In the sermon 'Sending Glad Disciples' by Jason Dohm, the focus is on John 20:19-23, where the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them peace and commissioning them to spread the gospel. The sermon explores the miraculous nature of Jesus' appearance and his pronouncement of peace, emphasizing that this peace is not based on merit or circumstances but on Jesus' completed work on the cross. The sermon highlights the importance of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus imparts symbolically to the disciples as a foretaste of Pentecost, empowering them for their mission. Additionally, it addresses the role of disciples in declaring forgiveness and condemnation, clarifying that forgiveness is through belief in Jesus, as demonstrated by the apostles' teachings in Acts. The sermon invites believers to experience the peace and joy of being in Jesus' presence and challenges them to spread the message of reconciliation.

Good morning. Our sermon text is found in John chapter 20 verses 19 to 23. For context I will start with chapter 1, verse 1. That sounds good. Who's up for that?

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early while it was still dark and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. Peter therefore went out, and the other disciples were going to the tomb. So they both ran together, and the other disciples outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb, and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping And as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.

And she saw two angels in white sitting one at the head and one, I'm sorry, in the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you seeking? She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where. You have laid him and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned and said to him, Rabboni, which is to say, teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren and say to them I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God." Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things to her.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Well we think we're on track to conclude the Gospel of John the first Sunday in January. That's sort of like finishing a big project, but a sweet project. The title of the sermon this morning is Sending Glad Disciples. Or maybe better yet, Sending Happy disciples.

That's really what we have before us in our text today. The resurrected Lord Jesus appears to his disciples for the first time in the Gospel of John and he commissions them. When we left off, Mary Magdalene has encountered two angels and then encounters Jesus, who she doesn't recognize at first, but she does eventually recognize. The disciples have received multiple reports, if you overlay the Gospels on each other, they are receiving the reports from Mary Magdalene, but from other women as well. But they have no first-person experience with the risen Lord Jesus yet, until the circumstances that are related in our text today.

Each of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, have a commission. The most famous one, the one you could probably quote is in Matthew 28, go therefore and make disciples. But Mark has one, Luke has one, John has one, and this is that commission in the Gospel of John. A sending of disciples with the Gospel into the world. So, without further ado, let's ask the Lord for help and we'll come to our text.

Lord Jesus, to know your presence is to experience joy. To sit at your feet, figuratively speaking, is to Know a happiness that's different from the different happinesses of the world. And to be deprived of your presence is to know a turmoil that is alarming, disconcerting. That is alarming, disconcerting. And that's certainly true of the disciples in our text, but it's true of us as well.

Those who have walked with you for a while know that to sit at your feet comes with us a special happiness. And to have a sense of being distant from you is troubling to our souls. I pray that today we would be refreshed. We would sit at your feet, figuratively speaking, and know the joy of being in your presence. Receive strength.

Be made happy by being with you today. We pray it in Jesus' name, Amen. Let's subdivide, as almost always, and look at verses 19 and 20. Hopefully your finger is still in John chapter 20. Follow along as I reread verses 19 and 20.

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord." There are certain places where John, you think, is the master of understatement. I think this is one of those places I bet they were glad when they saw the Lord. In these two verses we have a miraculous appearance and a pronouncement of peace.

So if you're taking notes by filling in blanks, appearance fills in the first blank, peace the second blank. A miraculous appearance, Jesus' appearing in the midst of the disciples is miraculous in itself, and a pronouncement of peace. Jesus speaks to them, and He speaks peace to them. Verse 19 begins this way, then the same day at evening. We're still on Resurrection Day.

It's the first day of the week, but the day is spent. It's the end of the day, and it's at evening. There is a companion text from the Gospel of Luke that drops us right into this scene. So I want to take you there. Turn to Luke chapter 24.

Luke chapter 24 is the companion text that just drops us right into the scene in John 20. This is actually a long reading, so forgive me and work hard. When there's a long reading of a text, it's hard to track with it and it's easy for your mind to wander. So I'm asking you to just be aware of that and to work hard to track with me. I'll actually be reading Luke 24 verses 13 through 49, and then commenting briefly.

Luke chapter 24, starting in verse 13, reading through 49. Now behold, two of them, unnamed disciples, at least unnamed at this point, we'll get one name as we go, Two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him.

And he said to them, What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad? Jesus notices that they are sad. Verse 18. Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to him, Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things which happened there in these days? And he said to them, What things?

