Peace Resurrected - Jesus Came

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!’ John 20:19 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.20.19.NIVUK

We saw earlier that when two or three are gathered together in Jesus' Name, then He promised He would be there. I sincerely doubt that the disciples expected that Jesus would fulfil it now. Not in their wildest imagination did they even conceive that He would attend this meeting. Why? Well, they had good reason. He was dead. He had been crucified. John, the disciple closest to Jesus when He died, stated the facts that convince us that Jesus was clinically dead: But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’ John 19:33‭-‬37 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.19.33-37.NIVUK So there was no way out of this. What's more, He had been buried in a rock tomb with a heavy stone rolled in front of it: As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Matthew 27:57‭-‬60 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.27.57-60.NIVUK And just in case there was any doubt at all, an armed guard was set up around the tomb and a seal prevented it from being tampered with: The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’ ‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matthew 27:62‭-‬66 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/mat.27.62-66.NIVUK Not even the great escape artist Houdini could get out of this one. So Jesus was clinically dead, in a rock tomb sealed with a heavy stone and under armed guard with a tamper-proof seal. My guess is that He would have had a pretty good reason for not attending the meeting. Remember when you wanted to get out of PE at school, so you came with a note from your Mum to excuse you from it? I don't think Mary would need to write a note this time. Our family in the Philippines do something you might think is a little strange: they celebrate our birthdays, even when we're not there. We might be on another continent, six thousand miles away, but they'll throw a small family party, even sacrificing livestock for us. Of course, it would be much better if we were there. But they are still prepared to party anyway. Some atheists tried to form a church, but without God. They gather together, they sing songs, they have life-affirming speakers and even have tea and coffee afterwards. I'm sure they care about each other and maybe even have each other's backs. But if a party without the celebrant seems a little unusual, then church without God is downright bizarre. So against all the odds, in an impossible situation, and with no expectation that He would be there, the disciples gathered. Jesus came. Jesus came into a locked room, full of terrified people who'd previously formed a strong, cohesive group that could take on the world, but now was huddled in fear behind a locked door. Friends, this is a picture of where we are now. Our doors are closed. We cannot admit visitors. Our situation seems bleak. Yet in the midst of our fear and despair, Jesus can come. Against all the odds of our situation, Jesus can come. To a church that had grown lukewarm in its mediocrity, that was spiritually poor but materially rich, Jesus wrote these words: Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:20 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/rev.3.20.NIVUK Do you hear the knock today? As our strong position in life steadily becomes precarious; as our security becomes a liability; as our strength becomes weakness; as all our support systems crumble around us; as our confidence melts away, do you hear the knock? As our shelves become empty; as our wards and graveyards become full; as our once noisy, boastful nations fall silent in despair, do you hear the knock? That's Jesus. He wants to come in. He wants to come into our crazy, messed up, stressed out lives. He wants to take our fearful, confused gatherings and turn them into church. He wants to take our worn-out cowardice and make us strong. He who is weighing the nations and finding them to be nought wants to make us His people, His holy priesthood, His holy nation. Will you open the door? Will you let Him in? He will not bring with Him a risk of infection. He will bring with Him a risk of healing, of restoration, of peace. Is that a risk you are willing to take? The disciples gathered, in fear and not expectation. But Jesus came. He came into their fearful, confused, messed-up lives. Will you let Him into yours? The third phase, even more wonderful than the first two, is that JESUS STOOD AMONG THEM.