Encountering the Wounded Christ: Peace in Our Battles

We all face battles every week, and it's a good reminder as we come into God's house this morning, into God's presence, the battles we face are not necessarily our battles to fight alone or even often to fight, but that God will fight on our behalf. And so as we gather together to worship, I want to invite you to stand and to make this a proclamation this morning. We will cry, every giant will fall, because our God is bigger than the battles that we face. [00:07:03]

a throne a sword a victory that looked like power but Jesus he'd come not to build a kingdom with power but he came to build a kingdom that nobody expected it was a kingdom with scars and surrender a kingdom marked by suffering sacrifice and humility a kingdom that was not of this world and the resurrection as we said last week was the ultimate affirmation that even though Jesus kingdom looks so upside down there still is victory and it's a kingdom that still is victorious this is something I've been wrestling with this last week what does victory look like what does the resurrection of Jesus the victory over death the victory over sin look like in the context of Jesus teaching in the context of the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed it's a different kind of victory [00:29:06]

it's a life that comes through death it's a peace that comes through sacrifice it's a victory that comes through surrender our text this morning is John chapter 20 verses 19 through 29 if you have your Bible or your phone feel free to turn there I don't know if it'll be up there or not on the on the screen I'll give you a minute the English standard version ESV is which I will be reading but the the setting for today's text is it's it's the eve of the resurrection day it's Sunday evening the sun has set and the disciples they're not celebrating they're not preaching they're not out in the street shouting he is risen no they're hiding behind locked doors they're full of fear full of doubt they're stuck between the death that they saw with their own eyes and the resurrection that they can barely believe that they don't quite understand but here's the good news today that Jesus doesn't wait for them to figure it out he comes right into their fear he speaks peace he brings or he breathes his spirit and he sends them not with worldly power but with the upside down power of the cross [00:30:18]

last week we saw it in Judas who was close to Jesus but missed the meaning of his kingdom but he wasn't alone most of the disciples they they were probably revolutionaries at heart they were zealots looking for a leader to overthrow Rome remember Peter the garden of Gethsemane the night that Jesus was arrested what does he do he pulls out a sword and he cuts off the ear of the high priest servants [00:34:32]

I think we missed this part we don't realize that like if you carry a sword with you you're ready for a fight they were ready for a fight they were ready to overthrow the government and the powers and the systems of the world they were ready to reclaim what was really theirs they're ready to reclaim the holiness of God the zeal that they had even after three years with Jesus they still didn't understand [00:35:16]

they had dreamed of a triumphant king riding into Jerusalem claiming the throne but now Jesus died and Rome was still in charge and now it's Sunday evening the disciples are hiding they're confused they're afraid they're disillusioned they heard rumors the women came and told them the resurrection that there's an empty tomb but they can't yet see how it all fits their dream that they had the hope that they had for a better tomorrow died makes me think about watching our sports teams [00:35:55]

working for the promotion that never comes or planning your life one way and then watching it fall apart this is where the disciples were the dreams that they had the hopes that they had were gone but they loved Jesus they left everything to follow him but they didn't yet understand this upside down kingdom that he was bringing the disciples are stuck physically and emotionally they're paralyzed by fear fear of the authorities fear they backed the wrong hope fear it was all for nothing that sinking feeling in your gut when the guy you're backing the whole wrestling thing when the guy you're hoping it will win and he loses it reminds me I think of like 1992 watching the Portland Trailblazers the NBA finals finally they made it to the finals it was game six against the Chicago Bulls Chicago was up 3 -2 in the series Portland played a tough game it was in Chicago they pulled within two points with just 20 seconds left they fouled Michael Jordan Michael Jordan sinks the two free throws Chicago goes on to win their second NBA championship in a row I remember as a kid that gut feeling like oh my team lost now imagine that feeling times infinity that's what the disciples felt the guy that we backed died [00:36:53]

and so this is where they are the doors are locked but so are their hearts they're supposed to be witnesses but how can you be witnesses when you're broken by fear and then and then Jesus enters [00:39:02]

