Sermon - Quasimodo Geniti 2023 - John 20:19-31

Doubting Thomas, Caravaggio, 1571-1610

The Forgiveness of Sins

1. Delivers from fear;

2. Gives peace; and is

3. Still delivered today

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

God says “There is no peace for the wicked.” Although they will often say “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” There is but One who gives us peace, namely Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who by His chastisement has brought us peace. He gives us His peace in the forgiveness of sins. In saying “Peace be with you,” Jesus forgave the apostles their sins. So it is with the forgiveness of sins that we are delivered from fear and given peace.

Where there is forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation. But where sins are not forgiven, there is no peace, instead there is death, and thus there is fear. And so we heard: “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” The apostles were filled with fear of death because they didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. If Jesus had not risen, then that meant they were still in their sins, and thus death meant eternal damnation. Mark records: “He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw Him after He had risen.”

Living in the sin of unbelief and not yet being forgiven, they were filled with a fear of death. This fear of death froze them in place. He had told them ahead of time that He would die and rise, and then He would meet them in Galilee. The angel told the women that He was going to meet them in Galilee. Yet, they sat in fear of death behind closed doors. How embarrassing for them.

We can relate, though. I hear Christians say quite regularly that they’re not afraid of dying. But, I guess I don’t believe them. I used to, until three years ago, when practically everyone, Christians included, hid themselves at home at even the slightest threat of a deadly disease.

Impending threats of death often reveal the hidden thoughts of our hearts. The apostles had spent years with Jesus, seen Him raise the dead, heard Him prophesy His crucifixion and resurrection, and forgive sins. Yet, when it came right down to the line, brass tacks, they flee from death and hide in their unbelief. We have been taught about Jesus’ death and resurrection, we confess every week that we will rise from the dead, we’ve learned about the martyrs who bravely faced death, we believe that we will rise again on the last day. Yet, when it comes right down to the line, brass tacks, we flee from death and hide in our unbelief.

It’s painful and humiliating to discover that our faith is not as strong as we thought it was. But God be praised that we discovered how fragile our faith is before we died! This may sound strange, but Covid, like other forms of adversity, was a blessing in disguise, since it brought to the fore our sins so that we may repent of them and be forgiven! Anytime we are confronted with our mortality we ought to praise God for allowing us a glimpse into our hearts that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen, so that this unbelief can be rooted out and forgiven before it’s actually too late.

Jesus came to the Apostles, who were cowering in fear and unbelief, stood among them, and said: “Peace be with you.” He forgave their sins! He showed them the wounds in His hands and side, showing them the proof that their sins were truly forgiven, and “then the disciples were glad.” Their fear of death was cast out by the forgiveness of sins! Your fear of death is cast out by the forgiveness of your sins! Jesus’ death and resurrection forgives your sins, takes away your fears, and makes you glad!

Why does the forgiveness of sins take away your fear of death and make you glad? Because death is no more for you who are forgiven! In fact, having been forgiven, you become a terror to the devil. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The devil runs away from those who resist him through faith in Christ and forgiveness. St. John Chrysostom, in talking about Christians who have received the forgiveness of their sins in Communion, says they are “like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil; thinking on Christ our Head and on the love that He has shown for us.” In the face of death and hell and Satan, you are like lions breathing fire, and the devil shall flee from you. Death itself is crushed when you’re forgiven! 

Chrysostom is right, this forgiveness of sins that you have makes you like a frightening lion, a terror to the devil. It makes you bold and courageous, able to face anything with confidence in the Lord. You don’t run away when life gets difficult and the devil charges you, instead you face and resist the devil, such that he is afraid of you. But do note that you’re not really like a lion, running about and roaring, that’s how the devil behaves. Instead, God’s forgiveness gives you peace. You don’t have to fight the devil or death, Jesus already did that for you. “The Lord fights for you, and you have only to be silent.” The way that you’re a terror to the devil is by being at peace, even and especially when he attacks you. Being at peace when the devil provokes you is like dumping burning coals on his head; he can’t stand it.

This peace given in the forgiveness of sins is still delivered to us today in Confession and Absolution. Jesus ordained His apostles with His authority to forgive or retain sins in His stead and by His command. “ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” This same authority “to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent” has been given to His church today. The same peace and forgiveness and courage given to the apostles is also given to you, dear Christians. 

As we say in the catechism: “I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.” This is the sacrament of individual confession and absolution. It is a good and salutary practice by which Christians are forgiven their particular sins by the pastor who stands in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to stop in at church sometime and receive the peace of God in individual confession and absolution.

Afterall, the forgiveness of sins is yours in Christ Jesus. Through Christ’s death and resurrection you’re forgiven. Jesus wants you to receive this forgiveness personally, not just generically, but individually applied directly to you. This forgiveness of sins takes away your fear of death and gladdens your heart. This forgiveness of sins fills you with peace, which terrifies the devil, so that he now runs away from you. Through God’s forgiving word of absolution, these dry bones put on flesh, breathe again, and are at peace.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!