06/16 – John 14:6-11 – The Nicene Creed

Old Testament: Acts 7:55-60

Stephen full of the Holy Spirit looked into heaven, and saw God’s glory, and Jesus at the right hand of God. Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in honored position, the one next to God!”

The council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind, and after they had thrown him out of the city they began to stone him to death. The witnesses left their coats with a young man named Saul.

While council members were executing Stephen he called out, “Lord Jesus welcome my spirit.” Then he knelt down and shouted, “Lord don’t hold this sin against them.” After he had said this he died.

Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10

Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation. Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good!

You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by people but was chosen as precious by God. You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood. So offer spiritual sacrifices that God accepts through Jesus Christ. That is why Scripture says, “I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed.” This honor belongs to those who believe, but to those who don’t believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive.” The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. So this is how they ended up.

However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not God’s people but now you are God’s people. Once you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy.

Gospel Reading: John 14:6-11

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. If you have known me you will also know my Father. From now on you know him through me and have seen him in me.”

Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us.”

Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? What I am telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father who lives in me does what he wants. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me. Otherwise believe me because of the things I do.