Easter Continues

On Wednesday evening we considered the story in John 20:19-31.  It is set on the evening of Easter, and even though Jesus has risen from the tomb, his disciples are still locked up tight in a room of fear.  They are afraid of dying, of  facing the kind of rejection and crucifixion that Jesus received at the hands of the mob and the authorities. Someone observed that maybe they are also afraid of facing their own failure.  If they have to face Jesus, they will have to face judgment for their failure to stand by him.
But Jesus comes, penetrating the locked doors and standing among them, and saying."Peace be with you."  What does peace mean in this circumstance?, we asked.  Our answers:
--"Don't be afraid"
--"I am with you"
--"Face what's outside"
--"Take a deep breath".
"Jesus unlocks the most difficult doors" in life, someone said.  This is the nature of forgiveness.
Jesus' actions are defined by his love for them and his commitment to them; they are not a reaction to what the disciples did wrong.
He shows them the wounds in his hands and side.  He rises to new life even as he carries the wounds.
He offers his peace again.  Then, remarkably, he commissions them to go forth and do the kind of ministry that he has done in the world: "As the father has sent me, so now I send you."  
They will take the message of forgiveness to everyone.  And as people who themselves have been forgiven, they will know what they are talking about!