Victory’s Peace

I Told Ya’ So

4.27.25 [John 20:19-31] River of Life (2nd Sunday of Easter)

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! 

Our lives are filled with I told ya’ so moments. Parents, armed with wisdom and love, often give their children advice that goes ignored. Put away your things. Don’t procrastinate on that paper. Get a good night’s sleep. But children often think they know better. Until they find out the hard way that their parents aren’t the fools they thought. 

Employees, equipped with experience and expertise, try to warn their bosses and supervisors about why the hot new technology might create more problems than it solves. But higher-ups have more say. It doesn’t take long before the staff starts muttering I told ya’ so. 

The most well-known of I told ya’ so’s springs forth from marriages. This close-knit bond is the perfect breeding ground. Whether it’s about whether the dishwasher will get that gunk off, ordering your own fries, getting directions, or healthy habits—we almost cannot help ourselves. Sometimes, it feels like we’re walking around with a Who’s Right? scoreboard floating above our heads and we didn’t come to lose. We’ve all said it before. We can’t help ourselves. 

But has it ever helped? Has it ever helped to say to your child: I told ya so? Have you ever been promoted for saying I told ya so? Has your marriage ever grown stronger because of this habit of point-scoring? 

So why do we say it? Why do we have to fight every urge not to say it? 

There is something so cathartic and gratifying about being able to tell someone I told ya’ so. We get to be right. We get to look wise. We get to put someone who didn’t listen to us in their place. Even though we know it’s not helpful. Even though we know it can actually be hurtful. We can’t help ourselves. We love I told ya’ so’s. 

Maybe that’s a modern phenomenon. I don’t know. I do know that our Gospel reading from John 20 is filled with I told ya’ so moments. The one that jumps off the page is in the second half of our reading. Right after Jesus appeared to the ten disciples, when Jn. 20:24 Thomas was not with them, they told him: Jn. 20:25 We have seen the Lord! 

Infamously, Thomas lays out his proof list. Jn. 20:25 Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hands into his side, I will not believe. 

The “ands” are striking aren't they? Wouldn’t one or two of those scars have been sufficient enough of evidence? 

Yet, John tells us, a week later—in the very same place where Thomas threw down the gauntlet, Jesus made his way Jn. 20:26 among them. Then he ran down Thomas’ list—in a slightly varied order—and graciously invited his doubting disciple to scrutinize his scars, Jn. 20:27 stop doubting, and believe. 

And we know how Thomas reacted. We don’t know if he did indeed put his finger where the nails were or put his hand into Christ’s side, but he did the last exhortation. He stopped doubting and he believed. My Lord and My God! he exclaimed as our risen Lord fanned his faith into flames. Thomas, like the other disciples, saw Jesus in his glorified flesh and blood and he believed. 

But the room didn’t burst into eleven men shouting I told ya’ so. Not only that, but when Jesus Jn. 20:20 showed his hands and side to the ten on Easter Sunday evening, he didn’t chide his frightened disciples with an I told ya’ so. Even though the Gospels are filled with records of Jesus literally telling them that he was going to be crucified and raised back to life on the third day, that was not his message. 

Maybe you might say the reason that Jesus doesn’t say that to his disciples is because he’s not petty. I’d agree that Jesus isn’t petty. 

But I would also remind you that just last Sunday, that is exactly what we heard the angels say to the women. Lk. 24:5-6 Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Mt 28:6 Just as he said. Angels are perfect messengers and servants of God. When they said it, it wasn’t petty. It was important. It still is. 

But it isn’t what Jesus speaks to here. It isn’t what he gives to his disciples as their Easter gift. On this most important of days, Jesus gives his disciples peace with God and power from the Holy Spirit.  Look at what he says: Peace be with you! I am sending you as my Father sent me. Receive the Holy Spirit I was anointed with at my baptism and get to God’s work: Deal with sins. Forgive them. Confront those who have grown comfortable in their sins.  

This calling is the exact opposite of what comes naturally to us, isn’t it? We might be I told ya’ so people from time to time, but the two things we rarely want to do are forgive those who’ve sinned against us and convict those whose hearts have been conditioned by their sin. 

