Perspective Shift

A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, April 19, 2026:
Third Sunday of Easter

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Acts
2.14, 22b-28

When the day of Pentecost had come, Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know — this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.

“But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

This passage is a great one for imaginative reflection. I will now put myself into the crowd that Peter is talking to. 
 
Moments before Peter speaks, it is chaos in the streets. Jesus’ disciples can suddenly speak the language of every person present! I am blown away and completely in awe of this miracle! There are so many different languages being spoken, it sounds like the Tower of Babel! People are crying and laughing with joy! 
 
Then, Peter speaks in a commanding voice. I hear him in my own language just as the person beside me hears him in hers. The street falls quiet. The realization of Jesus’ crucifixion is staggering. God died and we were responsible. How could this have happened? Why couldn’t I have stopped it? I feel guilty and ashamed. You could hear a pin drop as Peter declares “you crucified and killed [Him] by the hands of those outside the law.”
 
After a long pause, Peter continues and confirms what all of us have come to know but have been too afraid to admit for fear of prosecution: God raised Jesus from the dead! The guilt and the shame are washed away as this new reality sets in – our God has conquered death. Cheers erupt from the crowd as Peter says, “because it was impossible for him to be held in [death’s] power”. I am elated. Jesus has shown that death is not the end. At the same time, I sense that my life has taken on an entirely new meaning, and that realization is daunting. I am left wondering: what does this mean for my life?
 
I can imagine that a person in the crowd during this moment asked the same question I have 2,000 years later: what does Jesus’ death and resurrection mean for my life? Honestly, I don’t think I have a complete answer for this, but at the very least it is a realization that I am just visiting this world and that it is not my final destination. It makes me appreciate my time on Earth more. 
 
I am not just some random occurrence of life sentenced to live in confusion on a floating rock in space. I come from somewhere greater than this and one day I will return home. For now, though, I have the privilege to enjoy God’s creation. Living on this planet is not a punishment but a gift from God. Even the evil that God permits in this world, while painful to experience, is temporary. Those that do evil will get justice in the next life; they will not go unpunished. 
 
Jesus’ resurrection is a perspective shift. Our life has meaning and we are not here by accident. In this way God has “made known to me the ways of life”. 





Ronnie Noonan-Birch

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