Thursday 18 October 2012

Jesus - the Risen King


Gospel of John 20.19-23 : The Risen King
Part of a message preached at Gateway on 23 September 2012
Introduction

At Gateway we like to preach the Bible...why?  God speaks.  In God’s Word we discover God’s dealings with humankind through history – how not to live (there’s so much that should make us wince) as well as how to live a correct life, pleasing to God.  But above all the Bible is about a Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God to the rescue – the King himself – who saves you from the most serious of human predicaments: sin, death and eternal separation from God himself.  No matter how correct a life you live, it’s never good enough, that’s why you need a Saviour.  The Bible in a rich and extraordinary way tells you about the one and only Saviour who can meet your need – Jesus Christ.  It’s all about Jesus Christ.

Today we conclude a mini-series from John’s Gospel – which has kicked off our time at Mottram Hall.  It’s a series called, ‘It’s all about Jesus Christ’.

Read John 20.30-31

Week 1 we looked at John 12.20-33 thinking about 3 things at our first meeting at Mottram Hall:

1)   Expect people different from you to turn up at Gateway

2)   Expect to be challenged about your commitment to Gateway

3)   Expect the death and resurrection of Jesus to be central in Gateway

With that third point in mind we looked last week at the death of Jesus, a snapshot of the cross John 19.16-22 which revealed truths about King Jesus:

1)   A crucified King

2)   A universal King

3)   The King of Kings

Today, we’re thinking about the Risen King in the passage John 20.19-23.  Again it’s just a snapshot, one of many that we could consider about this fact – Jesus resurrected from the dead.  Let me repeat that – Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Yes, some people have been resuscitated or even miraculously raised from the dead.  We only have to consider Lazarus in John 11 – whom Jesus raised from the tomb after 4 days of burial.  But the problem is the Lazarus’ of this world eventually died...again.

Jesus was resurrected – different – never to die again.  It’s factual.  It happened.  The evidence for the resurrection is overwhelming.  Of course people choose to ignore or simply bury their heads in the sand, or dismiss such an event.  It doesn’t happen.  Of course it doesn’t happen, that’s why the resurrection of Jesus is so mind-blowing – because it really did happen.  From a neutral point of view, if it’s true, it changes everything in your life, because then everything else is true about the Christian faith.  If it’s false, everything else about Christianity collapses lack a pack of cards.

FEAR

Verse 19 tells us everything about the nature of sin and death summed in one word – FEAR.  The disciples, these followers of Jesus, had been everywhere with Jesus during the last 3 years.  They had witnessed his astounding miracles and heard his amazing teaching.  Jesus had even given them the chance to minister to others in his name.  Numerous times Jesus had told them clearly, ‘I am going to be killed, and I shall rise again’.  There are 2 parts here...death and resurrection.  Part 1 - The disciples have seen Jesus die, they witnessed his crucifixion.  They were there at the foot of the cross.  They saw him taken down, they saw where he was buried, indeed by two of Jesus’ own supporters.  But they don’t get part 2 – they have no anticipation about part 2 – they just don’t see it coming.

That’s human nature – part 1 – death.  We all expect that.  But part 2 – resurrection – no it's off our radar screen!

So here they are terrified.  The eleven specifically commissioned by Jesus, hand-picked to be on his mission team – are huddled together somewhere, most likely the same room where they shared the Last Supper with Jesus 3 days previous.  They have locked the doors.  They have hit rock bottom.  They are confused.  They have heard rumours from the women followers and two on their way to Emmaus that Jesus has come back to life.  They are terrified of the religious authorities...if the authorities crucified Jesus what will they do to his followers, hence they take precautions to lock the doors.  They can’t make sense of what is going on.

There are many people, who in the absence of Jesus in their lives, experience fear.  Perhaps you today feel at rock-bottom, or you are confused in life – not sure which way to turn.  Perhaps you have turned inwards – not able to face the world – you’re feeling depressed.  Anxious, worried, fearful.

PEACE

It was into this situation the Risen King Jesus entered.  Though the doors are locked, Jesus stands among them.  There is no barrier that locks Jesus out.  There is nothing going on in your life that Jesus cannot break through.  He is the Risen King.  He can lift you up, he can bring order, he can bring healing, he can bring peace into your life.

