Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, that of Thine ineffable grace, for the sake of Thy Son, Thou hast given us the holy gospel, and hast instituted the holy sacraments, that through the same we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Thy word; and through the holy sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
This Easter narrative shows us the Two Natures in Christ. They are united in His Person - His human and His divine nature. That began when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so Jesus is often called God Incarnate, literally God in the Flesh. This union of God and man was predicted in Isaiah 7 and 9. Immanuel means "God with us" in Hebrew.
The Two Natures are revealed as a mystery in the Bible, mystery meaning a doctrine of the Bible revealed by the Spirit in the Word, not something known purely through man's reason.
The rationalists will allow that Jesus actually lived and that He was a great teacher, but they do not accept the divinity of Christ or His miracles.
Some Christians have problems and doubts about the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. The human nature of Jesus never limited His divinity, but that troubles them. Did Jesus enter the locked room by a secret entrance? as Calvin would theorize. That is like saying the doors must be unlocked and open when we pray.
This is an important lesson about doubt. All the teachings of the Bible have disturbed and annoyed people from the beginning. They would teach the Bible how to express such matters. But it is our responsibility to see God's Word as it is, the unique and unified truth He has revealed for all time. That is what teaches us the peace that transcends all understanding, when we understand that God does not always take the troubles from our hearts; instead, He takes our hearts away from the trouble (Luther).
The Locked Room and Peace
KJV John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
This narrative begins on Easter Sunday, after various sightings of the empty tomb and Jesus. The Emmaus disciples were back in the room when Jesus appeared.
An important fact is that the disciples were still afraid of the Jews and barred the doors shut, very much like our home in Bella Vista, because the previous renter was afraid of an in-law, and used chains and large boards to lock every door shut. Jesus was blocked of the room because His divine nature was not limited by His human nature. The rationalists do not think this through. If He could be locked out, then what is the use of praying silently or in a locked home or in a secure church with the doors guarded?
The beginning of trouble is doubt. People will say, "God can do anything," which is true. But when their doubts are used to measure what He can do, then all kinds of spiritual foolishness follow.
One Lutheran pastor featured a painting with the angels rolling the stone away from the tomb, to let Jesus out. So the Creating Word needed help from the created angels? What a strange error to portray.
Jesus appeared before them, which was proof enough of His resurrection and divine power. He greeted them with the traditional word - Peace. This word means more than hello. In the New Testament peace is almost always associated with forgiveness and salvation.
The disciples did not acquit themselves well at the time of the arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus. That word "Peace" meant they were graciously forgiven their sins. Peter was given a three-fold absolution (next chapter) when Jesus appeared while they were fishing, something Peter really needed because he had sworn to be faithful to Jesus and yet denied Him three times.
The portrayal of the disciples is important because they mirror our frailty. Rather than elevate them to semi-divine status, the Scriptures hold them up as examples of humanity. It is as if the Word says, Look at all the weaknesses and yet they became Apostles. The human portrayal is always extolling the virtues of the given saint, recent or past, as though the person could do not wrong and had the strength of a thousand, the patience of Job, and the boundless love of the universe.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
Next Jesus showed them His hands and side. He was raised from the dead and glorified, yet the Two Natures were still (and are) united in His Person. This showed He was not a ghost or a dream, but the Crucified Messiah, a concept they never grasped and would preach as long as the lived. The grieving disciples were glad when they saw it was Jesus.
If anything explains the courage and patience of the Apostles, this does. They were not animated by their own strengths but by witnessing the power of the divine, proven for their own eyes to see. How could they doubt?
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
2. For when he comes he finds his disciples still sitting in fear and terror both from without because of the Jews and from within because of their consciences, and yet very weak and slow of heart to believe, although they had heard from the women and some of the disciples that he had risen from the dead. But while this saddened their hearts and they were talking with one another about it, behold, Christ appears and hails them with the friendly greeting after the Hebrew custom, “Peace be unto you!” which means in our language, to wish one everything good. For we call that peace where all goes well, the heart is contented, and prosperity reigns. This is the joyful message Christ always brings with him, as he repeats it the second and third time in this narrative.
Luther touches on major points. Why were the disciples locked up and afraid? They were timid and weak from their sins. But they saw the empty grave and some saw the risen Lord. That is true, and even more true for us. We have heard and read this transforming event many times in our lives, yet we can just as easily be timid, afraid, and beaten down by our own doubts.
As forgiven and restored sinners, the disciples experienced the peace and joy of Jesus' spoken "Peace be with you. I was sent by My Father, now I am sending you." Jesus gave them authority to forgive sins and to retain them.
6. But with the Christian or spiritual peace we find just the opposite conditions, namely, that the evils without remain, such as foes, sickness, poverty, sin, the devil, and death. They are ever present and are surrounding us; nevertheless there is internal peace, strength and comfort in the heart, so that the heart does not concern itself about misfortune, yea, is even more courageous and joyful in the presence than in the absence of misfortune. It can therefore indeed be called a peace, which passeth all understanding. For reason understands and seeks no other peace but that which comes from without through possessions which the world can give, but which knows not how to quiet and comfort the heart in times of need, when all else fails. But when Christ comes, he does not change the outward unpleasant conditions, but strengthens the person, and makes out of a timid, a fearless heart, out of a trembling, a bold heart; and out of a disquieted, a peaceful, quiet conscience, so that the person is courageous, bold, and joyful in the midst of those things in which otherwise all the world is terrified; that is, in death, terror of sin, and all distress, in which the world with its comfort and possessions can render no help. This, then, is a true and constant peace, which remains forever and is invincible as long as the heart clings to Christ.
