May 1, 2011, Quasimotogeniti
John 20:19-23 Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
They had locked the doors. The Disciples were afraid of the Jews. Perhaps the Jews would come and arrest them and try to crucify them also just like they had crucified Jesus! The disciples had heard the news and the rumors about what had happened that day. Therefore there was fear, uncertainty, and yet hope and anticipation. But if a sealed tomb door could not hold back Jesus, then neither could a locked door. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Shalom. Peace.” He showed them the marks of his death. Yes, it really was Jesus who stood among them. The fear was changed to joy. “Shalom. Peace.”
1—First, there was peace for the disciples because their sadness had turned to joy. They had been grieving that their teacher had been killed, but now that grief is turned to happiness that he was alive. They had had hopes that Jesus was the Savior, and they had doubts about that when he was captured, tortured, and crucified. But now that he was raised from the dead, they had new hope.
2—Second, there is peace because they have a mission. When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples had run away. They thought that the work of Jesus was over. They thought that they had no future. But Jesus gives them a mission. He is sending them to preach the Gospel to the world. “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Now they have purpose in their lives, a reason to live.
3—Third, there is peace because they have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives peace because the Holy Spirit gives faith. This faith is the whole package of faith. Faith is belief in Jesus as the Savior, faith is trust in the promises of God, faith is the hope of eternal life, faith is the security of God’s love, faith is the motivation of prayer, faith is worship, faith is confidence in Jesus Christ, faith is joy, and faith is peace. This is all the gift of the Holy Spirit.
4—And fourth, there is peace because of the forgiveness of sins. God forgave the disciples the sin of deserting and denying Jesus when he was arrested. Now they forgive each other. When there is forgiveness, there is no longer any reason for fighting and strife. Forgiveness is the beginning of real peace between people and God and between people and people. And so Jesus gave the disciples a mission. They are sent to do continue the work of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to forgive sins, and now the disciples proclaim that Gospel. If the disciples do not proclaim the Gospel, there is no forgiveness, no peace, and no salvation. But where that Gospel is heard and believed, there if is forgiveness of sin: there is peace, there is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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The disciples were sent, and the Holy Spirit created faith in the hearts of many people, including you and me. If a sealed tomb door could not hold back Jesus, then neither can the locked doors of our unbelieving hearts. Jesus comes and stands among us also. “Shalom. Peace.” We cannot see the nail mark in his hands or the wound in his side. But we believe the witness of those who did see those marks. And so our fears and worries are also turned to joy. “Shalom. Peace.”
1—First there is peace for us because we have hope for our lives. Jesus suffered and was killed, but was raised from the dead. We realize that Jesus knows our sufferings. He is with us in our sufferings. He understood the doubts of the disciples, and he understands our doubts too. But just as he was raised from the dead, we too shall be. This is our hope. And this hope gives us peace that sustains us in our lives.
2—Second, there is peace for us because we have a mission. We have meaning and a purpose in life. Because we are baptized, Jesus speaks to us, also, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Our mission is to forgive sin.
3—Third, there is peace for us because we have the Holy Spirit. If you believe in Jesus as your Savior, then that is proof that the Holy Spirit is in your heart. And that gives us peace in the face of all the worries and temptations and problems of life.
4—And fourth, there is peace for us because of the forgiveness of sins. God forgave us, and we forgive others. If there is real forgiveness then there is no reason not to have peace. Forgiveness is love in action. Forgiveness is just simply being a Christian. The cross is about forgiveness. That is what Christianity is.
Peace, Shalom, Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church