Easter IV: “Peace Be With You”
April 12th, 2009 • Posted in Messages/Sermons • 956 views2009 Easter Bible Conference
Message IV by Pastor David Baik
“SHALOM – PEACE BE WITH YOU!”
John 20:1-31
Key Verse: 20:21-22
“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!’ As the Father has send me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Happy Easter! Yesterday we heard a message about the suffering Messiah, portrayed in Isaiah 53, who was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with sufferings. We also heard a message about the terrible death of Jesus on the cross. Because of our sins, we should have been condemned to death. But our Lord Jesus was condemned, suffered, died and was buried. Right before his death, he cried out, “It is finished.” In saying this, Jesus wasn’t just announcing that he was about to die. He was shouting his victory that he had fulfilled God’s will by providing complete redemption for the world. But if Jesus’ life ended only in death, how is his life different from that of other great men in history? Can we say that Jesus was indeed the Son of God? Even if we say that he was the Son of God, what hope do we have if Jesus remained dead? Why do we have to struggle hard to live by faith if our lives will also end in death anyway? If Jesus died and was not raised from death, there is no resurrection and our faith in Jesus has no real meaning either. Struggling to live by faith in Jesus might not be smart idea. If Jesus were an ordinary great man in history, John’s gospel would have ended in chapter 19 and there would be no chapter 20. However, Jesus didn’t remain dead. He rose from the dead as he had predicted and also according to the Scriptures.
Today’s passage is John’s testimony about Jesus’ resurrection. Apostle John was one of the Twelve and the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection. His testimony about Jesus’ resurrection is unique. In John’s gospel, the risen Christ appeared to his followers four times, three times in chapter 20 and once in chapter 21. And whenever the risen Christ appeared to them, he gave them a different message according to their condition. As a result, their conditions were transformed. Their sadness, fear and doubt were transformed into joy, peace and confidence. One of the unique messages of the Risen Jesus to his disciples is “Shalom” meaning “peace be with you.” Let’s think about the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection in each of our lives.
Look at verses 1 and 2. It was early morning on the first day of the week, which is Sunday. While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, where Jesus was buried. According to the synoptic gospels, several other women also went to the tomb with her: Mary the mother of James, Salome and Joanna. (Mk 16:1; Lk 24:10) But John confines his story to Mary Magdalene. Why did she go to the tomb early even before dawn? Was she expecting Jesus’ resurrection? Definitely not! Perhaps, it was to complete the Jewish burial preparations by anointing Jesus’ body with spices. As much as she loved Jesus, the pain in her heart was great. It was too painful and sorrowful to see Jesus suffer and die on the cross. When the nails were driven into Jesus’ hand and foot, she felt like fainting. Beneath the cross of Jesus, she cried endlessly, holding Jesus’ body. Since the Passover was about to begin, they hurriedly had to bury the dead. There was no time to anoint the body with spices. That Passover weekend was a nightmare for her. As soon as the Sabbath was over, she went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. She thought that it was the last chance for her to show her love and respect to the dead. But when she arrived at the tomb, the stone had been removed from the entrance. Assuming that someone had broken into the tomb and had stolen the body of Jesus, she ran and told Simon Peter and John the news that someone broke into the tomb and removed the body away.
Look at verses 3-9. Simon Peter and John promptly responded. Both ran to the tomb as fast as they could. Who arrived at the tomb first? John outran Peter. Perhaps John could run faster because he was tall and had longer legs, while Simon was short and had short legs. But when John arrived at the tomb, he didn’t go in. He just stooped and looked in. I guess he was too scared to enter the tomb. While he was hesitating, Simon Peter arrived and went inside boldly. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head, but the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found. The strange thing is that the cloth was folded up neatly by itself, separate from the linen. If someone had stolen the body of Jesus, he would not have taken the time to fold the cloth. But somebody had folded it up carefully. Who might have done it? The empty tomb and the folded cloth were evidence that Jesus had risen from the dead. Did the disciples think that Jesus had risen from the dead? No. Why not? Verse 9 reads that the disciples still didn’t understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
Where was the Lord? Look at verses 10-18. It’s interesting to see that Simon Peter and John didn’t look for the body of Jesus. We don’t know why. But they just went back to their homes. Mary Magdalene, however, stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. These angels must have just arrived for the sake of Mary. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t realize that it was the risen Christ. “Woman” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” It’s interesting that both the angels and Jesus asked the same question to her. “Woman, why are you crying?” (13, 15) If Mary believed that Jesus had risen from death, she wouldn’t have continued crying in deep sorrow. The angels and the risen Jesus were actually telling her that she didn’t need to cry any longer because Christ had risen.
