Sermon for Trinity 8, July 26, 2026
Mercy and peace to you all, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. Amen.
John 20:19-23 19On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together behind locked doors because of their fear of the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” 22After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (EHV)
Peace to you sends peace to the world.
Dear brothers and sister of the living Lord,
Peace to you. That is the literal translation of what Jesus declared to His disciples that night. That is also the reason you are here at this worship service this morning. You are here because of the peace Jesus won for you and the peace God in heaven wants you to enjoy. Along with that, Peace to you sends peace to the world.
Why did you come to church today? I suspect there are about as wide a variety of superficial reasons as there are people. Some, especially the little ones, are here because their parents brought them. Perhaps you came out of habit. Maybe you felt guilty and hope for relief. Some of you might be here because someone else invited you. Others might come to church because they feel that is God’s command that must be obeyed. The arrogant might attend to show how good they look.
The reality, though, is that no matter why you think you are here, you are here because God wants to share His peace with you. Now, He doesn’t trick anyone into coming, but God does work, sometimes in mysterious ways, to ensure that the forgiveness and salvation won for the world by the life and death of His Son, Jesus, doesn’t go for naught. The Holy Spirit clearly stated through the hand of St. Paul that “God our Savior, … wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) Our natural flesh on the other hand, isn’t always interested in the truth.
As we continue our review of the catechism this year, we have reached the section on the Office of the Keys. Martin Luther wrote, What is the Office of the Keys? He answers, “The Office of the Keys is the special authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth: to forgive the sins of penitent sinners, but to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent.” Where is this written? The evangelist writes, After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven. Whenever you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:22-23) This is called the office of the keys, because the message is the key that opens the doorway to heaven to all who believe.
Speaking to the prophet, Isaiah, “the Lord said: ‘It is too small a thing that you should just be my servant to raise up only the tribes of Jacob and to restore the ones I have preserved in Israel, so I will appoint you to be a light for the nations, so that my salvation will be known to the end of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49:6) It was never God’s intention that His Son would rescue only a certain people, or a certain kind of people, from the curse of sin and the darkness of the devil’s lies. Jesus likewise declared, “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)
When mankind was caught in the despair of death under the devil’s control, no person could ever have imagined God suffering and dying to cover our guilt. Much of the world today remains in the delusion that if there is a god he is far away and not too concerned about the conditions of man. However, nothing could be further from the truth. That Sunday night after suffering crucifixion, death, and burial, Jesus returned to His disciples to declare the truth of His victory over sin, death, and the devil. Satan was no longer in control of the fates of mankind.
The disciples reacted much like we might have reacted to such startling news. They had watched Jesus be arrested by a crowd of soldiers. They knew the details of the sham trial that declared Jesus guilty and worthy of death. They saw the cruelty of the Jewish leaders who condemned Jesus solely because of their jealousy. The saw the brutality of the Roman soldiers as they beat, whipped, and otherwise abused their beloved Friend and Lord so they hid themselves in fear. From their hiding spots and the reports of those who were at Calvary, they knew Jesus had been nailed to the cross. They knew He died. They knew the spear had pierced His side. Just like the soldiers who pierced Jesus’ side, the disciples knew Jesus was dead, and they “knew” people don’t come back to life after being dead and buried. So, they hid in such fear and despair that it took a lot to change their minds.
Many in our world still doubt that Jesus rose from the dead. Yet, as St, Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is pointless, and your faith is pointless too.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) On the other hand, this is why Peace to you sends peace to the world. Risen from the dead and eternally alive, Jesus declared to those scared, weak, trembling disciples that His sacrifice had accomplished the forgiveness of the world. All of their doubts and fears were paid for; all their sins removed; their reconciliation with God had been accomplished, and it was then that Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
We usually think of Pentecost as the beginning of the Christian Church, but we could just as well say this is the beginning. That night, in a room locked to the outside world, Jesus stood among those who had walked with Him for three years and had seen Him suffer and die, and He declared, “Peace be with you!” It is the most beautiful message that anyone could ever share. God is at peace with mankind. God is at peace with you, with all of you. Jesus paid the full penalty of death for your sins. He paid for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, Jesus’ death and resurrection is the end of condemnation for all those who will believe in Him. But, “How can they believe in one about whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news of peace, who preach the gospel of good things!’” (Romans 10:14-15)
As Jesus declared peace with His disciples, He was also instituting the pastoral office. Because God loves us, and because Jesus has won forgiveness for the world, God wants everyone to hear and believe. Consequently, Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
We need to recognize the transformation that peace made among those disciples. Where in the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ suffering and death, they went into hiding for fear of the Jews, after His resurrection and this announcement of peace, they spent the rest of their lives telling the world about Jesus and all He had done to set us free from the curse of sin. It is one of the reasons we can be confident in the message of the gospel. It changed the lives of all who heard and believed it.
Those men, though frail, weak, and timid as they may have been, went out telling the world what they had seen and heard. Jesus appointed them as His apostles of peace to the world. But, like all mortal men, their time on earth came to an end, so the Holy Spirit moved them to appoint overseers, elders, pastors, and teachers to continue the work until the end of time. Speaking of Jesus, Paul wrote, “He himself gave the apostles, as well as the prophets, as well as the evangelists, as well as the pastors and teachers, for the purpose of training the saints for the work of serving, in order to build up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
Jesus still calls pastors and teachers to spread the Gospel. As you listen to His message of forgiveness and peace, perhaps He is calling you into the public ministry. The need is still great for young men to enter that service and young women to train as teachers of the little ones. And even if that call never comes to you to preach and teach, we all have the call to serve and assist the Body of Christ in whatever fashion and with whatever gifts God gives us. To parents God says about His words of peace, “Teach them diligently to your children, and speak about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)
To all of us Jesus encourages, “Let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) And the Holy Spirit through Peter tells us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)
All of this, dear friends, is why I can say that you are here today in this worship service because “Peace to you” changed your life. No longer are you trying to hide from God, for having heard the message of the Gospel you now know His peace. Someone the Holy Spirit sent into your life told you about Jesus. Someone told you that your sins are forgiven. Maybe it was your parents first. Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher or a friend, or maybe even just someone passing through your life. However, all of that began that night in the upper room as Jesus declared to His disciples, “Peace to you.”
At one time, our guilt was an awful burden to bear as we too were in hiding from our enemies and from the God who loves us. However, all that hiding ended when the peace of Jesus was applied to us in the hearing of His forgiveness and the pouring of the water and Word over us in Baptism. Today, set free from the devil’s lies and accusations, set free from the curse of sin by the sacrifice Jesus made, we again hear Jesus say through His called pastor, “Peace be with you.” To every repentant sinner, it is my call to say to you in Jesus’ stead, “Peace be with you.” Your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. The gates of heaven have been opened for you and for all who will believe. “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39) Peace to you sends peace to the world. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.