7. Hence, this peace is nothing else than that the heart is certain that it has a merciful God and the forgiveness of sins, for without this it can neither stand in the time of need and danger, nor be satisfied by any earthly fortune.
Our fantasy is that with money, power, and prestige, our problems would be over. That make cure a few earthly problems, but that is an illusion, as Evita sings in the musical by that name. People will see in the next year that great power and wealth can be lost overnight. Those who enjoyed so many earthly powers will not be able to walk down the street, when the truth comes out.
True power is the power of the Word. Anything worthwhile that happens comes directly from him, not from scheming, lying, bribing, threatening, and thirsting for power. The spiritual blessings are lasting and exist in the midst of troubles. In fact, God uses troubles to accomplish His will.
The folly of the success movement is that people equate faith with faith in God's willingness to grant material blessings for those who demand it. Then those who demand find themselves losing faith because others get that or get far more. They were betting at the wrong window so they wander off to another swindle.
One student told me of a church that would not help a financially distressed member until she gave 10% of her income. Then they would consider it. The minister drives a Bentley, which can cost
$150,000. These are swindle operations based on gullibility and greed.
If church politics helped, why have they not helped in the last 50 years? I have seen the politicians at work and heard their whispered schemes. At this point I would think some would try something else, like religion.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Thomas is an important disciple, especially in the Gospel of John. He may not have been the most doubtful, but he was definitely the one who openly confessed those doubts and fears. When Jesus spoke of going to Bethany, Thomas said, "We can all die together there."
The Gospel of John shows how early and intense the opposition was to Jesus. So there was reason for the fear.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Thomas is doubtless the model for every doubting Thomas. I would put the professors at the head of the list. Goaded by their professors when they were in graduate school, they will agree with the Scriptures, provided... and they have their demands. They want a record up to their standards and agreeing with all their thoughts. I remember future pastors decrying the violence of the Old Testament and denouncing it. The same type went on to support the greatest and worst violence, abortion on demand. No one objected to that in their ELCA health plan.
That is also why all the mainline seminaries are academies for social justice (left-wing) warriors. And they brag about it. They have no trust for the Scriptures unless they want to anchor their radicalism in a verse or two.
Thomas' sin is that he will not accept the combined testimony of seeing and hearing the risen Lord. That is not enough, just as four Gospels are not enough, two accounts of the Virgin Birth are not enough, over 500 seeing the risen Lord - not enough. For those modern DTs, nothing is enough, except to use as material for their polemics.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
In Jewish counting, eight days are a week later, today, and the disciples were still in the locked room. Rather than bursting forth into into Jerusalem, they still took counsel of their fears. Many times the difficulties last weeks, years, and they trouble us. When we find the peace of God in the midst of those times, we look back with satisfaction and realize how we were being trained in spiritual values from the Scriptures.
Instead of berating them, Jesus said again, "Peace be unto you."
The time after the Resurrection was used by Jesus to train His followers in the meaning of Passion Week and the empty grave. In 1 Corinthians 15, the witnesses numbered over 500. They were the backbone of the apostolic church and its preaching. This church was built on the Word alone - they had nothing else.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
I agree this is best understood as a command, not as a suggestion. Making a demand of God can mean seeing it answered literally. This is what Thomas ordered to remove his doubts. We would have said, "How dare you! You were hiding when I was dying." Instead, Thomas got strong medicine for his doubts and demands, and it had an immediate effect.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
This is the great blessing for believers - Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Faith is not great because "someone believes hard enough," but because is so great He expands far behind what we can even imagine, let alone ask.
This faith is the victory of the world, seeking spiritual blessings rather than material blessings, inner peace rather than outer peace.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The continuous ministry of the Christian Church is to preach and teach the Gospel of forgiveness through Christ. Through this unique gift from God, we have peace and comfort, in the midst of turmoil.
29. But for the absolution to be right and efficacious, it must spring from the command of Christ, which is as follows: I declare thee free from all thy sins, not in my own name, nor in the name of any saint, nor for the sake of any human merit, but in the name of Christ and by the authority of his command, who has commissioned me to say to you that all your sins are forgiven, hence, not I but he himself by his own mouth forgives thee thy sins, and thou art under obligation to receive this and believe it firmly, not as the word of man, but as if thou hadst heard it from the lips of the Lord Christ himself.
30. Therefore, although this power to forgive sins belongs to God only, we should nevertheless know that he exercises and imparts this power through this external office, to which Christ has called his apostles, and commands them to proclaim in his name forgiveness of sins to all who desire it. Sins, are forgiven, therefore, not by human will and power, but by the command of Christ, for this purpose he then also sends the Holy Spirit, namely, in order to forgive sins.
31. God also does this for our welfare, so that we need not look up to heaven in vain, when we receive it not, and be compelled to say as St. Paul does, when he quotes Moses: “Who shall ascend unto heaven?” etc. But he does this that we may have the assurance of it, he has placed the forgiveness of sins in the public office and the Word, in order that we may continually have it with us, upon our lips and in our hearts. There we shall find absolution and forgiveness, and we know that where we hear this message proclaimed to us by the command of Christ we are bound to believe it as if it were announced to us by Christ himself.