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). She must have wanted to hold on to Jesus. But Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
As we read the New Testament, we find that the risen Christ appeared not just once or twice but many times during the 40 days of stay on earth before his ascension. He appeared not just to one or two people but to many people. In fact, there were more than five hundred eyewitnesses to whom the risen Jesus appeared. (1 Corinthians 15:6) But to whom did the risen Jesus appear first? According to John, the risen Christ appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Matthew’s and Mark’s account seem to agree with John’s account. (Mt.28:9; Mk 16:9) But according to Luke and Paul, that didn’t seem to be the case. The risen Christ appeared first to Simon Peter. (Lk 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5) So we don’t know exactly who the first eyewitness of the risen Christ was. And besides this, there can also be a question, like “Who was first one who believed Jesus’ resurrection?” According to John, he was the first one who believed. (Jn 20:8) After seeing the risen Christ, anybody can say that he or she actually knew that he was going to rise again. But the most important thing is not who first saw or who first believed Jesus’ resurrection, but the fact that Jesus rose from the dead according to God’s plan. (Ps 16:10-11; 110:1, 4; Isa 53:11-12) The resurrection of the Messiah was expected, but the disciples didn’t believe it.
Look at verses 19-31. On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together, we assume that there were only eleven because Judas Iscariot killed himself. Actually, there were only ten of them because Thomas happened to be somewhere else. At that time, the disciples were very afraid that they would also be arrested and executed like Jesus their master. They stayed together. But they were trying very hard not to be conspicuous at least for a while. They made sure that the doors were locked. They were afraid and depressed. They were in deep trouble, not knowing what to do without their master Jesus. They had once believed in him. They gave up everything and followed Jesus. But their faith in him had no use or value any longer because Jesus had died. They weren’t even sure what happened to Jesus’ body.
Nobody stood up and said, “Hey, you guys! Why are you so discouraged? Didn’t Jesus our master say that he would be raised again? Didn’t Mary Magdalene say that the tomb was empty? Come on! Jesus has risen!” No. They were all discouraged and reluctant to believe that Jesus had risen. But the risen Jesus appeared to them. He came and stood among them and said, “Shalom” meaning “peace be with you.” Even though the doors were locked, Jesus could come in without opening the door. No doubt, when the disciples saw him, they thought that he was a ghost, not the real Jesus. But Jesus showed them his hands with nail marks and the big wound in his side.
Why was it so hard for them to believe Jesus’ resurrection even though Jesus himself predicted his resurrection quite often while he was among them? It’s because resurrection totally opposes our human experience, logic and scientific knowledge. Once you are pronounced dead, you are dead. You are dead not just legally but also permanently. You are out of the system in the society. There is no reverse from death to life. When your body decays, how can you expect to come back to life again? No way. Well your ghost may still go around, but not your physical body. When we talk about resurrection, it’s the resurrection of our body as well, the whole person. The resurrection body is a heavenly body, different from our earthly body. Like what we see in Jesus’ resurrected body, in the resurrection body, there is continuity and discontinuity of our earthly body. What kind of body we will be resurrected as is a whole different subject to think about. (1 Corinthians 15) We don’t have time to think about it today. But one thing is clear: it will be much more beautiful and gorgeous than we could ever imagine. This is our ultimate hope.
Look at verse 21a. “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!” The word “Shalom” which means “Peace be with you” is the Jewish way of saying “Hello!” or “Goodbye.” To wish someone “peace” is a very nice thing. Especially for the troubled disciples at this point, Jesus’ greeting them “peace be with you” meant a lot to them. So he repeatedly said to them, “Peace be with you.” We find it also in verses 19 and 26. “Shalom- Peace be with you.”
We know that the opposite of faith is unbelief. But the word “unbelief” has a theoretical connotation. In reality, the opposite of faith is fear, and most of us know that fear is real. Fear is a strong feeling, and it’s an unhealthy spirit that does not come from God. According to 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV), God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of sound mind. But at this time, Jesus didn’t say to them, “Do not be afraid.” Instead, he said, “Peace be with you.” It’s because if his disciples abide in him and he in them, they will not have to fear any longer. In fact, the risen Jesus’ new presence among them and within them brings true peace and complete salvation.
