Easter: The Evening
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Earlier this week, I took my two boys to a park with a large and very high climbing frame. The eldest, who is almost six climbed straight across it and as usual his younger brother, who is just four and a half, was following close behind. However, this time he decided he wasn't going to follow his brother because (and in his words) - it was too high and if he fell he would die forever and we wouldn't like that. Quick as a flash elder brother replies, "Oh it's ok - if you fall and die you'll be ok - remember Jesus will bring you back to life again after you die'. Glad we spotted that little misunderstanding quickly - who knows where his misplaced sense of invincibility might have lead!
Being just after Easter, however, that little exchange got me thinking. Those of us who are Christians know that Jesus' death and resurrection was THE game changer of all time. We know that it matters. The big question is, why does the resurrection matter? In what way does it change our lives and how we live?
To answer that question, open your bible to page 906 and let's have a look together at John 20. Last week, on Easter morning, we looked at the first half of this chapter. Today, we come to verses 19-23 and to a second Easter day resurrection appearance that John recorded for us. We'll see in these verses that Jesus really did rise from the dead and how that changes everything for all of us.
I have two points, and the first is this:
1. The Resurrection Brings Us Peace With God.
That is from verses 19 and 20. Have a look with me:
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...
It's Easter day...and it is a Sunday. As he did at the beginning of the chapter, John again points out what day it is. That is no accident. This is the first day of the week - a day of new beginnings. Very soon the disciples will call Sunday, "the Lord's Day" and meet together on that day each week to remember and celebrate his death and resurrection.
It's Easter day... and what we read about really happened. It's not a myth or a parable. John wants you to know that these are real events that happened on a real day in history. Three days earlier, on Good Friday, Jesus had been unjustly condemned to death even though he had done nothing wrong. He was viciously whipped and then nailed to a wooden cross and he hung there till he died. To check he was dead, a sword was stabbed into the side of his body. His funeral and burial took place on the same day. That was all 3 days earlier.
Now, it's Easter day... in the evening. It's been a very long day! Let me recap: before the Sun had risen Mary and some of the other women disciples had gone back to Jesus' grave and discovered his body was gone. That morning, Peter and John also visited the empty grave and confirmed his body had gone. Later on, Mary had seen Jesus - who was very much alive.
But now it is the evening. And the disciples are gathered together, in a room with locked doors, understandably afraid that the religious leaders who killed Jesus so brutally would come after them next. They had come face-to-face with the violence and horror of death and it had been traumatic and terrifying.
They are also plagued with guilt for the way they had let Jesus down in his time of suffering. They had heard reports that Jesus was alive. Would they have wanted to see him again? What would he say to them? Would he lay into them for abandoning him while he was being crucified? Would he be angry with them for not standing by him? Would he be frustrated, or worse that they had not remembering and believing everything he had taught them would happen when he was with them?
Let's read the rest of v19:
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you.
The first thing Jesus says to his friends is not 'how could you?' but 'peace be with you'. Jesus came to them, without the need for the locked doors to be unlocked. His words are an everyday greeting - and similar words are still said today all across the Middle East. But the context and the fact that they are repeated three times in eight verses show that they are words that are deeply significant. 'Peace be with you'.
We could almost sum up the message of the whole bible using that word 'peace'. When God created the world, everything was at peace. Our relationship with God, with one another and with the world we lived in was a good one. We were at peace - no pain, or fear or guilt. But sin changed all of that. We chose not to listen to and worship our creator as he deserved. We decided to do what we wanted to do, to look out for me and for what I want. With that all peace was shattered. Our relationship with God was destroyed as we declared war on him. Our world is no longer characterised by peace and harmony but is a terrible place full of pain and suffering as everyone looks out for Number 1. And we all face the terror of death itself and beyond that judgement from God for the way we have treated him and one another.
So when Jesus stands among them and says 'peace be with you', he's saying loud and clear that he has dealt with sin once and for all. His death and resurrection have brought us peace.
On the cross, Jesus took the wrath of God against our sins, taking away the sin that was barrier to peace between us and God. We no longer need to fear God's judgement at the end of time because our sins have been dealt with. And his resurrection was a sign that the death and pain that was caused by sin had been defeated and that we too can look forward to a day when all things will be made new.
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you.
Do you know what it means to be at peace with God? Have you reached the point of recognising your need to make peace with God? Have you accepted Jesus' offer to forgive your sin? If not, then today is the time to act. He has done everything that is needed so that you can be forgiven. You don't need to fix yourself up to come to him - all you need to do is say sorry and trust that Jesus has paid for your sins. Do it! Today.
If you have received that forgiveness, then you know peace with God. A peace that is not lost when you do wrong, because your good deeds have not earned it and so your bad deeds cannot lose it. So keep trusting in Jesus. The next verse should help you keep doing that:
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Why did he show them his hands and side? Firstly, the marks from his crucifixion were still there and verified his identity. When they saw them, they knew it was really him.
But they also confirmed the truth that he was bringing them peace. When they saw the signs they were reminded that the price had been paid for the forgiveness of their sins. His hands and side support his words that they now have peace with God.