So they said to him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet, mighty indeed in word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, certain women of our company who arrived at the tomb early astonished us. When they did not find his body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.

And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see. Then he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and he indicated that he would have gone farther, but they constrained him saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.

And he went in to stay with them. Now it came to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the Scriptures to us? So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon.

They told him about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. As they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, Peace be to you. So now you can tell, We are dropped right into the scene in John 20. Jesus comes into the midst of them and says, Peace to you. Verse 37.

But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

While they still did not believe for joy and marveled, he said to them, Have you any food here? So they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then he said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Now what do we have here? In verse 16, Jesus has joined these two unnamed disciples. We get the name of Cleopas as we go through the text, but their eyes are restrained so that they don't recognize him. This is like Mary Magdalene and her encounter with Jesus in John chapter 20.

She didn't recognize him at first, but then in time she did come to know that it was Jesus. In verse 24, these two disciples relate that no one had seen Jesus, so it's clear that they had left for Emmaus before Mary Magdalene arrived to say that she had seen Jesus. Then we see this in verses 25 and 26. Then Jesus said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory.

He presses on these two disciples that all that has happened in these days in Jerusalem with Jesus of Nazareth are things that were necessary to fulfill the things that the prophets had foretold. And then he says this in verse 27, And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them, in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. All the prophets, all the scriptures. So we get here a picture in Luke that Jesus is everywhere in the Old Testament. Beginning In Moses, we think of prophets as Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Malachi, and we sort of restrict it to the writers of the prophetic books of the Old Testament.

But anyone who is an author of scripture is a prophet. That's why he says, beginning at Moses, and all the prophets. Jesus is there throughout the Old Testament, and Jesus himself unfolds it to these two disciples. Verse 30, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. This is almost the identical words from the institution of the Lord's Supper in Matthew 26 and in other places.

That's when they recognize Him. Their eyes are opened when he takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. We see this in verse 31, Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. These two return immediately to Jerusalem. They find the eleven.

It's no surprise that they have assembled under the circumstances. By now Mary Magdalene has brought the report, I have seen Jesus and He is alive. Verse 36, he speaks peace to them. But verse 37 says something we don't get in John, that they are terrified and they suppose that they had seen a spirit. So in verses 39 and 40 he invites them to handle him and shows them his hands and feet.

In verse 42 He actually eats. He says, you can see I have flesh and bones. You can see that. He actually partakes of food while he is there with them. In verse 44, he reminds them of what he had said in the past, that all these things must be fulfilled.

Look at verse 45. He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. So he's done that to the two who were on the road to Emmaus. Now he comes into the midst of his disciples and he opens their understanding as well. They can see him.

They can understand where he is in the Scriptures. Verse 46, he declares that all things that happened were necessary. And now in verse 47, he declares that what is necessary going forward is that repentance and the forgiveness of sins be preached starting in Jerusalem and extending out through the whole world. So it was necessary that he die and rise again, now what's necessary? Preaching!

Preaching of what? Repentance and the forgiveness of sins. That will tie into our text, definitely, in chapter 20. Now, back to our text. I think Luke 24 just floods light onto our text and fills in a lot of the gaps of the things we would like to know, we get to know, from Luke 24.

The doors are shut for the fear of the Jews. These are the known disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, many people believed in Jesus and were followers of Jesus, but if you said to someone in the know who are Jesus' disciples, they could give you these names. Now, 11, now that Judas is no longer with them having betrayed the Lord. This is the inner circle, and the Jews have just killed their master.

If there is going to be additional action taken, who will it be against? It will be against these men. And they're afraid of that, and so they're behind closed doors. Now some of the good English translations render it instead of shut, locked. And The Greek word can bear the meaning locked.

It's either behind shut doors or behind locked doors. It could be just two doors into a room. It could be that there's an outer door and an inner door and Both are closed off to keep these men safe. We don't know for sure, but all we know is this. You can't blame these men for wanting to be out of sight and out of mind of the Jews that just killed their master.

In Luke 24, Jesus vanished. He was with these two on the road to Emmaus. He goes into the house with them. As they recognize him, he vanishes. Now he appears in the midst of his disciples.

And yet he has a physical body which can be handled and he eats. So over here he vanishes And then he appears in the midst. And over here we have, you can handle him. He has flesh and bones, you can see that. And you can handle him and he eats.

