Sermons 2026

Text: John 20:19-31

Outline “A Sure Peace”
1.    Christ appears to His disciples, gives them peace in midst of fears
2.    Breaths on them (Adam!) sends forth for forgiveness of sins
a.    They go and proclaim Resurrection to Thomas
3.    Thomas doubts until he sees 1 week later, “My Lord and my God!”
4.    We believe without sight that sins are forgiven, Jesus is Lord and God, why? 
a.    Faith given in Word, hold onto Promises, Pastor forgives in Christ’s stead, Sacraments create and sustain faith.

Sermon

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed! Alleuia!

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

My dear beloved flock, the text for our meditation today is the Holy Gospel according to Saint John the twentieth chapter, verses nineteen through thirty-one.

Beloved lambs, I pray that you are doing well today. Can you help me out with spelling a word? SHALOM You speak it like this. This is the Jewish word for Peace. Peace is when everything is good. When you are quiet, either reading or playing quietly, that’s an example of peace. When you are having fun playing together nicely, asking for things rather than taking them, sharing without yelling or arguing, that’s another example of peace. In our text for today, we hear Jesus giving peace to His disciples, as well as to us today. How does Jesus give Shalom, peace to us today? Ponder that question as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may go back to your seats and those who love you.

1.    Peace in midst of fear

Fear grips the disciples. Doors are locked. No one is coming in or out. Windows are shuttered. Fear and darkness as they wait…wait…wait. A knock on the door! Who is it? Another disciple…still safe…for now...but for how much longer? How long until we suffer the same fate as our Lord? They killed Jesus, we will surely suffer the same fate.

But there was one whom the locked doors did not keep out, the resurrected Jesus  In the midst of that fear and dread, their Lord appears. Their fear turns to overwhelming joy, as they see the marks on the hands, feet, and side. Jesus is no longer dead. He is risen from the grave! 

His first words to them are not, “You fools! Why did you all abandon me? You all ran away like scared sheep! Peter, you said you would be with me until the end. Come on man! What is going on? I’m on the Cross and you’re running around, pretending like you don’t even know Me. What’s the big idea?” 

No, His first words to them are, “Peace be with you.” This is a standard Jewish greeting, that there would be peace between the two of them, as well as between them and God. With these words, Jesus stills all of their fears, doubts, and worries. They no longer have to worry about anything, their Lord has conquered even the very power of death itself. He has already shown that He can provide for all their needs of body. Remember, with two loaves of bread and a few fish, Jesus fed over five thousand people. Not only can Jesus meet their physical needs but now also every need for their souls as well unto everlasting life.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  This is a peace that is guaranteed because of what Jesus has done by His death and resurrection from the dead. It is a peace of forgiveness, apisemi is the Greek word. It means to cancel or remove. God has removed the stain of your sin from you and me. He laid our sins, and all of the punishment therein, upon Jesus on the cross. Jesus died our death. The disciples see Jesus’ pierced hands, feet, and side. He really died. Jesus also really rose. The disciples know it is truly their, and our, Lord. Jesus is no longer dead. He lives forever more. Yet, He still bears the marks which give everlasting peace between humanity and God.

2.    Peace through Forgiveness of sins

Jesus repeats the peace that He gives to them as He sends them to give this peace to the world. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”   

Jesus does not give His peace only to a select few people. It is not only for the Jews or the Gentiles, rather it is for the entirety of the world, especially those who are in sorrow and contrition over their sins. Peace is given today through the Office of the Holy Ministry, through the called and ordained men that God has placed into your midst. Why? To proclaim the words of absolution and forgiveness to you through what we call the Office of the Keys. As we confess in the Smalcald Articles, “The Keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin [Matthew 16:19]. This applies not only to gross and well-known sins, but also the subtle, hidden sins that are known only to God. As it is written, “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12). And St. Paul himself complains that “with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:25). [2] It is not in our power to judge which, how great, and how many the sins are. This belongs to God alone. As it is written, “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you” (Psalm 143:2). [3] Paul says, “I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted” (1 Corinthians 4:4).” 

We call it the Office of the Keys because that is what forgiveness does. It opens the gates of heaven to those who are repentant and locks the gates of heaven to those who remain in their sins.  Jesus gives you the assurance His peace through the proclamation of sins forgiven. I as your pastor, am not forgiving sins of my own authority, rather it is in the stead and command of Christ. It is through His authority that your sins are forgiven. God is using my voice box, and hands, forgiving or retaining sins, that you indeed have Peace with Him.

3.    Peace in Faith

The peace we have with God is not one that depends upon sight. Thomas was not with ther rest when Jesus appeared. We do not know why. Thomas often gets the name of Doubting throughout history, but we have to remember the kind of man that Thomas was. When Jesus announced He was going to Jerusalem, Thomas said, “Let’s go and die with Him” (see John 11:16). Thomas was a guy who went for it. And so now, while the other disciples huddled together behind closed doors, where was Thomas? I suggest he was out on the street saying, “I’m not hiding. I’m out here in public. Anybody want to take me on?”  The disciples go to Thomas and tell him that they have seen the Lord. The Greek is Lego. It is an imperfect verb. It means that they continued to tell him over and over. Yet, Thomas did not believe their words. He wanted physical proof. 

The Lord in grace and mercy meets Thomas’ doubts. He does not appear in Thomas’ house, but a week later in the assembly of believers. Jesus goes where the saints were meeting together. “Don’t forsake assembling together,” Paul would say (see Hebrews 10:25)—because Jesus shows up in the midst of the congregation.  Jesus appears and, for a third time, says “Peace be with you.” Jesus tells Thomas to do as he wanted, to thrust his finger into the nail holes, thrust his hand into Jesus’ side. We do not know if Thomas ever did, but we do have his bold confession. “My Lord and my God!” Jesus is Kyrios, the Greek translation of the Hebrew name of God, Yahweh, He is Theous, God in the flesh. He is My, Thomas’ Lord and God. My Lord and God. Your Lord and God.  Thomas confesses this all the way to India where he means a martyrs death while praying at the end of a spear.

Thomas’ confession is our confession still today. We live, not by physical sight as the disciples did, but we live with eyes of faith. We, as well as most of the readers of John’s Gospel can sympathize with Thomas. They have heard about Jesus, but not seen him alive for themselves. They must depend on what the witnesses say, and then take a step of faith.  We depend upon the words of Holy Scripture, as the Holy Spirit has given us faith to do so, that we believe in Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended for us. Through Jesus’ work, and word, we have peace with one another here upon this earth. We are united together as His Church throughout the world as we repent of our sins and receive the forgiveness of them through the Pastors He has sent into our midst. They proclaim not themselves, but Jesus. Through His work, we have faith. We have peace with God that no worry, doubt, or fear can ever take away. We have a sure Peace that leads to life everlasting.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Aleluia!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard, and keep, your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.