Sermon Audio

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

We often like to look back at the disciples and wonder how they could be so foolish. As they walked with the Lord, they hardly ever understood Him, even when He explained Himself. In fact, if you were here for the Matins service you would have heard that “as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead,” (John 20:9) as Peter and John entered the empty tomb.

So on that first Resurrection evening, as the disciples are cowering behind locked doors, it is rather easy for us to read that and wonder why they were so afraid. They had walked with Jesus for three years, hearing Him teach, they should know things will work out just fine—they will be just fine. Yet, had we continued with Matthew 28 last week during the Divine Service, we would also have heard this:

[S]ome of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Matthew 28:11-15)

Not long after the empty tomb was discovered, rumors of grave robbery by Jesus’ disciples were spreading among the Jews (and to this day, yes even today, the rumor persists among a few who disregard the resurrection of the Christ).

One must also bear in mind that “The Way” was still relatively in its infancy. Here are a group of believers who have severed themselves—though we would rightly say, have been severed—from the old, pharisaical Judaism of their fathers. For all intents and purposes, it appears as if they have rejected the faith of their fathers and followed an accused blasphemer. If this didn’t incense the Jews, the fact that there was now an empty grave where once this “blasphemer” was buried certainly would; so the Jews couldn’t let it get out that He was raised from the dead (as the rumors already mentioned go).

So, it would make sense that this small church was scattered, and the few who did gather together would cower behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. And it was into that locked room that Jesus, fully man, still the en-fleshed God, appeared to the disciples, the same God-man who was removed from a sealed grave, and the first word out of His mouth was εἰρήνη—peace. And this isn’t peace in the way we English speakers hear the word, but more at shalom—more than simply the absence of warfare, terror, and strife, but the presence of wholeness and harmony, everything lined up perfectly as it should be for things to move and flow...perfectly; a perfect peace, you could say.

Shalom be with you. “Do not be afraid, the strife is over,” to be sure, but this greeting brings with it the joy in the hope of the resurrection. It is the seal that the resurrection is yours, too. It is as if Jesus is saying, “Do not be afraid, the strife is over, in My resurrection, you are made whole, complete, and in harmony with My Father in Heaven; He is your Father, too.” Shalom be with you.

It’s an amazing thing, this shalom from Jesus. For the 10 who were in the upper room that first night of the week unlock the doors and go forth to find their missing brother, Thomas, called Twin. Thomas is ever the pessimist, always expecting the worst to happen, the one who doubts. Dr. Normal Nagel comments:

That pessimistic thinking is behind the kind of comfort that points out that something could have been so much worse. Your leg is broken, and the Thomases stand beside your bed and observe, “You should be thankful you didn’t break your neck driving the way you were. You could only expect to kill yourself.” Because it is only your leg that is broken, cheer up and be grateful.

You might recall that it was Thomas who, ever so pessimistically declared, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him,” (John 11:16) as the group was to depart for Bethany to raise Lazarus, right into the hands of the Jews who wanted to kill Him. And so it is pessimistic, doubting Thomas who says, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

A week later, Thomas is with the other ten, again in that little upper room of the Last Supper, doors shut and locked, and Jesus appears to them, fully man, still the en-fleshed God, the same God-man who was raised out of a sealed grave, and the first word out of His mouth was εἰρήνη—peace. And this isn’t peace in the way we English speakers hear the word, but more at shalom—more than simply the absence of warfare, terror, and strife, but the presence of wholeness and harmony, everything lined up perfectly as it should be for things to move and flow...perfectly; a perfect peace, you could say.

After giving His shalom again, He turned to Thomas and shows him the pierced hands, feet, and side, just as He had done to the other 10 a week earlier. He invited Thomas to stick His fingers and hands into His wounds: “I’m really Jesus, Thomas, the same Man you saw beaten and flogged, the same Man you saw pierced and run through for your transgressions. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” And, having received shalom, Thomas was able to answer, “My Lord and my God.”

And so for many centuries, followers of this God-man, still fully man, and still the en-fleshed God, have gathered in spaces similar to this and different, behind closed doors. The rumor still persists that we follow in the teachings of grave robbers. Often, those doors have been locked shut. Sometimes, as in our case, they are merely closed, as we live in more “tolerant” times which proclaim that it is our prerogative to believe the words of a charlatan and grave robbers (a kind of back-handed insult).

