Easter 2 - Quasimodo Geniti April 24, 2022
John 20:19-31
What's the Word, Jesus?
v.31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, Jesus comes among you this day in Word and Sacrament to forgive your sins, calm your fears, ease your troubled hearts, and give you faith and life in His holy name. Our text takes place on the first Easter evening. Jesus had risen from the dead early that morning and appeared to the women at the tomb. The women had faithfully carried out Jesus' instructions to go and tell His disciples that He had risen, just as He said. Peter and John had run to the tomb and found it empty, exactly as the women had reported. And now where were the disciples, these men of great faith who had witnessed Jesus' miracles, heard His teaching, and were His closest and most devoted followers? They were locked in a room, hiding for fear of the Jews. Dreading discovery by the Jewish authorities--they feared receiving the same punishment of death that Jesus had received--and so they quietly locked themselves away and cowered with fear.
Into this situation of fear and anxiety appears the Lord Jesus. Locked windows and doors and secret hideouts mean nothing to the risen Lord. He knows all, sees all, and there is no boundary that can keep Him at bay. He appears before the inner circle of His disciples--these men who had, every one of them, abandoned Him in His hour of greatest need--rejected His name--fled in terror and fear for their lives. And what does Jesus do? Does He shout at them in fury and anger? Does He lay blame upon them? Surely they deserve it. They know it. He knows it. Does He point an accusing finger at them? Does He wash His hands of them, knowing He can no doubt find more faithful followers at the temple of Zeus in Athens?
Can you imagine the disciples' surprise? Their shock? Their horror, perhaps? Here is Jesus. Their beloved teacher--against all odds--back from the dead! And here they are--hiding like frightened school girls in a closet. Perhaps the braver ones squared their shoulders and steadied themselves to receive their just punishment--their due reward for their lack of faith--their disloyalty--their sin and shame--prepare to be zapped! For here is Jesus--who must be Lord and God as He said for He has risen from the dead--here He is--in the flesh! And here they are--faithless--worthless followers--they hang their heads in shame and prepare for the worst.
Yet the words that first come from Jesus' mouth must have surprised them even more than His sudden appearance! For the words He speaks are not words of wrath--condemnation--punishment--or chastisement--but rather, words of peace. "Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'"
Amazing! Incredible! Jesus comes into the midst of His disciples' greatest fears--their most tremendous guilt and shame--and calms them with a Word--Peace be with you. With a Word He forgives. With a Word He comforts. With a Word He restores them as His disciples and gives them faith and a job to do. These pathetic, fearful men are tasked by the risen Lord to go forth and proclaim this same Word of peace and joy to the nations. This would not be easy. Nor would it be safe. Out of these 11 disciples (including Thomas whom we will get to in a moment), only one would die of old age. All the rest would be martyred. All the rest would suffer and die horribly for their faithful proclamation of the risen Christ as Lord.
Yet Jesus does not send these men out ill-equipped. Indeed, He breathes on them and gives them His Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive and retain sins for His blessed church--the greatest and most blessed work anyone could have. Oh how the Lord is good! He takes a ragtag band of weak, scared men and grants them His Spirit to boldly and faithfully proclaim His saving Gospel message that His death and resurrection is the source of all forgiveness and life for all people.
Now Thomas was not there that first Easter evening (he probably got the short end of the stick and had to go out on a pizza run for everyone). And even though the other 10 boldly shared with him the Good News, "We have seen the Lord," yet he would not believe. He stubbornly held on to his unbelief, his fear…his sorrow. He boldly declared that he would not believe until he actually stuck his fingers into the nail holes in Jesus body and placed his hand into Jesus' side--yikes! Gauntlet thrown down....and challenge accepted by Jesus.
For Jesus appears a week later and Thomas is there. Again, the first words out of Jesus' mouth are not, "Thomas you dunderhead! Get out; you're not worthy to be called my disciple." No indeed. The first words of Jesus, once again, are, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus challenges Thomas to "throw" his fingers into the nail holes, and "throw" his hand into Jesus' side. To throw aside His doubt and believe. And Thomas' acclamation--His confession of faith--is succinct and clear, "My Lord and my God." To which Jesus responds that blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.
Well beloved, we have before us the answer to our fears and unbelief, our sin and guilt and shame, with which we all struggle. For none of us are worthy or deserving to be called Jesus' disciples. None of us are worthy of His grace and mercy. All of us are, day in and day out, faithless toward Jesus in thought, word, and deed. We have allowed our fears to rule our hearts. We have craved attention and honour from men, rather than humbly seeking our every good from our God. We are, to be frank, just as guilty as the disciples. We are just as faithless. We are just as deserving of condemnation and wrath for our unbelief and sin. We know it. God knows it.
