Peace

Introduction

Opening Story/Illustration:

I don’t know about all of you, but one of my favorite things to do on Sunday Afternoons between Church services is go home, eat a good meal, and then take a nap. I like naps, but there’s something about a Sunday afternoon nap that just hits right. Last Sunday, being Easter, I ate a really good meal AND had an extended nap. There seems to be something almost sacred about that Sunday tradition of a good meal and a good nap following a good Church service.

This got me thinking - What is it that the disciples did on that first Easter Evening? After Jesus has been raised, what do they do?

Transition to Text: The Gospel of John gives us some insight into what went on with them. John’s Gospel is different from the other 3 Gospels. John really emphasizes the deity of Jesus. He really emphasizes signs and various witnesses to the fact that Jesus is exactly who he says he is - He is God in the flesh.

And So we get to the passage we are going to read tonight, and, in many ways it is the culmination of all that John has been saying since the beginning of His book.

Text: John 20:19-31

John 20:19–31 ESV

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.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.” 26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

Transition to Points: Let’s look at this passage tonight and see what God might be saying to us.

Points

The Disciples were gathered together

They have gathered together on the evening of the Resurrection.

There are experiencing a lot of crazy emotions.

According to John’s gospel, at least two of the 12 apostles had been to the tomb and found it empty. (John 20:1-18)

John 20:1–18 ESV

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

On a side note - notice John’s description of himself - “The Other disciple, the one whom Jesus Loved” (John 20:2) “He outran Peter and reached the tomb first” (He says this twice - John 20:4, 8)

Notice John 20:8 - “He saw and believed.”

Mary was the one who discovered the empty tomb and calls Peter and John’s attention to it. She waits at the tomb after they all go home. There She encounters Jesus Himself.

Again, notice the use of John’s words - She “Saw the Jesus” (John 20:14) and she goes back and tells the disciples “I have seen the Lord.” (John 20:18)

So here they sit, in this locked room, on Easter Sunday evening trying to figure all this out.

Did someone take him?

Is he really risen?

Did Mary just see a ghost?

What’s going to happen to us moving forward?

If we are too vocal about this, will we get ourselves in trouble? Will they crucify us too?

There’s probably a lot of discussion and a lot of tension - Some believe and some still have questions.

If we add Luke’s account to the mix, then the men who Jesus revealed himself to on the Road to Emmaus are also in the room. So they are in this locked room trying to figure out what’s going and we have between 3 and 5 people - Maybe more - people who claim to have seen the risen Jesus.

We are gathered together

We gather together tonight, A week after easter - But for the Christian, every Sunday is a “little easter” As one author points out:

Sunday, to the Christian mind, is a “little Easter.” It is the collective memory of the moment when the tomb opened, empty of the death it promised, and new life began. It is the moment when the Christian community remembers together again that death does not triumph, that evil cannot prevail, that the death of the spirit is not final, and that Jesus lives yet—in us. We know that we are called to be a new people. We are the people of the new beginning.

Chittister, Joan. The Liturgical Year (Ancient Practices) (Kindle Locations 550-553). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

And we gather together tonight much like the first disciples.

We come with varying degrees of belief and doubt

We come with questions and uncertainties.

We come into the room with some of us testifying that we have seen the work of the Resurrected Jesus in our lives.

Some of us have experienced God’s healing power in our bodies.

Some of us have experienced his provision in powerful, tangible ways.

Others of us question and wrestle with why we haven’t seen the resurrected Christ the way that others have.

Some of us are in seasons of loss

Some of us are uncertain

Some of us are broken and empty

Some of us have questions and doubts

Jesus shows up in their midst

In that room, on the First Easter Sunday Evening, Jesus shows up.

It is a miraculous display.

The doors are locked

Jesus is supposed to be dead

They are afraid of the Jews - and possibly freaked out because a man who was supposed to be dead just appeared in a room that was supposed to be locked.

Their fear turns to rejoicing and gladness because they have seen the resurrected Lord. (Notice again John’s use of “saw the Lord.”)

What does Jesus do when he shows up in their midst?

Jesus gives them Peace

Jesus’ first words to his disciples was not one of discipline or warning

He did not lash into them over their abandonment at the cross

He does not say “I told you so!” Or “Why can’t you get it together?!”

Instead - He simply greets them saying “Peace to you”

John Loves to use repetitive words, ideas and phrases throughout his gospel.

“Peace” however, is a word John uses sparingly.

It’s only mentioned 6 times in His gospel and 3 of them are in the passage we read tonight.

This would have been a traditional Jewish greeting - But when Jesus says it, it means so much more!

As One Commentator states: Never had that “common word” been so filled with meaning as when Jesus uttered it on Easter evening. All that the prophets had poured into shalom as the epitome of the blessings of the kingdom of God had essentially been realized in the redemptive deeds of the incarnate Son of God, “lifted up” for the salvation of the world. His “Shalom!” on Easter evening is the complement of “It is finished” on the cross, for the peace of reconciliation and life from God is now imparted. “Shalom!” accordingly is supremely the Easter greeting. Not surprisingly it is included, along with “grace,” in the greeting of every epistle of Paul in the NT.

In other words, because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection - Real Peace is now available

To this group of uncertain, confused, and scared disciples Jesus says “Peace”

Jesus breathes on them and says “Receive the Holy Spirit”

This is different from what happens in Acts 2

Many believe this is the moment that they are “born again”

When someone is saved, the Bible Is Clear - They receive the Holy Spirit and He comes to dwell in them

However, There is a second work that the spirit will do in Acts 2 (there are many works of the Spirit)

In Acts 2 they will be baptized or immersed in the Spirit

This will move beyond a born again experience and will empower them for ministry

So, what happens her in John 20 is the Spirit is now given in a way that regenerates or makes a person born again.

