Family Communion for the Third Sunday of Easter: celebrant the Revd Adetola Badejo.

First reading: Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35

In the reading from Acts, Peter accuses those listening of playing a part in crucifying Jesus, who he identifies as Lord and Messiah - the one whom they had been waiting for! These people had listened to/seen or heard of Jesus, but had not recognised him as the Messiah. In our Gospel reading, we find that even some of those closest to Jesus were unable to recognise him. They were grieved that Jesus had recently been crucified but they did not believe that he had risen from the dead. Perhaps their faith was limiting what they believed God is capable of.

When these disciples did recognise Jesus they immediately went and told others of what they had seen. And when the crowds Peter was addressing recognised that the one who was crucified was the Messiah, many of them repented and were baptised. Let us be ready to encounter Jesus with eyes open and faith secure, so that when we do, we may recognise him. When Peter is explaining Jesus' identity to the crowds, he appeals to David in the Old Testament. And when Jesus is telling the disciples about the Messiah on the road to Emmaus, we read that he uses the Old Testament Scriptures. So we can get to know Jesus more by not only reading about his life, but also by looking at the Old Testament, and how it points towards him.