Jesus Is Alive—Now What?
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Text: John 20:19–29 (ESV)
Have you ever witnessed a great comeback?
Sports fans remember them.
In 2017, the New England Patriots were down 28–3 in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI. Fans were leaving the stadium. Headlines were being written. But what happened next was one of the most incredible comebacks in NFL history. Tom Brady led the team to an overtime victory—34–28. It stunned the world.
But let’s be honest—that was just a football game.
What if I told you the greatest comeback in history didn’t happen on a field—but in a garden tomb outside Jerusalem?
Because on that first Easter morning, Jesus Christ—who had been crucified, buried, sealed behind a stone, guarded by Roman soldiers—got up.
Death didn’t win.
The devil didn’t win.
Darkness didn’t win.
The greatest comeback in history wasn’t just for Him—it was for us.
And the question we’re asking today is this:
Jesus is alive… now what?
In John 20, the disciples are not celebrating Easter—they’re hiding.
Their leader has been brutally killed. Their hopes are shattered. Their future is uncertain.
But then, in a locked room, Jesus shows up—alive.
And what He says and does in this moment reveals how we are to respond to His resurrection.
Main Idea: The resurrection of Jesus calls us to respond with _belief_, worship, and _mission_.
This isn’t just a story to admire—it’s an event that demands a response. Jesus is alive—what are you going to do about it?
So let me ask: If Jesus really rose from the dead, what does that mean for your past, your present, and your future?
Let’s begin with how Jesus addressed His disciples when they were stuck in fear and shame.
1. Jesus Gives _Peace_ for Your Past (vs. 20:19–20)
The disciples are hiding. Afraid. Ashamed.
They had abandoned Jesus. Denied Him.
Now they’re huddled in a room, devastated by loss, unsure of their future.
The One they had followed for three years—their Teacher, Messiah, Friend—was dead. With Him died their dreams of the kingdom, their purpose, and their peace.
But suddenly, in the middle of their fear, Jesus shows up.
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.
Let’s break this down.
It’s Sunday evening—Resurrection Day. So much has already happened:
Jesus rose from the dead.
Angels appeared at the tomb.
Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ.
Two disciples walked and talked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.
Peter and John saw the empty tomb.
Now, the disciples are hiding—doors locked, hearts racing.
And suddenly, Jesus appears.
He doesn’t knock. He doesn’t climb through a window.
He materializes in the room.
And His first words?
Not “What happened, guys?”
Not “Thanks for sticking by me.”
Not “How could you abandon me?”
His first words are: “Peace be with you.”
That word—shalom—was a common Jewish greeting. But this was more than a greeting.
This was a gift. A gift of reconciliation.
Jesus had every right to rebuke them.
Instead, He reassures them.
Why? Because now—because of the cross and the empty tomb—true peace is available for the first time.
Principle: When we need it most, God’s peace is available.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus removed the barrier of sin. We who were once at war with God can now have peace with God.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And this peace changes everything.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Why show them His wounds?
To prove it’s really Him.
To show them that the One who died is the One who lives.
To root their joy not in a ghost or a dream—but in the resurrected Savior.
Luke 24:36–43 gives us more detail…
36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.
He’s not a phantom. He’s physically, gloriously alive.
And their fear turns to joy. The Greek word is echarēsan—they rejoiced.
Principle: God gives His peace when we are hurting—and His peace produces joy.
What is joy?
Joy is the deep-seated confidence that the promises of God are true.
And in that locked room, the disciples finally believed that Jesus’ promises were true.
He died.
He was buried.
He rose again.
And He still wanted them.
Your past doesn’t disqualify you.
Jesus didn’t cancel His disciples—and He won’t cancel you.
Whatever you’ve done, His first words to you today are the same: “Peace be with you.”
Because He lives, your past no longer defines you—His grace does.
Maybe you’ve made mistakes you never thought you’d make.
Maybe you’ve betrayed someone you love.
Maybe you carry the guilt of a past decision—an abortion, a divorce, an addiction.
Maybe your past feels unforgivable.
But the resurrection of Jesus says, “There is peace for that. There is forgiveness for you.”
Review:
The resurrection means peace is possible—even for those who have failed.
Jesus is alive—and that changes everything. The first thing it changes is your past.
Transition
So He gives peace for your past—but He doesn’t stop there.
Let’s look at what He says next and how it gives purpose for your present.
2. Jesus Gives _Purpose_ for Your Present (vs. 20:21–23)
Jesus has just given His disciples peace. Now He gives them purpose.
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.
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.”
Let’s pause there.
Jesus repeats His greeting—“Peace be with you”—but now attaches a commission:
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
In other words: “Now that you have peace, you also have a purpose.”
They were no longer just forgiven failures—they were Spirit-empowered messengers.
And what kind of sending was this?
Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, shows us how the Father sent Jesus:
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus was sent in humility, vulnerability, and sacrifice.
And now His followers would go the same way.
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
They were being sent not in power or prestige, but in weakness—and with unstoppable authority, because of who was sending them.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
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,
Principle: If you are a believer, you are a goer.
There’s no such thing as a follower of Jesus who stays put spiritually. If you’ve been saved, you’ve been sent.
