Second Sunday of Easter (B) 2018

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: John 20:19
Theme: “Peace Be With You”

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

The sun rises each day by the command of God. The earth rotates and darkness falls. But the Son of God has risen, and He will never “set” again. The ultimate power of darkness has been vanquished. Satan still has his little hour. He frantically bustles about plying his deceptions as the Scripture says, “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”1 He cannot win the war. Therefore, we join with the apostle “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us in the kingdom of the Son He loves.”2 “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.”3

In the hours and days following the resurrection, the reality of what happened didn’t immediately sink in for the followers of Jesus. Their anticipation of His resurrection should have helped them make the transition. Instead, their hearts and minds dulled by confusion and doubt, they had to adjust to their risen Lord as if they never expected to see Him again in this realm. For the Twelve (minus Judas), it was a particularly intense time. After all, at His arrest they all forsook Him and fled. Only John had the courage to witness Him on the cross. Guilt and doubt hung over them like a dark heavy cloud.

Jesus’ first words upon appearing to His disciples were, “Peace be with you!”4 These words were not a simple, cordial greeting, but powerful words of forgiveness. A countenance of reconciliation beamed upon them. Jesus restored His fallen followers. He showed them the marks from His wounds. The proof of His resurrection was indisputable. It was really Him. Now they would have forty days with Him before His ascension. Today Jesus bestows on them the power of the Keys for the benefit of the church. The Office of the Keys involves Jesus’ command to called ministers to publicly announce that forgiveness is either granted or withheld.

Every human being is condemned by sin and deserves present and eternal punishment for their transgressions. Recognition of this truth cannot but cause remorse and trepidation. If it does not, then the conscience is standing in denial or rejection of the truth. If we are unmoved by the prospect of punishment for our sins, then we are living with a false sense of security. The conscience cannot truly be at peace until it knows it is right with God. Denial of our guilt elevates ourselves above the need for Jesus’ sacrifice. We’re not called to make excuses, but to repent.

As believers we know that peace has been made for us through the blood of the cross. When the called minister of Christ says, “On behalf of my Lord Jesus Christ and by his command, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”5 Christ is saying to us, “Peace be with you.”6 Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

This peace is the security of knowing that death itself has been overcome. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”7 Louis XV, King of France, foolishly decreed that death was never to be spoken of in his presence. Nothing that could in any way remind him of death was to be mentioned or displayed. He sought to avoid every place, sign and monument which in any way suggested it. Apparently, he hoped that such avoidance would make the reality of death disappear. His over-inflated sense of self-importance and power also contributed to his skewed perspective. It was, of course, an exercise in vanity and futility. Christians need not live in such fear. We have the supreme comfort of His promises. “We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.”8

Dear friends, Jesus walked out of the grave bearing His scars. If you’ve made it to this point in your life without accumulating scars, then you have led an extraordinary life indeed. You might understandably consider yourself blessed. But scars are a blessing too. Scars are a reminder that we live in a world of sin. Scars are evidence that we have been in the fray and often they indicate a level of maturity in the faith. Remember, the first golf balls were smooth. After they became nicked up it was discovered that that they flew much further. Tiny scars made them much more aerodynamic. As living beings, being made “aerodynamic” is painful.
Satan will try to convince you that pain and hardship are evidence of God’s impotence or apathy. In fact, the Holy spirit is just refining your faith.

Still, because we are mortal we are vulnerable. And, so what do we do? We might be tempted to “purify” ourselves. But self-castigation won’t drive the “doubting” Thomas out of you. Doubt cannot be rectified by self-help procedures. The more you try to analyze your faith, the greater risk you run of intensifying your doubt. God never calls upon us to trust in our own faith. Certainty does not come from within. He tells us to trust in Him. The Holy Spirit alone is the master over doubt. The soul languishing in the darkness of doubt can be illumined by a single shaft of light beaming from the pages of Holy Scripture. This is how doubt is overcome. God is faithful.

The historical events of the resurrection may seem too distant to really grip our hearts and minds. The storyline may be intelligible to our intellects, while the power of it doesn’t seize our hearts. But it’s not our task to reconstruct the events of Easter with artificial hype. That might have a fleeting positive effect with a long term negative effect. It’s not necessary to visualize ourselves standing at the empty tomb; or being present when Jesus passed through the door. “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”9 Focus on your baptism. That’s the portal through which the cosmos-changing events of the crucifixion and resurrection make a real impact for you. We don’t go back in time to glimpse the blessings, Christ brings them forward into the present.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He hosts us in the Sacrament of the Altar in real time and space. Christianity is neither a time-bound religion made obsolete by the progression of centuries, or a mystical paradigm that involves an alternative universe. Jesus Christ is the Master and Lord of heaven, earth, and hell. He says, “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”10 Amen.

Christ is risen!
He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

+ In nomine Jesu +

Second Sunday of Easter
8 April 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt


1 Revelation 12:12 2 Colossians 1:12-13
3 Romans 6:9 4 John 20:19
5 LH p.7 6 John 20:19
7 1 Corinthians 15:55 8 The Nicene Creed
9John 20:29 10Revelation 1:17-18