Happily After Easter: Peace Be with You!

Prayer/Scripture/Video

Prayer: Would you pray with me as we prepare our hearts to encounter God in the written word this morning?

If you have your Bibles please turn to John chapter 20:vs 19. Say Amen when you get there!

Read John 20:19-23 .

We are now going to watch a short video from the Bible Project on Peace.

Introduction: Hook, Me, We, You, God

Hook: : Do you have peace? (Pause, then, Repeat)

Peace that is not a feeling or absence of conflict. Even now there is war going on in Ukraine. So what is peace? Wholeness. Completeness. All the cracks filled in.

Me: I know that If someone drew a picture of my life over the past 6 months, it would be a complete mess.

There has been conflict, There has been brokenness, Pieces everywhere (We still dont know where everything is!)

Yet, We have been so blessed, we have a new house, amazing families, and wonderful opportuniites.

We: So if peace, is wholeness and completeness and things are made right, we must ask

You: B. Do you have peace this morning?

Yes, we are blessed and most us are content, do we have complete peace?

Ask yourself?

is there any conflict in your life right now?

Do you have something causing brokenness?

is there something with your health that worries you?

Is there brokenness in a relationship in your life?

Maybe you are struggling as we go into planting season with rising inflation.

Maybe there is something that keeps you up at night, breaking down not only your sleep but you peace!

If any of these things apply to you or someone you love, I have good news for you!

First, You have come to the right place, because Jesus is our source of peace, and when We find Jesus we find Peace, Amen?

Transition: Second piece of Godd News is, Youre not the only one! In fact, The disciples didnt have peace if we look at the opening lines they were afraid!

Walking Through the Text:

Lets set the scene here.

It is Early Morning, The disciples are missing the one thing that they have put their trust, hope, and lives in.

The one thing that made them unified and whole is gone: Jesus. The religious authorities and the powers of Rome killed him.

if there is one thing the disciples dont have its peace.

Then who shows up church at the end of verse 19? Jesus!

What is the first thing that Jesus says to the disciples?

He doesnt say hey guys, hows it going? or does He?

The phrase Peace be with you is actually a traditional Jewish Greeting! Shaloam.

Story of MJAA conference at Messiah- Shabat Shaloam.

Jesus then shows them his hands and side to prove that it is in-fact him.

The disciples are overjoyed. Jesus fufills what he said would happen in Chapters 14-16

That he would go away and then return

That they would have sorrow for a little while but then have Joy!

The disciples are made whole once again, the gang is back together, the missing piece has returned!

Yet, What Jesus says next, is more than just a greeting or proof that he is Jesus., these words are so important. I want to highlight three things I want to highlight in the Text for us this morning:

The Power of Jesus’ Peace

The Ministry of Peace

The Message of Peace

First the Power of Jesus’ Peace:

Look at verse 21, What does Jesus say?

Peace be with you.

Jesus says this again! The first two things that Jesus says to the disciples is Peace be with you!

Transition: Ironically, because Jesus has arrived Peace is with them!

Jesus is their, peace.

What does it mean that Jesus is our Peace?

Well, We know that there is sin in the world, war, murder, social and political unrest.

We know that all of this causes seperation, from each other, people groups, but most importantly God.

Romans 5:1. Tells us that Jesus brought peace with God through his death on the Cross.

Eph 2, Tells us that he has brought peace between us and others, that he destroyes the dividing wall of hostility. (Jews and Gentiles of the Time)

Jesus brings peace to otherwise divided people groups Amen?

Application: The Question of Jesus’ peace that we have to ask is have we experienced this peace?

Do we have peace with God?

For me: its been a Journey, started with Maine, but its a daily walk to make peace with God, because I quite frankly mess it up!

Do we have peace with others?

Do we have conflict with a brother or sister right now?

Jesus can bring peace to that relationship!

Example of Person who wouldnt talk/look at me.

Transition: Lets look at the next thing Jesus says to the disciples he says in verse 21, As the father has sent me, so I am sending you!

We have just seen how Jesus was God’s agent of Peace and now He is sending out the disciples to be agents of God’s peace too!

Ministry of Peace

Imagine you are the disciples and hear these words, I am going to send you to do what the Father sent me to do?

How would you feel you were appointed to solve the worlds problems like Jesus?

It would like being promoted to the head of a massive company your first day on the job.

Yet, this isnt the only place that the Bible says, we are called to ministry.