Yet God's words to you are not words of condemnation or judgement, but once again, of peace. This day the Lord calls to you and says, "Peace be with you." He declares His overarching peace to you through the Spirit-filled Word of Jesus. Jesus who willingly took to the cross to pay for your sin and rose triumphant from the grave to conquer your death. This Jesus speaks to you in your Baptism, in Holy Absolution, and the Holy Supper--calling to you with His Word of forgiveness and peace--giving you His Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain your faith, weak as it may be.
From Jesus' side flowed both blood and water. Blood given to you in the Holy Eucharist this day--to fill your heart with joy and thanksgiving as you receive it in faith for the forgiveness of your sins. Water that flowed from His side is poured out upon you in Baptism to wash you clean of all your sin. To wipe away your every fear--to make you new in Christ Jesus. People of faith and steadfastness. People of love and peace.
Some years ago on Palm Sunday, the Coptic church of Egypt was rocked by deadly bomb blasts. In the news coverage following these tragic events, a woman whose husband was killed in the attacks, boldly spoke out and proclaimed her love and forgiveness toward the people who had murdered him. In response to this, the TV news anchor (himself a devout muslim) was literally speechless for more than 15 seconds on national TV! In the end his response was one of shocked amazement that anyone could respond in such a manner after such a loss. He exclaimed, "What kind of faith is this?!"
This is why the Lord Jesus instituted the office of the Holy Ministry, which we read about in our Gospel text. So that sinners may go to their pastors--with their fears--their troubles--their guilty consciences--their sins weighing heavily upon their hearts--confess their guilt and iniquity--and receive forgiveness from their pastor as from Christ Jesus Himself. And to hear those sweet words in the face of your sin--your just conviction--"Peace be with you." Peace in the blood of Jesus. Peace in the forgiveness of sins He won. Peace in the salvation and life He bestows.
This is why we have the Holy Scriptures--"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." This life and peace given to you through faith in Jesus is the life that is everlasting--that conquers death through the forgiveness of all your sins. In Christ and the blood and water that flowed from His corpse upon the cross, but which is now risen from the dead to all eternity, you truly do have God's peace with you. In Baptism, Absolution, and Holy Supper you see the Lord Jesus and believe. And you, too, are sent to proclaim this Good News into all the world. For Alleluia! Chris the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
John 20:19-31
What's the Word, Jesus?
v.31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, Jesus comes among you this day in Word and Sacrament to forgive your sins, calm your fears, ease your troubled hearts, and give you faith and life in His holy name. Our text takes place on the first Easter evening. Jesus had risen from the dead early that morning and appeared to the women at the tomb. The women had faithfully carried out Jesus' instructions to go and tell His disciples that He had risen, just as He said. Peter and John had run to the tomb and found it empty, exactly as the women had reported. And now where were the disciples, these men of great faith who had witnessed Jesus' miracles, heard His teaching, and were His closest and most devoted followers? They were locked in a room, hiding for fear of the Jews. Dreading discovery by the Jewish authorities--they feared receiving the same punishment of death that Jesus had received--and so they quietly locked themselves away and cowered with fear.
Into this situation of fear and anxiety appears the Lord Jesus. Locked windows and doors and secret hideouts mean nothing to the risen Lord. He knows all, sees all, and there is no boundary that can keep Him at bay. He appears before the inner circle of His disciples--these men who had, every one of them, abandoned Him in His hour of greatest need--rejected His name--fled in terror and fear for their lives. And what does Jesus do? Does He shout at them in fury and anger? Does He lay blame upon them? Surely they deserve it. They know it. He knows it. Does He point an accusing finger at them? Does He wash His hands of them, knowing He can no doubt find more faithful followers at the temple of Zeus in Athens?
Can you imagine the disciples' surprise? Their shock? Their horror, perhaps? Here is Jesus. Their beloved teacher--against all odds--back from the dead! And here they are--hiding like frightened school girls in a closet. Perhaps the braver ones squared their shoulders and steadied themselves to receive their just punishment--their due reward for their lack of faith--their disloyalty--their sin and shame--prepare to be zapped! For here is Jesus--who must be Lord and God as He said for He has risen from the dead--here He is--in the flesh! And here they are--faithless--worthless followers--they hang their heads in shame and prepare for the worst.
