine revelations. In our daily lives, we are often faced with choices between conforming to the world's expectations and following God's will. These readings challenge us to trust in God's plan, to bear witness to his truth, and to remember that our ultimate allegiance is to him. May we, like Peter and the Apostles, have the courage to obey God rather than men, and may we, like Jesus, speak and live according to the truth that brings eternal life.