"Close Encounters of the Risen Kind"

"Close Encounters of the Risen Kind"

John 20:19-23

Textual Idea – Jesus’ appearance to the disciples after His death, burial & resurrection moved them from fearful dread to joy & gladness.

Sermon Idea – People need an encounter with the risen Savior!

Interrogative – What happens when we have a close personal encounter with the risen Savior?

Transition w/ key word – Our text reveals 4 realities that flow out of a close personal encounter with the risen Lord!

1. The reality of His presence - vs. 19a

2. The reality of His peace - vs. 19b & 21a

3. The reality of His promise - vs. 21b

4. The reality of His power - vs. 22-23

Introduction – Welcome to Easter Sunday, resurrection Sunday 2021! Last year’s Easter Sunday was a big disappointment doing a virtual “Easter Service.” Ugh! Those 6 weeks of “virtual church” were the longest 6 weeks of my life. But God has been good to us hasn’t He? I’m excited to share with you the message today from John 20:19-23 (pg. 1066 pew Bible). While you’re turning in your Bibles, I was 5 years old on July 20, 1969 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon for the first time. Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins were the astronauts on that mission. I watched this event live, on a very small, maybe a 12," B&W TV with a rabbit ears antenna in my aunts living room. I heard Neil Armstrong utter those famous words as he stepped onto the moon’s surface; “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Slide of Aldrin on Moon?) Humans have long been fascinated with space exploration and many things “extra-terrestial” - things outside the earth’s atmosphere. Star-trek, Star Wars and other space movies were blockbuster hit movies. Last summer, on July 30 2020, NASA launched a Mars Rover that after 7 months of space travel, landed on Mars on February 18, 2021, 52 years after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon! Think of that! 7 months! It didn’t catch much press because of the pandemic, but I think that’s amazing! In 1977, a movie (I never saw) came out called “Close encounters of the 3rd kind” came out. Science fictions fans say a close encounter of the 1st kind is seeing a UFO, a close encounter of the 2nd kind is physical evidence of a UFO or alien, and of the 3rd kind is actual contact with an alien! All of this is to see if there is life out there somewhere! While I don’t know if there is life in outer space, we’re here today, celebrating Easter, Resurrection Sunday because of a “Close encounter of the Risen Kind!” Transition w/ key word – Our text reveals 4 realities that flow out of a close personal encounter with the risen Lord! Read Text.

1. The reality of His presence - vs. 19a

Explanation - Vs. 19 begins “Then the same day at evening” - this timeline from the Apostle John is a direct reference and continuation from Luke’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples who were traveling the road to Emmaus 7 miles from Jerusalem in Luke 24:13-35. Luke records Jesus coming alongside them & asked them in 24:17 “What kind of conversation is that you have with one another’s you walk and are sad?” The humor in vs. 18 & 19 is awesome. The disciples were like, did you just get off the boat? Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what’s happened in these days?” So Jesus says “What things?” Of course He knows, He was the center of attention in all of it! So Jesus continues on with them, opened the Scriptures and taught them from Moses through the Prophets how the Scriptures showed all about who He really is! We get interesting info in Luke 24:28-35. The arrived at the place they were going to stay but Jesus was going to go further but “they constrained Him saying ‘abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” So Jesus goes in, sits down to eat, blessed the bread and broke it. It was in that moment they recognized Jesus & He vanished from their sight! So they got up, make the 7 mile return trip back to Jerusalem to find the rest of the disciples to tell them the good news. They made a 14 mile round trip b/c Jesus was alive! This is where we pick up the story in John 20:19

Notice the fear of the disciples: the doors were shut (and locked); they were assembled for fear of the Jews, they thought they were going to be arrested and killed too! The reality was they had seen Jesus die! They heard cry out “It is finished” as John records in 19:30, they heard Him say “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit” Luke 23:46, they saw Him take His last breath. They saw the soldier pierce His side as John recorded in 19:34 and saw the fluid & blood from the pericardium sack around the heart, the sack that medical science knows fills with fluid when the body is subjected to the kind of stress Jesus endured - how the blood and water come out! They had observed where His body was laid in the garden tomb by Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus John 19:38-42. the reality was Jesus was dead, graveyard dead! The disciples who conversed with Jesus on the road in Luke 24 said it well when they said “But we were hoping that it was He who would redeem Israel…” (vs.21). All their hopes, dreams and plans died when Jesus died! They were paralyzed by fear! But wait! Notice the reality of this close encounter of the risen kind! Jesus:

He came - the real person Jesus came into their gathering. Locked doors and closed off room was no problem for Him!

