WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS COMES INTO THE ROOM
John 20:19-31
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever had someone tell you something that was too good to be true? In spite of all the evidence, you just can’t bring yourself to believe it, even though it could change your life?
There is a story of a man who was mountain climbing. He lost his footing and found himself dangling on the rope hanging between the sky and the ground several hundred feet below.
Realizing that he couldn’t hang on for long, he called for help.
“Is anybody up there?”
“Yes, I’m here!”
“Who’s that?”
“The Lord”
“Lord, help me!”
“Do you trust me?”
“I trust you completely, Lord.”
“Good. Let go of the branch.”
“What???”
“I said, Let go of the branch.”
(After a long pause)
“Is there anybody else up there?”
Sometimes, it is hard to believe someone or something, even when there is all sorts of evidence.
The greatsest news of all time is that Jesus was crucigfied, buried and on the third day he rose from the dead. Las t Sunday and Wednesday we considered evidence proving the resurrection to be true.
I believe the most powerful evidence of the resurrection, is the change it brings to the lives of those who embrace the power of the love of the grace of the living Christ into their lives.
There is no greater testimony than what the living Christ has doen in the lives of His followers.
In our text we see the disciples huddled together in a room. It’s Resurrection Sunday and it has been an eventful day for everyone involved.
It’s now evening and they’re excited, yet afraid. The door was locked because rumor had it that the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest and dispose of anyone who had been associated with Jesus.
The disciples were having trouble believing what they had heard. Only a few hours earlier, Mary Magdalene, and the other women had announced that they had seen Jesus, ALIVE!
The news seemed too unbelievable. After all, it was only a few days ago, that they had seen their best friend, leader, teacher, and master arrested, beaten, crucified and buried. The Romans had set guard over the tomb.
Jesus was dead, and buried and with him all of their hopes dreams and desires.
The disciples were discouraged, disapoointed and consumed by doubt.
Suddenly, without warning, Jesus appears. He is not a ghost or figment of their grief. It is the risen, glorified Jesus.
There is no rebuke, no “how could you?” Jesus doesn’t scold or shame them. The first words out of his mouth show one thing: He accepts them. Can you imagine the relief and the joy that must have flooded their hearts?
The KJV says they were glad to see Jesus but I think it is the NIV that really come closest to their emotion: They were OVERJOYED when they saw the Lord!
Talk about the understatement of all time.
In moments the presence of Jesus transformed the disciples from weak kneed, cowering cowards into confident , faith filled men ready to pursue God’s will at any cost.
That’s the affect of the power of the resurrected Christ in the life of any person who by faith embraces His loving grace.
Wherever people are confronted by the reality of Jesus resurrection their lives are transformed. Because Jesus has risen from the dead, we can be people who experience the power of the resurrection!
In our text we see the disciples huddled together in a room. It’s Resurrection Sunday and it has been an eventful day for everyone involved. It’s now evening and they’re excited, yet afraid. The door was locked because rumor had it that the Jewish leaders wanted to arrest and dispose of anyone who had been associated with Jesus.
Suddenly, without warning, Jesus appears and says in verse 19, “Peace be with you.” I don’t imagine those were the words some of the disciples were expecting.
There is no rebuke, no “how could you?” Jesus doesn’t scold or shame them.
1st he says to them, “Peace be with you”.
That was a common greeting and probably one he had spoken to them many times. But in this situation it was more than a greeting. It was a message!
Can you imagine the relief and the joy that must have flooded their hearts? These first words of Jesus after His resurrection were almost identical to what He said shortly before He was arrested in John 16:33: “I told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
In some respects, it is almost as if the last few days hadn’t happened. Certainly these disciples felt unworthy . . . but the Savior extends peace. Let that sink in. Understand how gracious an act this was.
The disciples were afraid. The word “fear” in verse 19 carries with it the idea of “flight.” The disciples were so alarmed and frightened that they wanted to bolt. Now, contrast this with the word, “peace,” which is defined as “putting together that which is broken.” Jesus knows they are afraid so He says “Shalom” to them, which literally means, “All good to you.”