At the beginning of his book, in 1:29 when John the baptist sees Jesus he says, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" His hands and side show he really was the passover lamb and that we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1).
If you're doubing whether or not your sins are forgiven- remember his hands and his side! What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Second,
2.The Resurrection Brings Us Purpose From God
Look at v21-23:21Jesus said to them again,
Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.
It is easy to misunderstand these words, especially verse 23.
What Jesus is teaching us is simply this: Men and women who are forgiven by God join His team. His purpose becomes their purpose. His mission becomes their mission. God, by his Holy spirit, makes it possible for them to play their part in his plan to offer forgiveness to the whole world. Their part is to tell others the only way to have peace with God is through Jesus.
Look again at those words in v21. Jesus says, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."
You need to see that God is one team made up of three persons - God the Father, Jesus the Son and of course the Holy Spirit. They have worked together on a mission since before time began to make it possible for our sins to be forgive, to bring peace to those who do not have and do not deserve peace.
When Jesus was nailed to the cross and punished instead of us he shouted victoriously, 'it is finished'. When he rose again, he could say to those who accepted him as their Lord and God, 'peace be with you'. The events of that weekend were the peak, the climax, the focal point of God's mission. Everything that was needed for our sins to be forgiven had been done - once and for all - and Jesus was heading back to the Father.
But God did not stop working on Easter Sunday! And he gives us a job working with him on his team - even before we've filled in an application form for it! He's not asking if we would like to, he's giving us a command. "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."
Wherever you are from in the world, and whatever your age you all know the kids game, 'tag' even if you call it something else, such as 'it', or 'tig'. Someone begins by being 'it'. They run around and try and catch someone else. When they catch someone, the catcher stop being 'it' and the person who has just been caught becomes 'it' instead.
When Jesus says, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." he is not saying 'up to this point the Father has sent me with a job to do, but now I'm leaving and so I'm passing the job onto you', as if we were playing a huge game of 'it'. Instead, think of a different way to play the game. Sometimes, when the person who is 'it' catches someone else they both remain 'it' and the game continues with them working as a team.
When Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." he was not suggesting that Jesus' job was over and now it is up to us to do the rest! If you think that, v23 ends up saying all the wrong things. God did not stop working on Easter Sunday - Father, Son and Holy Spirit are still working together to bring forgiveness of sins and peace to those who will be a part of his everlasting kingdom.
What Jesus was saying is that men and women who are forgiven by God join His team. His purpose becomes their purpose. His mission becomes their mission. We, in the words of Paul in 1 Cor 3:9, are 'God's fellow workers'. Our part in the team is to tell others about Jesus so they can find forgiveness in him.
He doesn't need us. But he has chosen include us in what he is doing in the world. Isn't that amazing?!
Sometimes when I am trying to get something done at home, I hear two little boys saying 'I want to help'. They want to put on their work clothes like me and help me with the painting, or gardening or whatever it is. Usually, I don't need or want their help but sometimes I give them a job so they feel like their helping but actually I'm just keeping them busy so I can get on with it. That is nothing like what God is like! God gives us the extraordinary privilege of going to work with him and playing our part in bringing his forgiveness to others.
It's obvious that what we do as sent people is not exactly the same as what Jesus did. We don't die to save others. We won't directly forgive sins as he does. Only God can forgive sins. Our role is simply to talk about Jesus - what he did and how that can bring forgiveness and change people's lives. That is what v23 means. We declare forgiveness through Jesus. In other words we preach that in Jesus we can have peace with God. This is not just a task for professionals like the apostles or perhaps even missionaries and vicars. Ordinary Christian men and women are to pass on the message of forgiveness through Jesus to the ends of the earth-we all need to play our part in this very specific task. More than that - this needs to become our purpose in life.
It won't look the same for you as it will for others - God has gifted us differently and at different stages in life we have different pressures and opportunities. But you need to be able to answer the question what is my part, my unique role, in telling others about Jesus. The first thing to do is to think through your week and places that only you go to and the people that only you meet. Chances are, if someone is going to tell them about Jesus it is going to be you!
But you may also need to consider how you can deliberately take the message to new places - that may be in the choices you make in where to work or live, how you use your leisure time, using your time to serve in a church group and so on. For some of us, it may mean choosing to live in another country.
If you've never done it before, I would suggest you take some time to write out your own specific response to the question 'what is my unique role in telling others about Jesus.'? Doing that helps you see opportunities you might otherwise miss. I'd also suggest you talk about it with others who know you well and who can help you answer the question. Perhaps arrange a time to discuss it with your small group leader, or a church leader you know well. Doing that helps others to pray for you specifically and gets us working better as a team.
All this talk of telling others about Jesus may feel too overwhelming. 'I couldn't possibly do that!'. You're right - you can't. Right throughout John's gospel Jesus has been promising that when he returns to the Father he will send the Holy Spirit. We see that promise repeated again here in v22. God, by his Holy spirit, makes it possible for us to play our part in God's plan to offer forgiveness to the whole world.
Our time is up. Jesus' death and resurrection really matters. In what way does it change our lives and how we live? We've seen that it brings us peace with God. We've also seen that it brings us a purpose from God.
Let's pray...