Weekly Readings

I love the Lord because he hears my voice, my pleas for mercy.

2 I will call on him as long as I live

because he turns his ear toward me.

3 The ropes of death became tangled around me.

The horrors of the grave took hold of me.

I experienced pain and agony.

4 But I kept calling on the name of the Lord:

“Please, Lord, rescue me!”

5 The Lord is merciful and righteous.

Our God is compassionate.

6 The Lord protects defenseless people.

When I was weak, he saved me.

7 Be at peace again, my soul,

because the Lord has been good to you.

8 You saved me from death.

You saved my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling.

9 I will walk in the Lord’s presence in this world of the living.

12 If we have told you that Christ has been brought back to life, how can some of you say that coming back from the dead is impossible? 13 If the dead can’t be brought back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life. 14 If Christ hasn’t come back to life, our message has no meaning and your faith also has no meaning. 15 In addition, we are obviously witnesses who lied about God because we testified that he brought Christ back to life. But if it’s true that the dead don’t come back to life, then God didn’t bring Christ back to life. 16 Certainly, if the dead don’t come back to life, then Christ hasn’t come back to life either. 17 If Christ hasn’t come back to life, your faith is worthless and sin still has you in its power. 18 Then those who have died as believers in Christ no longer exist. 19 If Christ is our hope in this life only, we deserve more pity than any other people.

20 But now Christ has come back from the dead. He is the very first person of those who have died to come back to life. 21 Since a man brought death, a man also brought life back from death. 22 As everyone dies because of Adam, so also everyone will be made alive because of Christ. 23 This will happen to each person in his own turn. Christ is the first, then at his coming, those who belong to him will be made alive. 24 Then the end will come. Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father as he destroys every ruler, authority, and power.  25 Christ must rule until God has put every enemy under his control. 26 The last enemy he will destroy is death.

After the day of rest—a holy day, as the sun rose Sunday morning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

2 Suddenly, there was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it. 3 He was as bright as lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow. 4 The guards were so deathly afraid of him that they shook.

5 The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid! I know you’re looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He’s not here. He has been brought back to life as he said. Come, see the place where he was lying. 7 Then go quickly, and tell his disciples that he has been brought back to life. He’s going ahead of them into Galilee. There they will see him. Take note that I have told you.”

8 They hurried away from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.

9 Suddenly, Jesus met them and greeted them. They went up to him, bowed down to worship him, and took hold of his feet.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go, tell my followers to go to Galilee. There they will see me.”