Pr. DFD : Easter 2 Series C

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Easter 2 Series C

Acts 5:12–20 (21–32)

Revelation 1:4–18

John 20:19–31

Collect for Easter 2 – Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

That You May Believe and Have Life in His Name

On the Lord’s Day, St. John the Apostle was given a revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He is the Living One, “the firstborn of the dead” (Revelation 1:5). He died for all people, and behold, He is alive forevermore! Therefore, He has “the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:18). For His death atoned for sin and conquered death, and in His resurrection He opened the kingdom of heaven to us. The “sharp two-edged sword” of His mouth (Revelation 1:16) calls you to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,” that by such faith “you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). To that end, He sends His ministers of the Word, as the Father sent Him, “to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins” (Acts 5:31).

The Jesus that John beheld on Patmos and that Thomas saw in the upper room is the same Jesus that you behold in Word and Sacrament. You see Him, not with your eyes, but with your ears. You don’t hear a voice like a trumpet but you hear Jesus in the preaching of a man...and strangely enough Jesus sounds like a farm kid from Minnesota who puts too much emphasis on long vowels. You hear Jesus because it’s not my word that I preach but His. It is His Word that I was sent here to preach. It wasn’t the words of my predecessors in this pulpit that they preached, but the Word of God that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:19–31

Jesus appears to the disciples and to Thomas

John 20:19 –

Οὔσης οὖν ὀψίας τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μιᾷ σαββάτων, καὶ τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων ὅπου ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς• Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.

being evening on the first day of the week, for fear of the Jews the doors were shut, Jesus stood before them and said peace to you all.

Calvin said Jesus climbed through a window. Still deny the real presence.

John 20:20 –

καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῖς. ἐχάρησαν οὖν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες τὸν κύριον.

after saying this he showed them his hands and his side.

πλευρὰν - Where we get pleurisy. Only John records blood coming from Jesus' side...19:34 Luke will say hands and feet.

John 20:21 –

εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πάλιν• Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν• καθὼς ἀπέσταλκέν με ὁ πατήρ, κἀγὼ πέμπω ὑμᾶς.

Jesus said again, (because of his hand and side) "peace to you" as the Father sent me I send you.

Establishment of the apostolic ministry. Why the two verbs for send?

ἀπέσταλκέν - sent with authority, the authority of Christ.

John 20:22 –

καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐνεφύσησεν καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς• Λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον•

saying this, He breathed and said to them receive the Holy Spirit. Whomever sins you forgive they are forgiven whomever sins you retain they are retained.

Spirit is called the breath of God, see Ps. 33 and Ez. The breath is the speaking, spirit conveyed through the Word. "Now the keys belong to me" says Jesus.

John 20:24 –

Θωμᾶς δὲ εἷς ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος, οὐκ ἦν μετ’ αὐτῶν ὅτε [g]ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς.

but Thomas one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came.

Why called the twin? Because he had a twin? But we are there too. Thomas is Eeyore, "let us go with Him and die with Him"

John 20:25 –

ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄλλοι μαθηταί• Ἑωράκαμεν τὸν κύριον. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων καὶ βάλω τὸν δάκτυλόν μου εἰς τὸν τύπον τῶν ἥλων καὶ βάλω [h]μου τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὴν πλευρὰν αὐτοῦ, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσω.

"by no means will I believe. Absolutely not!" The other disciples said, we have beheld the Lord.

John 20:26 –

Καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ πάλιν ἦσαν ἔσω οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς μετ’ αὐτῶν. ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων, καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν• Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.

After eight days (inclusive) He rises and appears on the eighth day...his disciples were again gathered Thomas was with them and door was shut and still being shut...

John 20:27 –

εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ• Φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε καὶ ἴδε τὰς χεῖράς μου, καὶ φέρε τὴν χεῖρά σου καὶ βάλε εἰς τὴν πλευράν μου, καὶ μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός.

"see right before you" do not be faithless but faithful...do not be unbelieving but believing...

We touch the nails and thrust every time the word is preached and the sacraments administrated. We receive in the Sacrament the whole Christ.

John 20:28 –

ἀπεκρίθη Θωμᾶς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ• Ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου.

the Lord of me...the God of me...

Augustine quote. "Thomas saw and touched a man and confessed a God Whom he did not see or touch."

John 20:29 –

λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς• Ὅτι ἑώρακάς με πεπίστευκας; μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες.

because you have seen me you believe blessed are those who believe w/o seeing.

John 20:30-32 –

Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλα σημεῖα ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐνώπιον τῶν μαθητῶν, ἃ οὐκ ἔστιν γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ• 31 ταῦτα δὲ γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύοντες ζωὴν ἔχητε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.

much many other signs on the other hand these are written...foundational confession - Jesus is the Christ the Son of God.

These are what got Jesus crucified...You are the Christ...you are the son of God. This is not blind faith. There is a promise to apologetics but a limit. It tears down only it does not build up. Even the demons believe and shutter. Saving faith come by faith...

-Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Resurrection of our Lord’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Easter 2 Series C

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