Welcome to the resurrected Jesus. He's not like, one of the things I said last week is, He's not just picking up where he left off. He's not the same post resurrection as he was pre resurrection. He can vanish, he can appear, and yet he has flesh and bones and can be handled and eats. I can't explain it further than just saying that the text declares these things to be true.

Not surprising to see the Apostle Paul grasp for ways to explain what a resurrected body is like in 1 Corinthians 15. He's not just picking up where he left off. He is embarking on 40 days of periodic, not continual, ministry and instruction to these disciples. Now, also like I mentioned last week, The last time they were all together, think about that, what was the last time the gang was all together? Gethsemane.

They all scattered. They did not stand with Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times. Only John was at the cross. What would their master say to them?

Peace. Peace be with you. Listen to what J.C. Ryle says. We may dismiss as untenable, unsupportable, the cold and cautious suggestion that this was nothing better than an unmeaning phrase of courtesy." Now why is he saying that?

Because the Jews today in the modern day would say the same thing. This is the Jewish greeting, peace be with you. Almost exactly the same construction in Hebrew is what you would hear in Jerusalem today among Jews. But Ryle is saying you can't just dismiss that as just kind of a throw away discourtesy. That's a cold and cautious view of things.

He continues, He who spake as never man spake said nothing without meaning. He spoke, we may be sure, with special reference to the state of mind of the eleven apostles, with special reference to the events of the last few days. By the way, Jesus will repeat it, peace to you, in verse 21. He will repeat it again, peace to you, in verse 26. So it cannot be a throwaway phrase.

Ryle is absolutely right, it cannot be a throwaway phrase. He continues, Peace and not blame. Peace and not fault finding. Peace and not rebuke was the first word which this little company heard from their master's lips after he left the tomb. Peace on earth was the song of the heavenly host when Christ was born.

What an interesting and wonderful observation. Listen to Luke 2, 14. This is what the multitude of the heavenly host says, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men. The heavenly host announced Jesus this way. What does the incarnation mean?

Condemnation and judgment? Well, it results in condemnation and judgment to anyone who will reject the terms of peace from the king. But that is not what is behind the incarnation. Peace and goodwill is what the angels announce. In John 14 verse 27, remember this is Jesus' final discourse, final teaching session with His disciples before the crucifixion.

John 14 verse 27, Jesus had said to them, peace I leave with you. I'm leaving, but I'm leaving something with you, peace. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Jesus said that to his disciples right on the cusp of going through the cross.

The thing that would steal their peace? No, they can have his peace. He's leaving his peace with them. He said this in John 16.33. This is the same discourse, it's a long discourse, it takes multiple chapters.

Same discourse, Just a couple of days prior, John 16, 33, These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Now all these things are fulfilled. The world has given them tribulation.

They're behind closed doors, maybe behind locked doors. Who could blame them? Yet Jesus says, peace. You can have my peace. You can have peace in me.

Jesus is so kind in this appearance to His disciples. He shows them His hands and His feet. In Luke 24, he invites them to handle him. Handle me! Jesus proves that it is really him.

In Acts 1 verse 3, Luke, the author of Acts, in Acts 1, verse 3, Luke says that Jesus presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs. Think about that. Luke relates in Acts 1, verse 3 that Jesus, quote, presented himself alive after his suffering by many, not one, but many, infallible, not ones that you could wiggle around, but undefeatable, proofs. Why does this matter so much? Because it all hinges on the resurrection.

Like we studied last week, if Jesus isn't alive, you're still in your sins. Your faith is futile, your faith is worthless. You're still in your sins if Jesus hasn't risen from the dead. How can you know? Many infallible proofs to eyewitnesses.

This has the impact you would expect. It makes the disciples happy. It takes these men who are maybe behind two locked doors. He imparts peace. He makes them happy.

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus had actually planted the seeds for this scene in John 16 in this last discourse. Just turn back momentarily to John 16. Look at this. It's so rich now that we're to the place we're actually seeing what he said in John 16 being fulfilled.

John 16 verses 19-22. Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask him, and he said to them, Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said? A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me? Most assuredly I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice, and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman when she is in labor has sorrow because her hour has come, but as soon as she is given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Therefore, you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you." How do you think they spent those three days? Weeping and mourning. But now sorrow, just like the woman in childbirth. The hour is upon her, the birth pangs are upon her, and she's in anguish. Anyone who's been through a woman who's given birth to a child knows, hours later it's like all is forgiven and forgotten because of joy.

