Jesus in the Midst
Jesus in the Midst
4/13/2007
John 20:19-23 “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, 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 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (NKJV)
Jesus Had Conquered Death, And By The Mighty Power Of God He Had Been Resurrected From The Grave.
1. The disciples were gathered in a house behind locked doors.
2. Jesus walked through the doors and stood in their midst.
3. This is the first church building where the resurrected Lord was in the midst of His people.
When you think about it this is the essence of our Christian faith: “Jesus in the midst.”
When you study it this Is A Major Theme Of The Bible:
Jesus is God, and is eternal, and always has been. He is in the midst of all that God is.
At creation, when there was not much more than “mist”, Jesus was in the midst of it all.
In Exodus 8:22 …I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
In Deuteronomy, He was in the midst of the camp to deliver Israel
Deut. 23:14 For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you”
Jeremiah exclaimed, in…Jeremiah 14:9 “…Yet You, O Lord, are in our midst,.
Daniel reported Jesus was in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (3:25)
As a babe, Jesus was in the midst of the shepherds and the wise men
As a boy, He was in the midst of the doctors of theology in the temple
As God the Holy Spirit, Jesus is in the midst of His people Matt. 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
At Calvary, Jesus was in the midst of sinners. John 19:18 …they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
As a Lamb in Revelation, Jesus is in the midst of the throne of God
As our resurrected Lord, Jesus is in the midst of the churches
And on the evening of the first Easter Sunday, Jesus "stood in the midst" of His disciples (John 20:26)
Why is this theme repeated?
Because this is the key to the Christian life!
• This is the key to a great life
• This is the key to the fellowship of the church
• This is the key to our witnessing
Thus, As We Assemble here to Worship, Our Deepest Desire Is That Jesus Will Be In Our Midst!
As a matter of fact, you have Jesus in the midst of your life. Unfortunately there are some people who seemingly have no room for Christ in their life. There are others who have some room for Christ but Jesus wants to share every room, every part of our life.
The word “midst” = comes from the word “middle”.
It might be compared to the hub of a wheel with spokes…
Ill.—We all have different “compartments” that make up our lives—work, school, hobbies, family, etc. Many today make the mistake of making Jesus just another compartment…another spoke in the wheel. But He should be the very HUB of our lives, connecting with every spoke, every compartment. Jesus should be the foundation of every one of these spokes. He should be in the midst of our work life, in the midst of our hobbies, in the midst of our family, our ministry, etc.
No Christian can be spiritual, powerful, and growing unless Jesus is in the midst of all of their life.
I. JESUS IN THE MIDST WILL MAKE US PEACEFUL
V. 19b Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Isaiah promised in 26:3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in you.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Philip. 4:7 “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Have you ever considered what a blessing it is when occasionally our problems pile up so high we can’t possibly solve them? Now don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying we are to be delighted about the many troubles that cross our pathways. I am saying we should be glad that they are more than we can handle. Why? Because when we finally realize we can’t carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, we have taken the first step in overcoming worry and bringing peace into our hearts.
Most of us assume far more responsibility for the future than God ever intended. We are like the fellow who was talking with an acquaintance one day about the hectic nature of the business world. The conversation went something like this: "John, you look worried." "Man," said John, "I’ve got so many troubles that if anything else bad happens today, it will be at least two weeks before I can get around to worrying about it."
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Why not? Because Jesus is in the midst!
II. JESUS IN THE MIDST WILL MAKE US JOYFUL
v. 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus Used The Phrase, "Be Of Good Cheer," Several Times.
A. He spoke of forgiveness for our past: Matthew 9:2 …Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
B. He spoke of companionship for our present: Matthew 14:27 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
C. He spoke of victory for our future: John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The sin of the past is blotted out for the Christian.
The continual fellowship of Christ is offered for the present.
And the future will reveal Christ as the Conqueror of the world.
This is possible because Jesus is in the midst of the believer’s life, bringing joy!
III. JESUS IN THE MIDST WILL MAKE US USEFUL
v. 21 “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
We are to be:
A. A mouth to speak for Jesus
B. Feet to carry the Gospel for Jesus
C. Hands to do the work of Jesus
D. A heart to love Jesus
The prophet said it this way: Isaiah 6:8 I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
Isaiah was volunteering. And that’s the ideal. His heart was filled with a desire to serve God because Jesus was in filling it with that desire.
Jesus In The Midst will make us useful.
IV. JESUS IN THE MIDST EMPOWERS US
v. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit
It was the breath-like wind of the Holy Spirit, manifested as fire that empowered the disciples at Pentecost with new zeal and capacity.
It is easy to look at the physical circumstances and feel discouraged. How wonderful that God doesn’t send us to do something that can’t be done, for there’s nothing that He can’t do thru us!
There’s nothing I cannot do, if Jesus is in the midst. There’s nowhere I won’t go, if Jesus is in the midst. There’s no limit to what God can do in this church, if Jesus is in the midst.
There’s no peace I cannot find…because Jesus in the midst to share His Peace! No joy eludes me, because Jesus in the midst to share His Joy! No work in the church should ever go undone, for Jesus in the midst to help make us useful!
Jesus is in our midst Empower US with all we need to glorify our Loving God!