“The Responsibility of Easter”

Scripture: John 20:19-31

How many things in our lives never get done because “I just don’t have the time!”? When I worked at NYSEG, the company would sponsor “Time Management” courses from time to time. The classes would generally take 3-4 days, and some would actually last an entire week. I took a class once, and the focus, as I remember, was primarily on situational analysis (or figuring out what was wrong so you could correct some adverse condition) and delegation of responsibility. The first was more of a common sense approach to observation, and the second was fine if you had enough subordinates that you could assign your work to!

The problem, though, is not actually about managing time! Have you ever tried to make time go more slowly so you could get more done? Or increase the hours in the day by another 100 to 200 minutes? Time moves ahead at a given pace, regardless of what we do to slow it down!

The issue that we should focus on is taking responsibility for our own lives – which actually is about managing our self and setting reasonable priorities upon our life’s activities. Oh sure – there will always be those times when our priorities will get turned on their ear, and our efforts to “Manage Self” becomes an exercise in futility, generally because of others, but that doesn’t mean that “Keeping the Main thing the Main thing” shouldn’t be our everyday endeavor.

Read John 20:19-23

Mary has reported her encounter with the Living Jesus, and Peter has confirmed the emptiness of the tomb, and yet, these faithful followers are still hiding out in abject fear of the authorities. You would think that they would be celebrating; you would think that they would be out telling everyone they meet that Jesus is alive! And yet, where are they? Cowering in a hiding place, with the door locked and bolted shut, shaking in their boots. Were the Jews out looking for them? Probably, but more likely, they expected that this would be the end of all the nonsense involving this Jesus. Were the Romans out looking for them? Absolutely, but not so much because they were believers, but because they were trying to find out who took the Body!

They had a message that the world just had to hear, and what were they doing? They were locked away, scared stiff! Much to their surprise, though, Jesus comes to them, right where they are. And he greets them with “Peace be with you.” This would become a fairly common greeting, especially in many of the letters from the apostle Paul, but it would also become a confirmation of a promise that Jesus had made some time before. In John 14:27-29, he offers his followers these very words, and calls them to believe. That had been a pretty difficult thing to do - until now that is. For 3 years, Jesus had been preparing his friends for this very day, and now he was preparing them for the days to come.

The Lord’s Peace is being offered to the very people who will soon begin to experience the same level of hatred and persecution that Jesus did, and his gift of “Peace” to these frightened men and women is his promise that they will not face the world and their animosity alone – that his Peace will sustain them and accompany them - wherever they go, and in whatever they experience. And in addition to his peace, he breaths his Spirit upon them. The Peace of Christ will sustain them in their upcoming ministry, and the Spirit of Christ will empower and enable them to continue to serve in his name.

This can almost be seen as a commissioning ceremony – a time when the people are given God’s blessing to act on his behalf and in his name. They are now even allowed to forgive sin – remember that the Jews believed that only God could forgive sin, and that this is what got Jesus into trouble several times! But the Risen Jesus tells them that their forgiveness is binding in heaven, and the lack of their forgiveness is also bound securely.

And remember that by faith in Jesus Christ, we, too, have that commissioning and blessing. But in receiving the authority to do these things, there is a tremendous responsibility that comes along with it. Matthew 7:1-2 tells us that we aren’t to judge others, because when we do, that is how we will be judged. In Matthew 5:19, we read that when we follow the Lord’s law and teach others to do the same, we will be honored in heaven, but if we fail to follow the law, and teach others to disregard it, too, we will know the Father’s anger.
Faith in Christ, and all that this faith brings, can give us both a great blessing for our lives, as well as a heavy cross to bear!

Read John 20:24-25

Poor Thomas! Because of this statement, he would be dubbed “The Doubter”, when actually, the others were no less doubtful than he was! What did they do when Mary came running with the news of Jesus resurrection? THEY DOUBTED! What did Jesus do to reassure them when he appeared in the locked room? HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND SIDE! Thomas is no different than the others - he is simply seeking tangible proof for his faith, just as they did.

Are we any different? Do we ever doubt? Do we ever seek proof of Christ’s call on our lives? How often do we, in faith, look for justification for what we believe? Thomas isn’t such a strange guy, is he? Or perhaps, we aren’t any stranger than he was!

So how did Jesus react to his questioning?

Read John 20:26-31

Two issues that we need to be especially cognizant of:
First, note the absence, in this instance, of any words indicating that the believers continued to “fear the Jews”. The doors were still locked, but had the fear left them?
Second, Thomas’ presence is specifically noted, possibly as an indication that he is about to receive what the others already had.

But did Jesus actually have to return to this room to grant Thomas the gifts of Peace and Spirit? Certainly not, but I believe that there was a specific reason that he did return. His purpose was to complete the transformation of these peoples’ lives, from that of “follower” to that of “believer”. This change is all that Jesus and Thomas talk about. He offers himself to the man, not to embarrass or chastise him, but to solidify his believe in who Jesus is for him. We don’t read that Thomas ever took Jesus up on his offer, but probably the very offer itself was enough. And Thomas believed.

And the Evangelist writes that all of these words were written so that we might believe in Jesus as the Son of God and that those who believe will have eternal life through him. But if we truly believe, and receive that eternal life in Christ, what will that require of us? Well, it led these disciples, and that includes many more than just the 11, to carry the Good News of Jesus throughout the world!

And what does all of this mean for us? First, it means that the Spirit of fear will no longer have control over our lives. We will have the courage to carry the gospel, perhaps not as far as the early apostles did, but as far as God needs us to. Second, we, too, receive the power of the Spirit – to forgive sin, to be the means that heal broken bodies and broken lives, to be able to discern the truth of God over the lies of the world, to carry the Gospel message to those who are still living in the darkness of worldly thought, and to do all of the other things that the Lord has yet to reveal to us.

In Romans 10:13-15 – we read that our calling is not one to be lived out in an easy-going, stoic existence! The responsibility that comes to those who are Easter people is summed up in our texts for today. We are to know and claim the Peace of Christ for our lives; we are to trust the leading of the Spirit and follow wherever he might take us; we are to have voices that sing the praises of Almighty God and his Son Jesus Christ everywhere we go; and we are to rejoice in the feet that take us into the opportunities of service in the name of Jesus Christ.

No fear. No doubt. No apprehension. No denial of God’s call. Just to believe and trust and accept and go in his Name, to bring praises and honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! That is the blessing and the responsibility of Easter for all who believe.