He stood - He stood in the middle of their group! Exactly where Jesus needs to be in the center of our gathering.

He said - This wasn’t a figment of their imagination. He wasn’t some sort of ghost. The heard Him speak, that voice they’d been listening to over the last 3 years or so as He taught them about the Kingdom of God! Finally:

He showed - He showed them His hands and side! The scars were the verifiable proof this person was in fact the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! It wasn’t a vision, it wasn’t a dream, a hologram. Yet His glorified body wasn’t subject to normal limitations of time and space! Down in vs. 27, 8 days later when Thomas was with them (he was absent in our text), Jesus said come here Thomas, put your finger in my hands and side - feel my scars! Interesting Luke’s account in 24:38-39 (Slide) Jesus said “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” I love John’s record of their response 20b: “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord!” The word “glad” in vs. 20 is synonymous with euphoric joy! Fear turned to joyous faith in a hurry because of the reality of His presence! Notice the second reality:

The reality of His peace - vs. 19b & 21a

Explanation - Jesus’ calm voice brought them the customary greeting of the Jewish people - Peace. The NT Greek word is the counterpart to the OT Hebrew word shalom. The word is an expression rich in meaning. For the Jewish culture this was an expression of blessing, that the person being greeted with peace was at rest and harmony in all their relationships both with men & with God, a wish for there to be no stress or turmoil in their lives, their general welfare was good and they were safe and secure. Jesus greeted them with this word twice!

Sometimes we lose track of the timeline of events reading through Scripture. Everything in Johns Gospel, from John 13 to the end of the book in chapter 21 happened in the span of just a few days! Jesus was teaching His disciples beginning in John 13 at the last supper, the Passover meal about His death, burial and resurrection. He explained in John 14 He was going to go and prepare a place for them in Heaven so that where He was they could be also. He taught them He would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter to come alongside them. Of course this made no sense to the disciples at the time and of course now in the midst of their fear & overwhelming grief; they were confused about what was happening. Yet Jesus said “Peace be with you.” In other words don’t be in turmoil, rest in the reality of my risen presence! Maybe when they heard his voice saying, “Peace to you” they had an instant flashback to this very room where they had observed the Passover meal the night Jesus was betrayed; when Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, niter let it be afraid.”

The world offers temporary peace that comes and goes at the whims of those around us or in power. Peace for the moment and then turmoil & gut wrenching drama. You sure won’t find peace watching the news! Maybe the disciples had a flashback to the night they were headed across the Sea of Galilee and Jesus fell asleep in the bottom of the boat and a raging storm came upon them to where they were afraid they were all going to die; they woke Jesus up and they could still hear His voice as He rebuked the wind and the waves and said “Peace, be still!” Instantly there was peace and the raging storm was calm and that night time trek across the water was like skating on glass. The reality of His presence brought the reality of His peace! Repeat! I don’t know what kind of storm & trauma is going on in your life today but Jesus Christ brings peace to our weary and worn out souls!

I’ve got good news for you today! The reality of Jesus Christ’s literal resurrection from the grave is God’s means to bring peace between sinful man and a holy and righteous God! When you put your faith & trust in the Risen Savior Jesus Christ, you are no longer an enemy of God but in a personal peaceful love relationship with Him! Then your life belongs to Christ, you become His responsibility and Your Heavenly Father doesn’t want you to be anxious & full of fear and worry. He wants to give you “mind blowing peace” - the peace that passes all understanding. (Phil. 4:6-7). The reality of His presence produces the reality of His peace, but notice…

3. The reality of His promise - vs. 21b

Explanation - Notice the profound promise Jesus made to His disciples on this side of the grave. “As the Father sent me, I also send you!” God’s redemptive plan to send Jesus Christ into the world as a miracle born baby born of a virgin, that He would live a sinless life, meet all the legal requirements of the OT law and also satisfy the wrath of God by His sacrificial and atoning death on the old rugged cross was not a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of event. It was planned before time began in eternity past! It was prophesied by God in Gen.3:15 when Adam and Eve plunged the human race into sin; and it was promised by the OT prophets the Messiah, the Anointed & Chosen Son of God Jesus Christ Himself would carry out to completion to where when Jesus cried out “it is finished”; God’s redemptive plan was done!

The reality Jesus’ promise to them involved both a purpose and a plan! Jesus’ purpose was to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). It also involves a plan as Jesus commissioned His disciples and every believer since to make disciples of all nations as we go.That we are to be His witnesses according to Acts 1:8. There’s no plan “B”!

Well how did the Father sent Jesus?

