John 20:19-31

            {Prayer}

            It’s dark outside and you’re home alone. The doors of the house are locked and the garage door is closed. Engrossed in a movie or a book … the outside world doesn’t exist. That is until BAM! All of a sudden there is this noise! BAM! Your mind is racing, “What in the world is that? Who’s there?”  A sense of fear, maybe even panic sets in. Do you move? Do you go and find out what it is? What do you do? In that moment, you freeze. You freeze, not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, even spiritually. Fear has a way of locking more than doors. It locks us up from truly living.

            It was evening. The disciples were behind locked doors in fear of the Jews. They were still trying to process everything that had happened. The arrest and trials of Jesus, the gruesome crucifixion, and the empty tomb. What did it all mean? They had heard the women’s testimony and Peter and John had looked in and seen the empty tomb with their own eyes. And still, despite what they had heard and seen … their world was still spinning.

            Then Jesus shows up! Out of nowhere! He doesn’t knock! He doesn’t wait for the doors to open. He just appears. Knowing the disciples are going to be out of their minds … Jesus says exactly what they, what those gathered there need to hear … “Shalom … Peace be with you!” (John 20:19). Jesus then showed them his hands and side and the disciples were overjoyed.

            But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He gives them more than comfort … Jesus gives them a calling. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (20:21). And then He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (20:22).

            This is a turning point in the life of the disciples. The resurrection of Jesus isn’t just something to believe in … it’s something to be sent with.

            We’ve all had those “BAM” kind of moments. Times when something shakes us to our core. And like the disciples, our first instinct is often to hide. We retreat. We lock the doors, not just the physical doors of our homes, but the doors of our hearts, our thoughts, our faith.

            We build barriers around ourselves. Out of fear. Out of hurt. Out of shame. We lock ourselves away from the world, from one another, even from God. We’d rather hide than risk being known. We’d rather stay in our comfort zone than be vulnerable.

            And deep down, it’s not just fear of what’s out there … it’s fear of being exposed for what’s in here. We know we don’t have it all together. We’re afraid that if people saw the doubts we wrestle with, the sins we still struggle with, the messes we try to cover up, they’d turn away. And sometimes, we even believe the lie that God might do the same.

            We live as if the resurrection of Jesus is just a story, rather than the power that changes everything.

            Instead of being sent, we stay stuck. Instead of forgiving, we withhold grace. Instead of going, we settle into spiritual passivity. We make peace with sin instead of fighting it. We justify our silence instead of speaking the truth in love. We become spectators in the mission of God rather than participants.

            And in doing so, we rob others, we rob ourselves. We rob them and us of the peace and presence of Jesus.

            Even in the midst of that fear … when we’re frozen, paralyzed, hiding … Jesus doesn’t wait for us to issue Him an invitation. Jesus doesn’t knock. He just shows up. Just like He did with the disciples. Jesus steps through the walls of our fear and anxiety and speaks peace … reminding us of His presence and our identity as His disciples. Jesus steps into our fear and He speaks peace. And then He sends us.

            This order of stepping in and speaking peace and then sending us is important. Peace with God comes first because it means being with God, restored in a relationship. In this relationship we have the assurance that we are forgiven, restored, and loved.

            Then comes the purpose. Once we have received that peace of God, we are sent to carry it out into the world. What began as fear behind locked doors becomes faith lived out in the open. Jesus moves us from isolation to mission. We are sent out … but we are not sent out alone.

Breathing onto the disciples, Jesus gives them the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit goes with you, wherever it is you go. Christ has chosen you and He has given you His presence through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. You do not go alone.

            A few weeks ago, we wrapped up the Red Letter Challenge. We spent 40 days digging into the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. Digging into those red letters we focused in on five main targets. Being. Forgiving. Serving. Giving. Going. Today’s Gospel reading is a natural next step.

            Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Yes, this message was for the disciples … but it is also for you and me. You and I are sent. You are sent into your workplace, your home, your friendships, your daily routines. In everything we do we are sent with the mission of making Christ known.

            In Baptism, through the hearing of the Word of God, you received the Holy Spirit. You were given the gift of faith. Which means you have been given authority to speak forgiveness in Jesus’ name. This is not just for pastors. This is for the disciples of Jesus, for the followers of Jesus. This is for you!

            Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone of his sins, they are forgiven, if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:23).

            This isn’t about gatekeeping. This isn’t about locking the door of heaven to anyone. This is about sharing the Gospel. This is about sharing God’s gift of love and grace to those around us. Jesus is entrusting His Church with the most powerful gift in the world. He is entrusting us with forgiveness. The cross wasn’t the end. If it was, then the resurrection wouldn’t have happened and our faith would be utterly useless. The cross … it was the beginning of something new. And now we are His living, breathing extension in the world. We are sent to speak life where there is death, hope where there is despair, forgiveness where there is shame.

            That is your calling.

            You might be thinking … But I like being behind my closed and locked door. Behind this door it’s safe. No one has to know what I don’t know. They can live their life and I can live mine. I’m not ready for all this. I don’t have all the answers. I’m not bold enough.”

            You know what … neither were the disciples. During Jesus’ ministry, Jesus was out front and the disciples were in the background, many times not understanding what Jesus was doing or saying. But this is why Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit.

            You do not go out into the world alone. If you don’t know the answer, admit it and ask that person to walk along with you as you both discover the answer. As I said a few weeks ago, the only one who knows everything that is in the Bible is God because He is the author. God knows it and by the Holy Spirit He reveals to us what we need to know to serve and love one another.

            So the next time life hits you with a BAM! … a surprise diagnosis, a shattered plan, a broken relationship … remember this … you’re not alone in the room. Jesus is already there. And He’s not just calming your fears … He’s giving you His peace, He’s sending you with His Spirit.       

            Go with confidence. Forgive with freedom. Serve with joy. Love boldly. Speak the name of Jesus, because He sends you, and He goes with you. Amen.

            The peace of God, that surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, now and forever. Amen.