In fact, the Hebrew word “shalom” has many more meanings than the word “peace” in English. It means “freedom from strife and disorder.” The word “shalom” is also related to the meaning of harmony, wholesomeness and completeness. The meaning can vary, depending on the situation. It could mean “friendship” between friends, “well-being, safety, health and prosperity.” It can also mean “salvation.” In Isaiah 58:19, the word “shalom” is used twice in terms of God’s salvation. “Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal them.” Jesus is our salvation who brings peace between God and men and peace between men and men. His new presence among them and in them brings them true peace and salvation. The risen Jesus is indestructible. And those who abide in the risen Jesus are truly safe and secure. The life in him can blossom and is indestructible. When you have an indestructible life, you have nothing to be afraid of, to worry about or to be sorrowful about. That’s why Jesus said earlier in John 11:25 and 26. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Look at verses 21-23. In these verses, Jesus commissions his disciples. Read verses 21-23. “’Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you!’ As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ who dwells in those who believe in Jesus. As Jesus commissions his disciples as his apostles, he didn’t send them by themselves. He went along with them by the dwelling in them and by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit guides us into a whole new way of life as Jesus’ disciples. Jesus’ disciples are those who live and are led by the Spirit. Their mission in this world is to preach the gospel of God’s salvation through the forgiveness of sins. We don’t have arbitrary and independent power to forgive sins. But we do have authority to proclaim forgiveness of sins through the preaching the gospel, the message of God’s salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
In verses 24-29, we see that the risen Christ appeared to his disciples again. Actually, it was specifically for the sake of Thomas (called Didymus), who missed the risen Jesus one week earlier. When Thomas heard from the other disciples that they had seen the Lord, he didn’t believe them. He said, “Unless I see the nail makes in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” (25) Look at verse 26. A week later when the eleven disciples, including Thomas, were in the house, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your fingers here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Jesus understood Thomas and his reasonable doubt. Jesus embraced Thomas with his love and yet he challenged him to overcome his doubt by putting his faith before his human reason and experience.
Thomas didn’t even put his fingers on Jesus’ hand or side. In fact, the appearance of the risen Jesus was enough for him. So he said to him, “My Lord and my God.” What did he say? “My Lord and my God!” Was he just saying, “Oh, my God!” as we often do when we are surprised by something. No. He was saying that Jesus is God. Thomas, a doubting man, uttered the one of the most radical confessions about Jesus. In John’s gospel, Jesus is the Word who was in the beginning. John 1:1-2 reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” Jesus is God the Son, who is equal with God the Father and God the Spirit. Jesus had performed many miraculous signs that proved his deity. He changed water into wine, walked on the water, healed many incurable diseases, opened the blind men’s eyes, fed the five thousand with five loaves and two small fish, he even raised Lazarus from death. But the greatest of all the signs he performed is his own resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus proves that he is God, the Son of God, God who became a man. If Jesus remained dead, his deity is not proved. If he was not raised from death, he is not God.
Some people think that if they understand and experience a miracle, they will believe in God. But we cannot truly experience God until we put our faith in him or in his words first. That’s why Jesus said to doubting Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” What Jesus meant is that those who have believed him based on the word of God are the most blessed. In fact, none of us has seen the risen Christ, like the eleven disciples and many others in the Bible. People experience many miracles in their lives. But not everyone puts their faith in Jesus. True faith comes from trusting in God’s words. Even though we have not seen the risen Christ with our own eyes, we believe in him, and he will come and dwell in us. He will give us peace and joy. Our life will never be the same.
Some of us are deeply saddened, hurt and damaged by things in our past. Some of us might be experiencing pain, sorrow and doubt because of our current situations. Some of us might be afraid of our uncertain future or that of our loved ones. After all, all of us are living in a very unstable and unsafe world. We will all die someday. What fundamentally matters is whether you believe in the resurrection. To have resurrection faith means that you abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in you. It is to also to acknowledge that the life you have in Jesus is indestructible. You can experience God’s presence in you through our resurrected Messiah. Are you willing to let him in? If you haven’t done it, do it now. If you have done it, continue to live in Him. Where do you find him? He is in you. Unless you find him living in you, you may not find him at all. “Shalom – Peace be with you.”