New Life is breathed into those who are dead. They come alive to and in Christ!

Jesus sends them

John paints a clear link here between the Holy Spirit and the commission.

Jesus is sending them into the world to continue his work and ministry.

They are sent into the world to be Christ’s ambassadors

This is not limited to church planting and missions work

They were to imitate Christ in every area of their lives.

Jesus’ mission was now their mission.

Jesus’ way of life was not to be their way of life

This is John’s version of the great commission.

Jesus helps them wrestle through their doubt and uncertainty

Thomas here is not with the other disciples on easter evening.

They come to him and tell him about this miraculous event - and He doesn’t believe them!

He wants to “see” just as they have “seen”

Thomas gets a bad reputation - Because he doubts. But put yourself in his shoes. The truth is, we would probably have doubts and questions as well. Let’s say a group of your friends claimed to see a dead man. What would you think?

I also think doubt plays an important role in our faith. If you’ve never doubted, I question your faith. If your faith has never been tested, been through an uncertain moment, questioned and wrestled with somethings - I wonder how strong your faith really is.

Thomas here makes a claim - I won’t believe unless I see and I can place my finger in his wounds.

Jesus shows up in the room one week later

Again the doors are locked

Jesus’ word to Thomas isn’t one of anger or disappointment

It is the same words he gives to the other disciples who had seen him a week earlier - “Peace”

Jesus meets him right where he is.

He shows up in the room and speaks directly to Thomas and his doubts.

Thomas’ response is the culmination of John’s Gospel. All throughout John has been pointing, showing us who Jesus is. Thomas sees Jesus and then proclaims “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus says something powerful - “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

All this “seeing”

The disciples “saw him”

Mary “Saw him”

Throughout John’s Gospel - From beginning to end we are invited to “see”

In John 1 when Jesus calls Phillip, Phillip goes back to Nathaniel and wants to bring him along. Nathaniel’s response - “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Phillip Response - “come and see”

John 1:35–42 ESV

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

In John 3 Nicodemus is told that he cannot “see” the kingdom of God unless he is born again.

John 3:1–3 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

In John 4 the woman at the well has an encounter with Jesus and then goes to the town and says “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.”

John 4:27–29 ESV

27 Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” 28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

This wording and imagery about “seeing” all throughout the gospel is rich - Jesus gets into conflict with the Pharisees after healing a blind born man and sums it up this way:

John 9:39 ESV

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

And we get to this final few pages of John and Jesus says “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus is still showing up on Sunday Nights in locked rooms to locked hearts - to those who are uncertain, who question, who have pain, who have brokenness, who have experienced loss. To those who struggle to see.

He comes to offer peace

Maybe you’re in this room and your life is full of turmoil and strife.

Perhaps you life feels upside down

To you he offers peace!

Illustration: I’m coming to wonder if this might not be one of the most important traits we can posses in the hour in which we live - Peace. The world is being shaken. The economy is being shaken. The Nations are in turmoil -

And I think that Jesus has given us peace for moments such a this So that People will see our lives and wonder how in the world we are holding it together.

If you’ve read the headlines - Mental illness, depression, and anxiety are on the rise. This is something, that even as Christians we deal with. But we have a promise that even in the midst of times such as these we can have peace that passes understanding.

He comes to give us His Spirit

He gives peace, but that peace comes because of His presence

Because His spirit is with us

Illustration: A few nights ago my little girl comes into my room in the middle of the night. She had just been woken up from some sort of nightmare. She wanted to stay with me.

When we face the nightmares of life, it is his presence which gives us the peace and the power needed to move forward!

He comes to send us out

He has a purpose and a mission for us!

There is a world which is broken and needs to experience the healing presence of Jesus - As he was sent, he is sending us!

This is why we support missionaries around the world - We are continuing the mission of Jesus to bring hope, peace, and healing to the entire world.

This is why we love and share our faith with our neighbors, co-workers, and family

This is why we live our lives to point people to Jesus!

He comes to help us wrestle with our doubt and uncertainty

There are many in this room who struggle with doubt, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and loss.

Jesus’ words to us - Blessed are you who have not seen..but believe

You’re blessed when you don’t get it

You’re blessed when you don’t understand it

You’re blessed when you don’t have all the answers

And yet you trust

In the words of an old song - “When you don’t understand, when you can’t see his plan, When you trace his hand, trust his heart.”

We live in tension - In a world not fully made right. But we live with the confident hope that one day all will be made right.

Peter, who would have been in the room when Jesus spoke these words to Thomas, puts it this way: 1 Peter 1:8-9

1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The Author of Hebrews, in the great hall of Faith Chapter puts it like this:

Hebrews 11:32–39 ESV

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

In other words - All of these people living by faith - And some of them did not get what was promised. Some of them did not see the promise fulfilled.

What does it say about these people? “The world was not worthy of them”

Why? “Blessed are those who haven’t seen and yet have believed.”

Conclusion

Restate or Reveal Main Idea:Jesus is still showing up on Sunday Nights in locked rooms, to locked hearts to give peace, empower by his Spirit, to send out, and help us wrestle with doubt. Blessed are you when you haven’t seen, and yet you trust.

So what?

I don’t know what you face this week. But I want to remind you that Jesus is in this room. He wants to bring you peace. He wants to remind you that he is with you. He wants to empower you for his work this week.

Now What?

Can we find a place and pray tonight. Maybe you’re facing a situation and you don’t have the answer - Blessed are those who haven’t seen and yet believe!

Prayer