The pain has passed and you're holding a baby and it's wonderful. You're filled with joy and a joy that no one can take from you. Jesus planted the seeds for this scene in John 16, and now it's grown up and flowered. Alright, back to our text. Verses 21-23.

Verses 21-23. So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

In these verses we have disciples who are sent to declare both forgiveness and condemnation. If you're taking notes on the handout, filling in blanks. Sent fills in the first blank, declare fills in the second blank. Disciples who are sent to declare both forgiveness and condemnation. I have two significant challenges here.

Hard knots to untie. You have these knots and you have to figure out how to untangle them in a responsible way that fits with the rest of the Scriptures. Jesus says, receive the Holy Spirit. Breathes on them and says that. How does that relate with the day of Pentecost and Acts chapter 2?

And Jesus says if His disciples forgive a person's sins, they are forgiven. And if his disciples don't forgive a person's sins, they aren't forgiven. What do we make of that? Let's deal with them one at a time. First, how does this relate to Pentecost in Acts chapter 2?

The first thing to notice and to say is that this is in the context of being sent by Jesus as Jesus was sent by His Father. In other words, what's the context of Jesus breathing on them and saying, receive the Holy Spirit. The context is, my Father sent me, now I'm sending you. Look at the second half of verse 21 and 22. Jesus himself makes this connection.

As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. So what we have here in a sense is a pictorial of Pentecost, a physical representation of Pentecost. My Father sent me, I'm sending you, now receive the Holy Spirit for the sending into the world as my Father sent me into the world. Within the last few days, Jesus has done something very similar.

What was that? In chapter 13, Jesus washed the disciples feet. You remember that? Peter says, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus says, if I do not wash you, you have no part with me." Now what was that?

That was a physical picture, a physical representation of something that was about to occur. The shedding of his blood to provide cleansing for sin, to provide a way to have union with him through his shed blood. It was a picture of what they were standing on the edge of. It was a physical representation of what was about to happen. A fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins that cleanses, that frees.

That's what this is. It's a physical representation of what is about to happen in a little more than a month, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Now there are certainly other views. In fact, J.C. Ryle goes to what I read in Luke 24, Luke 24 verses 45, which says, He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

And Ryle says that's what's happening here when he breathes on them and says, receive the Holy Spirit. They're receiving the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of the Scriptures. And There are other commentators who talk of this in terms of multiple outpourings. One in John chapter 20, and the other at the Day of Pentecost. Don't believe it.

In my opinion, that causes more problems than it solves. It makes perfect sense that Jesus again is giving a physical representation of what is about to happen in the very near future in the same way that the foot washing was a physical representation of what they stood at the edge of. The reality is that the disciples are not sent into the world with the gospel until the outpouring at the day of Pentecost. D.A. Carson goes so far as to say that if this is the outpouring of the Spirit, but just John's version of it, then the results are very disappointing.

Because nothing really happens until Acts 2 anyway. Second, in what way do disciples participate in the forgiveness or the retaining of sins? What way Do you and I, or even the eleven, participate in the forgiveness or the retaining of sins? The first thing that I should say is this. There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

That's 1 Timothy 2 verse 5. So that's not from a difficult text. That's as straightforward and plain English as you can get. One mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. When the Jews said, why does this man, Why does Jesus speak blasphemies like this?

When Jesus said to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven, the Jews said, Why is he blaspheming? Who can forgive sins but God alone, this is in Mark 2 verse 7, their mistake wasn't that man can forgive sins, their mistake was that Jesus is God. Man can't forgive sins, but Jesus can forgive sins because Jesus is God. So when Roman Catholics say you can go to a priest and confess to him and he can pronounce you absolved of those sins because of this verse, that's false teaching. Friends, that is false teaching.

How do we know? One, there is one mediator between God and men. Two, in Paul's pastoral epistles, Paul writes letters to pastors to tell them how to pastor. He never instructs ministers of the gospel to do anything remotely like confession and absolution. Nothing, nowhere in Paul's letters to pastors.

To get that practice you have to misinterpret a handful of difficult texts and ignore an abundance of easy ones. Did you hear me? To get there, you have to misinterpret a handful of difficult texts and ignore an abundance of easy ones. Did you hear me? To get there, you have to misinterpret a handful of hard texts and overlook an abundance of easy ones, like there is one mediator.

