Sermon -- 2nd Sunday of Easter (April 28, 2019)

JOHN 20:19-31

JESUS GIVES AUTHORITY

TO FORGIVE SINS.

M: Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

Cong:  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

In the name + of Jesus.

      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, Jesus came and stood among them... (John 20:19)  I suspect that the disciples were even more fearful of Jesus than they were of the Jews who were locked outside of their room.  They all had good reason to be afraid of him.  The last time they had gathered in that room, they were making claims about which of them was the greatest, and boasting that they would die rather than forsake Jesus.  The last time most of them had seen Jesus, they were running for their lives out of the Garden of Gethsemane and into the dark of night.  They forsook him, and Jesus went on to die alone.  These disciples were plagued by guilt.  They had been unfaithful and cowardly.  They were not good disciples. 
     These guilt-ridden disciples were all gathered back in that upper room where they had feasted with Jesus.  They had heard reports of Jesus' resurrection from the women.  Some dismissed them as idle tales.  But what if it were true?  What would Jesus say to them if they saw him again?  How angry would Jesus be?  Would Jesus reject them and cast them into fiery judgment?  He should, shouldn't he?  These were legitimate concerns. 
     Then, Jesus appeared among them.  He was not angry.  He did not express regret.  He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)  Rather than breathing fire, Jesus breathed his Holy Spirit upon them.  Rather than casting them out of the kingdom of God, Jesus gave them authority to serve in his kingdom and even to proclaim his forgiveness in his stead and by his command.  He came to trembling sinners and declared, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)
     When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20)  Jesus demonstrated that it was really him—their flesh and blood Savior.  We should take to heart the fact that Jesus appeared in the flesh to declare his peace.  Although the Scriptures are clear about God's mercy and forgiveness, Jesus did not leave these disciples to figure out for themselves that God loves sinners and forgives the guilty.  If you are being plagued by guilt, you are too frightened and confused to be sure that God loves you.  You might hope so.  You might even insist that it has to be true.  But a guilty conscience will not let your heart have rest.
     Case in point: Judas Iscariot was just as guilty as the eleven.  In fact, Judas was the only one of the Twelve who actually tried to amend his sins.  Judas tried to return the money he had received to betray Jesus.  But Judas' attempt to undo his betrayal and its consequences did not take his sins away.  Wanting to be freed from his guilt did not make Judas free from his guilt.  Judas Iscariot was so overcome by his guilt and grief that he sought relief in suicide.  Sadly, Jesus had forsaken Jesus' promises, and his tragic death resulted in endless grief and eternal sufferings.  The remaining disciples huddled together in the upper room.  They, too, wanted to be freed from their guilt and shame.  But banding together for mutual consolation could not take away their sins or relieve their guilt.
     Therefore, Jesus himself appeared to these disciples.  The very one who had taken their sins to the cross delivered the message of forgiveness to them.  Jesus did not speak about some nebulous concept of forgiveness.  Jesus personally declared, “I forgive you.  Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)  Jesus knew they had failed.  He knew all their faults.  And he still loved them.  Jesus had authority to forgive their sins, and so he did.  As he declared it, so it was done.
     Now, our sins are just as real as those of the disciples.  Every day we strive to be faithful to our Lord and obedient to his word.  But we forsake God's truth when holding firm to it is hard or painful or inconvenient.  The world simply expects that we will approve of immoral behavior and that we will participate in it with them.  When you feel like you are alone in standing in God's truth and living according to it, it becomes easier and more comfortable to switch allegiance from Jesus to the world.  We feel ashamed at God's word when people sneer at us for believing it, and we feel like we have to apologize for godly living.  Or, we don't apologize for it; we abandon it.  So, how should the Lord treat us when we abandon him because it was hard or painful or inconvenient to be faithful Christians?  Repent.
     If you feel guilty over your sins, if you feel ashamed of your cowardice, if you are grieved by your faults and failures, you are where the disciples were in the upper room.  You know the fears they had.  You may have loved ones try to console you by saying, “Don't feel bad.  Everything's going to be fine.”  Or you may try to convince yourself, “It really isn't that bad because I didn't mean to be unfaithful.  I will try to do better next time.”  But there is no forgiveness in any of that.  The devil will either try to convince you that you are not really a sinner or that your sins are way too bad.  In the one case, you won't seek forgiveness because you don't think you need it.  In the other case, despair may lead you where Judas went.  In neither case is there forgiveness.  If you want to have peace, you need God's word to deliver it.
     The Lord Jesus appeared to his troubled disciples in the upper room on Easter evening.  Jesus personally declared, “I forgive you.  Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)   That is how God absolves sins, removes guilt, and heals broken spirits.  Jesus does not appear in person any longer, but this is what he does instead.  Jesus 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.” (John 20:21-23)  
     Jesus gives authority to forgive sins to his disciples.  The same authority Jesus has to forgive sins he gives to his disciples.  And the Church calls ministers to apply that forgiveness to troubled sinners.  If you are troubled by your sin and guilt, you will not find peace in some nebulous concept of forgiveness out there.  How would you ever know that Jesus forgives you, and that he forgives that sin?  He does this by sending flesh-and-blood ministers to speak in his stead and by his command.  “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you,” (John 20:21) Jesus said.  Jesus gives authority to forgive sins.  Through his ministers, Jesus applies to you personally the forgiveness of your sins.  Yes, Jesus knows that you have failed.  He is aware of all of your faults.  And he still loves you.  He does not look upon you with disgust.  He does not regret dying for you.  Rather, he gives the benefits of his death to you.  He is merciful to you.  He desires you to live without guilt or shame or fear.  So Jesus gives you a personal word of forgiveness.  You hear it when his minster declares, “I forgive you.”  It is Jesus' “I” that you hear.  It is Jesus' forgiveness that is applied to you.  It is declared with Jesus' authority and backed by Jesus' own promise: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.” (John 20:23)  
     Jesus gives authority to forgive sins to his disciples.  And you are all disciples of Christ.  You are all priests of God who bear his name and confess his word.  And you all have friends who carry burdens of guilt and shame.  Many of them live in terror at the idea of seeing Jesus.  They expect him to be angry, and for good reason.  They need the very forgiveness that you have.  And you get to be the voice that Christ uses to bring relief to guilty hearts, comfort to troubled souls, and healing to broken spirits.  Jesus gives authority to forgive sins to you, too.  It is his word.  It is his good news.  It is meant for everyone Jesus died for—that is, everyone.  And it is to be delivered to each individual—that is: “Jesus forgives you.  Jesus saves you.”
     Jesus gives authority to forgive sins.  He does this for your benefit so that you can know, without a doubt, that your sins are forgiven.  He grants peace to troubled sinners, and he brings joy to grateful saints.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.