Peace in the Time of Turmoil

Introduction

On this Easter Sunday in 2023, there is a lot of turmoil.

Turmoil means a great state of commotion, confusion or disturbance. We live in a time of which there is great state of commotion, confusion and disturbance. There is turmoil in the financial world. There is turmoil in politics. There is turmoil in morality. There is turmoil in the workplace. There is turmoil in the home. It seems everywhere we turn, there is turmoil.

On that first Easter, there was also lots of turmoil. Jesus had been betrayed and denied by two of His closest companions. He had been wrongfully accused, arrested, beaten, tried as a criminal and executed on a cross. The disciples were confused and disturbed. John’s Gospel gives us a few more details.

John 20:19–23 NIV84

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.”

In the time of turmoil, this passage reveals to us that peace still can come and be in our midst. Peace comes in the present because of what Christ has done in the past.

Peace Comes in the Present Because of What Christ Has Done in the Past (vs.19-20)

Notice the preceding turmoil that brings us to this point in scripture.

The Preceding Turmoil

Jesus had been crucified a criminal’s death and placed in a borrowed tomb. Then the Sabbath happened. Jewish law would not permit a proper burial because the Sabbath had started and there was no work to be done on the Sabbath. The ladies go out early the day after the Sabbath had ended to prepare the body for burial. When they got to the tomb, the stone was rolled away. John 20:2

John 20:2 NIV84

2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

The preceding turmoil was the crucifixion, death, and now the mystery of what has happened to the body of Jesus. I can just imagine what was being felt. I know in my life when my expectations are disrupted or when my fears are realized, it is definitely unsettling.

John 20:9 NIV84

9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

The followers of Jesus were thrown into a situation they could not understand.

Fast forward the present, the present turmoil comes in the play later that same day.

The Present Turmoil

They have spent all day pondering what could have happened to the body of Jesus. They have found themselves gathered together in a locked room. The present turmoil seems to stack on the past turmoil. They had spent all day wondering about Jesus and where His body had been placed. In addition, they were in a locked room because of their added fear that the Jewish leaders were going to hunt them down and kill them just as they had killed their beloved Master.

Isn’t that how we do? We take the turmoil from the past and think about it so much that we add to it the thoughts of the present. We place worry on top of worry and we multiply the anxiety in which we are experiencing. Sometimes, the turmoil of the past lingers into the present and it then becomes even more persistent in gnawing away our faith.

The Persistent Turmoil

The persistent turmoil will take over if we are not careful. There is something always coming at us and seemingly always coming for us. It causes us to fear and be timid.

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV84

7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

The disciples and followers seem to have forgotten that Jesus told them He would die and rise again. Luke 24:7

Luke 24:7 NIV84

7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

They were in turmoil because they did not take Jesus at His word.

All of the sudden, in the midst of their turmoil, Jesus shows up! His first words are “Peace be with you!”

The doors were locked and fear had prevailed. Their leader had been executed and His body was missing. It doesn’t matter how He got inside that locked room. What matters is that He showed up and He offered peace. Jesus could not have showed up had He not conquered what had happened in the past. He could not have shown up if He were still dead. He could not have shown up if He were still in the grave! They could see His hands and His side. The Bible tells us that the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

In the midst of our turmoil, we have to remember peace comes in the present because of what Jesus did in the past.

But look at this, peace also comes in the present to be with us in the future.

Peace Comes in the Present to Be With Us in the Future (vs. 21)

Jesus states those words again, “Peace be with you!”

The Promise of Peace

The promise of peace comes through Jesus.

Romans 5:1 NIV84

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Not only do we have the promise of peace, we have the presence of peace.

The Presence of Peace

Imagine having spent 3 years with Jesus where you walked and talked with Him most of that time. Imagine He was taken from you and all that had been experienced came to a screeching halt. Then imagine how incredible it must felt and the joy that was experienced when suddenly Jesus appeared to them! The second time Jesus spoke, “Peace be with you!” had to be extremely comforting.

The Master adds another statement: Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Jesus declares His presence with peace and then gives an instruction. The repetition comes with a commission. We learn in other passages that the reason the Father sent Jesus was for the salvation of mankind.

In His priestly prayer the night of His betrayal and arrest, Jesus said in John 17:1-3

John 17:1–3 NIV84

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The desire of the Father is that salvation can be found through the Son. Now, the Son is sending those in that locked room on the same mission. Notice the power of this peace.

The Power of Peace

If the sending is as the Father has sent the Son, there is great power attached. Think about this with me. God Almighty just rolled back the stone and raised His Son to new life! Hebrews 13:20

Hebrews 13:20 NIV84

20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

This peace Jesus gives to His disciples in that locked room is power. Look as what else comes with this peace.

Peace Comes With the Holy Spirit to Be With Us Right Now (vs. 22)

John 20:22 NIV84

22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

There is much to consider here!

The Breath of Love

Jesus has already declared His great love for all mankind.

John 15:13 NIV84

13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus loved us so much, that His last breath was a breath of love. Here, He breathes on His followers the Holy Spirit with another act of love. “Now wait a minute,”you may say, “wasn’t the gift of the Holy Spirit not given until Acts 2?” Was the Holy Spirit given twice? Actually there is lots of theological discussion about this. However, this is what you need to know: Jesus is sending out His disciples and Jesus is equipping them with the extension of Himself through His Holy Spirit. It also helps to understand that this breath is also the breath of life.

The Breath of Life

In Genesis 2:7

Genesis 2:7 NIV84

7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Jesus is following the pattern of His Father, the Author and Creator of life. The mission of Jesus was to give new life to mankind that was dead in their sinfulness. Here, Jesus is giving new life, abundant life and eternal life, all in one breath!

The breath of new life Christ has given us changes us!

Colossians 3:9–10 NIV84

9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

The Breath of Everlasting

This breath Jesus gave is everlasting. Just like the disciples, you and I receive this breath that is everlasting. Even from the Old Testament, God wants to understand His faithfulness to us is everlasting!

Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV84

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This story in John’s Gospel ends with a bit of a twist. We see that peace comes in the present for what Jesus has done in the past. We see that peace comes in the present to be with us in the future. We see that peace comes with the Holy Spirit who will be with us in our endeavors to come. Now, we see in verse 23 that peace comes with forgiveness for all who will receive it!

Peace Comes With Forgiveness For All Who Will Receive (vs. 23)

Peace comes with forgiveness and forgiveness comes with peace!

John 20:23 NIV84

23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

With this, I see three duties that every disciple of Christ needs to do:

A Duty to Proclaim

First, there is a duty to proclaim. We must share the good news of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ! This means we tell others about Jesus and what He has done. Our duty is to proclaim forgiveness. The actual forgiving comes for God who has paid for those sins!

Secondly, we have a duty to point.

A Duty to Point

This means that we live our lives in such a way that points others to Jesus. We bring life to others to the degree which we give up ourselves. This service will point others to the forgiveness of Christ. Colossians 3:13

Colossians 3:13 NIV84

13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

If we forgive as the Lord has forgiven, we will point others to Jesus. As we do this, we finally have a duty to perpetuate.

A Duty to Perpetuate

This means that we will do all we can do to continue this into the future! The forgiveness that we have received was first revealed to the disciples in this locked room on that first Easter Sunday! This forgiveness comes only on the basis of Jesus death on the cross and the fact that He rose again!

He arose because death could not hold Him. He arose because He paid the price for our sin in full. He arose so that He could reign forevermore with His Heavenly Father. And guess what? He is coming again to take us home!

In the time of turmoil, our resurrected Jesus gives us His beautiful, incredible peace!

Glory Hallelujah!