Jesus Appears to the Guilty

Theme: Jesus calms the disturbed heart with the peace only he, the risen Lord, can give.

Context

It is the first Easter Sunday.

The events of Jesus death still fresh. He was betrayed on Thursday night. Though all the disciples said they would never forsake him, they abandoned him. Peter even explicitly denied him. Jesus was crucified on Friday. Dead in the tomb on Saturday.

Sunday morning, the women who followed Jesus, such as Mary Magdalene, discovered that the tomb was empty and saw the risen Lord. They reported this to the disciples, Peter and the others. But the disciples did not know what to think.

Later, the disciples are gathered together in a room, still afraid for their own safety after what had happened to Jesus…

TEXT John 20:19–31

John 20:19–31 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. 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.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.” 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.” 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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 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.

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday: We joyfully celebrated Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Over the course of the past week, I have noticed that my heart is still a bit unsettled by all that we experienced through Holy week:

On Thursday Jesus washed our feet and commanded us to love one another. Then we abandoned him to trial. We stripped the church to symbolize how he was taken from us.

On Friday, we watched as he was beaten, scourged, mocked, and crucified.

the toning of the bells, the sound of the nails. The darkness of the sanctuary. Symbolizing his death.

Then on Easter, he rose from the dead — bright lights and flowers and joy.

While I am happy and thankful for what he has accomplished, I cannot help but reflect: on my own faithlessness.

He did so much for me…but I abandon and deny and doubt.

What do we do with that…. guilt?

Today’s lesson speaks to that…

Exegesis 1: the disciples are guilty

It is the first Easter day.

The disciples are in hiding.

They are afraid.

The doors are locked for their security.

I suspect that the disciples in addition to fear the disciples were grappling with their own senses of failure.

As I recounted earlier, they had all promised stand with him even to the death but they had all abandoned him instead.

One of their own (Judas) had betrayed Jesus, to the surprise of them all.

Peter had denied even knowing Jesus.

As a result, Jesus had suffered and died all alone.

I wonder whether the disciple’s guilty consciences speculated whether Jesus had appeared to the women, but not to themselves ,because they themselves were unworthy. The women had been at the cross. They had gone to the tomb. The disciples had not.

Perhaps Jesus would not appear to them at all…or if he did, he may express anger or hurt or disappointment in them.

The disciples might have had in mind all kinds of apologies to say to Jesus, if they got to see him again.

Application 1: We experience guilt

Example: I once attended a seminar. In the midst of the morning large group conversation I said something that I realized after the meeting might have been stepping on the toe of another participant. We were scheduled to be in the same group again later in the day. I spent the morning scolding myself for my insensitivity. What would he say to me? I was plotting in my mind how I was going to apologize.

The story of the disciples hiding behind locked doors is showing us that grappling with our own sinfulness is part of the Easter message.

Jesus died for our sins because our sins are real.

The Bible is clear about is that although God loves us and is faithful to us, although Jesus loves us and is faithful to us, we are not alway loving and faithful in return.

On the contrary, at key moments, we prove ourselves to be weak sinners.

It is not a flattering picture of ourselves that we have to face…

But Jesus lets his disciples face their failures.

He lets us face our own shortcomings.

But not so that we would be lost to guilt…

But only enough to prepare us to receive him more deeply…

Exegesis 2: Jesus establishes peace

Then, though the doors were locked, Jesus appears in the space.

He speaks first, and his words are “peace be with you.”

Before they can say or do anything, he speaks to them what their hearts need: peace.

you are afraid - peace.

you are recriminating yourselves - peace.

He shows them his hands and his side. The nail prints, the spear mark.

He shows them his healed wounds to show them that what was so horrible and irreversible from their point of view, is from his perspective, made right. The wounds do not hurt. They do not hurt Jesus anymore, and they are not meant to hurt the disciples, but to heal them.

As he shows them his healed wounds, he is reminding why he died.

The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for man. (Matthew 20:28)

When he is lifted up on the cross, whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3)

Jesus’ wounds show the sinfulness of the disciples, but even more they show the redeeming power of God.

Jesus fulfills his word spoken to them on his last night with them before his death, John 14:27 “…my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives…I give you my peace… Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Application 2: Jesus gives us peace

We are right to feel guilty about our sin.

Lent and Holy Week can surprise us with how sinful we are.

Jesus does want our hearts to be controlled by guilt, but ready to receive the peace that he offers.

Take our eyes off ourselves and put them on Jesus.

Paul provides us with an example in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 7:24–25 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death (myself)? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

As real as our sins are, Jesus has really dealt with them through his death. Through his resurrection he offers peace.

The power of his peace comes from the fact that by his wounds we are healed.

Example: When we share the peace of Christ with each other.

Imagine him stretching out his hand, and saying peace be with you.

He does this with his nail scarred hands…which are healed. This is the proof that we can be at peace with him.

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Our role is to believe that word and stand firm in it.

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Exegesis 3: Jesus commissions the disciples

THEN, the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Fear and guilt were banished and replaced by surge of excitement…

A pendulum swing from negative to positive.

Jesus fulfills this word, John 16: A little while and you will see me no longer…and you will be sorrowful…and again a little while and you will see me…and your sorrow will turn to joy.

A second time Jesus says to them, Peace be with you.

And he is inviting them to …focus: there is work to be done.

He reveals to them the second stage of their ministry together.

John 20:21: As the Father sent me, so I send you.

What focus and calm must have descended upon them. Jesus still claimed them as his disciples.

The ministry to which Jesus calls them is a ministry to extend to others what Jesus was extending to them in that encounter: Peace.

The Father had sent Jesus to establish peace between God and sinners.

Colossians 1:20 “and through Christ God is reconciling all things, to himself whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of Jesus’ cross.”

Now Jesus includes the disciples in that mission.

in the power of the holy spirit, with the authority of heaven, Forgive sins. Forgive, as you yourselves have been forgiven.

Give the world peace that comes from me.

Jesus makes this call urgent: if you withhold forgiveness it is withheld.

He does not mean they should be stingy with the forgiveness of sins, but rather to emphasize the power of the peace that can only come from the message of the gospel

in effect, if they don’t hear it and receive it from you…they won’t get it anywhere else!

With that Jesus departs from them. The disciples are left in happiness and amazement, yes. But I believe, also peace. A calm and focus. All is forgiven. The risen Lord wants us to share this forgiveness with the world.

Application 3

The risen Christ calls us to share in his mission to the world.

His mission is to bring the peace that comes from his death and resurrection.

We know that peace because we experience it.

We’ve witnessed Jesus’ death. We’ve been confronted with our sinfulness. And we know the peace he gives us.

Example: the seminar from before. I found the guy and apologized. Forgiven. Then the instructor had us do an exercise in which we would need a partner. The guy previously offended and who had forgiven me came over to me and said, want to partner up?

In the power of the Holy Spirit, we are share with others we have ourselves received.

Gospel, one beggar showing anothe where to find bread.

Gospel: one sinner showing another where to find peace.

Receive the Holy Spirit

Take a deep breath and receive the spirit of God.

Share in Jesus’ ministry of forgiveness.

Who can you forgive to whom can you show the same piece which Christ showed you?

Conclusion

We are in the Easter season Jesus has done so much for us.

He has shown us our sin…even more: he has shown us his role as Savior.

And he invites us to share the peace he gives us with the world around us.