Peace for Sinners who Hide

On the evening of Jesus’ resurrection, we don’t find the disciples rejoicing; instead, they're hiding in fear.  

What were they so afraid of? Of course, Jesus had been killed.  But, even more than that, every last one of them had fallen away, just as Jesus had said they would (Matthew 26).  When Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples left Him and fled.” Not only Judas, but all of the disciples had betrayed Him, fleeing to save their own skins. Therefore, even the reports of Jesus’ resurrection didn’t cause the disciples to celebrate; instead, they went into hiding.  All their efforts at self-preservation only served to reveal their sin.  And so it is with us: all our fearful efforts to save and protect ourselves finally reveal our distrust of Jesus’ promises, too. 

What does Jesus do with a bunch of self-preserving sinners hiding in a locked room? Well, on the evening of His resurrection, Jesus didn’t leave His betrayers in doubt and sin. Instead, He gave them His real, physical, touchable presence, and the gift of His words of peace and forgiveness. Then He breathed on them, giving them the Holy Spirit, saying, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.”  Jesus knew His betrayers would need to hear that promise over and over again, and that means we would need to hear it, too.

Jesus promises that when His forgiveness is spoken to us through another person, He is with us–the one speaking to us–and so our sins are forgiven. When and wherever this gospel is being bestowed on sinners, in Word and the sacraments, you find the Church.  So it is through His Church that Jesus gives us His real presence and His promise, even now.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead to say to you, a sinner who betrayed Him: “Peace be with you. I forgive your sin.”  Amen.