I don't think we can fully imagine or fully understand that feeling being so afraid you've literally locked the doors and Jesus comes into the room and he appears and he doesn't give them a rebuke he doesn't say what are you doing you're supposed to be out in the streets preaching instead he gives them a blessing he says peace be to you a shalom may God's blessing be on your life may you experience his grace in this moment and then and then Jesus shows them his wounds he says see my scars he shows them his side where the spear cut open and the nail scars he doesn't show them a crown doesn't show them a sword not a throne but scars [00:39:27]

I hope this hits with you this lands with you the same way that it's hit me this week Jesus says just as the father has sent me just as the father sent me so too I am sending you [00:40:44]

Jesus Jesus saying my work is done now it's your turn this kingdom that I came preaching and proclaiming now I'm passing the baton on to you it's your job now my work will continue through you they aren't witnesses of a resurrection but merely of the resurrection but they're witnesses of so much more a wounded king in a kingdom marked by scars suffering surrender sacrifice and humility this call to continue the teaching and the work and the bringing about God's kingdom this week many of you may know a dear friend Tom Stubblefield passed away from this life to the next Tom was a man who brought so much light to our community and as I visited with him over the last few weeks I felt something a little bit similar to this moment that Jesus had with his disciples Tom still felt he's like there's so much work still to be done I remember one of the last weeks he was here he said Josh we've got to fix the sidewalk out there we've got to paint lines in the parking lot we've got to fix that steeple there's so many things that he just noticed and he's like we got to get these [00:41:06]

done. I was able to sit with him and tell him, Tom, you've done so much and now you are passing the blessing that you've been to so many and to the community, you're passing it on to us. [00:42:29]

The blessing that he carried is now ours to carry. It makes me think of God's call to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, the very beginning of the story of the Jews, of God's people. What does God say at the beginning? He says, Abraham, I want to bless you so that you will be a blessing to the world. [00:42:43]

This truth that I have imparted with you over the last three years and now that has been amplified and exclaimed through the resurrection, that is yours now to carry to the world. And then and then Jesus breathes on them. [00:43:22]

Jesus breathes his spirit on them and says, receive the Holy Spirit. It's in this moment, it's with the power of the spirit that will then enable the disciples to carry out, to carry his life, to carry his kingdom into the world. [00:43:49]

But it's just the breath of God filling scared and broken people with new life. [00:44:52]

But the real point I think that John is making the author of the gospel here is that this moment isn't up for John. It's not about miraculous signs showing off individual power. But instead it's about being filled with the Spirit for the mission. [00:45:12]

it's to bring God's wounded upside down kingdom not just to the Jews but to the Gentiles and to all the nation to everybody who would accept. John the beginning of John's gospel in the third chapter he says for God so loved the entire world that everybody who would believe might have eternal life. [00:45:33]

He was not with them for one reason or another. You have no idea why. [00:46:20]

there again all in a room together the doors again are locked they're still afraid and Jesus enters again and appears and again he says peace be to you and then he looks at Thomas and he doesn't shame Thomas but he invites him he says Thomas put your finger here put your hand on my side do do not disbelieve but believe and then Thomas falls to his knees this is my Lord and my God [00:47:10]

now this proclamation of Thomas is not because he had it all figured out it's not because he became strong but it's because he encountered the wounded risen Christ Thomas believed because of the encounter with the scars with the wounds with the love that came through that that caused Thomas to believe and now Jesus goes on the end of this section he says blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed now this is not an admonishment of Thomas this is not again shame on you Thomas you didn't believe but until you saw blessed are those who believe no this message has little to do with Thomas and it has to do with you and me Jesus now is proclaiming to us blessed are you who believe through the faith [00:47:59]

you are witnesses to the resurrected Christ because of your faith and because of your encounter with him you have met him in the peace that he speaks into our fear you've met him in the wounds that he still bears you've met him in the spirit who breathes life into our locked up hearts we are not sent because we have it all figured out but we are sent because we have met the wounded Christ because we have breathed in his spirit and now we carry his peace into a broken world as we respond as we come to the table this morning my challenge for us is to examine our hearts where are the locked doors in our lives today where are the locked doors where are the things that we are keeping that we are afraid where are the parts that we maybe were shamed Jesus is wanting to breathe peace into your fear Jesus wants to come into your life and say peace be to you to remove the fear the worries the concerns the parts that you're hiding from and so let's be witnesses today and this week of Jesus wounded risen love [00:49:11]