Look at 2 Cor 5:18. (Slide) We are called to the ministry of peace making

Thats why Jesus says, blessed are the peace-makers- He is expecting his followers

But how can a group of scared, uneducated fishermen bring peace when the religous leaders are out to kill them and the Jews have literally been conquered by the Romans?

Seems like an impossible task right?

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT JESUS?

YOU TRIED THAT AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT YOU?

BUT! look at what Jesus says next.

Empowered by the Spirit to Bring Peace!

Jesus breathes as if to answer all of those questions. “Recieve the Holy Spirit”.

The Gospel of John, Volume 2 The Commission of Christ (John 20:19–23)

Jesus breathed on his disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. There is no doubt that, when John spoke in this way, he was thinking back to the old story of the creation. There the writer says: ‘Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being’ (Genesis 2:7). This was the same picture as Ezekiel saw in the valley of dead, dry bones, when he heard God say to the wind: ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live’ (Ezekiel 37:9). The coming of the Holy Spirit is like the wakening of life from the dead. When he comes upon the Church, it is re-created for its task.

It’s the Holy Spirit that enables us to do this ministry of making Peace, of Being-like Jesus for others.

Application: Church, if I told you its our Job as a group of 20 something Jesus followers to bring peace to our community, do you think this is something we could accomplish on our own?

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THE SAME SPIRIT THAT BROUGHT JESUS BACK FROM THE DEAD, THE SAME SPIRIT THAT GAVE YOU AND ME BREATH. GOD’S VERY SPIRIT, THAT HAS SILENCED THE GRAVE.

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT SPIRIT WAS ON OUR SIDE?

Do you think we could bring peace to our community if we truly believed that God’s spirit will help us.

Thats the truth. ITS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH THE SPIRIT!

This past week I was appointed to the newville borough council and I truly believe God has me there to serve the community in a new way, but without the Spirit Church I cannot accomplish anything!

We need to seek the Spirit’s direction and empowerment if we want to make peace in our community!

The final thing that Jesus says, in verse 23 is if you forgive anyones sins there sins are forgiven but if you do not forgive them they are not forgiven. Ill be honest, this was a real head scratcher for me? but if we dig a little deeper we see that Jesus is talking about the message of forgiveness!

The Message of Peace:

Jesus said to the disciples: ‘If you remit the sins of anyone, they are remitted; if you retain them, they are retained.’ This is a saying whose true meaning we must be careful to understand. One thing is certain—no one can forgive anyone else’s sins.

But another thing is equally certain—it is the great privilege of the Church to convey the message of God’s forgiveness to men and women

This sentence does not mean that the power to forgive sins was ever entrusted to any individual or group; it means that the power to proclaim the message of forgiveness.

What this means Church is we have a responsibility when it comes to forgiveness of sins

Simply put the people that we share the message of God’s love, peace, and forgiveness have the opportunity to experience salvation and the peace of God.

On the other hand, those whom the church does not share this message with has the potential to remain in sin.

N.T. Wright reminds us: sin is a serious, deadly disease, and that to remain in it will bring death.

2 Cor 19 adds to the ministry of reconciliation by saying (Slide) We are also commited to the message of reconciliation!

Church our challenge, no our mission is to share that Message with everyone so that everyone can have forgiveness and peace. That is what it means for the church to have the power to forgive sins or not forgive sins.

For me this is a personal challenge: It means that if I am not willing to share this message with everyone, it means Im willing to accept God’s forgiveness and peace for myself, but I am not willing to share it with others.

Conclusion and Challenge:

Today We have unpacked a ton about Peace! and I want to challenge us to grow in every area that Jesus addresses in this passage!

Christ’s Powerful Peace

Have you experienced the enduring peace of Christ in your life?

What areas of your life are lacking Christ’s presence and Peace

How can you invite God to work in those areas?

Challenge: Do some serious soul searching to identify one area of your life that is in deep need of Christ’s powerful peace and ask God to work!

The Ministry of Peace

Are you taking active Steps to Being a Minister of Peace or a Peace- Maker?

How are you actively bringing shalom to you family, your work, this church and our community?

if you dont know where to begin, Id encourage you to seek the Spirit’s Guidance and Power!

This is the next step for LT as we consider where God’s leading us next!

Challenge: In your family, work, or friends this week do something to actively bring peace to a broken situation or relationship!

The Message of Peace:

Who has God placed in your life that you can share God’s message of Peace with?

Who are you reluctant to share that message with?

Challenge: Share the message of peace with someone this week!

Would you pray with me?

Benediction: