Second Sunday of Easter

John 20:19-31

My Brothers and Sisters Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed Alleluia, and that blessed message continues this morning as we are with the disciples on the night of Jesus’ resurrection. They had all gathered together and were hiding away even though the good news of salvation had come to them, they were still hiding away. In part you can understand their fear, if news gets out of Jesus’ resurrection who will the Jews come looking for? The Disciples! We witness that Christ comes into their midst, and assures of them that they still have a place in His Kingdom, and that they have peace.

The Peace of God

If we had abandoned a friend to die, we wouldn’t expect Him to come and comfort us.

Quite the opposite we would anticipate that He would come with all fury and judgment and ready to strike us down. For they needed us and you are supposed to be able to rely upon your friends, but when they all turn their back on you in the hour of need after you have been a help to them. We don’t expect him to bring words of comfort.

We know of the Father’s wrath against sin, but Jesus is the judge.

So these words of peace are important from Jesus for He is the one that separates the sheep from the goats on the day of judgment. He just told them all of this in the week before they abandoned Him. If you abandoned the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the judge of all the earth and he is going to determine your fate. These words are a true blessing.

Just as He calmed the storm, He calms their fears.

With but a few words after appearing in their midst and just as the wind and waves were stilled, he was able to calm the storm that was in their hearts that night after they heard of His resurrection. Letting them know they have peace with Him. This is important as he prepares to equip them.

Sending Apostles

The word Apostle means sent ones.

Jesus is commissioning them to go out into the world to proclaim this message of peace to the world. For it wasn’t just the sins of the Disciples that Jesus carried to the Cross, but the sins of the world. The world also needs to hear these words of peace.

To fulfill this they receive the Holy Spirit.

The Helper that was promised that would come and convict the world regarding, sin, righteousness, and judgment, and who creates faith in the work of Jesus and assures our hearts by God’s promises.

They are given the authority to forgive or bind sins.

What that means is whatever they forgive here on earth is forgiven in heaven, and whatever they say is not forgiven will bind a person unto hell itself.

This is why Pastors are able to forgive in the stead and by the command.

It isn’t because of how well trained we are, or because we are holier, or because of something that has to do with who we are as people. This Office has been created by Christ for the benefit of the world. So that is why when you hear your pastor say, In the stead and by the command of Jesus, I forgive you. That forgiveness is just as true and certain as if Jesus himself said it to you.

The Key of the Absolution

The service starts with this blessing of peace.

There are a couple of services that don’t begin with it, like matins, but our regular services include it and especially the communion services.

If we are in God’s house, we want to know if we are welcome.

For if Christ is coming into our midst by Word and Sacrament don’t you want to know if He comes to bring a blessing or judgment? So the service starts assuring us of the peace we have with Him who is our judge.

This passage is why we have private confession.

It is not just a catholic thing, but when there are sins that weigh you down and continue to steal from you the joy that you have in Christ, and that continue to plague you, go to confession.

It is not meant as torture, but to bring peace.

For it is not required that you name all of your sins, for who can do that? The heart is deceitful above all else, but you can hear from the one appointed for your sake, that you are forgiven, and have peace with God, and that He truly loves you, for it is not the law that frees us from sin, but the Gospel.

Why did Jesus Give These Keys?

Jesus is going to ascend to the Father.

People need to know that their judge, their king, and their God loves them, and does not hold their sins against them, but has words of peace.

This is why Paul refers to ministers as ambassadors of reconciliation.

For an ambassadors is appoint on behalf of another kingdom to bring word to a foreign land and to deal with them without you having to go there yourself first, and brings news from that Kingdom.

Pastors represent the Kingdom of heaven.

Why am I so stubborn about being called Pastor, because as long as they are serving they don’t represent themselves but the Kingdom of God. They have an office and a duty that they are to carry out.

They are to proclaim peace through Jesus.

For that is what Christ won for you. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. (eph 2.14)

What about the Other Key?

There are some who want to live in their sins.

That even though they know what Christ has done and they are aware of it, they refuse to fight against their sins and instead seek to wallow in them.

You cannot walk in both the darkness and the light.

So the binding key was given to say to some that if you walk this road there is no forgiveness for you. This is a key that folks don’t like, and those who are the ambassadors of the Kingdom of heaven don’t want to use it, because we want everyone to have peace with God.

The key of Excommunication is meant to alert people to danger.

They are trying to excuse and live in their sin instead of recognizing the danger that comes with it. If you have a brother or sister that has wandered from the Kingdom of Heaven you don’t want them to perish.

This key isn’t hate, its love.

It was given to us by Christ, and it was given to the disciples to use right after he speaks to them words of peace. He did not give this key that Pastor might bind the sins of the world and condemn all, but bring those who are straying back to the truth.

These Things Were Written...

The purpose of this book is that you may believe.

That is why God has given to us the Word, that it might create faith in the work of Jesus and all that he has done, and to impart that to the generations that come after he has given his holy word.

And that you may have life in His name.

This is what he won for us by his victory of the powers of sin, death, and the devil. This life is not just temporal life, but eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

God doesn’t desire the death of anyone that’s why Christ speaks peace.

That’s why this office was given for the benefit of the ministry that the world might know there is hope, but also to warn those who wish to remain away from Christ what happens.

Both keys are given with the intention of saving you.

We find this in 1 Corinthians 5, and 1 Tim 1 when this key is used that people might be handed over to the power of satan’s kingdom to realize that is not where they want to be, better to suffer a bit here in this life, than to suffer eternally.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This passage here is meant for our benefit, that you might know when you hear those words, in the stead adn by the command, that it is true and that you have peace with God, but it is also important to realize when the Pastor says to you that these sins remain, he does not say that lightly, and it is not his personal opinion, but he is speaking as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven who desires your salvation. This is the great office that Christ has given to the Church that we might be brought into his kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen.