Lectionary for Second Sunday of Easter.
Jesus came and stood among them and said: ‘Peace be with you.’ John 20:19
Collect. Father, you gather us together on this day which you have made your own that we may celebrate Jesus Christ, the First and the Last, the living One who has conquered death. Breathe on us your life-giving Spirit, and send us out into all the world; that we may boldly announce the forgiveness of sins through faith in our risen Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Reading. Revelation 1:4-8. Revelation as the title suggests is a book of prophecy. This is an unusual genre of literature for the modern reader and therefore we need to read the book with some sensitivity. We read it taking notice of the era in which it is written, surrounded by hardship and persecution: Nonetheless it is still has a message a future still to be fully revealed.
John, the servant of Jesus Christ is revealing a message shown to him from the angelic messenger; as such it comes with authority and authenticity. The message comes to the seven churches in Asia. Thinking of it as a prophecy the number seven is significant for it signifies completeness or fully included. Thus we have seven candlesticks, seven seals, seven trumpets and bowls. With that understanding the message is one which applies to the whole church both present and future.
The message begins with a blessing of peace, a peace which is from God and those who attend him around his throne. The peace also comes from Jesus Christ who is recognised as having pre-eminence over all powers; death included. With this authority the message is of vital importance. God’s promise of peace is not simply an absence of strife but a promise that the fullness of God stands with the church to protect and guide both the individual and the church itself. Then, to the peace is added the record of salvation and all that that salvation has accomplished. Through Christ’s salvation the whole church is now unified into a godly kingdom which serves God through praise and worship. Such worship recognises that God is Lord of all and each believer can have confidence in that sovereignty, living under its freedom and protection.
Then the message contains what is the key purpose of the whole book, namely that Jesus the resurrected Lord is going to return in a public spectacle. Even those who have opposed him will also see his lordship and there is an implied sense of judgement for those who continue to oppose that lordship. When we think of the horrible events that across the ages have happened in our world, the understanding that judgement is coming promises not only a sense of closure but also one of justice. Indeed the “Amen’ which follows brings the understanding that this is as it should be!
The final disclosure of this passage underlines again the authority from whom this message is coming. Undergirded with such power the church can have full confidence that this message will not fail to come to pass. As such the passage encourages the church to keep pressing on into the future that God is preparing.
Prayer. Lord, the witness of Jesus stands secure throughout history, his message of love and forgiveness has touched and changed billions of hearts and lives and we thank you for the hope that his salvation continues to bring. Yet our world knows little of peace, rather we are surrounded by messages of trouble and strife. Today we pray for the on-going work of the church in proclaiming the saving love of Jesus. May the news that Jesus lives bring hope to those who suffer from the forces of violence and greed; may they face each day with renewed strength. May the message of faith bring hope to those who are suffering for their faith; may the gospel of peace bring an inner peace to those whose lives are fractured by events of the past; may the forgiving love of Jesus bring the gift of forgiveness to those whose lives are distorted with the blight of being unable to forgive. And most gracious Lord, may the presence of Jesus in all our lives bring a sense of wholesomeness and peace. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reading. John 20:19-31. The phrase that John uses to start this passage has echoes of the phrasing from Genesis chapter 1 and therefore reminds us that this is a whole new beginning, a new creation. John frames his story with only 10 of the disciples’ present thus leaving room for a further step on the ministry journey. John makes it clear that without Jesus they are so afraid that they have locked the doors to the outside world but Jesus breaks through. Just as he has broken through the powers of sin and death on the cross, so now he breaks through the fear and isolation of the disciples. Moreover Jesus comes among them to bring peace; peace in the face of all their sadness and pain. The response of the disciples on being assured that this is the Jesus they knew and loved is joy and thanksgiving. With the recognition that this is Jesus the new beginning is complete and with the new beginning comes a new direction. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. (John 20:21.) John is reminding his readers that the work of bringing the new life that Jesus promised is still to continue. It is God’s breath which gives life to all living creatures, (Psalm 104:29), and now it is the infusion of Jesus’ breath which brings the Spirit. With the Spirit comes new life to the disciples, a life which allows the work that Jesus began to continue. This meeting between Jesus and these 10 disciples must have been an interesting event. Before his death Jesus was a remarkable, and an exceptional teacher, but on his return he is clearly shown to be supernatural, a change has come. It is this change which gives him the authority to impart to the disciples the responsibility to bring forgiveness and freedom to those who will receive the message of Jesus the Risen Lord. For the readers in the early church this would have been a significant piece of information for not only did it give the church great power and responsibility it also assured each new believer that like the disciples they were true inheritors of the new life that Jesus offered.
In the second half of our passage John goes on to recount the experience of Thomas. It is traditional to call him “Thomas the Doubter”, but the scripture does not name him as such rather it pictures Thomas as a brave and practical disciples. (c/f John 11:16) Thomas wants to see for himself and when just a week later Jesus appears once more to the disciples he is ready to meet Thomas’s needs but Thomas is already converted. From John’s description we understand that for Thomas, just seeing the Master he knew and loved was enough to bring him to faith in the resurrection. His affirmation of,”My Lord and my God” tells us that Thomas is fully convinced.
This is more than a nice story of Thomas being gathered back into the fold and accepted by Jesus. John’s reason for including this incident is linked to his reason for writing his gospel. He personalises the reason when he adds “that you may believe”. Christianity is a faith not simply a religion. It is based on the faith that Jesus has overcome the power of death and is both the promised Messiah and the Son of God. Moreover through faith in Jesus our sins are forgiven and we are reconciled to God and each other. As Paul writes, “we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) and so trust forms part of what it takes to continue as a Christian. With that in mind it would not be uncommon for people to have doubts from time to time. The reality is that life can and often is tough. John is reminding each of us that doubt does not mean that we are no longer a Christian; rather it reminds us that Jesus calls us again and again to trust in him and what he has accomplished: and each time we can say; ”My Lord and my God”.
Prayer. Lord as we pray, give to us a clarity of thought and will ,so that our prayers and our worship will open us to the new possibilities that your love brings. You are the first and the last and through you all things exist, so grow in us the truth of your power to act in our world that we may not be afraid but face each day with confidence. Breathe on us your life giving Spirit that we may venture out into our world with a fuller knowledge of you and your will for us. By your power help us to greet each person as a child for whom Christ died. In all things may we keep you at the very centre of our lives so that in all we do, your name will be honoured. This we ask in the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Collect. You come into our midst, Lord Jesus; you hold out your scarred hands, and surprise us with hope. Help us to receive your word and your Spirit, that in our woundedness we may know you as our Life, now and for ever. Amen.
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