3. The apostles never did anything like that in the book of Acts. Not one example of the Apostles receiving confession and pronouncing absolution. Not one example of that in the book of Acts, which is the history of the early New Testament Church. In fact, they did the exact opposite.

Listen to this, this is devastating I think to the Roman Catholic view. In Acts 8 verse 22, Simon the sorcerer has asked to buy the ability to Confer the Holy Spirit through the laying on of his hands. He sees the Apostles do that Lay their hands on people and the Holy Spirit fall on them and he says I want to do that I'll give you money if you give me that Here's what Peter says Peter says repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven to you. Pray to God. Repent to God.

Pray to God that perhaps He will forgive you. Not, no, your sins are retained. Peter understood. He didn't have the power to retain anyone's sins. I have anyone's sins be retained.

Or, your sins are forgiven. He tells them, pray to God, repent to God, that perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. So, if it doesn't mean that, people can confess to us as disciples and we can pronounce absolution or the retaining of sins, what does it mean? Well, let's start here. Turn to John chapter 3.

John chapter 3. John chapter 3 starts with Jesus and Nicodemus, you must be born again, and then it proceeds to some of the most famous verses in the Bible. I'm going to Start in John chapter 3 verses 14-19. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned. He who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. As disciples of the Lord Jesus, we are ambassadors, sent with the words of the King from the King to his enemies.

We go into all the world and offer these terms to sinners with every confidence. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, if you looked at the serpent you were saved. If you wouldn't, you were lost. There is one way to be saved. It is looking to the one Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you believe in Him, you will be saved. If you do not believe in Him you will be condemned. This is what Jesus himself did. I'm not even going to spend time proving that he preached belief in himself as the way to be forgiven from sins. It's unnecessary, I hope, at this point, John.

I will spend a moment to demonstrate that he preached the other side of the coin. Turn to John chapter 9 verses 39 through 41. He's just healed the blind man and the Pharisees are opposing him. John chapter 9, I'll read the end of the chapter verses 39 through 41. Then Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.

Then some of the Pharisees who were with them heard these words and said to them, Are we blind also? Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin. But now you say, we see, therefore your sin remains. Therefore your sin remains. This is the retaining of sin.

They would not come to Jesus that they might have life and so they retain their sins The only thing that will part you from your sins is coming to Jesus that you might have life He sets himself forward as a fountain of life If you will not have your drink from this fountain, you will not have life. If you will not believe in Jesus, throw yourself upon Jesus. Trust only in Jesus. Your sin remains. You retain your sins.

That's what Jesus preached. He preached, if you believe in Me, you'll be forgiven your sins. If you reject Me, your sins remain on you. This is what Peter did. Listen to what Peter preaches to Cornelius' household.

This is Acts 10, verse 43. To him, to Jesus, all the prophets witnessed that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. That's what Peter told to Cornelius' household. Whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. He opens heaven wide.

Believe in him. Go through the doors. He preaches with confidence that all who come to Jesus and throw themselves upon him will be forgiven of their sins. Through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins. Peter is acting on what Jesus says in John verse 20.

This is what Paul did. Listen to Acts 13 verses 38 and 39. Acts 13, 38 and 39. This is Paul preaching the Gospel. Therefore let it be known to you brethren that through this man, capital M man, the Lord Jesus Christ, is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.

And by him, everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Believe and be justified. Believe and be forgiven. Jesus preached, if you believe in Him, You will be forgiven of your sins if you reject Him. You retain your sins.

They will remain on you. Peter preached that same thing to Cornelius' household. Paul preached that same thing to the people in Pasidion Antioch in Acts chapter 13. This is what we do when we proclaim the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus, but also warning our ears, if you refuse these terms of peace offered by our King, your sins remain on you. We as disciples of Jesus are sent by Him as His ambassadors, serving a declaratory function.

That's what we have here in John chapter 20. It's disciples serving a declaratory function. We have the right, we have the confidence to preach that if you come to Jesus by faith, your sins will be forgiven. All who come, their sins will be forgiven. And all who reject, none of their sins will be forgiven.

When you come to this, When you come to this hard verse in John chapter 20, and you read, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. You must ask and answer the question, how did the apostles understand this and assume that they understood it correctly? And you go with their assumption. They fulfilled this not by pronouncing absolution, but by preaching Jesus as the only way to have your sins forgiven, and that if you reject Him, your sins could never be forgiven.

That's how they fulfilled this. This has been fleshed out. You don't need to have doubts about what this means because you've seen how the men interpreted it and lived it out in New Testament life. In what we've been given in inspired scripture. Now, here is the flow of this entire subsection.