Do you understand that Jesus wants to extend peace to you and I as well? He doesn’t gloss over your past. He is well aware of the mistakes we have made. He knows how we’ve scorned Him, denied Him, and rejected Him when we should have been speaking up for Him. Yet He still extends peace. When He sees you He says, “Shalom.”
This peace has at least 4 dimensions:
• Peace with God (Romans 5:1)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We now have PEACE with God. Why do we need peace with God?
Because verses 8 & 10 are going to tell us that we were sinners and enemies with him before we trusted in Jesus as our Christ.
Jesus on the cross took away the sin.
If we are willing … to place our full faith and trust in him, God sees us as though we have never sinned.
When we trust Jesus as our Christ … we find peace with God.
He pursued us in our sin … to save us from ourselves, and from eternal separation from him.
When we surrender our will – quit running … quit resisting – and accept Jesus as our Christ … we have peace with God.
It is when I expereince peace with God that I can then know the peace of God when life gets difficult.
• Peace in difficult times (John 14:27; 16:33)
There are five times in Johns gospel that Jesus promises peace. Three are found in chapter twenty.
Another time Jesus comforts his disciples at the news of his impending death with these words of promise, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Again in John 16, on the eve of his crucifixion Jesus reminds the disciples that, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Why did Jesus give this message? So that the disciples would have peace in a world of trouble. Note how Jesus contrasts “In ME’ and ‘IN THE WORLD”
In Jesus there is peace; in the world there is tribulation and trouble.
We can overcome the world when we are ‘in him’. This tells us that we need to be in a relationship with Jesus in order to experience this overcoming peace.
The wprld wants to conquer and conform us into its image.
Someone has said that ‘ Peace is the possession of adequate resources’.
In Jesus Christ we have all the resources that we need. Jesus says that The key is the two words, “IN ME” In ourselves we have nothing, but in Christ we have everything we need.
Not only do we enjoy vertical peace with God and inner peace in the midst of trouble we can expereince horizontal peace with other people
• Peace in our relationships (Ephesians 2:14-18)
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
This is the power of the cross and resurrection. What this means is that nothing but the cross can offer us peace with God ( rom.5:1) and nothing but the cross can remove the barriers which divide us and bring peace between cultures, peace between husbands and wives, and peace between brothers and sisters in the church.
Do you want to know what the number one barrier to peace in the home/church/ world is?... PRIDE!
Pride is what led to man’s first act of disobedience. Adam and Eve said, "We don’t want to do what God says. Who is God to tell us what to do. We will do what we want to do." That’s pride. And it led to the hostility between man and God.
Pride is the greatest cause of conflict within churches.
An admirer once asked Leonard Bernstein, the celebrated orchestra conductor, what was the hardest instrument to play. He replied without hesitation: "Second fiddle. I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute, now that’s a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony" (Illustrations Unlimited, 450).
Without humility, there is no harmony.
Someone once said, "Pride is the ground in which all other sins grow." From pride comes selfishness, criticism, gossip, complaining, and conflict.
Christ came, tore down the walls, and united people in Himself.
I have learned in my life that there is one other obstacle that stands between me and the peace of God. I can be at peace with God. I can live in harm,ony with others, but unless I am at peace with my past I will continue to be plagued by needless guilt that Satan lays on my shulders.
• Peace with the past (Romans 8:1)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Notice it says there is NOW no condemnation. You do not have to fear God missed something or that your past it will be brought up again. It is done, complete and finished for all those who are IN CHRIST. Are you a follower of Jesus today? Have you received him as your savior? Then this promise is for you. If you are in a living relationship today, you can be assured of His grace today.
The Savior offers YOU peace today, even if you feel you don’t deserve it. God’s peace and forgiveness is extended to us by His grace. So here’s the question: Why do you continue to cower in the corner when the Savior wants to embrace you? Why do your try to lock Him out of your life?
