Sunday Evening Prayer Service

Welcome & Opening Prayer

Hymn

Hymn

Testimonies of Grace (answered prayer)

Sermon

John chapter 20 begins, Mary Magdalene arrives to the tomb of Jesus while it was still dark (v. 1). She saw that the stone was already rolled away which, of course, alarmed her, so she ran to tell the disciples. She ran into Peter and John first and claimed that the powers at be took away the Lord out of the tomb (2). They ran to the tomb, discovered that what Mary had told them was true. They saw the linen wrappings that were placed on Jesus after He died, and now, there was no body. We’re told that it was upon seeing this that John believed. Up to this point, he did not understand the Scripture which clearly taught that Jesus must rise again from the dead (8-9). Jesus appeared first to Mary, and she came to the disciples saying, I have seen the Lord (18).

The disciples are gathered together somewhere behind locked doors. They are together, but they are scared. They had just witnessed the murder of Jesus, and it’s likely that they were concerned for their own lives. They were confused, heart-broken, scared and trying to figure out what to do next. This brings us to

John 20:19–23 ESV

19 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.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

The Great Commission is familiar enough to us:

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I took a world missions class in seminary, and the professor introduced me to the idea that while Matthew’s statement is the most familiar statement of the great commission, it is only one great commission statement in the New Testament. We don’t have time to trace all the great commission statements through Scripture, but what we read together in John’s gospel, specifically John 20:21 is a great commission.

John 20:21 ESV

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

And like the disciples in that locked room, when it comes to fulfilling our Lord’s mandate to go, we have apprehensions, we have hesitancies, we have fears.

FCF

There are times we are fearful to fulfill our Savior’s mandate

Many of us are nervous about speaking to people about the gospel. Some of us have had to think through how to be a witness at work or in some other context where a commitment to fulfilling our Savior’s mandate is not a shared commitment, and in fact, there’s a good chance that some will take offense and even seek to prohibit us from doing so or encourage some kind of negative consequence for speaking about Christ.

The disciples were sad at the loss of Jesus, but they were dealing with fear.

But what I want us to know is that

Main Idea

Our Savior enables us to overcome the fears that inhibit is from fulfilling His mandate.

Jesus has not commanded us to do something with indifference. His call to go and make disciples of all nations is one that cannot be accomplished through our wisdom or fortitude. Jesus has issued this call and He enables us to fulfill it.

How? By:

Comforting our fears: a provision of peace (19-20)

Clarifying our mission: a call to proclaim (21)

Conferring our authority: a granting of power(22-23)

He comforts our fears: a provision of peace (19-20)

It is Easter evening. Jesus has risen from the dead, but the disciples are not aware. Jesus told them He would rise, but they could not comprehend such a thing.

The disciples are together behind locked doors. They were afraid. We are told in verse 19 that Jesus came and stood among them. Did he all-of-the-sudden appear? Did he pass through the door? Did He miraculously unlock the door? We don’t know, because we are not told.

What especially important here is why Jesus came. His purpose is made clear in what He said to them: peace be with you. He says this again in verse 21 and then again at the end of verse 26.

It’s difficult to imagine the disciples reaction in this moment, but shock most certainly was among their emotions. Is it really Jesus?

We’re told in verse 20 that Jesus showed them His hands and His side. Jesus was patient with them even then. Even after fulfilling all that He came to accomplish, even after suffering, dying, rising from the dead, His disciples still doubted, still feared man more than God, He provided them tangible evidence that it was Him to calm their spirits.

And what does it say? Verse 20: then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

I want us to pause here and pray together. Earlier in John’s gospel, Jesus was teaching His disciples regarding the Holy Spirit. He was telling them that He will leave them soon, but He will not leave them as orphans. He will send to them the Holy Spirit. He also makes clear to them that the clearest way to show their love for Him is to obey His commands. The Holy Spirit will enable them to obey.

In the midst of this teaching, Jesus offers these words of comfort:

John 14:27 ESV

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Jesus provides us peace

Because Jesus has granted me His peace I will…

Jesus also

Clarifies our mission: a call to proclaim (21)

Jesus draws a comparison in verse 21: as the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends His disciples. What’s the nature of this comparison. We know it’s not for the disciples to atone for the sins of people… although this is a call of self-sacrifice.

I suggest that Jesus is saying to His disciples: as I was sent into the world to proclaim a message, I am sending you to proclaim a message.

The Great Commission is one that calls on people to proclaim the good news. The gospel of Jesus Christ.

As familiar as we are with this call from our Lord. As much as we have heard this preached and taught in various ways many times before, we are equally aware of how hard obeying this command can be. Because of fear, because of laziness, because of insecurity, because of a lack of knowledge or eloquence.

But, when you and I are confronted with these anxieties remember what Jesus says here: I am sending you. The nature of this sending is a continual sending. I don’t want to push the boundaries of the idea of sending here, but there is an on-going quality inherent in this word.

As you and I strive to fulfill this mission, remember we do so in the name of Christ, on His behalf and with His blessing. He is sending us.

John 20:21 ESV

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

Jesus calls us to proclaim

Father, because Jesus has sent me to proclaim the gospel, help me to…

Conferring our authority: a granting of power (22-23)

I suspect what intrigues us the most about verse 22 is that Jesus breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. What does this mean?

DA Carson points out that the word them (breathed on them) is not actually there. In other words, the Greek reads, Jesus breathed on, and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. With this clarification, Carson suggests that we are meant to understand what Jesus does and says here is an expression of His promise that they will receive the Holy Spirit soon.

John Calvin called this a mini Pentecost. He thought Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon His disciples in this moment. It was a foretaste of what was to come at Pentecost.

Regardless of where we land on this, what I want us to be clear on tonight is Jesus has provided us the power necessary to fulfill His mandate in giving us the Holy Spirit.

Again, Jesus teaching His disciples regarding the coming and ministry of the Holy Spirit:

John 16:13 ESV

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

you and I can come out from behind our locked doors . We do not have to fear. We have peace with God, we have a message to proclaim, and we have a justified expectation that the message we proclaim will go forth with power.

Power, not because of our eloquence, or knowledge, or bravery… ultimately the power necessary for our ministry of proclamation is from God, and it is guaranteed to accompany this act of obedience. The results and timing are of the Lord, but you and I have power. It has been conferred upon us by God.

John 16:8 ESV

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Jesus has granted us power to proclaim

God, because the results of proclaiming the gospel depends on the power of the Holy Spirit, I pray…