The Third Sunday of Easter 2025 — Feed My Sheep

The Easter season continues, and we warmly invite you to St. John the Divine Episcopal Church on Sunday, May 4, 2025, to celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter 2025. Our service begins at 9:00 AM at 216 E Chandler Blvd., Burlington, Wisconsin.

If you can’t join us in person, you can connect through our live stream, video replay, or podcast. No matter where you are on your faith journey, you are welcome here.

Join us Electronically

We recognize that you may not be able to visit us electronically for various reasons. We provide several options!

Livestream/Reply

If you want to join us live but can’t make it in person, consider checking out our live stream. If that’s impossible, you can click the button below to access our video replay, which will be available immediately after the service.

Our Podcast

If you want to listen to our service while on the go, our podcast is available! It covers everything from the opening hymn to Sharing the Peace. Once it’s live, you can come back here to find it.

You can find our podcast on your favorite podcast player. Why not see the St John the Divine Podcast and subscribe or follow it? It is often available on Sunday afternoon, but it could come the following day.

The Collect for the Third Sunday of Easter 2025:

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Scripture Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter 2025 (Year C):

Below are the readings for the Third Sunday of Easter 2025.

First Lesson: Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

¹Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” ⁵He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” [⁷The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” ¹¹The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, ¹²and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”¹⁷So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, ²⁰and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”]

Psalm: Psalm 30

¹ I will exalt you, O Lord,
  because you have lifted me up *
        and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried out to you, *
       and you restored me to health.
³ You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; *
       you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
⁴ Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; *
        give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
⁵ For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
        his favor for a lifetime.
⁶ Weeping may spend the night, *
        but joy comes in the morning.
⁷ While I felt secure, I said,
  “I shall never be disturbed. *
        You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as
                           the mountains.”
⁸ Then you hid your face, *
        and I was filled with fear.
⁹ I cried to you, O Lord; *
        I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
¹⁰ “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
        will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
¹¹ Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; *
        O Lord, be my helper.”
¹² You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
        you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
¹³ Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
        O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.

Epistle: Revelation 5:11-14

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” ¹³Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”¹⁴And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

¹After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ²Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. ⁸But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. ⁹When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflection for the Third Sunday of Easter 2025:

The Easter season invites us to celebrate and experience the resurrection daily. This Sunday, the Gospel from John 21 brings us to the lakeshore, where the risen Jesus meets his disciples after a long night of uncertainty.

It is here, over a simple meal of bread and fish, that Jesus restores Peter, asking him three times:
“Do you love me?”

And with each reply, Jesus answers:
“Feed my sheep.”

This heartfelt exchange goes beyond just Peter’s story; it serves as a reminder for all of us. To love Christ means to care for others, and to follow Him means to serve. The risen Christ meets us where we are, offering grace and inviting us into lives filled with compassion and purpose.

Join Us for the Third Sunday of Easter 2025:

Here at St. John the Divine, we believe faith is a journey, not a destination. Whether you’re returning after a time away, exploring your questions, or seeking community, there is a place for you here.

• In-Person Worship — Sundays at 9:00 AM
• Livestream and Replay — Available on our website.
• Podcast — Episodes are released each Sunday afternoon.

Come, be nourished by the love of Christ, and go forth to feed his sheep.