He's Alive & Really Here?!?!

Let us pray…Gracious and loving God, we come to you this morning with more questions than answers. On this Sunday after we celebrated the resurrection of Christ, we wonder if this pandemic will ever end, what normal really means, and how we will all recover from this physical separation. Unlike the first disciples, who witnessed Jesus among them, we long to hear you and your Son’s voice above all the noise that seems to be streaming at us these days. So, we come this morning, looking for words and direction. Help us to open our hearts, our minds, and our Spirits to your ever-present, still-speaking voice that we may hear what we need for this day and the week that is to come, Amen.

As we begin this morning, there is so much happening in our world and our communities. I can imagine that some of us might feel like those very first disciples…we fear what we cannot control, we are anxious about the state of our economy, and maybe we fear what an extended closure might mean for all of us going forward. And, I can imagine some of us carry a lot of pain for those we love who might be dealing with the loss of a loved one or someone they know who has been directly impacted with COVID-19. I know we are hearing a lot about this but COVID-19 is either going to bring people to trust in God more or cause us to question God more. It is inevitable…there is no question that there are more questions than answers right now. I come to you this morning feeling the same way…I just needed you to know that amid all that is happening, my care and concern for each of you is greater and more prevalent than under what was our normal. Our normal is changing almost by the second right now and I thank you all for adapting to how this has all transpired. I applaud you for showing and sharing your faith in ways that gives each of us the strength to carry this burden into the future. Also know that all of you continue to be in my heart and prayers as we move through this time together.

With that being said, I want us to spend some time considering the scripture passages we have before us this morning. And trust me, that this Sunday’s Gospel lesson and its message has not been lost in the shuffle of all that is going on around us. I can easily imagine how the disciples might have been feeling that first Sunday evening after the resurrection. If you think about it, we probably are experiencing much of what they might have felt gathered in that room that night...

The resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ on the third day

Remember, Jesus promised that he would rise on the third day. Which he did. What he did not tell them is that he would appear to them in the midst of all their sorrow. Now, here’s the thing I want you to hear first and foremost this morning…Jesus appeared to them, in the midst of their sorrow, fear, anxiety, and dread. He came to them when they needed him most. While he may not appear physically before us today, we can be assured that because of the events of this story and the events of something that happens in a little over a month from now, Jesus is here with us right now…his presence may not be able to be seen but he is here...

Let’s take a look at why I can say that to you this morning…let’s look at how Jesus appeared to his disciples and find some hope and peace in knowing that he sent the Spirit to take his physical presence in our world this day…I want to look at two of his physical appearances to the disciples, so this first one is going to be a bit of a refresher from last week, just bear with me though, because some of what happened last Sunday morning is important to our understanding of the next two appearances...

First...To Mary Magdalene

The first people that Jesus appears to is Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. At least that is the story we heard last week…the piece I want to focus upon this morning though is what Jesus says to Mary first and then what he instructs her and the disciples to do...

Matthew 28:9–10 NLT

And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

So what we hear in this portion of the story is Jesus’ appearance to Mary and Mary on the road back to the disciples. Take special note that Jesus met them where they were…that’s the first piece to hang onto. I know I said this last week but it is worth repeating because we will hear it again and again over the coming weeks but it is also extremely important for our time in all that is happening, to remember that Jesus will meet us exactly where we are as well. Back to the story…so, Jesus met them on the road for a very important encounter. Take note that Mary and Mary did not need any kind of introduction. They knew exactly who Jesus was the minute he appeared. We know this because we are told that the first thing they do is to bow at his feet and worship him. The next thing that happens is Jesus reassures them…he says, “Do not be afraid.” We will hear this repeated again and again in the coming weeks as well. It is the words of comfort that I believe many, if not all of us, need to hear in this time of great fear. We need to know that Jesus’ first words to the women that morning were words of peace and comfort. He did not want them to be afraid or to run away. He wanted to and needed to have this encounter with them. He wanted them to know that he had truly returned and that he was going to be there for them, whether that was physically or spiritually, he was there.

The very next thing he says, “Go tell my brothers (his disciples) to leave Jerusalem and go to the area of the Galilee.” In my mind, he desired to have a similar encounter with the men and women for whom he had loved and into whom he poured his soul and teachings. For me in this story, one of the most important things for the disciples was to be in a place of security and safety. We believe that Jesus knew that his disciples were too scared to move on from Jerusalem and that is why he instructed the Marys to go and tell them to go to Galilee. However, I also think that Jesus may have wanted them to go to the place where he started his ministry with them. The Galilean countryside was familiar, it was comfortable but it was also the place where they knew the most people and could be surrounded by supporting, loving people. After his resurrection, it was all about making sure that there was comfort and peace amongst those he loved…so under this guise, we move forward with our story from today...

