The Seventh Sunday of Easter Year C

The Seventh Sunday of Easter

Ezekiel 36.24–8
Acts 16.16–34
John 17.20–6

The verses chosen from Ezekiel for today are a beautiful and encouraging picture of the restoration of Israel, but they urgently need to be read in the light of the verses immediately before and after them. The concentrated, central picture is one of Israel restored at last to life. God searches for his people, scattered among all the nations, rootless and nationless, and brings them home. He himself performs all the ceremonies necessary to wipe away the taint of having lived for so long among idolaters, and he puts his own life in them, so that they are no longer tempted to return to the wicked ways that led to their downfall in the first place. God reiterates his great covenant promise to Abraham and to Moses, but this time, he himself will keep both sides of the covenant, because it will be God’s own spirit that enables the people to respond to his promise...