On the evening of that first Easter day, the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. Why? They were afraid of the Jews. They thought that those who crucified Jesus might come looking for them, too. They were afraid of death. They were filled with fear. And so they hid.
What do you fear? Do you fear hostility from an unbelieving world? Are you afraid to speak the truth in love? Do you worry about money? Do you fear the loss of health or the uncertainty of the future? Do you fear death itself?
And it is precisely there—into that fear—that Jesus comes. The doors were locked. The disciples were hiding. And yet suddenly, there He was, the risen Lord standing among them. Not a ghost, but flesh and blood, alive forevermore. The evidence of His resurrection was before their eyes. They saw the nail print in His hands and the wound in His side.
Then, He said to them, “Peace be with you.”
He didn’t rebuke them for their lack of faith. He didn’t condemn them for running away from him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He didn’t accuse Peter of denying Him three times in the courtyard. He didn’t say, “I have completed half of your salvation, now you need to do the rest.”
Instead, Jesus speaks words of peace. He said to them, “Peace be with you.” This is not a casual greeting, like saying, “Hello” or “Good to see you again.” Rather, the peace from Christ is real and concrete, spoken by the Prince of Peace. His words actually give what they say. When Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” He actually delivers peace. This is a peace which the world cannot give. It is the peace of forgiveness. It is absolution. It is the declaration that there is now harmony between God and man.
There is, by nature, a great divide between God and us. God is holy and we are sinful. We cannot reconcile ourselves to Him. We cannot bridge the gap. We cannot fix what is broken. Why? Because we are sinful by nature. We cannot establish peace with God on our own.
This is why the Father sent His only-begotten Son into our world. Jesus came to do what we cannot do.
The prophet Isaiah says of Jesus, “He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by his stripes we are healed.” So, in order for Jesus to bring us peace, He suffered in our place. Our sin, our guilt, our iniquities were laid on Jesus. On Good Friday Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He shed His innocent blood for us and for our salvation. He appeased the wrath of God by His death upon the cross.
There was a chasm between God and man. Yet, Jesus bridged the gap. He reconciled us to the Father. He brought peace between God and man. Jesus did the work we cannot do.
Therefore, since peace was won on Good Friday, it is now proclaimed to you today and every Sunday. It is delivered to you in the Gospel and in the Sacrament of the Altar.
On Good Friday, Jesus atoned for the sin of the whole world, but on Easter peace is now proclaimed – a peace which the world can never give; a peace between God and man; a peace that declares your sins forgiven. On Good Friday Jesus suffered God’s wrath against sin, but on Easter God declares you forgiven; not guilty. On Good Friday death had to take place because of sin and so also on Easter the resurrection had to take place because sin was removed. On Good Friday Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses, but on Easter He was raised for our justification. You are reconciled to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This peace and forgiveness are given to you freely by grace and not by works. Because of the cross, God is gracious and merciful to you. You are justified. Your sins are forgiven. The warfare is ended. Your iniquity is pardoned.
This precious Gospel of peace and forgiveness transforms you. It turns your fear into faith; your sorrow into gladness; and your tears into joy. Christ is your light and your salvation. He is your strength.
Faith hears this wonderful news and says, “Amen.” Faith says, “Thank you, Lord.” Faith trusts in Christ. Faith holds on to Christ alone. Through faith you benefit from the blessings of the cross and resurrection.
Where there is saving faith in Christ, there is also good works and love for the neighbor. As a forgiven sinner, you freely love and serve others. You help those in need. You are faithful in your various vocations. You reflect the light of Christ.
And so, dearly beloved, there is no reason to hide from God. There is no reason to run away from Him. Instead, confess your sin and receive the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the one you need. He is not your enemy; Satan is.
Jesus, then, says to His disciples, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you” (v 21). This is their ordination day. They are now Apostles, which means, sent ones. They are sent by Jesus to speak peace and forgiveness in His stead and by His command.
Here, Jesus established the Office of the Holy Ministry. The apostles—and the pastors who follow them—represent Christ. They are His ambassadors. They stand in His stead. They speak on His behalf. They are God’s co-workers. They are servants of Christ and stewards of the Gospel and Sacrament.
Christ is the Good Shepherd, but pastors are under-shepherds. The ministry belongs to Christ and pastors serve within it.
What are pastors to do? In our Holy Gospel for today, Jesus tells them to forgive sins. He said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them” (v 23). So, you confess your sins. And when you hear words of forgiveness spoken from the minister of Christ, it is real. This forgiveness spoken to you is “valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.”
But Jesus adds, “if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (v 23). In other words, the unrepentant are not to be forgiven as long as they do not repent. This also, is valid and certain, even in heaven.
What else are pastors to do? Elsewhere in the Scriptures we learn that they are to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. They are to teach God’s Word, not their own words or opinions. They are to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. In other words, law and Gospel. They are to administer the Lord’s Supper. They are to comfort the sick and the dying. They are to speak the truth in love. They are to care for the flock entrusted to them.
Jesus works through the pastor for the sake of His people. He uses the pastor’s mouth to preach and to teach, to correct and to forgive, to comfort and to console. He also uses the hands of a pastor to baptize, to feed sinners with His body and blood and to bless God’s people with His benediction.
The ministry is not about the man. Pastors wear vestments in order to cover the man. The focus in always on Christ. Jesus is not visible with us, but He is present through the water and word in baptism, in the word preached, and in the bread and wine.
At one time the disciples were hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jesus, but after Pentecost we learn that the Apostles feared no evil. Even though the Jewish leaders warned them not to preach and to teach in the name of Jesus, they did it anyway. The Apostles are now bold in proclaiming the Gospel. They were even willing to suffer martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel.
And the same is true for you. You are not called to hide. You are called to live as lights in a dark world. Your life bears witness to the risen Christ.
When someone asks you about the peace you have, you can tell them. You can speak of the forgiveness won by Jesus’ death and resurrection. You can invite them to church saying, “Come and see. Come and hear God’s love in Christ.”
And so, dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this first day of the week. The risen Lord is among us. You hear His Word. You receive His forgiveness. You are given and fed the Gospel.
Christ’s peace was once put on your head in Holy Baptism. It is now being put into your ears and it will come into your mouth through the Lord’s Supper. After the bread and wine are consecrated, the pastor holding the cup and the host says, “The peace of the Lord be with you always.” You cannot place your fingers into Jesus’ wounds—but you receive something even greater: His true body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
This peace is a peace only God can give. It strengthens you for each day. It sustains you in hardship. It comforts you in sorrow and it strengthens you in weakness. Christ’s victory is your victory. His life is your life.
And more than that, it prepares you for your last day. When you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil. For Christ is with you. He has opened heaven for you and for all who believe. Peace be with you. Amen.
