Author: THERESA JACOBSON

Listening for the Promise
Weekly Devotional

Listening for the Promise
Weekly Devotional

Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 26, 2026
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, 
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” 
- Acts 2:42 -
He Gathers His Flock Together
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel lesson is always a passage from John 10, covering the whole chapter in the three year lectionary. In this year’s text, Jesus tells us that He is the gate and the gatekeeper, the only way to salvation. He promises to lay down His life for His sheep. He provides proof of His authority to be the Good Shepherd. His sheep are those who believe; they’ve been given to Him by His Father. 
God purposely chose the image of a shepherd throughout the scriptures to describe God’s relationship with His people. Psalm 23 shows a personal relationship with the Good Shepherd, but we are reminded by Jesus’ ministry that the shepherd doesn’t lead just one animal; he cares for many. He doesn’t have a hundred individual sheep to lead; he has a flock. He knows every sheep and calls each by name, but the shepherd’s world is in community. The lessons in John 10 teach us that the Church is the community that the Good Shepherd leads, and we are Jesus’ flock. With Jesus as our Shepherd, we live together without fear and walk together in faith knowing that God is with us. 
The community described by Luke in the book of Acts shared everything in common, taking care of one another with their own possessions. They shared God’s grace, in every way. They met daily for prayer and study and gathered often for worship and fellowship. They did all this with joy, praising God. 
There was something unique about the Christian community in Jerusalem that made strangers want to be a part of it. Day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. God uses our resources in ways we can’t imagine. This is why we need to be part of a community of faith. We help one another in word and deed, in spirit and in flesh. Our Good Shepherd calls us to hear His voice, gather together in prayer, study, worship, and fellowship. We can always trust Him because He has promised to always be with us.
Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 26, 2026
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, 
to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” 
- Acts 2:42 -
He Gathers His Flock Together
The fourth Sunday of Easter is always Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel lesson is always a passage from John 10, covering the whole chapter in the three year lectionary. In this year’s text, Jesus tells us that He is the gate and the gatekeeper, the only way to salvation. He promises to lay down His life for His sheep. He provides proof of His authority to be the Good Shepherd. His sheep are those who believe; they’ve been given to Him by His Father. 
God purposely chose the image of a shepherd throughout the scriptures to describe God’s relationship with His people. Psalm 23 shows a personal relationship with the Good Shepherd, but we are reminded by Jesus’ ministry that the shepherd doesn’t lead just one animal; he cares for many. He doesn’t have a hundred individual sheep to lead; he has a flock. He knows every sheep and calls each by name, but the shepherd’s world is in community. The lessons in John 10 teach us that the Church is the community that the Good Shepherd leads, and we are Jesus’ flock. With Jesus as our Shepherd, we live together without fear and walk together in faith knowing that God is with us. 
The community described by Luke in the book of Acts shared everything in common, taking care of one another with their own possessions. They shared God’s grace, in every way. They met daily for prayer and study and gathered often for worship and fellowship. They did all this with joy, praising God. 
There was something unique about the Christian community in Jerusalem that made strangers want to be a part of it. Day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. God uses our resources in ways we can’t imagine. This is why we need to be part of a community of faith. We help one another in word and deed, in spirit and in flesh. Our Good Shepherd calls us to hear His voice, gather together in prayer, study, worship, and fellowship. We can always trust Him because He has promised to always be with us.

Sola Worship Resource — Weekly Devotional © 2024 Sola Publishing (www.solapublishing.org), written by Peggy Hoppes. Scripture taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 . Scripture taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sola Worship Resource — Weekly Devotional © 2024 Sola Publishing (www.solapublishing.org), written by Peggy Hoppes. Scripture taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 . Scripture taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.