The first Sunday evening church service

John 20:19-23

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Easter Sunday night and the disciples are behind locked doors. Even though Mary has declared that she has seen the Lord, the risen Jesus, the disciples are still afraid. The news has had no impact on their lives.

We, like the disciples, have heard the amazing that Jesus is risen from the dead, but we go on living our lives in fear and uncertainty. Hearing the news is not enough, we say, if we had really seen Jesus alive, then we would live changed lives. (We will need to put this idea on the backburner until Friday’s devotional.)   

Then Jesus walks into the room, through the locked door without even opening it. And says, “Shalom” (Peace be with you.) Shalom was the standard greeting of time, like “hello” – but when said by the risen Jesus the words sound very different. Jesus proved it was really him, alive, risen from the dead – and the disciples were overjoyed.

Jesus then gave the disciples three instructions:

1.     I am sending you. That would be get out of here and share my message,

2.     Receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was breathed into them – the Holy Spirit who Jesus had promised during the long conversation in the Upper Room (John 15 and 16). In giving the Holy Spirit, Jesus was reminding the disciples that he, Jesus, was on his way to the Father – his resurrected being was not going to be on earth very long, so they were to receive the Holy Spirit to guide them.

3.     They were given the power to forgive (or not forgive) sins. In a world that is desperate to find a way out of bitterness, hatred and revenge – in a world desperate for reconciliation – the followers of Jesus have the power to forgive, to bring forgiveness into being in our world.

PRAYER:  

We rejoice, Lord God, that you have raised Jesus Christ to life again. Fill us with joy as we hear him say to us, “Peace be with you.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.