The Castle is a famous Australian comedy film about the working-class Kerrigan family’s battle to save their modest suburban home; their castle. When the government seeks the compulsory acquisition of it in order to expand the neighbouring Tullamarine airport, the family dig in and bunker down to win an unlikely fight and keep their home.
Tell ’em he’s dreamin’ is an iconic line of the film, by the father, Darryl Kerrigan. His son Steve is fascinated with reading the Trading Post and estimating the value of unusual items advertised for sale-ergonomic chairs, an overhead projector, and even jousting sticks. When Darryl enquires of the listed price for each item and Steve informs him, Daryl declares: “Tell ’em they’re dreamin’.”
This reaches a comic crescendo when, in one scene, Steve asks: “Dad -what’s a pul-pit?” “Where the minister gives his sermon from,” Darry replies. “How much?”
“Eight hundred.” “Dreamin!”
By the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection, Darryl Kerrigan’s line: “Tell ‘im he’s dreamin”‘ would not have been out of place uttered by the disciples. Unlike the Kerrigan family, theirs was not a battle to stand their ground and defy the compulsory acquisition of their home-theirs was simply a battle for survival. You see, the setting of this first Easter is far from a happy one. There was violence, vulnerability, and fear. The disciples were gathered together, locked in the room afraid _of what might befall them from the hands of the Jewish authorities, for anyone known to be followers of Jesus would suffer the same fate as he. Their very lives were on the line!
Frightened, confused and hurting, overcome with grief and shocked at the horrific and brutal way their dearly loved teacher and friend had been executed, the disciples’ hopes for the future-of triumph and freedom-had seemingly been killed and buried with the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Everything they had hoped for and had given up to follow Jesus now seemed for nothing. Ever since Jesus rode in to Jerusalem and everyone shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” it had all seemed to have fallen apart so quickly.
To make matters worse, it seemed as though a few of them had lost their minds-like Mary, who in the morning had rushed from the tomb where the body of Jesus had been laid, all excitable and not making much sense: “I have seen the Lord!” telling them she had even grasped him with her own hands! But the disciples didn’t believe it. According to Luke, the disciples didn’t believe the women because their words seemed like nonsense (Luke 24:11). “Tell ’em they’re dreaming!”
But they are not dreaming. There in lockdown, in that fear-filled abode, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them: ‘Peace be with you.”
Before Jesus had gone to the Cross he had said to them: “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33).
Jesus has overcome the world. He has overcome the tomb. He has overcome everything for everyone: Satan, hell, and all the sinful turmoil and devastation we see and know, from conflict and division around the globe, conflicts that devastated ANZAC troops and families at Gallipoli, and the devastation and loss connected with every military foray since, conflicts that begin with the missiles of hurtful words that we humans are so ready and willing to launch.
Jesus has overcome everything that would seek to disrupt life and peace with God. There in the room in which the disciples have locked themselves in, he proves it. He has even triumphed over death itself. The door is locked, but Jesus stands in their midst. He is not a ghost. He shows them his hands and side to prove he has bodily risen. How can Jesus, bodily, physically resurrected, come and join them through a locked door? Well, how could he overcome death and leave a tomb sealed with a huge stone at the entrance? But he has… and seeing the Lord, the disciples were filled with joy.
Jesus comes to assure them that even though all is not right between them and the world, all is right between them and God. Jesus initiates, intervenes, intrudes into their dark and fearful existence, to proclaim that there is no barrier, there is no locked door to accessing God’s grace and compassion, his mercy and favour, his forgiveness and peace, through the living Christ. This peace is not merely a nice greeting, but words that bring about a whole new reality. Jesus speaks peace into existence; actually bringing peace from God in that locked-down room, in the face of their fear, grief, guilt and hurts.
And so Jesus’ resurrection is all about his living presence to forgive, restore, and reconcile. Through his apostles he gives the keys to unlock the kingdom of heaven to fearful sinners: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” And having said this he breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.”
