April 7, 2024
Pastor John Hering
John 20:19-31
John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” 22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 After eight days, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Take your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue to doubt, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Dear Believers in the Risen Lord,
Tomorrow is the eclipse. It will be a moment of darkness. But the darkness the disciples were in was much, much worse! John wrote, 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. What was it like in that room that evening? Loneliness, depression, fear! Did each stare sadly at the floor as they reflected on the events of the past few days? “I can’t believe Judas betrayed him! One of us! And now Judas is dead! I can’t believe they treated Jesus like that. How could he let them do that to him?” Perhaps each disciple was stewing on their own personal guilt as well. “How could I do that? Why did I run away? How could I let myself fall asleep in Gethsemane? How could I deny him?” Just like the disciples, may we learn to look to Jesus who is
Proof of Peace
When we need it the most
I wish I could have seen their faces when the women reported that the tomb was empty and an angel told them Jesus was alive! Peter and John had run to the tomb and seen it empty. Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus had just walked and talked with Jesus, then ran back to tell the others who were here in this room. Luke records this in his gospel, “There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, ‘It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.’” We can put this all together to assume that by this time in the evening there was enough evidence for them to be fairly certain Jesus had in fact risen. And yet, how does John introduce this story? He says the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews.
Oh, how Satan preys on us in our weak moments and oh how our sinful nature loves to dwell on our doubts and fears! The disciples had every reason to believe that Jesus had died and risen. How often had Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer, die, and rise again? The angel even told the women that morning that he had risen just as he said. Not only did Jesus promise it, and not only did Jesus do it, but several of them had even personally seen Jesus that very day. Yet here they are locked in a room and afraid! We know why. Fear gets the best of us. What if they were next? What if the Jews hunted them down? What if they were killed too?
But when Satan gets you to crack open the door of fear, he loves push open the door and tempt you to even doubt relationship with God. We could imagine that lurking beneath those fears of their enemies the disciples also wondered things like—What if Jesus holds our sins against us? What if what I did is unforgivable? What if the Jews find us and kill us but God wants nothing to do with us? What if I’ve ruined my relationship with Jesus?
So, what would Jesus say to these fearful, doubting, confused disciples? “How could you! . . . I told you so! . . . Why didn’t you listen? . . . Why are you afraid? . . . Don’t you get it yet?” No, not at all. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” The first word they heard from Jesus was “PEACE!” What a beautiful word! On the one hand, peace is the absence of strife. In relationships, when there is peace there is harmony. Nations at peace aren’t fighting with each other. People at peace don’t have any conflict. In other words, when there is peace there is a good relationship. At the same time, peace can also mean prosperity—as in spiritual prosperity. So, when there is peace with God, all the blessings of his love and grace are coming your way.
There on that first Easter evening, Jesus appeared to his disciples and proclaimed to them the most wonderful news—Peace. We know what that peace is. Your sins are forgiven. Jesus saved you. Look at his hands and side. See where Jesus bled for you. See that Jesus crushed Satan for you. But now he’s alive. Jesus repaired and restored your relationship with the Father. Jesus has brought to you every blessing of God’s love and grace. You have peace.” Jesus stood among the disciples. Jesus is Proof of Peace when they needed it the most….
To Change our Lives
Note how this Proof of Peace instantly changed the disciples. The very next verse says, 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. But I want you to consider for a moment what actually changed for the disciples at that time. Their worldly situation was the same. The Jewish leaders were still a real threat. The Romans were still a world superpower. They were still part of a small minority of people who followed a Jesus that most people didn’t like. Jesus simply gave them proof of their new status. They now knew they had peace through Jesus. They could go back into the world with the confidence of their sins being forgiven because Jesus was alive. They could face opposition knowing that every blessing of God’s love and grace was theirs, that he would work every situation for their good and his glory because Jesus was alive. They knew that even if they did die at the hands of enemies, which most of them later did, they would be with Jesus forever in heaven because Jesus was alive. The Proof of Peace was standing right there in front of them.
As we consider this account today, it strikes me how relatable it is to us. Being locked behind closed doors in fear is an all too familiar scene for us. Remember when the “stay at home” order was given during Covid? Remember a man by the name of George Floyd who died in Minneapolis. Within hours of that, the doors were locked again in fear—some were wrongfully in fear of the police, some in fear of protests, some in fear of riots. Then comes the news of shootings nearby. Neighborhood doors locked again in fear. Locked down in fear seems to be a recurring theme, doesn’t it? Look, you don’t need to be physically locked behind a door to be captive to fear. Some are locked up by the fears lurking in their own hearts. What if God holds that sin against me? What if I’m unforgivable? What if my guilt is too great? What if God won’t work things for my good? What if I die at the hand of a criminal, or from cancer or I fall to my death when a bridge collapses under me? What if God doesn’t want me in his heaven?
I am here to tell you that the Jesus is the Proof of Peace That Changed Our Lives! We have every reason for confidence. We just walked through Lent. We just celebrated Easter last week with magnificent splendor. But oh, Satan fills my heart with fears, just like the disciples. Oh, how my sinful nature wants to doubt it’s real or true just like Thomas who refused to believe and doubted even though literally everyone he knew had seen Jesus alive. And for all this weakness and worry, for all my doubts and despair, what will Jesus say to me? “How could you! . . . You’re doubting me again? . . . Why don’t you listen? . . . Why are you afraid? . . . Don’t you get it yet?”
No, not at all. Today the risen Savior appears to us and proclaims the most joyous word—peace. “Peace be with you.” “Look at my hands and feet and side. Stop doubting and believe. See where I bled for you and your sins. See that I died for you. See that I crushed Satan for you. But now I’m alive. I repaired and restored your relationship with the Father. I have brought to you every blessing of God’s love and grace. You have peace.” The risen Savior gives us Proof of Peace, and oh how we too are filled with joy!
Maybe still there is a little part of us that wishes to be in that room with Thomas. We call him “Doubting Thomas,” but John calls him, “Thomas the Twin.” Who is the other twin? I would say you are! How many times have you wondered to yourself, “If only we could see and touch Jesus! If only Jesus would personally proclaim this peace to us, too!” Friends, what joy is ours that Jesus does just this—just in different ways today. Jesus, the Word made flesh, comes to us in the Word and through his own words of Scripture he proclaims to us, ” 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” You want proof of peace? Then go right to Jesus himself, who appears to you in his Word! Would you like more Proof of Jesus’ Peace? The Word made flesh, comes to you in the Word along with water. He washes you, cleanses you, forgives you, and claims you to be his own as you are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have something to hear and to touch, water and the Word, as yet another Proof of Peace. “But I need more proof!” the doubting heart says. The gracious Savior smiles and replies, “My child, then come to my table. Come see me face to face. Come touch my flesh. Take it. Eat it. Drink my blood. The very flesh and blood that were given for you for the forgiveness of sins. Take and eat. Taste and see. You have peace.”
Just like the eclipse tomorrow, there will be a time in this sinful world when the darkness of fear comes your way. Flick on the news or scroll through social media and you’ll see plenty of evidence of a broken sinful world filled with sinful people. But Jesus rose to life to prove his victory, then he appeared to his disciples to give Proof of Peace. Today, the Savior still comes to us. Through Word and Sacraments, the Savior appears to us and declares the same good news won at his cross and proven at his tomb. So, tomorrow, don’t stare at the sun, but for the rest of your lives stare at the Son! We have Proof of Peace now and forever because Christ is risen, he is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
