Fifth Sunday of Easter

26Verse 26. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27Verse 27. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28Verse 28. and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. 29Verse 29. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.” 30Verse 30. So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31Verse 31. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Verse 32. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. 33Verse 33. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.” 34Verse 34. “Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35Verse 35. Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36Verse 36. As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?” 38Verse 38. And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39Verse 39. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing. 40Verse 40. But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

7Verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Verse 8. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9Verse 9. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. 10Verse 10. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Verse 11. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12Verse 12. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13Verse 13. By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. 14Verse 14. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. 15Verse 15. If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16Verse 16. And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17Verse 17. In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him. 18Verse 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love. 19Verse 19. We love because He first loved us. 20Verse 20. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21Verse 21. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

1Verse 1. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. 2Verse 2. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. 3Verse 3. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Verse 4. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5Verse 5. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6Verse 6. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7Verse 7. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8Verse 8. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.