Peace be with you...I am sending You

Opening-

I AM the Light of life

I AM the Bread of life

I AM the Gate that leads to fullness of life

I AM the Good Shepherd that leads you to life

I AM the Resurrection and the Life

I AM the Way, Truth and the Life

I AM the Vine-you are the branches, remain in my love

John’s gospel is written so that you may believe, the fundamental principle being that belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation

John 20:30–31 ESV

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21:25 ESV

Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Jesus Post Resurrection- Peace be with you

What does Jesus say to the disciples post resurrection

John 20:19–20 ESV

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.

“Peace be with you.”

Why that particular greeting?

I think Jesus’ choice of words was very intentional, remember who we are apart from the work of Jesus on the cross

Romans 5:1 ESV

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

Romans 5:9–11 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

We were considered enemies of God, subject to his wrath

The word peace conveys union-

We know what peace looks like, where there is union or unity, we know what a lack of peace looks like, where there is no union or unity

Peace unifies- here is the picture Ephesians

Ephesians 2:11–18 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

That is the Gospel (Good News)- Peace- reconciliation between God and his people again- there was oneness/unity in the garden, that was broken by sin

We became enemies of God, subject to his wrath, without hope and without God, separated

But now in Christ Jesus we have been brought near by the blood of Christ- for he himself is our PEACE- the one who unites us with God

That is the proclamation-the blessing that Jesus (3 times) makes in John’s gospel- I have with my blood made peace between you and God, no longer are you enemies with him, no longer are you subject to his wrath- I have united the two into one

Jesus Post Resurrection- I am sending you

John 20:21–23 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

He was not bestowing up the disciples the authority to forgive or not forgive sins, that is some thing only God has the power and authority to do

He is bestowing this upon them in a declarative sense- that is they can say declaratively that your sins have been forgiven because they have accepted Jesus’ message

All believers have this same privilege or command

When we ourselves have come to repentance and faith in Jesus we also can announce with certainty the forgiveness of sins

We like the disciples are to be the proclaimers

Ephesians 6:15 ESV

and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

This is the message we carry- the “GOOD NEWS of PEACE”

Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

I have made peace between you and God now I am sending you to declare that peace to others in the same way the that the Father sent

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

The call to us is like the call to Peter “follow me”

John 21:19 ESV

(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter begins to look around- and he reply is well what about John

Jesus’ response it is of no concern to you how I choose to use John, what his call to follow looks like, this is what I am calling you too

So what is is your call to follow?

building a successful business, driving truck, farming, in services like hospitals or schools, at home, the mission field, ministry, in school, young, old

whatever it is are you feet fitted with the good news of peace? That is the common denominator-

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”