And every time, just as in the upper room, just as with the sealed grave, Jesus appeared to His followers behind those closed doors—and He still does. He still comes in His body given and blood shed, though He shows His wounds hidden in the forms of bread and wine. And, again, as the body and blood are presented to His followers, the first word they hear is “peace”: “The peace of the Lord be with you alway.” Again, Christ is present in His body and blood, and again He is there to give His shalom—more than simply the absence of warfare, terror, and strife, but the presence of wholeness and harmony, everything lined up perfectly as it should be for things to move and flow...perfectly; a perfect peace, you could say. And the congregation, gazing upon it’s Lord hidden in the forms of bread and wine, thankfully responds, “Amen”—yes, it is so, God-in-the-flesh is present here, and so there is perfect peace.

And it has been this way for many generations because it is constantly needed. Yes, we receive the shalom of Christ here every week, and like good little disciples, we go forth from these doors, opened so that we may exit, into a world armed to the teeth by Satan to tear us down, to cause us to doubt, to turn us from the joy of our salvation and bring forth that Old Man in us that would rather, like Thomas, expect the worse in any and every situation. We each become good, little, doubting Thomases, and wonder as the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say...?”

It’s the human understanding of the ways of the world—the fallen human understanding of a fallen world. We are assaulted, on all sides, by things that would cause us to doubt the grace and goodness of God—loss of this or that, illness, death, destruction, and catastrophe. “Did God really say...?” “Is God really present...?” “How can God allow this to happen...?” “Perhaps it is good enough that we just get along and die—perhaps that’s all we have and can do,” we are tempted to think. Peace—shalom—easily and quickly vanishes, it would seem, as the Old Man battles the New Creation in us. The chaos and disorder of this fallen world chip at and break away from the shalom that Jesus gives.

And so we return, week after week, to receive once again, the peace of God. For it is the peace of God that passes all understanding. And, as St. Paul declares, this peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (cf. Philippians 4:7) While the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh are constantly warring against this peace, it still guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, giving us cause to return here as often as shalom is offered, to receive Him who comes to us in His Word and in His body and blood.

For with this peace is carried a promise: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:20) and also as we hear from the angel following the Christ’s ascension, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) He died for the propitiation of sins, as He promised. He rose again from the grave, as He promised. And, He has promised to be with us always and come again. If we used the latest hymnal supplement, we could sing it:

This is the threefold truth on which our faith depends; / And with this joyful cry worship begins and ends: / Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
Made sacred by long use, new-minted for our time, / Our liturgies sum up the hope we have in Him: / Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
On this we fix our minds as, kneeling side by side, / We take the bread and wine—take Him, the Crucified: / Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
By this we are upheld when doubt or grief assails / Our Christian faith and love, and only grace avails: / Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!
This is the threefold truth which, if we hold it fast, / Changes the world and us and brings us home at last: / Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!

“By this we are upheld when doubt or grief assails our Christian faith and love,” the hymn proclaims, “and only grace avails.” By this promise, and the peace—the shalom—which Christ gives with it, we are emboldened to go forth into the world, knowing full well that whatever befalls us cannot compare to the joy that we do have in our salvation and the knowledge that Christ will come again, and by grace, take us to be where He is now. Let the doubts and griefs assail our Christian faith, the grace of God is no match for them—by this we are upheld: “Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!”

So it was for the disciples who cowered in the upper room those two first days of the week. They were constantly met with peace in Christ to go forth to the vocation to which they were called, whatever may come. They considered it joy to suffer shame on account of the name of Christ, as we heard earlier today. (Acts 5:41) And all of them but John were met with martyrdom—including Thomas, who according to ancient tradition, was run through by a spear in the back while in India—but they each met their deaths, violent or otherwise, with peace.

So it has been for countless Christians and martyrs throughout the ages, who each considered it joy to suffer shame on account of the name of Christ, even as each met their death willingly (as quoted last week), counting it as gain, not loss, as St. Paul declared. (cf. Philippians 1:21)

And So it is for you, as declared for you by the pen of St. Peter this morning:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials... (1 Peter 1:3-6)

We can say this with confidence because, dear Baptized, the faith into which you have been Baptized is the same faith proclaimed by the Apostles who announced the death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ—this is the Holy Christian, or catholic, and Apostolic Church. The Jesus you believe in is real, as real as His presence is here today in Word and Sacrament. He has died, as He promised; He is raised again to life, as He promised; He is seated at the right hand of God, from where He orders all things for the good of those who trust in Him; and He has promised to come again to claim His Bride, the Church, to Himself, where it will forever live in His real presence in the fullness of perpetual shalom—His kingdom which has no end. This promise is yours, you can take it personally, you can take it from here to the vocations to which you have been called, and even to your graves as you meet your death willingly, in which you gain everlasting life, because, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” because you are forgiven for all of your sins.