John 20 19-31 2004
Easter 2
John 20:19-31
April 18, 2004
“Peace”
John 20:19 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." 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 anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld."
Peace, it is a Word spoken. Peace, it is given through the pierced hands, feet and side of our crucified Lord. Peace, it comes through faith in the risen Savior and is expressed in the forgiveness of sins which He alone can give.
The world clamors for peace but it cannot find it because it doesn’t know how. Peace, how elusive it is, in Iraq, Afghanistan, in Haiti and Africa, peace in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians. The one thing they all hold in common is that people didn’t like the way things were, and were hoping for a change for the better – that is, a change which might bring peace. How is this peace achieved - through war and blood shed, through suicide bombers and insurgents, through stone walls, borders and blockades, and through threats and innuendos. This week, it is believed, that Osama bin Laden has offered peace to Europe and Spain. What is the cost of such a peace – that they would leave Muslim countries alone and withdraw their support of his enemies of the United States and Israel, and if they don’t comply there will be more terror – in other words, peace by blackmail. Each side wants peace on its own terms and because they wanted peace they have all acted, I doubt that any of their actions will bring the desired results.
I’m not going to tell you that Christ and the Gospel bring peace, at least not the way world means peace. Jesus says quite plainly, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace, I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Jesus doesn’t even promise peace in the family, for he also says "a man's foes will be those of his own household." This conflict will occur because families are divided and not all act in faith. It will happen in the world, because not everyone follows Jesus. It will happen because in the world there is still sin, death, and the devil – who continue to fight against God – even though they have already been defeated – they fight in order to deny to believers the victory that is ours in Christ.
You see, there is a peace of God, and a peace in Christ – there is a peace that conquers our fears – but it is not the peace of the world – it is rather peace with God. The peace of God comes through the forgiveness of all our sins and the promise to us of eternal life. The world is terrified by death. It is terrified by death because on the one hand they are not certain what comes next – some think that there is nothing after life – others think that something comes next – but it is not good. It seems that all know, at least on some level, that at death comes judgment. Many people, when asked whether they we go to heaven will say, “I have lived a pretty good life, I haven’t committed any major sins, like some people you know.” The Jew may answer; I have lived the best I could according to commands of Moses.” The Muslim may say, “I have lived according to the words of Mohammed.” Even the Hindu will say, regarding reincarnation, “as I have lived, good or bad, I will come back again better off or worse; this is the law of karma.” For all of these people there is uncertainty as to whether they have lived well enough or done enough to secure their eternal peace of mind. Therefore they have no peace here on earth. In honesty many people of the world are afraid because they no their many failures and see their many sins, even according to their own religions. We too see our sins, and are afraid, even though we keep hearing it is not our fault, even though many people tell us that we should not feel guilty – there is nothing of the world that can remove this fear and guilt – and yet our hope, and the promise of God is that there is something – the blood of Jesus that washes away our sins, and forgives us of all iniquity.
Through the message of the Gospel we have received a peace that the world cannot give. We receive a peace from God which the philosophies and religions of the world promise but fail to provide. The peace we receive comes through the forgiveness of sins in Jesus blood shed on the cross. Through the Word of God, faith has been created in us by the Holy Spirit. This faith is able to grasp the promise, believe and be saved. Just as our Lord Jesus gave His Holy Spirit to the disciples in the upper room, God sent the Spirit into our minds to open them that they might understand the Scriptures, and hear the promise of God for the forgiveness of our sins – so that we might have peace with God. If we have peace with God, if we believe the promise of eternal life – then we need have no fear in life or fear of death. In the peace of Christ we have rest in the midst of unrest. Dr. Martin Luther described it this way, “This is the true peace, which stills and quiets the heart, not at the time when there is no misfortune, but in the very midst of it, when outwardly nothing but discord meets the eye. And this is the difference between worldly and spiritual peace. Worldly peace consists in removing the external evil which is creating unrest. For instance, there is no peace when enemies lie before the city; but when they are gone, peace returns. Just so in poverty and sickness, because these press upon you, you are not at peace; but when they go away and you are rid of the misfortune, outward peace and quiet have returned. However, he who suffers these things is not personally changed at all; he remains just as discouraged whether misfortune is there or not; he feels it and is frightened by it only when it is there. But the Christian or spiritual peace works just the opposite way, so that outwardly the misfortune remains. Enemies, sickness, poverty, sin, devil and death are there; they do not stop but completely encircle the believer. Yet he has peace within, strength and comfort in his heart. Therefore the heart pays no attention to misfortune, nay, is more spirited and joyful when it is there than when it is not there. That is why this peace is called peace that passes and exceeds reason and all the senses, for reason can comprehend no peace except a worldly and external one.” This is the peace of which Isaiah speaks when he prophesized, “But He (Christ) was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed fro our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed.
Now that would be enough – but we are given an even greater treasure, for not only are we given forgiveness of our sins – be we are given the power to forgive others, the power to share this peace amongst ourselves. And this is important because holding a grudge gives no peace – getting even does not give peace – but forgiveness does; it give perfect peace and a healing of the mind so that it no longer keeps a record of wrongs. And it does so because of the change that has been worked in us, whereby we are a new creation, we are forgiven, we are the children of God – and we want all to share with us in the grace of God which is ours in Christ. This is not always easy though because we are troubled and hindered by our sinful nature that seizes us with the tenacity of a pit bull.
Illustration: Every Sunday morning, the people of a church in the Pacific Northwest say, "Peace be with you." They begin the worship service with a hymn of praise. The people confess their sins together, and hear of God's forgiveness. Then they are invited to turn to others around them and share the peace. It has become an exuberant moment in an otherwise sober occasion. Friends leave their pews to embrace one another. Newcomers are warmly welcomed with a kind word or a hug.
Nobody thought much about the weekly ritual until the pastor received a letter from a man who had recently joined the congregation. The new member was a promising young lawyer from a prestigious downtown law firm. He drafted a brief but pointed letter on his firm's letterhead. "I am writing to complain about the congregational ritual known as 'passing the peace,'" he wrote. "I disagree with it, both personally and professionally, and I am prepared to take legal action to cause this practice to cease." When the pastor phoned to talk with the lawyer about the letter, he asked why the man was so disturbed. The lawyer said, "The passing of the peace is an invasion of my privacy."
Perhaps that story could only happen in the 1990s. These are strange times. I have no doubt that there are people who would take their church to court if too many people shook their hands, or if neighbors were too friendly, or if fellow pew sitters interrupted their private little religious moments. To that end, I think the pastor's response to the lawyer was right on target. He said, "Like it or not, when you joined the church you gave up some of your privacy, for we believe in a risen Lord who will never leave us alone." Through the cross our Lord Jesus restored our relationship to God. He has also restored our relationship to each other. This is expressed most beautifully in the Lord’s Supper. In it we share communion with God that He has given us in His own Sons blood; but we also share communion with each other as we drink from the same cup testifying to the community of believers in unity of faith and in unity of forgiveness that we share with each other.
The peace of the cross is also the power which sends us out into the world to bring not only forgiveness but the power to forgive as we have been forgiven. We go out into the world, that we might bring them the peace of God in Jesus Christ through the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. For this peace does not come about because of a vote, or a new law – but this peace comes through the Spirit for in Christ God has made us a new creation.
The peace that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen