Christ is risen! We are celebrating this. So in our gatherings there
is a lot of great music, there is a celebratory spirit, there is a lot of
optimism, and there is so much joy.
However, this was not the mood on the first Easter. Instead of
joy, there was a lot of chaos. There was a violent earthquake (Matt 28:2). The
soldiers guarding the tomb were scared because they saw a man whose “appearance
was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow” (Matt 28:3). They were
so afraid that they shook and became like dead men (28:4). Mary Magdalene was
frantic that Jesus’ body was gone (John 20:1), so she ran to Peter and John who
also did not understand what was going on (20:9-10). Mary felt extreme grief
that she stayed in the tomb, and mistook Jesus as the gardener who stole Jesus’
body (John 20:15). The religious leaders became scared of the news of the
resurrection, so they instructed the guards to spread false news that the
disciples took Jesus’ body (Matt 28:11-15). Many the people heard the news of
the resurrection, which was why the disciples asked the stranger on the road: “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not
know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18).
Aside from chaos, there was a lot of fear. On resurrection day,
the guards became afraid (Matt 28:4), the women who came to the tomb even
trembled and remained mute (Mark 16:8). Even the disciples were afraid (Matt
28:10), and they have good reasons. For the disciples, the resurrection was not
good news. It was bad news, particularly because the religious leaders accused
them of stealing a dead body in order to propagate a story of resurrection! In
the eyes of the religious leaders and the pious Jews who were so eager to have
Jesus crucified, the disciples violated so many laws: touching a dead body,
desecrating a tomb, teaching about resurrection (the Sanhedrin would have been
furious), and spreading blasphemy. We must remember that Jesus got killed for
blasphemy. The disciples were so afraid that they stayed together “with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders”
(John 20:19).
We are very spoiled today because we only face Easter with all its
joyful and victorious overtones, but the early disciples were suffering. The
resurrection for us today means life, but for the disciples, it meant their
death. Whether the resurrection was true or false, it meant that they were
doomed to be pursued by the religious leaders. For them, since dawn, they were
feeling anxious about their life. The irony of all these is that Jesus allows
them to experience such an uneasiness for the entire day! Jesus appears to them
only in the evening. Let us read John 20:19-23
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the
disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish
leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and
side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has
sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he
breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy
Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus appeared to the disciples in the midst of their confusion and
fear. I actually like this passage because I think Jesus was trying to
re-orient them. So far, the resurrection was bad news to the disciples, but
Jesus wants them to understand that the resurrection is good news! Instead of
feeling confused and afraid, what they should experience is peace (John 20:19,
21). The disciples did not understand the resurrection, but Jesus wanted them
to understand its meaning and significance in their lives.
So what is the resurrection about?
The
resurrection is about Jesus’ PRESENCE
“Jesus came and
stood among them” (John 20:19)
There is no greater comfort when we are faced with confusion, fear, or
sorrow than God making Himself present beside us or among us. Most people, when
suffering, feels abandoned by God. They feel as if God has left them alone.
What they need is not entertainment that can drown their sorrow, or friends who
can make them forget realities, or substances that can numb their emotions.
What people need in times of fear is the presence of God Himself. And this was
precisely what Jesus gave the disciples. I like the description about what
happened to the disciples when Jesus showed up: “The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20).
Depression is real. Fear is real. Confusion is real. The feeling of
being alone is real. But God is also real. He never fails to show up in our
deepest pains. He never fails to come to us when we need Him. It can be granted
that sometimes Jesus can be late, like in the first Easter, but He will show up
anyway. Easter is the assurance that Jesus shows up when we need Him the most.
… bringing
PEACE
“Peace
be with you” (John 20:19, 21)
What is peace? In Hebrew it is shalom,
which means wholeness. Peace is the experience of comprehensive happiness, when
everything is at the right place. It means that every aspect of our life is
well. It does not mean the absence of pain or struggle; but it means
contentment and happiness in the midst of struggle. It is the experience of
satisfaction in life.
For sure, the disciples did not have peace. They were confused and
terrified. They were anxious about their future.
But most of all, they did not have peace because they were so broken as
a group and as individuals. Peace is possible only when we are right with God,
right with others, and right with ourselves. Unfortunately, the disciples were
not right with God because they knew deep in their hearts that they abandoned
the Messiah, the Anointed One, right when He needed them. They disciples were
not right with one another; in fact, the probably could not look at each other
because they knew that each one of them failed. Maybe they were blaming one
another. Maybe they were looking down at each other, particularly at Peter, who
denied Jesus three times. They were not right with themselves, because they
knew they have failed miserably.
The disciples were feeling condemned, accused, guilty, and ashamed. They
did not have peace. But Jesus came to them precisely to offer what they needed.
He said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21) twice. The resurrection is about
the coming of Christ to bring peace to our broken lives.
… as a
result of PARDON of sins
“If
you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven” (John 20:23)
We can experience peace—or wholeness—only if we experience forgiveness.
Let us remember that the disciples felt guilt and shame before God for their
sins. They also felt ashamed with one another, because they were not faithful
to their Master and supportive of each other. They felt ashamed of themselves,
because they were not able to live up to their own confessions. The night
before Jesus was crucified, one of the conversations among them was this (Matt
26:33-35):
Peter said,
“Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”
34 “Truly I tell
you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you
will disown me three times.”
35 But Peter declared,
“Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the
other disciples said the same.
I am sure that this particular conversation was still fresh in the minds
of the disciples. The memory serves as biting judgment against them. Judas
hanged himself because of his guilt, and the disciples felt the same heavy
guilt. So when Jesus came to them and said, “If
you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven” (John 20:23), he was
offering them a way out. He is saying that He has already forgiven them, but
they need to forgive each other and forgive themselves. They can only
experience peace if they accept God’s forgiveness and if they also learn to
forgive.
Jesus did not only give them hope for themselves. Jesus has given them a
mission to preach forgiveness and lead others to experience forgiveness. Our
mission is to find others who have no peace, and lead them to experience the
peace that comes from forgiveness. The resurrection is for us, but also
for others through us.
Conclusion
What is the resurrection for the disciples? It is about Jesus’ PRESENCE
bringing PEACE that comes from PARDON of sins. My prayer is that at Easter,
each one of us will experience this. May Jesus come and visit our homes. May
Jesus come and manifest Himself today so that those who have no peace might
experience peace, and those who need forgiveness might also be forgiven.