His Word His Peace
John 20:19-31
April 28, 2019 anno Domini
This Second Sunday of Easter has two names. In recent history it is called “low” Sunday, because after the high attendance on Easter it is often one of the “low” attendance Sundays of the year. In ancient history it was called “Quasimodo Geniti” Sunday. That’s Latin for “Like newborn babies.” Those words are in the Introit today and come from Peter’s first letter. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2–3, ESV)
The 12 disciples, like us had great attendance on Easter. 10 out of 11 possible were there. Sadly Judas was dead by his own hand. But they weren’t gathered together because of the resurrection. Fear and unbelief brought them together. They were locked up in that room even though Jesus’ tomb was open and empty. They were afraid of the Jews even though Jesus had destroyed death and the devil. It was time for them to be born from above, born by faith in the resurrection.
Notice they weren’t seeking Jesus. They were hiding. Even though the women had seen the empty tomb and heard the Easter sermon of the angel, even though Mary Magdalene had talked to Jesus and hugged Him, even though the Emmaus disciples broke bread with Him, the 12 minus 2 weren’t looking for Him. They were hiding, unable and unwilling to seek Him out.
One of my favorite religious cartoons shows a couple answering the door of their house. Standing outside the door is a Christian man asking the important question, “Have you found Jesus?” Their response is, “We didn’t know He was lost.”
We don’t find Jesus. He isn’t lost. We are. He finds us. We don’t inhale the breath of life without Him breathing into us. We don’t open our prison house of death to escape. He opens it to break us out. Confession may be good for the soul, but it is His forgiveness that cleanses the soul. Jesus comes through those double dead-bolted doors of the upper room to find and to forgive His disciples.
They aren’t breathing – the breath of life has gone out of them. You have been in that upper room with the ten. A grandchild is deathly sick. Your test results come back positive for cancer. Your husband or wife comes home with the news, I’ve lost my job. One of your children rebels against everything you have said and done as a parent. Something which you loved and trusted is gone, dead, finished. You don’t know what to say. You can’t catch your breath. You are lifeless. It happens all through life until we finally breathe our last.
Why is it that even infants suffer illness and death? Why do 46 year olds die of massive heart attacks and 26 year old mothers die in traffic accidents? Why do some die in the womb and some live till 105 before they visit the tomb? Why is death no respecter of person or power? Because all of us are sinners from the moment of conception. No one needs to teach us humans to sin. It comes to us naturally – through our corrupted human nature. Sinners die – that’s God’s punishment for our rebellion and that death is not just physical death; it is an eternal death – an eternal separation from God. You need Jesus. The 10 needed Jesus.
Jesus is newly born again from death. He is resurrected and the resurrection is more than coming to life again. The resurrection is never to die again. It is life without end. Lazarus wasn’t resurrected. He came back to life again, only to die again. Mary and Martha were incredibly happy to have Lazarus back. Lazarus had to leave paradise and Jesus to go live with two sisters. He was probably ticked.
Jesus is resurrected. Sin is forgiven and that means death has no hold. The disciples do not yet believe, but Jesus does not write them off. He seeks them out. He doesn’t bother unlocking the doors, just like He didn’t bother with the stone in front of the tomb. As He walked out of the tomb without opening it He walked into the room without knocking.
Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Jesus had just faced the enemy. He had carried our sin, suffered His Father’s judgment, disarmed the devil and destroyed death. Where there is victory there is peace. This battle Jesus fought was not for Himself, but for the world, for the disciples, for you, so He stands in front of them – the Victor, proclaiming the Victory – Peace be with you. Your sin is forgiven. That is what peace means in the Bible. It is a blessing that every good gift of God be yours, but every good gift can only come if you are forgiven. Only then do you have the greatest good gifts – being God’s child, having eternal life, looking forward to your own resurrection.
Jesus’ peace was delivered by His presence and His Word. If you study Scripture you will notice that God always delivers His gifts with His Word – not a silent word whispered in your dreams, not some feeling in your stomach that might just be indigestion, but in an out loud, audible, oral Word. He talked to Adam and Eve about the serpent crushing Savior. He told Abraham to pack up and move. He spoke to Moses from the burning bush. He told Ezekiel to prophesy to those bones. Ezekiel’s out loud, audible prophecy carried God’s life giving spirit to those dead and dry bones. Ezekiel’s sermon carried the Spirit and the Spirit recreated those bones to live, giving them muscle and tendons and organs and flesh and the breath of life.
Jesus didn’t die for the 10 or the 11 or the 12. He died for all and He rose for all. He died and rose for you – each of you, all of you. In order that you would have His peace He gave to those ten men His authority. He sent them (that’s what Apostle mean – sent one) with His Word of peace, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” The Church on earth still has this authority. It is called the Office of the Keys or the Office of the Holy Ministry. Jesus still has his men – not apostles –but pastors, with one task. To speak His Word, so you can be resurrected by His Spirit. Forgive the sins of those who repent, and retain the sins of those who do not repent.
If Christ has not been raised from the dead you are not forgiven. If Christ is still dead you don’t need a pastor or a sermon or the Lord’s Supper. You’d have your Sunday mornings to yourself. Your sports and pleasures could be enjoyed guilt free. You could save an extra 10 % of your income for retirement because there would be no preachers to pay or church buildings to maintain. You’d also be unforgiven, hopeless, dying, and damned. Is it any wonder the 10 were locked up in their little prison house of fear?
But Christ is risen. Suddenly He is with them. He speaks peace with His Word and now these disciples are like newborn babies. They not only long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word but they are growing up in the faith. They answer the call to be Apostles. They leave their prison to preach peace and the first one they go to is Thomas. They give him Jesus risen from the dead. Thomas needs more Jesus, so on the Second Sunday of Easter he too is in church. Jesus gives Thomas what he needs – His Word and His flesh. “Go ahead Thomas, touch me, put your hand in my side, believe.” The second Sunday of Easter is not a low Sunday for the 10. It is a high Sunday because one more newborn life is added to their number – Thomas.
One is important. Each of you know that. If your newly born child was not breathing you would spare no expense. You wouldn’t let anything stop you. Whatever was in your power or the doctor’s ability you would do it because breathing is life. Your Father in heaven loves you more than you love anyone. He did not spare His Son for you. Jesus breathed His last for the sin of the world and then breathed again for the life of the world. He breathes on you, through the office of the Holy Ministry –– when His forgiveness is breathed on you, when His Word is preached to you, when His supper is fed to you. His Word, His forgiveness is the breath of life for you in the name of Jesus. Amen.