To the disciples in the upper room

Our story for today takes place in two parts and there are couple interesting things I want to point out to us today…the first part involves 10 of the 11 remaining disciples…remember, Judas was no longer with them as he had hung himself prior to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion. So of the 11 remaining disciples, we are told that the only one not with them was Thomas. So here is what John reports for us on the 10...

John 20:19 CEB

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.”

From this, we know that we are still on the third day. The disciples are in Jerusalem, behind locked doors. This tells us that the disciples were scared. They did not want any unwanted visitors, right? I mean that is the only time we lock our doors…when we desire privacy and safety. Frankly, it is really understandable how the disciples could be so scared. They had just seen their teacher crucified, unjustifiably. They feared for their own lives because Peter, I am sure, told them about his encounters with the people outside Jerusalem who questioned him. They heard the testimony of those who stayed to witness the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. They thought they were next. Not unlike many of us today, these people were afraid of doing too much and getting noticed. Now, some might say to you that they lacked the faith but I argue, there is a distinct difference in having enough faith and putting yourself in jeopardy unnecessarily.

Now, take notice of the second half of this verse…in nearly every translation of this sentence, the word that introduces Jesus’ appearance to them is "came”. Now, I don’t know about you but if my doors were locked, I would not be expecting anyone to be standing in front of me unless they were already in the house. This gives us two things to consider…Jesus had a physical body because we know that Mary worshiped at his feet earlier in the day and second Jesus was more than just physical, he had the ability to move around in a way that he could not be bound by physical buildings. Without getting too far away from what I want for us to get out of this story this morning, we need to understand that Jesus desired to be with these people and he had the ability to enter into the room without the use of the door. So, can you just imagine how the disciples might have felt seeing him appear before him…yeh, that’s what I think too, they probably felt even more fear and trepidation. But here’s the thing, Jesus knew that his appearance before them would cause these intense emotions because he addresses them with, “Peace be with you.”

I can already hear them saying, “What is this?!? And Peace?!?! Really?!?!” But at the same token, I can hear them discussing what was before them…is this a ghost? Are we dreaming the same dream? Am I the only one that can see this? And so many more. Now, John does not tell us what the disciples were thinking or saying but what he does give us about this interaction is this next piece...

John 20:20 NLT

As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

So, Jesus is still comforting his disciples and reassuring them that they are not crazy…he shows them his hands and side. Now, much of this story has always focused on Thomas being the one who doubted Jesus’ resurrection appearance. I know I have said this before but I see all of the disciples as doubters. I mean think about it…they are sitting there with the physical presence of Jesus and he shows them his hands and his sides. It was important for them to all realize that Jesus was there…he was really there with them. It is as this point that they recognize the physical being of Jesus. It was because of seeing the actual wounds that they could find joy. For us today, we may not have the physical presence here before us but we have the record that this is what Jesus did to stand as proof.

The very next thing that Jesus does is even more important to us today...

John 20:21–22 NLT

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

He repeats the blessing of having peace, but more importantly, he breathes on them. Now, I want to take us back to the very beginning of time…when God created us to live in this world.

Genesis 2:7 NLT

Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

God breathed life into the first human. God breathed life…Jesus is taking us on a journey of discovery with these disciples. They needed to be reassured. We need to be reassured. Jesus needed them to realize that he had truly risen from the grave in a physical body. We need reassurance that this really happened, that he was really there with them and he is really here with us in our time of need (in our sorrow, pain, and fear). This is why he says to them, not once, but twice, peace to you. But he also needs them to know that their work is not done and neither is ours. And so, he breathes life into them. He breathes life into them, just as God did a the beginning of time when humans were first created. Our lives depend upon breath and being able to breathe in new life.

So in this time, our challenge is to accept that life. The disciples accepted, although they did not necessarily listen because a week later, they are still in Jerusalem, not in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. A week later, we hear the story of when Thomas required the same proof that the others saw that night. So, he is no different than the others, regardless, what we need to hear this morning is this...Jesus breathed into them the breath of life, the breath of new life. A life that calls us out of our places of fear and trepidation. A new life that calls us to bring others to see and know God in a new and exciting ways. The breath that we received at our baptisms is with us still today. We may not feel it right now, but it is there. We too might have doubts and more questions than answers, but we are still and continuously called to go into the world and breathe that life into others. That is the whole point of this story, at least to me. I hope and pray that you can sense the urgency with which Jesus is speaking to us in this day…challenging us to go forth and give the same breath to others…may we all feel that breath of new life and carry that breath to others in the coming weeks as we build to the excitement of the day of Pentecost, Amen.