Yet the words that first come from Jesus' mouth must have surprised them even more than His sudden appearance! For the words He speaks are not words of wrath--condemnation--punishment--or chastisement--but rather, words of peace. "Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'"
Amazing! Incredible! Jesus comes into the midst of His disciples' greatest fears--their most tremendous guilt and shame--and calms them with a Word--Peace be with you. With a Word He forgives. With a Word He comforts. With a Word He restores them as His disciples and gives them faith and a job to do. These pathetic, fearful men are tasked by the risen Lord to go forth and proclaim this same Word of peace and joy to the nations. This would not be easy. Nor would it be safe. Out of these 11 disciples (including Thomas whom we will get to in a moment), only one would die of old age. All the rest would be martyred. All the rest would suffer and die horribly for their faithful proclamation of the risen Christ as Lord.
Yet Jesus does not send these men out ill-equipped. Indeed, He breathes on them and gives them His Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive and retain sins for His blessed church--the greatest and most blessed work anyone could have. Oh how the Lord is good! He takes a ragtag band of weak, scared men and grants them His Spirit to boldly and faithfully proclaim His saving Gospel message that His death and resurrection is the source of all forgiveness and life for all people.
Now Thomas was not there that first Easter evening (he probably got the short end of the stick and had to go out on a pizza run for everyone). And even though the other 10 boldly shared with him the Good News, "We have seen the Lord," yet he would not believe. He stubbornly held on to his unbelief, his fear…his sorrow. He boldly declared that he would not believe until he actually stuck his fingers into the nail holes in Jesus body and placed his hand into Jesus' side--yikes! Gauntlet thrown down....and challenge accepted by Jesus.
For Jesus appears a week later and Thomas is there. Again, the first words out of Jesus' mouth are not, "Thomas you dunderhead! Get out; you're not worthy to be called my disciple." No indeed. The first words of Jesus, once again, are, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus challenges Thomas to "throw" his fingers into the nail holes, and "throw" his hand into Jesus' side. To throw aside His doubt and believe. And Thomas' acclamation--His confession of faith--is succinct and clear, "My Lord and my God." To which Jesus responds that blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.
Well beloved, we have before us the answer to our fears and unbelief, our sin and guilt and shame, with which we all struggle. For none of us are worthy or deserving to be called Jesus' disciples. None of us are worthy of His grace and mercy. All of us are, day in and day out, faithless toward Jesus in thought, word, and deed. We have allowed our fears to rule our hearts. We have craved attention and honour from men, rather than humbly seeking our every good from our God. We are, to be frank, just as guilty as the disciples. We are just as faithless. We are just as deserving of condemnation and wrath for our unbelief and sin. We know it. God knows it.
Yet God's words to you are not words of condemnation or judgement, but once again, of peace. This day the Lord calls to you and says, "Peace be with you." He declares His overarching peace to you through the Spirit-filled Word of Jesus. Jesus who willingly took to the cross to pay for your sin and rose triumphant from the grave to conquer your death. This Jesus speaks to you in your Baptism, in Holy Absolution, and the Holy Supper--calling to you with His Word of forgiveness and peace--giving you His Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain your faith, weak as it may be.
From Jesus' side flowed both blood and water. Blood given to you in the Holy Eucharist this day--to fill your heart with joy and thanksgiving as you receive it in faith for the forgiveness of your sins. Water that flowed from His side is poured out upon you in Baptism to wash you clean of all your sin. To wipe away your every fear--to make you new in Christ Jesus. People of faith and steadfastness. People of love and peace.
Some years ago on Palm Sunday, the Coptic church of Egypt was rocked by deadly bomb blasts. In the news coverage following these tragic events, a woman whose husband was killed in the attacks, boldly spoke out and proclaimed her love and forgiveness toward the people who had murdered him. In response to this, the TV news anchor (himself a devout muslim) was literally speechless for more than 15 seconds on national TV! In the end his response was one of shocked amazement that anyone could respond in such a manner after such a loss. He exclaimed, "What kind of faith is this?!"
This is why the Lord Jesus instituted the office of the Holy Ministry, which we read about in our Gospel text. So that sinners may go to their pastors--with their fears--their troubles--their guilty consciences--their sins weighing heavily upon their hearts--confess their guilt and iniquity--and receive forgiveness from their pastor as from Christ Jesus Himself. And to hear those sweet words in the face of your sin--your just conviction--"Peace be with you." Peace in the blood of Jesus. Peace in the forgiveness of sins He won. Peace in the salvation and life He bestows.
This is why we have the Holy Scriptures--"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." This life and peace given to you through faith in Jesus is the life that is everlasting--that conquers death through the forgiveness of all your sins. In Christ and the blood and water that flowed from His corpse upon the cross, but which is now risen from the dead to all eternity, you truly do have God's peace with you. In Baptism, Absolution, and Holy Supper you see the Lord Jesus and believe. And you, too, are sent to proclaim this Good News into all the world. For Alleluia! Chris the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.