Thomas, though, wasn’t there when this took place: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Or, in the words of Darryl Kerrigan: “Tell ’em they’re dreamin”‘.
But because Jesus’ resurrection is all about reconciliation, he doesn’t let Thomas’ doubt be the last word. Jesus returned to make sure that Thomas didn’t miss out on receiving peace from God. Although the doors were again locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jesus’ invitation for Thomas to put his hand in his side calls to mind the creation account in Genesis 2, where the LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and then took part of the man’s side and closed it up with flesh, and made a woman from the part of Adam’s side he had taken (Genesis 2:21-22). In this we hear how God brings about something new from the side of Adam. Now God has made a new thing from the side of the new Adam, Jesus-his side that was torn open by a soldier’s spear. Through the blood and water that poured from this gaping wound Jesus has redeemed all people, and ransomed the people of God who he has claimed as his own.
Many would tell us we’re simply dreaming because of the Christian hope we hold to, arguing that there is no God, at least not a good one, in a world with all its troubles and evil, suffering and grief. Yet if there really was no God and only the evil mess we see and experience, then we and the world would simply be captive to chance in the survival of the fittest. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, death wins, and our fleeting life quickly evaporates in futility. But Jesus says: “Blessed are you who have not seen and believed.” Belief itself is from God at work in our world, for a person can only believe if God has first come to them in the first place and worked faith in their heart. Your belief is the very sign the risen Christ is real, and has come to you, and blessed you.
The church has never been more vulnerable than it was on that first Easter day. But as the church endures in a treacherous and destructive world, the risen Christ is present and true to his word always. Jesus who is not limited by time or space or the grave, stands in our midst in the sanctuary again today. He proclaimed peace to you again this morning after he absolved you of all your sins. He shows you the wounds in his hands by his giving to you of his body and blood at his holy table. As you come, he invites you to reach out and put your hands in his side-to place in there all the fear we hold on to, the deep wounds inflicted by others, the hurtful words and actions even from other children of God, the guilt of our failings, the weight of our grievances, the shame that stains us, and our weaknesses and brokenness, so that it can all be concealed in Christ.
What hurts and fears, what scars and pain, secret sins and shame does your Father in heaven want you to hide in the wounds of his Son, to relieve you of the burden of bearing it yourself?
Jesus’ resurrection is all about reconciliation, and reconciliation results in peace. Jesus comes to us beyond our closed doors, our locked hearts, our despairing minds, and guides us into faith. With our mouths we confess the faith we believe. But more than confessing creeds, Easter is about resurrected relationships-beginning with the resurrected relationship we each have with God himself. Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb means that not even our deepest failings or the darkest evil in the world around us, nor finally even death itself can separate you from the life and blessings God has for you. No barrier of human design-not even a tomb sealed with a stone can prevent Jesus coming to you with the fullness of divine grace, favour, life and peace.
As people who have died and risen with Jesus in baptism, he calls you now to follow him as bearers of peace and reconciliation with one another. Who can you take God’s peace to this week, this day? Who do you need to make peace with? What closed doors in our hearts need to be opened by God’s peace? What broken relationship can you help resurrect? Brothers and sisters in the church making peace with one another? “Tell ‘im he’s dreamin’!” you might be thinking.
No. Not dreaming. Reality. By the power of the Spirit Jesus breathed upon them, the fearful disciples were transformed into Jesus’ courageous· Apostles, balding proclaiming his death and resurrection before the Sanhedrin. It was preaching that called for repentance, pointed to salvation and life in Christ, and changed people’s lives. That Spirit-filled word of the risen Christ has come even to us, here at St Paul’s, and he goes to work in us, giving us his own grace, strength and love to serve others.
God works through ordinary people like you and me to bring his peace to brothers and sisters in the family of God, and then beyond this castle to those in the world around us, that others, through believing the word, might also have life in his name. Peace be with you! Amen.
