Does it not feel these days that we are prisoners in our own homes? Yet we can rest in the assurance that this too shall pass. Instead of moaning and groaning, if we listen attentively to the of Lord; He has already freed our minds to find new and innovative ways to share the Gospel truth of His love with others still trapped without hope in their lives.To lead them to the awareness that the Risen Lord had died for love of all of us, to free us from all sin so that we might rise to new life with Him. Through Jesus we are saved and through Him we have peace, joy and love in our hearts. This simple truth cannot be difficult for you or me to share? In fact very few Christians, if they are true Christians to begin with, cannot quote John 3:16 or even know it by hard. It is time however to come out of the prison of our comfort zones and to expound on this Scripture text so that all who hear us share, can come to a better understanding of God’s love for them and lead them to fall in love with Jesus as we have.Praise be to our Risen Lord Jesus Christ alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Amen
First reading
Acts 5:17-26 ·
The men you imprisoned are in the Temple, preaching to the peopleThe high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.
But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, ‘Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life.’ They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.
When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and sent to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, ‘We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside.’ When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. ‘At this very moment’ he said, ‘the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people.’ The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.
Gospel
John 3:16-21
God sent his Son into the world so that through him the world might be savedJesus said to Nicodemus:‘God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned; but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already, because he has refused to believe in the name of God’s only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world men have shown they prefer darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it, for fear his actions should be exposed; but the man who lives by the truth comes out into the light, so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God.’
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