Sunday 27th April 2014 John 20:19 - end Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice, we praise

you that you are the living, risen Lord of the Universe. We are your followers; we thank you that you sent the Holy Spirit to help us to be your disciples. Amen. * * * * * * * * * *

Peace be with you. Peace be with you. As the father has sent me, so I send you. Its dark. Youre cold. There is a tight knot of fear in the pit of your stomach. Th e shutters are closed and the door is barred. You strain your eyes to look at your friends, shadowy figures in the gloom. You dare not even light a fire for warmth or weak light as you dont want to attract the attention of the authorities. One of your friends is not with you and you worry about his safety. You are frightened, unsettled, jumping at every noise that filters in from the outside. Your teacher, your rabbi, the man, at whose feet you have sat for the last couple of years learning to be like him, is dead, and so is your hope. Over the last few months of following this man you had come to believe that he was the Messiah. This man was the long promised chosen one of God, who was to rescue Israel from oppression. This man was Gods anointed one, come to usher in Gods Kingdom. But now this man, is dead, viciously tortured and killed by the authorities just two days ago, so obviously he was not the promised Messiah. A couple of your friends shift around in the darkness, whispering to each other. You know what they are discussing, the news that Peter and John brought back with them this morning. That the tomb where the teacher was buried is empty, but that the linen coverings from his dead body are still there. Some crazy story that this proves that he is the Messiah. That and the other crazy story the woman Mary came back with that she had seen the teacher not just alive, but resurrected barmy besides everybody knows that you cant trust women for the true story. Its dark. Youre cold and you wish this whole thing had never even begun.

Peace be with you.

Wow, you had no idea that your despair could turn to joy so quickly, but there he is, the Teacher, you know its him even though he doesnt quite look like he used to. Your friends are touching him and you can see holes in his hands where he was nailed to the cross. Hope flares through your body and adrenaline makes your heart beat faster: Perhaps your hope is real, perhaps this is what resurrection looks like, the Teacher really is the Messiah. Your friends are calling the Teacher, Master, it sounds like they have the same hope as you.

Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. This is amazing; youve heard Isaiah read in the synagogue, you know that The Messiah was sent by God to defeat death, to liberate Israel and to begin Gods new creation, to begin Gods Kingdom*.
*(Isaiah 25 v 8: He will swallow up death for ever. Isaiah 62 v 11: Say to the daughter Zion, See your salvation comes. Isaiah 65 v 17: For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. Isaiah 61 v 2: to proclaim the year of the Lords favour.)

And now the Messiah is sending you! But to do what? The Messiah has come to Israel and defeated death, what is there left to do? Then you remember, Isaiah 42*, he will bring forth justice to the nations and Isaiah 49 ** I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Your people, for centuries, have been looking for the Messiah, have been waiting for the Messiah, have been longing for the Messiah, and yet so many of your people, when he came, couldnt recognise him What about the rest of the world, what about the other nations who do not know to be looking for Him, who do not know to be waiting for Him how are they going to recognise Him? How much more will the rest of the world need to know what God s peace looks like? How much more will the rest of the world need to know what Gods love looks like ? How much more will the rest of the world need to know who the Master is? This is your job, this is what the Master is sending you to do Not 10 minutes ago you had been wishing this whole journey had never even begun, and now here you are on the cusp of the greatest adventure of your life, yet this is when the doubt creeps in. This is when that nervous knot of tension sneaks back into your stomach, the adrenaline is now making you feel sick rather than exhilarated what if you end up like the Master, what if you face torture or death, what if you end up in prison, what if you lose your family and friends, what if you lose your job, what if people get angry with you, what if you dont know what to say, what if you make a fool of yourself? Peace be with you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyones sins, they are forgiven. If you retain anyones sins, they are retained.

*Isaiah 42 v 1: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth Justice to the nations. **Isaiah 49 v 6: I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

And right there and then you watch as the Master breathes on your friends and you. Just as in the beginning God breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of Adam*, The Master is breathing His breath, Gods breath, Gods Spirit into you, making a new creation, healing the breach between you and God, breathing His peace into you.

Your job is to take this peace, this healing spirit into the world and to let everyone else see that this peace exists, your job is to let everyone else know that they too can have this peace, they too can be reconnected with God, and the only thing they have to do is to believe that The Master, Jesus Christ, is the Messiah.

Peace be with you.

Doubts are normal, we cant do this on our own, which is why Jesus doesnt ask us to. Doubts are normal, which is why Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit. Doubt doesnt mean your faith is any less than another persons. Thomas doubted at first, but was the first person in Johns gospel to see Jesus as he really was and to believe and to call Jesus to his face My God. Dont let your doubts about yourself, or about the Holy Spirit, or about your abilities stop you from joining in with Gods plan for the universe talk to your friends, talk to someone on the leadership team, talk to your family, talk to the Holy Spirit directly but come up with something that suits you and your situation for spreading Jesus peace. Jesus doesnt leave us the option of inaction. Jesus has given you His peace, he expects you to share it with other people. Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you

*(Genesis 2:7)