V19 ‘Peace be with you’ said Jesus to the terrified disciples.  The Bible frequently speaks about God’s peace (Nu.6.26, Ps.85.8, Mal.2.5, Lk.2.14, 24.36, Jn 16.33, Phil.4.7, Col.3.15).  The Hebrew word used for Peace in the Bible is Shalom.  Jesus greeted these followers with the familiar ‘Shalom’.  Now we tend to understand the word peace as a bit of quiet and the absence of a bit of stress e.g. 9pm once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet.  But Shalom has a much richer meaning – it’s about ‘well-being’ in its fullest sense.  It’s all the blessings of God’s Kingdom, true happiness - gathered up in the word ‘Shalom’.  It’s life at its best under the loving hand of God.  Into the FEAR Jesus speaks Shalom, PEACE.

When Jesus uses it on the first Easter Sunday evening – it’s the first truly authentic ‘Shalom’ in the history of the world – because for the first time death has been conquered and life has been restored in the person of Jesus Christ.  How perfect that Jesus’ first word to these disciples after his death and resurrection should be ‘Shalom’ – because truly Jesus has accomplished reconciliation between believers and God and life everlasting.

This is what the Risen King Jesus offers – and when you know God’s peace – he turns things around – he turns fear into joy (v20).  Jesus had even predicted this joy just a few days earlier – Jn 16.19-20, 22.

So there in that room – King Jesus, yes the crucified King, is the Risen King.  But his crucifixion, his death is not forgotten.  He shows them his hands and side.  Indeed, our hurting and needy generation need to recognise Jesus by his scars.  He is not aloof from suffering. 

So in the presence of the Risen King fear evaporates – because Jesus brings purpose (we’re made to live for him), he offers hope, he is life - because death has been defeated.  He turns these depressed, frightened, inward-looking cowards into world-beaters.  These 11 become transmitters to the world in the face of the most severe persecution.  They are commissioned to go from that locked room into all the world.  The church was born and continues to shake and shape history, e.g. you cannot understand truly British history without understanding the influence of Christianity upon the people and British society.

Here’s the thing - these 11 disciples, and the other followers of Jesus – could never have held out under the pressure, even becoming martyrs, if the resurrection was NOT true.  Let me say this, before I conclude.  It usually takes many years for a major mind-shift to take hold in society about some area of discussion or trend.  Take smoking for example.  Everyone knows it harms health, but it took several generations for a mind-shift to occur and something significant to be done – i.e. banned smoking in all public places incl pubs.  It took years, decades for this mind-shift to occur in society, and impossible to happen overnight.

The resurrection – nobody at the time of Jesus believed resurrection could take place in history (except Jesus).  No matter what religions or beliefs were around at the time – and there were many – resurrection of the dead was categorically not included.  That was the mind-set of everyone.

Yet within weeks, the disciples have only one message which dominates their lives, Jesus is Risen.  How come this dramatic mind-shift took place virtually overnight?  How come this belief about resurrection that no-one held too throughout the ancient world, whatever religion, suddenly becomes the driving force in the lives of these ordinary followers?  Because it happened!  Because the crucified King became the Risen King.  Because he truly rose from the dead and therefore he truly brings peace into lives where there is fear.

Conclusion

Although there is you could say an official commissioning 40 days later by Jesus on the mountain in Galilee to these disciples, and although there is a day soon afterwards when Jesus poured out the promised Holy Spirit to anoint, empower and equip the disciples in their mission, here in this room Jesus gives them a foretaste of what’s to come.  You could say, as John Calvin puts it, here is a ‘sprinkling’ of the Holy Spirit, but a ‘saturation’ of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost 50 days later.

V21-23...It’s a picture of the Trinity sending the disciples out with this wonderful message of forgiveness of sins in the power of the Holy Spirit.

God sends His Son into the world, initially through the person of Jesus, but subsequently through His Church.  The love of God reaches people, phase one through Jesus whilst he was here on earth and then phase two, through his Church – you and I.  You are called to carry on Jesus’ work, not to start a new one, living for the Risen King who has brought about Shalom - Peace instead of Fear.