Over the weekend I caught up with Joel who was our vicar here a few years back, and we went to see the football for Gather Round. Pastor Joel went to the match at Mount Barker yesterday, and he sent me through this photo: ‘Gather Round Faith Room’. It’s part of the AFL’s program of inclusivity for people to have access to a prayer space at games. Yesterday many Crows supporters were spotted going in, praying for their first win of the season!
In today’s Gospel reading we hear of another ‘faith room’. Last week we joyfully proclaimed: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” but on the first Easter Sunday things hadn’t started out as such a joyful time. It was evening on the first day of the week, and the disciples had gathered behind locked doors for of fear of the Jews. Were they in a ‘faith room’…or a ‘fear room’?
From time to time, I’ve read different articles on this where the authors have been fairly critical of the disciples for locking themselves in the house, lacking faith, and suggesting parallels with today’s church, bunkering down, locking out the outside world for fear of engaging with others.
I’m not so sure I agree. Let’s picture what has just happened. The Jewish religious leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their framework for righteousness and morality that they had engineered for themselves. Jesus didn’t fit into their picture of who God should be and they wanted him done away with at all costs because he dared to challenge them. The disciples saw Jesus as the hope of Israel, but were bewildered that their dearly loved teacher and companion had just been executed in the most brutal, bloodthirsty manner. This happened without any just process. Even though Pilate saw no basis for a charge against Jesus, he sentenced him to die just to please the blood thirsty crowd.
The whole place is in a frenzy, and Jesus’ disciples are in real danger. The Jews had threatened to expel anyone from the synagogue who claimed to be Jesus’ followers. The implications are much more serious than just being kicked out of a social group. Under Roman law, citizens had to pay homage to Caesar. The sentence for anyone who refused to worship Caesar was execution. The Jews were granted an exemption from this—but once a person was expelled from the synagogue and the fellowship of the Jews they were then no longer covered by the exemption, and liable to the death penalty[1]. This danger was very real for anyone known to be a follower of Jesus. Anyone found spreading his teachings would receive the same treatment as Jesus himself.
Picture yourself in that darkened room, with the doors locked, fearful of who is outside the door, fearful of what might take place before the morning light, the image of soldiers coming with weapons and torches in the Garden to arrest Jesus fresh in mind. It’s understandable that the disciples are afraid. With your life in danger, wouldn’t you go into lockdown as well? I would! I’m not sure I’d be out on the streets calling out “Christ is risen!”
That’s what fear does. People under threat, living in fear, batten down the hatches, put up walls, lock doors, withdraw from others. Fear becomes consuming, and isolates, restricts and stifles. The disciples have cut themselves off from the outside world. How long would they be able to function; how long would they be able to live like that?
There they were, on the evening of the first day of the week—lying low, under the cover of darkness, with the doors locked, for fear of the Jews. If anyone had have knocked on the door, they probably wouldn’t have answered. Maybe that’s why the risen Christ doesn’t knock. He doesn’t even need a key for entry. If a sealed tomb can’t restrict him, then a locked door won’t either. Jesus simply comes and stands with them.
Picture yourself in that darkened room now. Full of fear, the disciples try to make sense of what they see. What’s going on? Is that…Jesus? How did he get in? Is it a ghost? You mind goes back to all the things said and done before Jesus was crucified. You ponder how Peter rebuked Jesus after Jesus foretold of his own suffering and death. You recall the big squabble amongst the disciples about who is the greatest. You replay in your mind how Jesus charged the disciples to keep watch the Garden of Gethsemane but instead they fell asleep. You recall how Peter even denied knowing Jesus, not just once but three times. Confused, and afraid, maybe there is an element of fear over what Jesus has come for, and for what he might say.
Jesus came and stood among them. This was not an illusion. He showed them his pierced hands and torn side; wounds he suffered to redeem the world. This is no ghost. This is flesh and bone of the bodily resurrected Christ. Rather than rebuking them, the first words he says to them are: ‘Peace be with you.” This isn’t just a nice wish, like any of us would be limited to. For in Jesus, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
This divine ruler; this Prince of Peace came into a room filled with fear, and ruled with peace over his fearful people by saying: “Peace be with you”. What Jesus says happens—by speaking these words, Jesus gives a divine bestowal of peace from heaven into that locked room and into the disciples’ hearts. Despite all that is raging around them on the other side of the locked door, Jesus has turned the disciples’ fear into joy.
