Second Sunday of Easter Rev Mark Duer
John 20:19–23/ “Peace be With You” April 7, 2024
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.”
Jesus Christ gives us the true peace which surpasses all understanding! We see Him in our text, risen from His grave that first Easter Day, with the marks of death still visible in His hands and side. He says to His fearful disciples: “Peace be with you.”
And as He said, so it was. Jesus gave them peace then and there that day. Then He sent them forth to breathe out the Spirit’s breath upon the Church in the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins that He earned upon the cross.
We began this Easter season pondering the pure and holy Lamb of God, the victim of our sin. Today we see Jesus the risen victor over death and hell. He is our Lord and Savior who gives us true peace.
Today it is as He said that first Easter evening, “Peace be with you.” The kind of peace that surpasses human understanding, the peace that is with you through the stresses and storms of life.
The peace that will see you through the valley of the shadow of death and will usher you into heaven’s bright courts, where you, too, shall stand in glorious risen flesh before the Father’s throne. The Lamb of God gives you peace indeed—a lasting peace.
For the 50 days of the Easter season the paschal candle—the emblem of the risen Christ—will stand near the baptismal font. He lives forever at the right hand of the Father and reigns to all eternity as the head over all things for His Church.
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ shall come again. The very same Lord who was put to death for our offenses has been raised for our justification and will come again in glory to claim His Bride, the Church.
Although we haven't seen Him, yet we love Him; and though we do not see Him now with our eyes, yet we believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. For in the Words of Christ’s Gospel and in His holy Sacraments we are continually receiving his gifts, namely, the salvation of our souls.
Throughout the Easter season we celebrate with undiminished joy, which is a good thing, because God knows there is so much to rob us of our joy these days.
Fear and uncertainty grip the nations of the earth, We hear of wars and rumors of wars around the globe. Illness and hardship, distress of body, mind, and soul—all these things rob us of inner peace and joy.
“Fightings without and fears within” is a good description of our predicament at any given time here in this world, perhaps especially right now.
It was on the evening of the first day of the week, that Jesus came and stood among His disciples with His astounding blessing. The doors were locked out of fear, Jesus entered anyway to speak His words of comfort, life and hope. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
Verse 20: And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. And they saw in His living flesh—The wounds of death.
The wounds where the nails pierced, and the wound where the point of the soldier’s spear had pierced Jesus’ side and from which the blood and water poured out when He died upon His cross. Standing before them was the Lamb of God who takes your sins away, the Lamb of God who died that you might live.
But Christ was dead no more. The visible marks of death were engraved on living flesh and bone. None other than the Son of God risen from the dead embodied in human flesh stood in that locked room.
The very same Lord Jesus who had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, who had been born of the Virgin Mary, who had suffered under Pontius Pilate— who had been crucified, who had died, and was buried, and has risen from the dread, now stood before the disciples, alive and well.
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is also the Lamb of God who gives us peace. And that's exactly what He did. He came and said to the disciples. “Peace be with you,”
Peace has been won for us all. Sin is now vanquished. The stronghold of the grave has been breached. Hell, itself has lost all power to destroy. Life has triumphed over death.
The sting of death is gone, for all sin has been removed in Christ our Lord, the Lamb who gives us peace. Once sin is gone, there is nothing in all creation that can ever separate us from the love of God, not even death itself.
So now there remains a Sabbath rest for all the people of God. Each time we hear the life-giving Word of the Gospel of Christ, and every time we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we have His life within.
By faith we receive through these divine means all the benefits of Christ’s saving work in the power and presence of His Holy Spirit.
“If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven,” Jesus said to His disciples. These, were not empty words. Jesus actually commissioned these men to serve as His representatives, distributing in the Church the forgiveness He had earned upon His cross.
And it's still the same among us. When we hear from the pastor, “I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” it's not his forgiveness we receive, but Christs’ forgiveness.
“Peace be with you!” We hear these words of Christ before we eat the bread and drink the cup of His Holy Supper. As it was in that locked room that first Easter evening, so it is here this day.
The peace of the Lord Jesus Christ continues to bring us peace within.
This is our shield, protection, and defense against all that threatens us. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
Verse 21-22 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus does the same thing right here and right now; He continues to show up among us and bring us peace. Whenever His word of forgiveness is proclaimed, God is speaking peace to you.
Whenever we remember and return to the baptismal waters, there God is claiming us as his own and speaking that same word of peace to us.
Whenever we hear: Take, eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Take, drink; this is my blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, here Jesus is saying peace; the forgiveness of sins that I have earned by my death.
It is finished! I give to you; I bring to you. Salvation accomplished; salvation delivered.
Jesus comes and speaks that same unconditional word of forgiveness to you for all of the times you set unrealistic conditions on God. For all of the times you have fallen short with your relationships. For all of the times you acted foolishly with regard to God’s great love for you.
For all of the times when we have stood on the edge of unbelief, God comes to you and says unconditionally: peace be with you! I love you; I forgive you. He brings true peace, forgiveness, life and salvation.
He wants us to forgive others as he has forgiven us; this is the life of the church, this peace which knows no bounds. This peace which brings hope, and comfort, and joy.
May God grant you this peace in Jesus’ name. Amen