Easter 2, 2018
John 20:19-31
“Peace in Christ”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
If I were to use bumper sticker theology today’s sermon would be the shortest I have ever preached. Our text could be easily summarized by the bumper sticker I have seen time again that simply states: No Jesus No Peace. Know Jesus Know Peace. The truth in this simple statement is that without Jesus there is no peace. But knowing Jesus; having faith in Christ is to know; to have peace. And peace is something Jesus’ Disciples needed. Peace is something we and the world around us need.
The women had seen the empty tomb and the angel, Peter would have seen the empty tomb along with the disciple Jesus’ loved, Mary Magdalene had spoken with and seen angels and Jesus. Certainly by nightfall that first Easter news would have already traveled to the rest of the Disciples that Jesus was alive. And what was the reaction of the Eleven and other disciples gathered? They met behind locked doors in fear.
The religious authorities had killed Jesus. They might be next. They were in fear of being arrested, tortured, and killed just like Jesus. So they met in fear. Trembling. Mourning. Saddened. Heartbroken. Miserable. Doubting. All of these emotions…and certainly others…were produced in these followers of Christ; believers in Jesus…because of unbelief; because they lacked faith that Jesus really was alive as they had heard.
That sounds just like another Disciple…a Disciple that usually gets all the stigma associated with doubting…Thomas. Where was Thomas that first night? We don’t know. We don’t know where he was, what he was doing, or why he wasn’t with the rest of the Disciples. We do know he wasn’t with the rest. He didn’t gather with his fellow Disciples; fellow believers. Yet he too would have been suffering… Trembling. Mourning. Saddened. Heartbroken. Miserable. Doubting.
No Jesus No Peace. These disciples thought Jesus was still dead. They had no Jesus…only doubt…they had no peace…only fear.
We too often suffer without peace because we have no Jesus. We have no Jesus because we are poor miserable doubting sinners like Thomas and the other disciples. We often suffer from fear and sadness, misery and despair in our lives. When a relationship is tragically lost we feel sadness and misery and despair and often fear that our lives won’t have the same meaning or purpose; we doubt we can love anyone again or in the same way… we question our ever changing emotions… we don’t know who or what to trust. And often we hide from the world…alone. Just like Thomas. Just like the other Disciples. We too doubt. We too lose hope. We often lack faith. We suffer.
God knows about us….our sins, fears, doubts, troubles, problems…and He did something about it. He sent Christ Jesus. Yes, Christ Jesus who was arrested, mocked, beaten, ridiculed, and murdered on the Cross. But more than that risen from the dead. God sent Jesus who would defeat sin, death, and the devil. God sent Jesus who now reigns for eternity. God sent Jesus who lived in this sinful world, was tempted just like us, but did not sin. God sent Jesus who knows the pain and suffering of this world.
On that Easter night… Jesus would seek out His beloved children. Our text records that: “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19-21a)
Christ would return to his disciples when Thomas was with them. “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:26-29)
Like Satan all doubt and despair, fear and unbelief were trampled by Christ and His victorious loving words of absolution: “Peace be with you.” Christ appears to his disciples in the flesh and declares with the words “peace be with you” that there is no reason to fear. Christ proclaims visually for these believers that He is victorious over sin, death, and the devil. Christ declares that the sins of the world have been forgiven; your sins have been forgiven. Peace be with you. Peace, true peace, has been won. The war is over. Satan has been defeated once and for all. No matter what Satan, this world, or your sinful flesh tell you… salvation has been won by Christ who died on the cross and was raised from the dead.
Brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes it’s hard to see peace in this world. Sometimes it’s hard to see Christ. To you our Lord says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Blessed are you. For while you have not seen Christ like the Disciples you have seen Him by faith. We see Jesus in this place… we see Him using a poor sinful pastor to forgive your sins. And we see Him in His very body and blood in with and under the bread and wine given and shed for you. We see Jesus in the love of others. We see Jesus in the forgiveness of sins. It is here we receive His peace. Peace for us and the world. Peace that gives us hope. Peace that we share with others.
Know Jesus. Know Peace. This world is in desperate need of knowing Christ Jesus. This world is in desperate need of peace. What can we do? Hide in fear behind locked doors? No. Share the love of Christ. Share Him who is the Prince of Peace: Christ Jesus our Lord. There is nothing to fear. Our Christ is victorious. The Lord is risen. He is risen indeed alleluia. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
