John 10:1-10 Sermon Commentary
Easter 4A
The lectionary calendar separates Jesus healing the man born blind (chapter 9) with Jesus’s “I am” proclamation here at the beginning of chapter 10 by a number of weeks—the first being in Lent and now here in Easter. A quick review of the man’s experience of being kicked out of the synagogue makes it pretty…
Acts 2:42-47 Sermon Commentary
Easter 4A
Illustration A magazine profile of celebrity chef turned daytime television host, Rachael Ray, boasted this headline on their cover: “Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.” It matters where you put the comma. Giving Rachel Ray the benefit of the doubt, one assumes she likes three things — cooking (COMMA) her…
1 Peter 2:19-25 Sermon Commentary
Easter 4A
The faithful proclamation of this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson poses some challenges. In terms of the church year, its focus on Jesus’ suffering seems to orient it more to a Lenten or Holy Week than Easter theme. Preachers may need the Spirit to help us be a bit creative to make 1 Peter 2:19-25 “fit” into…
Psalm 23 Sermon Commentary
Easter 4A
In an article he wrote some years ago, theologian Neal Plantinga told the story of a choir that was rehearsing for a performance of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. But the choir was not giving the conductor what he was looking for. As it turned out, the choir was almost too good, too professional. So the…
Acts 2:14, 36-41 Sermon Commentary
Easter 3A
Illustration I was, it may surprise some of you to learn, a theatre geek in high school. Of course I loved to be on stage performing for an audience (I know, right? Shocker.) But I also helped with costumes, did some stage managing and student directing. But my favorite part wasn’t the flush of pride,…
Luke 24:13-35 Sermon Commentary
Easter 3A
One of the things that makes this story so lovely is that it subtly reminds us that the circle of disciples is much larger than we make a point to remember when we’re reading the gospels. “Now on that same day two of them were going…” These two on the road are from “the eleven…
1 Peter 1:17-23 Sermon Commentary
Easter 3A
Some biblical phrases are so theologically rich that gospel proclaimers might be tempted to preach entire sermons on them alone. This Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson offers one example of that. In 1 Peter 1:17b the apostle summons his scattered readers to “Live out [anastraphete*] your time [chronon] as foreigners [paroikias] here in reverent fear [phobo].” Preachers…
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 Sermon Commentary
Easter 3A
Since I can detect no logical reason for skipping verses 5-11 as the Lectionary would have us to do, it makes sense to preach on the entire psalm as these 19 verses form a seamless whole. But I leave that up to you! In general, as a psalm in Eastertide, one could map this song…
Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Sermon Commentary
Easter 2A
Commentary: Note: although this Lectionary text takes only a portion of Peter’s sermon, this commentary reaches to both sides a bit to make some general comments on the content of the sermon as well as the kind of people/the nature of the church it intends to birth. Qualities of a Spirit-Filled Sermon What does a…
Sermon Commentary Library
Our weekly sermon commentaries are Lectionary-based, which across its three-year cycle, encompass a vast array of biblical texts. Filter the Sermon Commentary Library to search Scripture texts by book and chapter to find commentary, illustrations, and reflections to spark ideas.
Looking for something else? View our Heidelberg Catechism sermon resources and our Reformed Connections to the RCL section that traces Lectionary texts to specific parts of the Heidelberg Catechism and the Belgic Confession.