Jesus came to his disciples to personally bring to them peace from God to those who doubted, and those who even denied him. He had come to bring peace from God to those who didn’t measure up. He had come to bring the peace of God to those who were afraid and hid. What Good News! Jesus doesn’t even let the absent Thomas exclude himself from divine blessing, who had said: ‘Unless I see the marks in his hands and put my finger into the side of his body, I will not believe.’ Rather than chastise Thomas, Jesus repeats his greeting of peace for his benefit. Jesus says to Thomas: ‘Put your finger here and see my hands and put your hand into my side.
Jesus points to the source of his peace—it is because of his wounds; his holy and precious blood that he shed on the Cross that he is able to give peace and we are able to receive it. In Ephesians 2 Paul said: “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” (Ephesians 2:12-14).
By breathing on the apostles to give them the breath of God—the Holy Spirit—Jesus anoints and authorises them for the ministry of bringing peace from heaven for those who repent: “If you forgive the sins of anyone they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.” Whatever they forgive on earth will be simultaneously forgiven by God, for he is speaking through them; his words are their words.
Jesus didn’t promise that he would remove the strife from this world. But as the Prince of Peace he has overcome the world to bring peace between us and God, as we live in trouble and strife. Earlier in John’s Gospel he says: “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 16:33). As the Apostles went out into the world to proclaim the forgiveness of sins in Christ crucified, they went into a world still hostile to Christ, persecuting those who bear his name. Paul would later say: “…as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:4-10).
As the Apostles went out, Jesus went with them. As they forgave sins, Jesus forgave sins. As they proclaimed peace, Jesus gave the people peace from God.
What, in this troubled life, causes you to fear? Is it fear that our conflicted world will implode, as superpowers parade their long-range missiles like toys? Is it fear over your future—a sudden unexpected health diagnosis, or rapid decline, bringing you to an unwanted time in life of diminished independence? Is it fear of being unable to measure up to others’ expectations, never being affirmed or loved by them, or anyone? Is it fear of death and dying? Is it fear of not having enough finances? Is it fear of a broken family situation seemingly never able to be mended? Is it fear over the decline of morals and escalation of crime, violence, and poverty in society, and the kind of future our children and grandchildren will have? Is it fear that God has withheld his favour or blessing from you, or that you could never be pleasing to him…or fear that the shame and disgrace of past sins would be too great to bear if your personal secrets ever became exposed?
That is why Easter is so good—it is a time of peace for people who fear, living in a fearful, and fearsome world. You do not need to justify yourself. Christ justifies you! You no longer have to try and bury your sin and cover it over for Christ died and was buried for you, to restore life between you and God and cover you with his own righteousness! And he has come to earth as the great Peace-maker, making peace between us and God by his precious blood. Then he rose again, to be our risen, living Lord everywhere with us, with his peace. So, although, as Paul says In Romans 8, God’s people are regarded by the world as nothing more than sheep to be slaughtered, facing death all day long, this is not a sign that God is against us. God is for us, because of Christ. Paul declares: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:1-2, 33-39).
Nothing will ever stop Jesus and nothing will ever separate him from his church. Jesus went with his apostles as he promised. In today’s first reading from Acts, we hear that the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, continued to testify to the resurrection of Christ. They had seen the risen Jesus, and believed. Jesus says “Blessed are you who have not seen yet believe.” You believe only because you are have first been blessed by the Holy Spirit whom Jesus has breathed upon you, to open your eyes and minds to see and know Jesus through the Scriptures.
The Easter celebration continues. The risen Jesus who came into the locked room to be with his disciples on the evening of his resurrection, has come into this Faith Room, again today, so that as we gather round him, he shares with you all the benefits of his victory over sin, death and hell. He stands here now, to share his peace with you: “Peace be with you!” he says, even though we can’t see him like the disciples did, and all we can see is a bloke in a white gown. It’s the way we show it is really Jesus, not me, who is the One at work. It is really Jesus, the bishop and overseer of your souls who is your pastor, not me. It is really Jesus your pastor, not me, who frees you from all your sin and guilt, and covers over all your shame so that you are able to stand before your Heavenly Father as his freed child with a clear conscience…and a heart filled with his peace.
Although the world is in turmoil, nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall, and even when the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, no matter what you are faced with, no matter what causes you to fear, Jesus is here to minister to you. He is the rock on which we stand, and gives to you his own peace—peace which nothing in this world can give, or take away.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
The peace of the risen Christ be with you always! Amen.
[1] https://www.umass.edu/wsp/publications/books/early/jesus/ja-56-expulsion.pdf p158. Author and other publication details unknown. Last accessed April 6, 2024, 13:30pm.
