The Word Alive: He Stood Among Them

The Great Disorder

intro: Lock combo, keys, things that need order. Escape Room, Algebra.

1. The Disciples faced an unspeakable context— their lives had been upended in such a way there is no going back to the normal. In the text we are on the first day of Easter. It is the first day of the week in the evening and everything is in disorder.

Their leader/ their teacher/ their father/ their friend was killed through an orchestrated action between the Jewish religious leaders and Roman leadership. Jesus was arrested, the followers scattered, then Jesus was taken to a facade of a court appearance, found guilty of blasphemy, sentenced, and finally killed in the most humiliating way imaginable. Now all they knew was up in the air.

Times like this can paralyze us. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the possibility of what could happen. Fear that nothing will happen. How many times in your life have you experienced facing the mountain of disorder? I know in my own life, this fact has come uncomfortably close just recently.

We can easily find ourselves in state of chaos. Chaos can suck the life out of us. The disciples were defeated, disillusioned, and destabilized.

What happens next?

God of Reorder!

John’s Gospel is always showing who Jesus is!!

The doors were locked. The Disciples were not confident in their understanding, let alone their belief about anything. That would all change.

Jesus appears among them. John doesn’t give us the details about how Jesus shows up. Many of pen has been put to paper theorizing what this could mean. Ultimately, Jesus who was crucified shows up.

Jesus appears in his bodily resurrection. Not some spirit, not some half matter, half apparition configuration. No Jesus shows up in his resurrected body. He the Resurrected One also proves he is also the Crucified One. He appears among them. Greek word mesos meaning with, it is where we get the term mezzanine. or on their level.

Jesus comes to his gathered family. The ones whom he has loved so much. Jesus meets them in their disorder. Jesus meets them in their chaos.

Hebrews 2:11–18 “For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is abl…”

Matthew 12:46–50 “While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.””

Jesus appears and declares “Peace be with you”

Theological statement, not only a Hebrew greeting. Jesus states it twice. Peace, shalom, meaning everything is in right order.

Jesus appears to his disciples on the Resurrection Sunday to tell them all has been placed right! Everything is in order. Chaos no longer abounds. They can have confidence in what has transpired and what will come to pass.

Jesus defeats death, the blood of the paschal sacrifice that was Jesus atoned for all unrighteousness. Jesus restored humanity and creation to its rightful state.

Jesus has declared that peace is with them. Peace with God, peace within themselves because of who God was making them.

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Jesus reorders authority

The disciples were found in fear. Fearful and powerless they remained locked away from the outside world.

Jesus reordered their authority. No longer were the Jewish Religious Leaders speakers for God and God’s Law. But now Jesus raises up his own. He reorders the disciples to be apostles who carry the weight and authority of the Good News of Jesus.

They will grant forgiveness and un-forgiveness with each person they share who receives or rejects. The Gospel of grace and glory given by Jesus to them so that the world may know and may be forgiven. These lowly fishermen, tax collectors, farmers, uneducated were set loose on the world empowered with the authority of Jesus.

John 14:12 “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Reorders our Fear

The disciples no longer have to be afraid. Those who conspired to have Jesus killed are now found powerless. They cannot claim to be the ultimate authority, as Jesus told Pilate “you would have no authority if it were not given from above.”

Peter and John in front of the Sanhedrin

Acts 5:28–29 “saying, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

The Disciples have been given authority to combat anything that gets in the way of advancing the Gospel.

Supernatural authority. To heal, cast out demons, offer forgiveness— To be salt, to be light, to be that shining city on a hill.

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist…But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”- John Wesley