Easter Delivered
St. John 20:23
April 11, 2021 anno Domini
Last week we heard the facts of the resurrection. Today we get forgiveness from the risen Lord and faith to receive that forgiveness. If all you have is facts, you don’t have forgiveness. You need faith to receive forgiveness and the Word of Jesus brings you both. That’s what Jesus is doing in the upper room. He’s giving His Word to His men. With His Word He’s giving them forgiveness and the faith to receive it.
The Upper Room is really the end of Easter, the goal of Easter, not just for the 12, but for you. At the cross Jesus bought your forgiveness, paid for your sins, but that gift isn’t yours until it is delivered to you. If you bought your wife a new chainsaw or trolling motor for Mother’s Day, that gift isn’t complete until you put it in her hands. It isn’t complete until she receives it. That is why you should get her something she will actually receive instead of something you secretly want.
Jesus rose from the dead because the gift is finished. Forgiveness is finished. His offering on the cross bought all the forgiveness of all the sin of all the world. His blood is the payment. Sin’s debt is paid in full. Hell has been suffered and death is dead. You know the cross worked because Jesus rose again – if sin is still around then death is around, but since sin is taken away death must release Jesus.
In the upper room it is gift delivery time. The disciples, like you, need this gift. Like you they are afraid of death. They are self-quarantining. There’s death outside those doors, just like this past year there was death inside restaurants, gyms, salons and churches, but not inside WalMart, Menards, or Coborns.
Why are you afraid of death? Because you’ve put your hope in this world. That’s why the disicples were afraid. They put their hope in Jesus of Nazareth, but up to this point they only hoped in Him for this life. They did not get the suffering, death, and resurrection part. They didn’t understand the spiritual kingdom with which He would rule the world. They did not yet believe that His Word was the sword and the salve of His Kingdom, the sword to expose sin and the salve to sooth those who were cut to the heart by their sins.
There is only one reason to fear death. You are a sinner. No matter what you have or don’t have in this world the greatest fear of death should be dying in and with your sins. You should not fear what you might miss in this life – you should fear that you miss life for all eternity. The disciples were afraid of the Jews. Perhaps they really should have been afraid of Jesus. They didn’t believe in Him. They all ran away. The women told them the tomb was empty and they reacted just like a husband reacts when his wife tells him the check engine light is on or the garage door won’t go down. Nonsense.
You don’t need to fear Covid, or a car accident, or cancer, or or a culture hell bent on destroying everything good and godly. You don’t need to fear because you have heard these words, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.” With those Words heaven’s doors are wide open for you. That’s the end of Easter – the delivery of Christ’s gift, the forgiveness that Christ won being delivered into your ears. Forgiveness was bought by the blood of Christ on the cross. It is delivered to sinners, to you in (and only in) His church through His men.
You cannot and dare not separate the resurrection of Jesus from the absolution of Jesus. Jesus sent His 12, His little apostolic band of brothers into the world, just as His Father had sent Him. He was sent with authority to buy forgiveness and He sent His men with authority to deliver forgiveness to you. (Read 20:22-23)
Christ gave the keys of heaven to His Church and His men – to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. The Office of the Ministry is a gift that delivers a gift so that you might receive the gift. One of the fun things about receiving a package these days is you can track it – your package has been picked up in San Diego. It’s arrived at our warehouse in Eden Prairie. It’s on the truck. Delivery expected between 3 and 5 pm. We placed our package on your front step. If your package doesn’t arrive the first thing you do is complain to the delivery company – where’s my stuff?
So why do people doubt and deny the church alone has the power to forgive? Why do people say, “I don’t need to go to church. You don’t need a pastor to be a Christian?” You might need to argue with Jesus about that. He told His Apostles to baptize people for the forgiveness of sins, to forgive and retain sins through their absolution, to give the Lord’s supper for forgiveness, and to teach everyone everything He taught.” Jesus put His forgiveness in a location where you could find it, have it, and receive it – where His Word is preached in truth and His Sacraments are given according to His Word. He gave the Church the Office of the Holy Ministry to deliver forgiveness to you.
One argument against church is confusion between the gift purchased and the gift delivered. “If Jesus Christ died on the cross for all sins, aren’t all my sins forgiven? Why do I need the Church to tell me?” We answer this question with a question – are all people forgiven? The Lutheran answer is yes and no. On the cross Jesus won forgiveness for all people. However, that does not mean that everyone universally is saved because not all people receive forgiveness. Not all people want forgiveness. Jesus instructs his men not to forgive all people. He said, (Read 23b)
What kind of sins should not be forgiven? Dr. Luther said pastors should not forgive sins about which people and God disagree. If you don’t consider adultery or lust a sin, I can’t forgive you because God disagrees with you. If you think gossip is not a sin, then I have to say, “I’m binding your gossip to you. Your gossip is not forgiven. It’s stuck to you and good luck bringing that into heaven.” On the other hand, if someone says being white means you are a racist or being male means you oppress women or being black means you’re a criminal – I’m not going to forgive your for being white, black, or male. God does not consider your color or gender to be inherently sinful – He made you as the children’s song goes – red and yellow, black and white – precious in His sight. He also made you male or female – also precious – not sinful.
Which sins does the church forgive? The sins about which God and you agree. If you’ve lusted and believe you’re an adulterer, if you’ve hated someone and confess to murder, if you grumble and complain about what God has not given you and know you are guilty of coveting. If you believe sin is what God says is sin, if you despise your sins, if you desire forgiveness and want to do better, then the Holy Spirit has created faith in you faith and this Word is for you “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the T Son, and of the holy Spirit.” That is Easter delivered. That is the gift of forgiveness preached into your ears that cleanses your heart and changes your mind. That is as true and certain as Jesus risen from the dead saying, “Thomas – look at my hands, see my side. Stop disbelieving, but believe.” When your sins are forgiven, then Easter is finished for you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.