AfterWords: New Beginnings - Disciples

 

John 20:19-23

The disciples may have dreaded the thought of seeing Jesus after having abandoned him. Since the crucifixion, they had locked themselves away in the Upper Room. Then Jesus appeared. I imagine they held their breath, ready for the well-deserved reproach they knew was coming.

“Peace be with you.” … a simple phrase—both a common greeting and a blessing. Jesus again flips some tables by NOT reacting as his disciples expect. And, just to make sure, he says it twice: “Peace be with you.” As Jesus speaks to his disciples in Scripture, we can be sure that he is speaking to us today, so when we have disappointed our Lord, Jesus speaks the same to us—“Peace be with you” …blessing. This is already good news!

Sent Out – The second time Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” Jesus also commissions the disciples: “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” First Century and 21^st Century disciples are to continue what Jesus began. We continue Jesus’ work of redemption and reconciliation, the work that God began in Abraham of redeeming and reconciling a world broken by sin. Paul confirms that God “who reconciled us to himself through Christ…gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18) We have the charge of being ambassadors of Christ helping others to see and know God in a world where God is too often misrepresented by public voices.

Breath of Life – As the disciples process this commission, Jesus breathes on them. The most common word in Greek for breath is pneuma…but, here the word is different. John uses ἐνεφύσησεν (enephysēsen)—the only time this word is used in the New Testament, but not the only time this word appears in Scripture. In the commonly used Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Old Testament) we find this word used in some significant passages:

Genesis 2:7: “Then the Lord God formed [Adam] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and [Adam] became a living being.” Breathed the breath of life.

Ezekiel 37 (Valley of Dry Bones): “⁹ Then [the LORD]said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.”’ ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.” Again…God breathes life into what is not yet alive.

Jesus breathes life into his disciples, a preview of Pentecost…and Jesus breathes life into us today.

Forgiveness – First, “Forgive and forget” is physiologically impossible unless we have a severe head injury.  So, what is forgiveness? Forgiveness is a decision to live as if a wrong did not occur, a decision to not hold a wrong against someone. Doing the work of Jesus—reconciliation—is impossible without forgiveness. God forgives us our sins, and we have the privilege of declaring God’s forgiveness to other. Also, we have the duty to forgive one another just as we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are to forgive…and proclaim God’s forgiveness. More good news today: You are forgiven!

Full Circle – The disciples all fell apart at the arrest of Jesus and locked themselves away in the Upper Room out of fear. They had failed Jesus and themselves. How does Jesus respond to them? He blesses them. “Peace be with you.” Forgiveness…reconciliation…their fear is gone. What Jesus does in the Upper Room, God longs to do for us, for everyone. God does this for us in Christ Jesus: Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Fear gone. And, then God gives us new life by the Spirit of Jesus to carry out the redeeming, reconciling work of Jesus. This is God’s good news for us today. Amen.

Sunday, April 12, 2026
New Beginnings – Disciples
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: New Beginnings - Jesus

 

John 20:1-18

Today’s reading could take us in a number of directions: the “thick” disciples who see the empty tomb and walk away; the curious case of women who first proclaimed the Good News of the resurrection…but were later (4^th Century) silenced by the Church; the angels—two in John and one in Matthew—and what their real purpose was; or my favorite, underappreciated moment: “Thinking [Jesus] was the gardener….” What? The Risen Savior, the King of Kings, the Author of Life mistaken for the gardener? Beautiful… 😊

WHAT IF… Mary had gone that morning…and the body was still there. She might have wept again, said a prayer, and then gone home. The disciples? Peter, James and John would have gone fishing. Perhaps through the years they would recall moments, incidents—the clearing of the temple, feeding the 5,000, or even the mountain-top transfiguration.

They may have even tried to share with others what Jesus had said…but it would sound a bit hollow because of those promises of ‘resurrection’ and ‘return.’

Paul would have risen through the ranks of the Pharisees, maybe sat on the Sanhedrin, and perhaps made ‘high priest’ at some point. His life may have stayed very centered in Judea.

And, we would have no Gospels, no letters to churches, no letters to community leaders—nothing of what we call the New Testament today.  Just imagine, we would never have read or heard words such as….

 Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest….

Love is patience, kind, long-suffering….

If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you….

Our Father, who art in heaven….

For God so loved the world….

These three remain—faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love….

 BUT… something tipped the balance, something changed everything.

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”

This changed everything! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, because he came back to life, because the tomb did not contain him, history was forever changed.

Because Mary asked questions and stayed around...and talked with “the gardener.”

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote their Gospels...their memories and stories about Jesus. Paul encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life and letters changed the world. And, somewhere along the way, we experienced the loving-kindness of God in Christ Jesus, and our lives are forever changed—we have faith in God’s goodness, we have hope for the days to come, we live lives of loving kindness because God poured out His loving kindness towards us in the life, teachings, person, and resurrection of Jesus.  

On Easter, we celebrate the resurrection. John writes, “...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31) Today, we can decide to believe, to trust, to put our faith and confidence in what God has done through Jesus the Messiah, and may we find life in him! May we like Mary know and proclaim that … He is risen! (He is risen, indeed!).

Sunday, April 5, 2026
New Beginnings – Jesus
Watch/Listen: HERE