He sent him as the light of the world to shine in darkness so Jesus sends us to be salt and light in a dark world where we let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and the people around us will bring glory to our Father in heaven.We’re to be salt as a preservative in a decaying world by standing for what’s right and wrong in such a way we make people hungry and thirsty to know Jesus Christ! God sent Jesus as the bread of life according to John 6:35 who feed us spiritual food by teaching us the very Word of God. We have the spiritual food needed to feed a world hungry to know that God loves them and has a plan for their life. A world hungry to know someone cares.He sent Jesus to be the vine to connect us to Almighty God! We’re the branches and as we stay connected to Him, we’ll bear much fruit and prove we are His disciples; again bringing glory to our heavenly Father!He sent Jesus into a hurting world as God in the flesh who was moved with compassion as He saw people weary and scattered as sheep having no shepherd. We have the privilege of being the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world by introducing them to the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. He sent Jesus Christ into the world to forgive sinners and as we go as His ambassadors; we have the privilege of introducing the people around us to the one person who has dealt with the human sin problem!

All because of the reality of His promise! As the Father has sent Me, so send I you! Are you living your life with purpose? Are you living out the Risen Savior’s plan for your life by being a witness for Christ and an ambassador for Him? So in our close encounter of the risen kind, we have the reality of His presence, the reality of His peace, the reality of His promise, but finally:

4. The reality of His power - vs. 22

Explanation - God the Father didn’t send Jesus into the world ill-equipped, ill-prepared, or without the resources of heaven to fulfill His mission! Jesus just said “as the Father sent me, so send I you!” A big part of Jesus’ sending us into the world is with the reality of His power! Resurrection power!

Jesus “breathed on them & said “receive the Holy Spirit”. This was a symbolic picture of the HS coming upon them 50 days later on the day of Pentecost. We don’t have time to delve into all the “ins and outs” of this action on Jesus part; suffice it to say it had profound impact on them, especially timid Peter who denied Jesus 3 times and preached so boldly on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. I do want to point out that just a few days earlier, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-18 - “Allos Paralaklatos” - Another Helper, Comforter. Literally another of the same kind. The same kind as Jesus! The Holy Spirit - God the Spirit indwells every believer! “I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.” This is the reality of His Power. His own Spirit living inside us.

Applications - These 4 realities challenge us…

Do you have the reality of the Lord’s presence in your life? Maybe it’s because you know all about Him but you don’t have a personal faith relationship with Him where you repented of your sins and asked Him to forgive you and cleanse. You came to God on your terms, not His! Share the ABC’s.

Will you rest in the reality of His peace today, this month, this year? This broken and fallen world is literally coming apart at the seams. Makes the need of salvation I spoke of earlier so much more urgent. God’s invitation to you today, resurrection Sunday 2021 is that He’s in control! The Romans thought they were in control, the religious leaders thought they were in control. They were so “in control” they had Jesus in a grave! Then came Sunday! The peace that passes understanding is to rest in His peace that’s He is in complete control of the universe. Whoever is in the White House, the Republicans & Democrats are not in control. Rest in the reality of resurrection peace. God’s peace.

In a world full of distractions, don’t forget as a believers we are to be living a “sent life”! We are to be on mission, in the reality of His promise we’ll be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Far too many Christians, myself included have allowed the pandemic and the rigors of daily life keep of from living on mission and being an intentional witness for Jesus Christ. Be salt & light, share live giving spiritual food. Everyday is a rich opportunity to shine brightly for the Risen Savior in a very, very dark world.

Live each day in the reality of His resurrection power! God didn’t send Jesus into the world powerless; and God is not expecting you to be the power source. Acts 1:8 the last thing Jesus said before His ascension was that the Disciples would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and would be His witnesses.

Having a “close encounter of the risen kind”; the resurrection reminds us that God is able to fix anything! Jesus’ body was broken, His life transforming blood drained into the dusty sand of Jerusalem; and yet here He came, He stood, He said & He showed them God can fix anything! If God can fix death, He can fix what’s broken in your life. His call to you today is like that to Thomas down in vs. 27; “reach your finger here, look at my hands reach your hand here and put it into my side; do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Sure there are scars, but those scars made Jesus recognizable and they were glad when they saw the Lord. What’s broken in your life? Marriage? Child, grandchild? your career? Your soul?

Close – Scar's of life

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother, in the house, was looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer to one another. She ran from the house yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.

That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two.

The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the

vicious attack of the animal. On his arms were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic. But the scars of a painful and sinful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.

But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins, and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not let you go. (Author unknown).

His scars forever prove His love for you & that your sin was forever paid!