The first promise Jesus gives, is to life his disciples out of the pit of grief with his forever PEACE.
The second statement Jesus gives is that they have a PURPOSE.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
With his peace ruling in our hearts we are commissioned to serve. I have found that an intimate encounter with the resurrected Christ is often the preparation for ministry. The first message was one of comfort, “Peace be with you”. This second message is one of commission. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
In what way did the Father send Jesus? He sent him with a mission to accomplish. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." The mission will continue through his church. This is Jesus authorizing his follower to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”[8] He is not just speaking to the apostles in our text for there were other disciples there as well. He is placing a mantle of responsibility on the church.[9] The theme of being sent, runs all the way through this gospel. There are only four chapters in John’s gospel in which Jesus does not make reference to being sent by the Father.[10] Now that Jesus has completed his mission, he becomes the sender and the church becomes his representative and agent.
Just as it brought joy to the disciples, it is an awesome encouragement to think that inspite of our many failings, the Lord entrusts us with his word and his work.
But Jesus does not commission his followers without enanbleing them with the POWER to fulfill their mission
Tied very closely with this commission are two significant statements that immediately follow.[11]
John 20:22 “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” He blew upon them.[12] What do you think happened when he said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? I think they received the Holy Spirit! I cannot imagine the glorious, resurrected Christ blowing on his disciples here and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” and then nothing happening. At that moment their inner man was quickened with resurrection life. Just as God had breathed life in Adam in Gen. 2:7[13], Christ (the Head of a new creation) breathes life in his church. It is the life of God in them that will make their mission successful.
Alfred Edersheim says this was “the birthday of the Church even as Pentecost was her baptismal day”.[14] People commonly refer to the Day of Pentecost as the birthday of the church. But Edersheim is right; this is the birthday of the church. To understand that we must understand the difference in emphasis between John’s theology of the Holy Spirit[15] and Luke’s theology of the Holy Spirit. John emphasizes the theme of life and truth when he talks about the Holy Spirit. Luke, the author of Acts, emphasizes the theme of power.[16] Here in John 20:22 the church receives the life of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2 the church is endued with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Have you received spiritual life? Have you been born of the spirit? You must be born again. Have you been filled with the Spirit? Have you been endued with power from on high? Luke deals extensively with that issue. It’s not either or. God wants us to experience both.
John 20:23 “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” To grasp the full implications of that statement is no small matter. What is Jesus saying to his church in verse 23?
The NIV Study Bible explains it this way, “God does not forgive people’s sins because we do so, nor does he withhold forgiveness because we do. Rather, those who proclaim the gospel are in effect forgiving or not forgiving sins, depending on whether the hearers accept or reject Jesus Christ.”
If you tell people about this forgiveness you are extending forgiveness to them. If they respond they are indeed forgiven. However, if you don’t tell them, you are NOT extending forgiveness to them. Then their sins will not be forgiven.
Jesus proclaims peace, He gives us purpose, He equips with his power, and He offers forgiveness to all who accepot his grace. But there is one final message Jesus gives his disciples.
3. That message is an INVITATION to believe. “Stop Doubting and Believe”[27]
Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to these disciples on the evening of the first Easter. We do not know why he was not there but we know all the disciples were radically shaken by Jesus’ death.
After Jesus appeared to the others they went to Thomas and told him what had happened. Have you ever been excited about an experience with the Lord, but when you told somebody about it they rained on your parade. I’m glad these disciples cared enough about Thomas to want to include him. But Thomas’ response was not encouraging at all. John 20:25 But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." In the Greek there is a double negative, which means I absolutely will not believe it.
Here is a disciple being an absolute stinker. Why is he behaving this way? Some of his response might be accounted for by his personality. He is an analytical person by nature. He doesn’t just go along. We saw that in the upper room when Jesus was talking about his departure and none of the disciples were really understanding it. It was Thomas, who was forthright enough to speak up and say, John 14:5 "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Thomas is not that kind of person who will pretend to go along just to be congenial.