Take a look again at verse 22…
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
This is profound.
Just as God breathed life into Adam in Genesis, Jesus now breathes new life into His disciples—symbolizing the Spirit that would fill them at Pentecost.
It’s a powerful picture:
The resurrected Christ…
Breathing new life…
Into those He’s about to send.
They weren’t ready yet—but they would be.
They would soon be transformed from fearful to fearless. Why?
Because they would carry two world-changing realities:
The resurrected Christ
The indwelling Holy Spirit
Think about the Star Trek phaser—unlimited energy, multiple settings, high-tech protection.
Sounds powerful, right?
But we have something infinitely greater.
You and I walk through life with resurrection power behind us and Holy Spirit power within us.
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
But take a look at verse 23…
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
This verse often gets misunderstood. But the key is context and grammar.
The verbs “are forgiven” and “are withheld” are in the perfect tense in Greek, meaning they describe what has already been decided in heaven. The church does not create forgiveness—it declares what heaven has already decreed.
We’re not the judge.
We’re the town crier.
We don’t determine who is forgiven—but we announce it.
When someone repents and believes, we say: “You are forgiven.”
When someone rejects Christ, we say: “You are not forgiven.”
And we do so not based on opinion, but on the authority of God’s Word.
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
Principle: God alone forgives—but the church proclaims it.
And that is your purpose. To bring the message of forgiveness to the world.
Application: Living the Truth
You were made for more than survival.
You were made to go—to carry this message to your world.
Your job, your school, your neighborhood—they’re not accidents. They’re assignments.
You’re not just here to get through life—you’re here to bring life to others.
Review:
The resurrection gives peace for your past—and now, it gives purpose for your present.
But maybe you're thinking, “That's great for the disciples—but I still struggle with doubt.”
You're not alone. So did one of them. Let’s see how Jesus responded.
3. Jesus Offers _Hope_ for Your Future (vs. 24–29)
We’ve seen how the resurrection gives peace for your past and purpose for your present. But what about your future? What about your doubts?
You’re not alone.
One of Jesus’ own disciples—Thomas—struggled to believe. And Jesus met him there.
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Thomas had heard the testimonies of the other disciples, his closest friends. And still—he doubted.
And let’s not sugarcoat his response. He didn’t just say, “I’m not sure yet.” He said, “I will never believe.”
Thomas wasn’t just doubting Jesus—he was doubting those who knew Him best.
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Eight days later. That’s a long week of wrestling. But Jesus wasn’t done with Thomas.
And when He shows up—He doesn’t scold him. He meets him.
Principle: Jesus is not afraid of your doubts—but He will not let you stay there.
“Put your finger here… place your hand in my side. Stop doubting. Start believing.”
He meets Thomas personally, tenderly, and directly.
It’s like a lifeguard shouting to a struggling swimmer: “Trust me! Jump—I’ve got you!”
The swimmer can’t see everything under the water, but they trust the one calling out.
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
This is the highest confession in the Gospel of John. Thomas, the doubter, now becomes the worshiper.
He doesn’t just say, “You’re alive.”
He says, “You are God.”
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That’s us.
We haven’t seen Jesus in the flesh. We haven’t touched His scars. But we believe.
And according to Jesus, that kind of faith—your kind of faith—is blessed.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Principle: The testimony of the apostles becomes the foundation of our faith.
You believe not because you’ve seen—but because you’ve heard the faithful eyewitness testimony of those who did.
31 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.
Do you have doubts? You’re not alone. But don’t let doubt have the last word.
Jesus invites your questions—but He also calls for your trust.
Faith in Him secures your eternity.
Your past can be redeemed.
Your present can be empowered.
Your future can be secured—because Jesus is alive.
Review:
The resurrection gives hope—not just for this life, but for the life to come.
Jesus is alive—now what? Now you believe. Now you worship. Now you go.
Conclusion
Let’s go back to where we started.
The greatest comeback in history wasn’t about a football game.
It was about a Savior who conquered death, walked out of the tomb, and changed everything—for you.
We’ve seen it in this passage:
Jesus gives peace for your past.
Jesus gives purpose for your present.
Jesus gives hope for your future.
So let me ask you… How will you respond?
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That’s us. That’s you. That’s today.
You don’t need to see Jesus physically to trust Him powerfully.
His Word is true. His Spirit is present. And He is calling you to believe, worship, and go.
If you’ve never trusted Christ—believe today.
If you’ve wandered—come home.
If you’re on mission—go with boldness.
The risen Jesus doesn’t want polite admiration.
He calls for surrender. He calls for faith. He calls for you.
“We live and die,” said British pastor John Stott.
“Christ died—and lived.”
That’s the reversal of everything we’ve ever known. That’s the gospel.
So what happens next?
What if this Easter isn’t just a holiday, but your new beginning?
Imagine your home changed. Your coworkers curious. Your neighbors reached.
All because you stopped admiring the resurrection—and started living it.
If you want to trust Jesus today, right now—just tell Him.
“Lord Jesus, I believe. I need Your peace, Your purpose, and Your hope. I surrender to You.”
That’s where resurrection begins—for you.
Jesus is alive.
Now it’s your move.
