Second Sunday of Easter- John 20:19-31

In today’s Gospel (John 20:19-31) , there is the risen Christ’s appearance to ten apostles, and then a week later the appearance to Thomas. When He comes, Jesus blesses the disciples with divine peace. Even after the first reports of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples remained fearful and timid. The risen Lord came to where they were locked in. He came to change them. He brought greetings in the common Jewish manner, saying “Peace be with you,” in Hebrew shalom alechem. 

In the Bible, this greeting is more than a hello. It is always an implied prayer for God’s peace. This implied prayer for peace takes on a special meaning in light of Christ’s resurrection. Now the greeting becomes a specific blessing from the risen Lord. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s peace. He has established a new and lasting relationship with the heavenly Father for all who truly believe in Him.
After everything that has happened, the disciples had a special need for peace. They need His assurance that He has not returned to judge them for their weakness.

Thus, Christ says reassuring words, but He does not stop there. After comforting them, Jesus adds something. He adds a commission or a call to action. As the heavenly Father has sent Him, likewise Christ’s sends the apostles and through them, His whole Church. Jesus shares His resurrection victory over sin and spiritual death with His disciples. He gives the apostles the authority to forgive human sins.
Through His Cross and Resurrection, Christ has accomplished atonement, the reconciliation of penitent sinners with God. This is true peace, and Jesus shares this divine peace with the apostles. But the peace is not limited to the apostles alone. They are to share the message with others. Jesus the Christ is risen and alive, and His peace is to be spread. His followers are to continue His work in the world and call people to faith.

In Scripture, peace has many implications, but many people, including Christians, have poor understandings of peace. They see “peace” in material or naturalistic ways, but those are only parts of peace. Besides freedom from violence, disease and want, in the Bible, peace can refer to spiritual well-being. Besides external conditions, peace is about relationships between God and human beings.

The resurrection of Jesus is the high point of scriptural teachings about peace. Although faith in the risen Lord can contribute to other types of peace, it is basically an offer of peace with God. Christ's peace removes our fallen estrangement from God; it offers us new eternal life in God’s holy and merciful presence.

Accepting this divine peace in faith can also open to other aspects of peace. Human life on earth still has its internal and external problems. In many ways, we may lack peace and tranquility, but Christ's peace helps us face the turmoil and disorder of the fallen human condition. He has overcome sin and death, and His peace is greater than the struggles of this world.

Christ’s words to the disciples also point us to mission in this world. The peace of His resurrection is not some private possession. It is not a secret that we are to keep to ourselves. The risen Christ comes to His apostles in peace so that they can share the joy of His spiritual peace with others. He commissions them to share the peace brought by His victory over sin and death.

In Lutheran thought, pastors have a special role in sharing this divine peace in Word and Sacrament. Nevertheless, we must not confine our thoughts of sharing peace to the role of clergy. The risen Lord’s commission to the apostles is also to the whole Body of Christ, to the entire membership of Christ’s Church. All believers ought to affirm in word and deed that Jesus Christ has brought us spiritual peace through His resurrection. He is also ready, able, and willing to overcome evil in the lives of all who will have faith. All of us are called to witness to God’s peace in Christ Jesus. Despite our human failures, by grace, we can all become greater channels of Christ’s peace to the people around us.