But I think mostly what we’re seeing in his answer is the expression of emotional pain. The use of the double negative in the Greek is a strong hint in that direction. When you talk about the Lord to people who are in pain like Thomas was, don’t be surprised if they snap back with some double negative. Obviously the trauma of Jesus death has hurt him deeply. Notice his preoccupation with the scars Jesus received at his crucifixion. Thomas had invested himself wholeheartedly in following Jesus.[22] At this point that had only led to heartache and disappointment. Have you ever been so hurt or disappointed that it got hard to believe anything? Thomas was not just being obstinate and cynical. He didn’t want to get hurt again. He didn’t want to believe something and not see it come to pass. He’s giving these guys a real honest answer.[23]
But still he is in unbelief and it’s not a good place to get stuck. What will Jesus do with this sticker—this doubting Thomas? How will Jesus deal with him? He will deal with him in much the same way he has graciously dealt with us.
It is exactly one week later. The disciples are together once again. It is almost precisely the same scenario except this time Thomas is with the group. Just as before, Jesus appears in their midst. Just as before, he begins with those precious words, “Peace be with you.” But watch how he turns away from the ninety-nine and gives his attention to the one who needs him most. He invites Thomas to do exactly what he said he must do in order to believe. “Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger her; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side.”[24] What an awesome display of grace that was.
Then came the message to Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe.” The evidence is more than enough to support your faith. Now you must make a moral choice. Will you choose to continue in your unbelief? Or will you now choose to stop doubting and believe? Doesn’t the Lord have to say something like that to us at times? I think there is a little of Doubting Thomas in all of us. The Lord understands our struggles and is gracious. But there comes that moment when we must decide to embrace the truth and believe. There comes that moment when it is no longer acceptable to allow pain from the past to dominate the future. “Stop doubting and believe.” Anybody here need to make a decision like that? Anybody here need to decide to take the Lord at his word and move forward? “Stop doubting and believe.”
I love Thomas’ response. Regardless of his failings in the past this is his finest hour. Hear the awe in his voice as Thomas addresses Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”
The doubter has become the worshipper. He has surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. He has acknowledged the divinity of Christ with absolute clarity. What a powerful poof of the divinity of Jesus this scene is. There can be no mistake about it. Thomas is declaring Jesus to be his God and Jesus is receiving that. This is where we all must be in our commitment to the Lord. Until he is my Lord and my God I cannot fully enter into his purposes for my life.
Jesus gives Thomas one word of instruction. “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
How can we believe if we have not seen the resurrected Christ the way Thomas did?
John gives us the answer in verse 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.” That is John’s intention behind writing this gospel. It is not just a story to entertain. It is a message of truth that is to be embraced—embraced with the same kind of personal commitment Thomas made when he addressed Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”
When Jesus enters a ersons life He declares PEACE. This addresses our past. Then Jesus looks then he speaks to our discouragement and gives us PURPOSE. Inspite of our failings, when we chose to believe Jesus enables us with His power.
But none of this is affective until we decide to accept His invitation to lay down our hurts, griuef, discouragements and doubt and turn to Jesus and BELIEVE in His .
Is Jesus your Lord and your God? Have you bowed your heart to him with that confession on your lips? Just as surely as he called Thomas to believe him, he calls everyone here this morning to believe him. The invitation is extended to you this morning from Rom 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Now is your opportunity to do that.
God knows who you are, He loves you, and He wants you to know and love Him.
How do you do that?
You must first admit that, like everyone else, you are a sinner. Being sinners means that we are imperfect and do wrong; we fall short of God’s perfect standard. It also means we are separated from Him and deserve His judgment.
But He loves us! God sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. He died for your sins. He was punished so you don’t have to be. Not only that; death did not defeat Him. After three days, Jesus rose from the dead, alive again!
Trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for you is the only way to find forgiveness from God and to begin a relationship with Him. We urge you to take this step of faith today. To do that, simply talk to God – this is called praying – and tell Him you believe in His Son. We suggest a prayer like this:
“Lord Jesus Christ,
I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever.
Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen.”
