The Word of Forgiveness :: John 20:19-31

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This morning’s Gospel reading is traditional for the Sunday after Easter. It wouldn’t matter which lectionary we used. Every year, on the Second Sunday of Easter, we hear about these two occasions that Jesus appeared to the disciples in the locked upper room. The disciples had all gathered there in fear ... Undoubtedly the fear of what would happen if people realized they were now Christians, followers of Jesus. They saw what happened to Jesus. They beat him. They mocked him. They falsely accused him. They crucified him. The same can happen to us, they undoubtedly said to each other. We have to keep this to ourselves. 

But suddenly, Jesus came into their midst. He appeared in the middle of the room and declared peace to them ...  the peace of forgiveness. You are forgiven for denying and doubting. You are forgiven for fleeing. You are forgiven. 

Thomas was missing the first time this happened. When he heard the news, he doubted what everyone had told him: He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! 

Poor Thomas, how would you like it if doubt was your one claim to fame? Of course, the other disciples weren’t so quick to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead either. They were doubters, too. The world isn’t so quick either, are they? They doubt the authority of the scripture you believe. They doubt the witness of the women who had seen Jesus earlier in the day. They doubt the witness of Peter and John. 

And, of course, we should ask if we would have done any better if we had been there? 

In the end, we must praise Jesus for His patience in working with us sinners even though we doubt ... that we must praise Jesus even though we fail to remember why we are actually here. ... That we must praise Jesus that he comes to us in word and sacrament ... That Jesus is the one who always remembers us! 

Jesus comes to us and allows us to look and touch the evidence of His crucifixion ... his body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Even though we resist Him ... even though we turn away from him and spurn his sacrament ... he still comes to us and leads us back to the living water of baptism. He still comes to us and serves us his Supper, nurturing our faith. He still loves us, and announces absolution. Peace to you. He still sends the Holy Spirit to us to work faith in us even though by nature we wrestle with doubt all the way.

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS YOURS ACCORDING TO HIS WORD

This is our theme.

1.

This is where the account of the first Sunday of Easter usually goes. While it is excellent and worthwhile for us to examine Thomas, the other disciples in this reading, it is also worth our time to examine some of the other teachings in John's witness.

One of those teachings is something that is fundamental in the life of the church. After Jesus identified himself on that first evening, he shared some very important teachings with his disciples. Most notably, Jesus said to them, Peace to you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he said this, he breathed [on them] and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

We make use of this passage every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. At the beginning of God’s complete Divine Service to us, I say these words: Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We hear these words so often that it is very easy to take this word of God for granted. We forget how radical they are. From the world’s point of view, it is pretty ridiculous that a man, who is just as much a sinner as the rest of the congregation, can get up in front of them and forgive their sins. Nobody can forgive sins except God, some of us insist. It might make sense that the pastor can forgive the sins that people commit against him personally, just like you can ... and should ... but it just doesn’t seem right that the pastor can forgive all the other sins in our lives as well. 

Nevertheless, that is exactly what the pastor can do. Why? Because Jesus said so.  Receive the Holy Spirit, he told us. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. 

The amazing thing is, it doesn't make any difference what kind of pastor he is. Saint Peter denied his Lord. Saint Thomas doubted him. Saint Paul persecuted him. The apostles all fled from him. They all became scared and thought of themselves first. But a pastor can be friendly or stern. He can be a great speaker or stumble over the words. He can be happy or crabby. But those things don’t matter because the power of the words don’t depend on the pastor. He is speaking these words in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2.

Jesus Christ is the one who provides the authority to forgive sins. After all, it is Jesus Christ’s forgiveness to give. Jesus Christ is the one who came from His heavenly throne to live as a human among us. Jesus Christ is the one who lived the perfect life that we could never live. Jesus Christ ... who without sin ... became the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. He is the one who shed his blood for your sin. He is the one who defeated sin, death, and the devil with His suffering and death on the cross. Jesus Christ is the one who rose from the dead in victory on Easter Sunday. Jesus Christ is the one who joins Himself to us in baptism, a baptism that saves you on account of Christ. Jesus is then the one who prepares the Lord's supper. And He is the one who gives it to you for the forgiveness of your sins. 

So, if Jesus Christ tells you that you can forgive sins, then you can forgive sins. It doesn't depend on us at all. Although a human who makes the sounds, it is God who does all the work. He comes to us. He calls us. He gathers us here, and he enlightens us with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding ... the forgiveness of sins.

What a fantastic gift of comfort this is! 

If nothing else in the service goes right, it is still worth it to come to God’s house every Lord's day just to hear how God forgives you. 

3.

If these words of Christ are of such great value, why, then, aren’t people tearing down the door to get in here and hear them? Why is it that some people are even offended by them? Why do we deny ourselves the forgiveness of sins? Why do we deny it to each other?

We can speculate on why Thomas stayed home on Easter evening. It isn’t hard to do. Though he claimed the title of disciple, he wasn’t behaving like it. Even today, many claim the title Christian, yet make excuses not to come into the community of saints to receive the peace of God. The problem is that some people do not understand that they are sinners. When they hear words of forgiveness, they respond with anger that anyone would suggest that they are bad people and need forgiveness. 

I’m a good person, they say. I don’t have any sins to forgive. Even if I did, who are you?

They don’t see their sin and so they take offense when someone tries to forgive their sin. People who refuse to admit they are sinners reject the free grace of God. With that refusal, they place themselves outside the community of believers and outside of the hope of heaven. 

There are many bad sins in this world ... murder, adultery, theft, slander, and so forth ... but the greatest sin of all is unbelief. Unbelief is that sin against the Holy Spirit that cannot be forgiven because unbelief rejects the forgiveness through the savior God offers. Unbelief rejects God’s forgiveness and so rejects God Himself. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, repent and look to the cross, recognizing your sin and your savior Jesus. Receive the benefits of his life, death, and resurrection. Those who believe that he is risen ... have faith in Christ. These are the ones who hunger to hear those words, In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. These are the ones who rejoice in the forgiveness that Christ gives through the mouth of their pastor. These are the ones who can’t get enough of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of their sins. These are the ones who return to their baptisms daily, and seek the Lord’s Supper, knowing that life and salvation comes in that meal.

Even on a day like today when a pastor doesn’t use these words explicitly, you know it according to his word. To those who believe he gives the power to become the children of God, and has promised them his Holy Spirit. Receive that spirit and the forgiveness of sins.

4.

During this season of the resurrection, we can look back over the life of our savior: His incarnation in the manger, the active righteousness of a life lived without sin, the institution of his supper, the passive righteousness of His suffering and death on the cross, the institution of holy baptism, and His return to life as He rose from the grave. As he opens our eyes of faith to this reality we, too, can join Thomas in declaring, My Lord and My God! knowing that both the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting are truly ours in Jesus’ name. Amen 

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