04/19/2026
+SERVICE OF THE WORD+
Third Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2026
FIRST READING
Acts 2:14a, 36โ41
Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: ...
"Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.โ
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, โBrothers, what shall we do?โ And Peter said to them, โRepent 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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.โ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, โSave yourselves from this crooked generation.โ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
EPISTLE
1 Peter 1:17โ25
If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each oneโs deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
โAll flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.โ
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
GOSPEL
Luke 24:13โ35
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, โWhat is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?โ And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, โAre you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?โ And he said to them, โWhat things?โ And they said to him, โConcerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.โ And he said to them, โO foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?โ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, โStay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.โ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, โDid not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?โ And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, โThe Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!โ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