But the power and peace of the Resurrection prompt us to do both. 

Instinctively, we need to see something to move us to do either of these things. If we’re going to forgive someone, we need to see their regret or their remorse. We want to see their guilt and grief and then we will tell them that we have forgiven them. Like Thomas did, we throw down a gauntlet. Show me you’re sorry. Show me you’ve changed. Show me that you’re never going to do that again. 

But we operate with a similar list of demands when it comes to warning someone about what our Lutheran forefathers have called “carnal security” with sin. If we’re going to rebuke someone, we need to see the harm they’re doing. We want to see the problems they’re creating or the damage their doing. Like Thomas, we throw down a gauntlet. Show me that this is really a big deal. Show me why this should be my problem.

And like he did for Thomas, the Risen Lord and God-man Jesus answers the bell. He says Peace be with you to those who don’t think they’re ready to forgive someone who has wronged them. The peace that moves us from death to life animates us to be eager to forgive those who have sinned against us. We do not forgive because their sorrow has stirred something deep within us. We forgive because we have been forgiven. Relationships are restored between sinners because our relationships with our Holy, Righteous God has been restored by our Risen Lord. We forgive because he lives. When and where sin has destroyed, God has the power to redeem and raise back to life. 

And the peace that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds when doubts creep in or when we are wronged again by that same individual. Peace, lasting harmony, certainty, and hope are not the byproduct of our bargaining or arm-twisting. We have peace with God through Christ alone. He has established the terms. He has secured the accord. He has done as he said. He gifts peace to us. He extends peace through us. 

You might recall that this proclamation of peace is what got the teachers of the law all riled up at our Redeemer in the first place. In Mark 2, there is a paralyzed man in Capernaum. His friends do for him what he could not do for himself. They bring him to Jesus. Actually, they lowered him down to Jesus, after digging an opening in the roof and lowering the mat down. And when Jesus saw the faith of his four friends, he said to the paralyzed man: Mk. 2:5 Son, your sins are forgiven. 

Jesus’ enemies were furious. Mk. 2:7 Who can forgive sins but God alone? That statement was accurate. Only God can do this. But this is why he came. And this is what he wants us to do on his behalf. To proclaim to those who are paralyzed by guilt and shame and sin that God has forgiven their sins and they may walk in newness of life.          Mk. 2:10 The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. His Father sent him for this purpose and he sends us to do no less. Why do we forgive sins? Because Jesus told us so!

And that is the same reason we confront those who are comfortable in unrighteousness. Christ rose from the dead bearing scars for a reason. They are a testament to the serious ramifications of sin. The wages of sin is death. Christ bears that price in his body. So we must speak with conviction about the wretched end of wickedness. We must not turn a blind eye to it. We cannot say that it is someone else’s job. We must not downplay its seriousness. We must not succumb to our fears. The Holy Spirit empowers us for this very important task. It is of utmost importance to our Lord. On Easter night, it is the first order of business for the King of kings. Our Lord God rejoices whenever we win someone over through his powerful Word.  

You see that in how he dealt with Thomas. On Easter Sunday night, Thomas had what I think most of us would describe as reasonable doubts. Dead people don’t come back to life and walk through locked doors. But his reasonable doubts were quickly spiraling into sinful unbelief. Instead of asking for the Lord to help him overcome his doubts he made a series of unreasonable demands. They were unreasonable because the disciples could not produce these things for Thomas. Only the Lord could. And he did. 

Mercifully, patiently, and graciously the powerful Prince of Peace appeared to Thomas and confronted the doubts that were spiraling out of control. He would not let his beloved be lost in unbelief and sin. 

And that is what he calls us to do. To mercifully, patiently, and graciously approach those who are not at peace. Point them to his sacrifice which was  for their sins. Point them to the wounds which bring them healing. Show them that they have a Risen Savior who has secured peace in heaven and on earth. There is nothing more cathartic or gratifying than being able to tell someone You’re forgiven. We get to be right. We get to impart wisdom. We get to put someone’s anxious heart at peace. And when they have questions or doubts, we can always tell them: Jesus told ya’ so. Amen.