John 20: 19 – 31

Our Gospel lesson describes the second appearance of our risen Lord Jesus. Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene, which was described earlier in this chapter. When Mary saw Jesus she went and told the disciples, "I have seen the Lord", but the disciples did not believe Mary.

In verse 19 we read that the disciples were scared of the Jewish leaders and were in a room with the doors locked. But Jesus came and stood among them despite the locked doors and Jesus said, "Peace be with you." This greeting of "Peace be with you" fulfills Jesus’ promise that He would come to be with them (14:18), and that Jesus would give them a "Peace that the world can not give" (14:27).

John emphasizes that Jesus is not a disembodied spirit, nor was this wishful thinking, or just a memory that was personified in the lives and hearts of believers. Jesus exists bodily, yet His risen glorified body is not subject to the physical laws of time and space. The disciples saw the nail marks of the crucifixion in Jesus’ hands and Jesus’ pierced side. This was the same Jesus that they saw crucified, this was the same body they watched being placed in a sealed tomb on the previous Friday. This was the same Jesus the disciples were with for three years. Yet Jesus’ presence with them this time was different than before. The disciples were scared to death and Jesus gave them the gift of peace.

A second time Jesus said, "Peace be with you". Remember when things are repeated in scripture it is for emphasis. Jesus gave His disciples the gift of peace. There is always peace when Jesus is present in our lives because Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

The experience of seeing Jesus brings the gift of joy that Jesus spoke of in John 16:19-20. "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. You will grieve but then your grief will be turned to joy." The disciples were heart broken over the death of their best friend and their leader and Jesus gave them the gift of joy.

In verse 21 Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His presence in the world in the same way that Jesus had been the visible, tangible presence of God in the world. It is amazing that God would choose ordinary people like you and me to be His representatives, His ambassadors, His visible presence in the world. Being chosen is truly a gift. After Jesus’ crucifixion the disciples’ lives were turned upside down. They were lost and Jesus gave them the honor and the gift of representing Him to give purpose and meaning to their lives.

Then in verse 22, Jesus gave His disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus breathed on His disciples they became new creations full of life. Remember in Genesis 2:7, "After God formed man out of the dust of the earth God breathed in to his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being." And just as Ezekiel had prophesied that God would do to the dry bones to make them alive again. The Holy Spirit was given to us to teach us, encourage us, comfort us, empower us, and to convict us of our sinful acts and our sinful nature. The Holy Spirit’s role in the believer’s life is the same as Jesus’ role was to His disciples when He was here on earth. The Holy Spirit brings peace, hope, and love into our lives just like Jesus brought in to the disciples’ lives.

Next Jesus gave His disciples the gift of forgiveness. The disciples had deserted Jesus and denied knowing Jesus and they were ashamed. Jesus gave them what they needed, forgiveness. Remember Jesus commissioned His disciples to be His presence in the world just as He had been the visible, tangible presence of God in the world. Jesus offered forgiveness to all who came to Him and that is the charge Jesus gave to us. We are to freely forgive the people who hurt us, use us, abuse us, insult us, as well as those who misunderstand our message. We can forgive because God through Jesus Christ has already forgiven us.

We need to be careful not to misinterpret verse 23. This verse does not give any Christian or any church the authority to forgive another person’s sins. Only God can forgive a person’s sins! However, all believers and the church can boldly declare that God will forgive a person’s sins if they repent and if they have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. Likewise, all believers can also boldly declare that God will not forgive a person’s sins if they have not responded to God’s offer of forgiveness through the death, burial, and resurrection of His one and only Son, Jesus the Christ.

In the next section of our text we have the account of Jesus’ third appearance after His resurrection and Thomas was with the other disciples at this time. For some reason Thomas had not been with them on that first Easter night. So the other disciples told Thomas, "We have seen the Lord." When they did, Thomas said he wanted proof. Then Jesus appeared and said, "Peace be with you." Then Jesus invited Thomas to "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." I think Thomas has been given a bum rap by being labeled as "Doubting Thomas" because Thomas did not ask for anything more than Jesus had shown the other disciples a week earlier. Thomas just missed it. And for some reason Thomas would not or could not believe the testimony of the other disciples. Remember the disciples had not believed Mary when she said she had seen the Lord. Thomas doubted and Thomas needed physical evidence. Thomas needed to see the Risen Christ. Thomas wanted to put his hand in Jesus’ side before he would believe. However, there is no evidence that Thomas actually did that when he had a personal encounter with the risen Jesus.

Each of us have different needs, we all ask different questions, but there is only one solution to unbelief and that is a personal encounter with Jesus The Christ

Jesus gave Thomas exactly what he asked for. But more than that Jesus gave Thomas the gift of faith which is the ability to believe!

Faith and understanding began only after Jesus made Himself known personally to each of them. And it is exactly the same for us. We remain solid in our own skepticism until the Lord breaks through the locked doors of our hearts. The miraculous news in all of this is that God searches and finds us even when we do not want to be found. Even when we lock ourselves away; even when we try to keep out the good news, Jesus breaks through that door. The account of Thomas shows us that Jesus the Good Shepherd does go after the 1 lost sheep) You see faith is a gift!

Jesus’ response to Thomas is a comfort to us. "Blessed are those who have not seen, but believe."

At the end of our gospel lesson we read, "these things are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name." You see Jesus offers each of us the gift of life! When the Lord reveals Himself to us we have to respond. And if we respond like Thomas declaring Jesus as "my Lord and my God," …. your new life will begin at that time.

It is not enough simply to believe that Jesus The Christ rose from the dead. You must believe that Jesus rose from the dead for you. The purpose of the Gospel is to give each of us all the facts we need to believe. You see, a living Lord will meet us more than half way if we will offer our willing presence.

This verse tells us that the gift of life is a result of our faith. Jesus also said, "I come that you might have life and life more abundantly." God loves us and God wants us to be with Him now and throughout eternity. Jesus came to show us how to live a life pleasing to Almighty God. Jesus came to pay the price of our sins and our sinful nature. Jesus willingly suffered and died on the cross so we could live. All Jesus asks is that we respond to His love and we accept His gift of life. Jesus said, "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." God created all humans as spiritual beings and everyone will live throughout eternity. The only question is whether you will spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell. But you must choose while you are physically alive.

Each of us must come to the conclusion that Jesus is The Christ. Each of us must ask Jesus to be our personal Savior! Each of us must declare Jesus as my Lord and my God!

If we will open our hearts to Jesus, He will come in and give us exactly what we need the most!

• Jesus wants to give us the gift of peace when we are afraid.
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of joy when we are sad.
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of a purpose and meaning for living when everything seems hopeless.
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of The Holy Spirit to comfort us, teach us, to encourage us, and to empower us to be the disciples He calls us to be.
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of forgiveness even when we deny Him, desert Him, and / or disobey Him.
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of faith when we doubt
• Jesus wants to give us the gift of life because without Jesus we are all dead to sin.

The question is will you respond to Jesus’ love for you and Jesus’ desire for you to be with Him now and in Heaven throughout eternity! AMEN