Here's how the bits fit together. I feel like I've been talking about bits of the subsection. So now, holistically, how do these three verses, 21, 22, 23, fit together? Here it is. You who have received peace, you have been rescued and recommissioned and empowered by the Holy Spirit, you are now sent as messengers of peace to proclaim the forgiveness of sins for all and only those who believe in Jesus.

All who believe in Jesus, your sins are forgiven. Only you who believe in Jesus, your sins are forgiven. There's no other way. Disciples who receive peace through the blood of Jesus Christ are then empowered by the Holy Spirit to go with that message to the world and proclaim with utter total confidence that anyone else who comes can lay claim to the blood of Jesus by faith and be forgiven of their sins, but no one else can be forgiven of their sins. Applications.

The title, Sending Glad Disciples. Are you at peace with this God? Have you received his peace? He is our peace He was broken down every wall. I think that's Ephesians something too.

Have you been made happy by being brought into fellowship with Jesus. If so, he intends to empower you and send you with the message of reconciliation. So yes, Jesus is speaking to very specific men, with specific time and place, but this is true much more broadly than just these 11 men. If you have received his peace, if you have been made happy by being brought into fellowship because of his blood, he recommissions and empowers you to send you to the ends of the earth with the message of reconciliation. Number two, and finally, How is the whole peace thing going?

I want to ask you, how is the peace thing going? What I love about Jesus speaking, literally speaking peace to his disciples in John chapter 20. It cannot be merit based. This is on the heels of maybe the greatest failures of their life. They did not stand with their master.

Peter denied him three times. Only John was at the cross. Then how could they have peace? They failed their master. Well, because the peace depended on his work, which was perfect at the cross, not on their work, which was imperfect in Gethsemane and beyond.

It cannot be circumstantial. These are men probably behind two locked doors. Because they're worried that what was done to their master will be done to them. Not a piece of standing, only standing through another's work. Not a piece of circumstances.

It has to be a piece that Jesus is speaking to His disciples has to be a peace that transcends all that. So how's it going? It's not that hard to get re-entangled and feel peace only when you have a sense that your act is together. That's not gospel peace. It is not.

It's not to say that we shouldn't strive to get our act together. But if your peace depends on that, it's here today and gone tomorrow, but it's usually worse than that. It's here this hour, this moment, and gone the next. Jesus invites us to a peace that is not about having our act together or about our circumstances. We could have circumstances upon us that would have us naturally behind two locked doors.

And yet have peace. It is his peace that he gives to us. It is peace in him. So if you're not at peace, there's probably some listening who just aren't at peace. You have no claim on this peace.

Because you've not thrown yourself, the serpent has been raised, but you've not looked to the serpent. You've not thrown yourself on the mercy of God and what He says. And you need it. You desperately need the peace. And I'm here today as a preacher of the Gospel to say it's available to you this moment.

You don't have to wait till this afternoon. You can lay hold of this peace by faith now. And to say whatever's holding you back, you'll feel so foolish when you're on the other side. You won't hardly be able to remember what you were clinging to and why. But if you are united to Christ by faith, and yet the peace has been disturbed.

If you've been in the faith very long, you know something about that. Peace has been disturbed. Because you've sort of gone back in time and made it merit based. And it's not that you don't have a sense that your act is together so you're disquieted. Time to come back to Gospel peace.

Or circumstances are throwing you out of being at peace, when really, fundamentally, you have every right to claim Gospel peace. If that's the case, come back. Come back into Gospel peace. Come back into gospel peace. Come back, sit at the feet of Jesus.

Hear Him speaking peace like He speaks to His disciples in our text. Jesus, you are our peace. Jesus, you are our peace. You have nowhere else to go for it. We know the kinds of peace that we can generate.

Managing circumstances to get the things that are causing turmoil out. At best that's transitory, it only lasts a short period of time. Merit based peace where we feel okay about things because we have a sense we have our act together so shallow. So shallow. God, we want to know the peace that passes, understanding the peace given by Jesus in Jesus.

Pray for those who have a rightful claim to gospel peace, but the peace has been disturbed, that you would bring them back into it. You would speak peace to them today by your spirit. Those who have no claim on gospel peace, you would cause them to hunger for it and thirst for it. They wouldn't be able to live another day without it. May I see these things in Jesus name, Amen.