1. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord
2. Some years ago I got to know a pastor from New Guinea whose remote village in the highlands had become believers when he was a young man.

• I asked him what changed for them in their village when that happened.
• Without hesitation he said that there was great joy instead of constant fear.
• Before that his people had been afraid of evil spirits and black magic, sorcery and payback, anger and hatred, conflict between men and women and fighting with their enemies from the villages around them.
• But peace came when they and the surrounding villages were baptised.
• And with peace came joy and rejoicing.
• The people learned to sing songs of praise to Jesus when they met together to hear about Jesus.
• And they sang the same songs in their huts and in their gardens.
• The sound of singing replaced the silence of fear by day and the shouts of anger at night

 

2. On Easter Sunday the disciples of Jesus were overcome by fear.

• They were afraid because Jesus had been killed.
• They were afraid that his killers would attack them too.
• They were afraid because they had no-one to protect them now that Jesus had been taken from them.
• They were afraid because they had nothing good to look forward to without Jesus.
• It’s no wonder then that they locked the doors around them and kept them locked.

 

2. Like those disciples we are afraid when things go wrong for us.

• We have many different fears
• We have little fears such as coping with demands of school or work; troubles in our marriage and conflicts with our children and grandchildren; financial worries with struggle to make ends meet and the prospect of ageing and ill health
• Worse than that we have big fears, such as the breakdown of close relationships and rejection by our family and friends; the state of the church, our country and the world; sickness and death our last and worst enemy.
• No matter how good things are, we still fear for the worst.
• That’s our default position.

 

3. Our fears lock us up in a prison of our own making.

• The more we fear, the more securely we lock the doors around us.
• But that merely increases our fear that grows worse as we try to protect ourselves from danger.
• Fear cripples us and dispirits us: depresses and discourages us.
• We see danger before us, behind us, and all around us.
• We have no peace of mind and lose our zest for life, the capacity for simple enjoyment.

 

1. The risen Lord Jesus comes to meet with us today and every Sunday to banish our fear and fill us with joy; he does four things for us to give us joy.

 

1. Jesus stands among us just he did with ten of his apostles in the locked room that first Easter Eve.

• He didn’t break the doors open and drag them out into the open world to confront their fears.
• Without spooking them, he simply entered their locked room and met with them there.
• He didn’t do it just once but a second time the following Sunday when Thomas was with them too.
• He does the same for us every Sunday
• He enters the locked rooms of our souls and meets us where we live with our fears and sadness.
• That’s why we have this Easter candle here.
• It reminds us that he stands among us to give us light and peace and joy
• Every Sunday the risen Lord Jesus comes and stands among us to displace our fears with his joyful presence.

 

2. Jesus stands among us and speaks his peace to us.

• When Jesus appeared to his disciples that Easter Eve he said something to them that he had never said before.
• For the first time he spoke the words: Peace be with you.
• He said it twice that first Sunday and once again the next Sunday.
• He did what he said he would do three days earlier: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).
• He could now say those words because he had made peace for them by his death: peace with God the Father and peace with each other.
• St Paul explains this well in Romans 5:1: Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• He too stands among us today as our peacemaker and speaks peace to us, the peace that comes from receiving God’s pardon, the peace that comes from having a good conscience.
• That peace drives away our deepest fear, the fear of accusation and condemnation, the fear of punishment and rejection by God, the fear of eternal death.
• There are five places in our service where Jesus speaks that peace to us through the pastor as his spokesman:

the greeting after the declaration of forgiveness at the beginning of the service,

the greeting before and after the sermon

the greeting before the reception of Holy Communion,

and the final blessing where we receive peace and are sent out into the world as peacemakers.

• Peace is the last word that he will speak to you here today.

 

3. Jesus stands among us and shows himself to us.

• That first Easter Eve Jesus showed the ten disciples his wounded hands and his open side.
• Then he did same for Thomas a week later.
• He showed them the hands that had taken away their sin and had conquered death for them by his own death.
• He showed them his side that was pierced by one of the soldiers, the side from which Jesus provided the water that cleansed them from sin and the blood that made them holy.
• Jesus too shows you his open hands as he gives you his body and blood in HC today.
• He gives you his holy body to rescue our bodies from sin and death.
• He gives us his holy blood to give you eternal life and to make you holy.
• So like Thomas you can reach out and touch him here even though we can’t see him with your physical eyes but with the eyes of faith.

 

4. Jesus stands among us and speaks his Holy Spirit to us.

• That first Easter Eve Jesus breathed his Holy Spirit into his dispirited disciples by saying: Receive the Holy Spirit, just as he had breathed the breath of life into Adam when he created him.
• And he does that for us today and every Sunday.
• He speaks his Spirit into us, the Spirit that takes away our dispiritedness and discouragement, our doubts and fears and sadness.
• He breathes his Spirit into us by speaking to us.
• Then after he has breathed his Spirit on us he sends us out as his agents into the world, people who bring his peace to those that we meet this coming week.
• So we can come to church to receive the Holy Spirit from him every Sunday, the life-giving Spirit that encourages and energises and empowers us.
• So just before we receive the body and blood of Jesus we will pray this prayer today: Send your Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith so that we who receive the body and blood of Christ may live as true members of the body of your Son.

 

1. Well what’s the outcome of his meeting with us?

• St John tells us that the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the risen Lord.
• Instead of fear they had joy, the joy that gave them a foretaste of heaven here on earth.
• He had promised: I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no-one will take away your joy (John 16:22).
• Since he was alive with them, they rejoiced with inexpressible and glorious joy.
• The yellow drapes from the cross remind you that you too have good reason to rejoice, no matter how real your fears may be.
• You have the very best reason to be overjoyed today.
• It’s a bit like waking up from a nightmare to the bright light of a sunny day.
• The presence of Jesus and his gift of peace opens up heaven for you here on earth.
• He opens up your hearts to receive heavenly joy, joy that scatters all your doubts and fears, just as the rising sun scatters the horrors of night.
• So rejoice because Jesus says: Peace be with you and gives you his Holy Spirit.
• Rejoice because Jesus shows his approval of you by saying: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
• Yes, rejoice because you are so very blessed to be here with him today.

 

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