Sermon: Meeting with Jesus In The Secret Place
Scripture - John 20:18-23 NLT “Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Introduction: One can only imagine the confusion, doubt and fear experienced by the disciples of Christ following His crucifixion. For days, they were hidden in an upper chamber, hearing nothing but rumors and street gossip. These men were full of guilt, fear, and doubt about the future. Each of them probably experiencing their own personal torment. One of them had betrayed Jesus. Peter their chief spokesman had denied him, and the rest had run away like scared little children. Only John had possessed the courage to go with Jesus to the trial, but John was not allowed to speak in his defense. Were these the men that would save the world? They could not even save Jesus. Their faith had failed them, and fear had possessed and paralyzed them. The word on street was that they were being sought by the Jewish authorities.
Yet they had no idea they would meet Jesus In their secret place. While rehearsing the arrest, trial, conviction, public scourging, and execution of Jesus over and over in their minds, you saw no way forward. Jerusalem was in an uproar; strange things were being reported. The region had experienced the first recorded eclipse, as sun had gone down in the middle of the afternoon. On the third day morning, the city had been awakened by an earthquake. The city of Jerusalem was filled with confusion, fear, and suspicion. It seemed that everyone was suspicious of everyone else. It was reported that the authorities were offering rewards for any information about that sect. New reports were coming in that vandals had desecrated the graveyard and that many tombstones were overturned, and graves were opened and emptied. These disciples sat, pondering the last words of Jesus the Christ over and over again, they need something or someone to get them moving again. Jesus finds them in their secret place, behind closed, bring the gifts and graces they need to move forward.
It's easy to get in a rut of hopelessness and despair. You have goals but for some reason, you are not reaching for them. You can also get stuck in worry, afraid to make a decision, or change something in your life. Or maybe you're disappointed with how a particular situation turned out, and it just feels too hard to move on. When we get stuck, we often wait for external change to happen. But change doesn't happen to us, it comes from within us. Change is scary and painful, but it's also necessary for getting unstuck. And if you can hear the right word, your perspective can change and may discover new opportunities are ahead. Jesus knows where we are and how to find us, even in our secret places.
Jesus understands that his weakened disciples need to let go of the past. They needed to change their perspective and see the future differently. All new beginnings start with small, needed changes. These fearful fishermen of men, needed to rediscover their purpose and start believing themselves again. yourself. How can these disciples become hopeful again. What did Jesus do? Knowing His disciples were stuck, Jesus gave them what they needed.
1. Jesus Gave his beloved disciples Peace to Enjoy! Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.
I know your trials have been hard and your future may appear uncertain, but I am here to bring you peace! Take a deep breath and enjoy my peace. Rest assured, you are not alone. These events did not catch me by surprise, this is all a part of God plan. Don’t be alarmed by the religious leaders, or the Roman government. Don’t worry about your future or your success. I will supply all your needs.
2. Jesus gave them Proof to Believe – “As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Jesus them evidence they could hear, see, and touch! Before they could be success on their mission, they be convinced that Jesus was who he said he was and would do what he said he would. If Jesus sends us in the same manner the Father send him, we can make! The Father did not Jesus to suffer lack in any area. If we go in his name, on his mission, doing his assigned ministry, success will be ours. Let’s shake off our doubts and fears. Let us take up courage and go!
3. Jesus gave them a Plan to Obey – As my father sent me, I am sending you!
Mt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Jesus gave them a plan to obey. These disciples must follow God’s plan and go. They must not sit around waiting for an assignment, they have their marching orders. They must decide where to go, when to go, how often they will go and sometimes to whom they will go. Keeping sharing the new good news as you go. Many people sit around waiting for a special task or the perfect audience or a friend crowd, instead of going. Just obey the plan!
4. Jesus gave them Power to Succeed – He breathe on them! Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The disciples had been operating under Jesus anointing, on His words, but now he breathed on them and they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Later in Acts 1:8, they received Holy Spirit empowerment to be successful witnesses. They would proclaim His word power, God working with them confirming the word, they preached.
Mr 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
These stuck disciples met Jesus in their secret place. They were stuck in fear, unbelief, and doubt. Jesus found them where they were and gave them what they needed. They gave them peace to enjoy, evidence to believe, a plan to obey and power to succeed.
Our bible is filled with great preaching messages, many signs and wonders and even the bodily resurrection of our Lord. Yet you never read, all believed. No some heard the truth and were perplexed; some heard the truth and doubted, Some heard the truth and mocked, many heard and believed. With peace that passes understanding, convincing evidence to encouraged faith, a straightforward plan to obey, and the power to succeed, how can we not believe and go, believe, and proclaim his message? Jesus gave us all we need, his peace, his proof, his plan, and his power!
Don’t spend anytime worried about the perplexed, the doubters, the mockers or the unbelievers. I don’t know why but every generation has had their supply of perplexed, doubting, mocking crowd. Moses had them, Samuel had them, Jeremiah had them, Jesus had them, Peter had them and Stephen had them. You be a believer!
