Peace of the Commissioned One (John 20:19-23)
For us to be one with God, it means we have completely given ourselves up to the Lord. That’s what it means to be in Jesus, then His peace will come to us.
Let us bless one another, Happy Mother’s Day. I hope that all the people worshipping out of state, in their homes, and especially all the mothers will receive blessings. I hope the future mothers will receive many blessings as well. I hope that these will be the blessings you pull forward and enjoy. The title of today’s message is the Peace of the Commissioned One.
1. Disciples in fear
The background of today’s scripture is that Jesus Christ died on the cross, resurrected, then first showed himself to Mary Magdalene and she experienced His resurrection through the Word. Then, Jesus told Mary to go tell the other disciples that He had resurrected. That was early in the morning, on the first day of the week, and Mary Magdalene spent the rest of the day finding all the disciples and telling them that she had found and seen the resurrected Jesus.
1) Death of Jesus
(1) Persecution by the Jewish leaders (Jn. 20:19)
You see in John 20:19 that that evening of the first day of the week, all the disciples were gathered together. But the disciples were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The reason they were afraid is because they were part of the Jewish religion, then they started following Jesus Christ, and the Jews crucified Jesus.
(2) Fear of death
After that happened, all the disciples scattered but now that they’ve heard that Jesus has resurrected they’ve gathered together again, but they’re afraid that the Jewish leaders would come and kill them for following Jesus.
(3) Heard of the resurrection (Jn. 20:18)
Even though they knew that Jesus Christ was resurrected, in reality, they are still afraid. It’s possible for us to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ but still be afraid. Where does this fear come from? Are they really afraid that the Jewish leaders will come and kill them, or what are they actually afraid of? The situation that the Jewish leaders might kill them won’t ever change, but that situation can turn into joy and peace.
2) Fear
(1) Fear of Adam who committed a sin (Gen. 3:10)
Where does “fear” begin? In Gen. 3, Adam who was created to be with God and following God’s Word was separated because of his disobedience. Fear came into mankind at the moment when we decided that we would not live by God’s Word, instead, living our lives the way we want as our own god. From that moment on, we were dead in our transgressions and sin (Ephesians 2:1). In that moment, God is looking for Adam and asks, “Where are you, Adam?” Adam says, “I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.”
That fear and shame are the first things that come when we are separated from God. We aren’t afraid because we do something, but we have fear in our hearts the moment we are separated from God, who is spirit. A lot of people say they are afraid because of COVID-19. That’s honestly a lie. COVID is not what is making us afraid. I’ll talk more about this later on.
(2) Penalty in fear (1Jn. 4:8)
In 1 Jn. 4:18, it says there is punishment in fear. Fear on its own is punishment enough, but we’re actually afraid because punishment follows. Fear itself is bad enough, but if we’re punished afterwards, that’s even worse. This fear comes from being separated from God. We’re not afraid because problems come, but people keep trying to get rid of their problems. They even worry and are afraid in advance of problems coming. Our fear is not because of the problems we face, but it is because God is not with us in the midst of our problems. We’re not afraid because of COVID-19, but we’re afraid because we’re not able to find God’s plan in the midst of COVID-19.(3) Fear of death – Held in slavery (Heb. 2:14-15)
In Heb. 2:14-15, it says this fear makes slaves of us for our whole lives. In Hebrews 2:15, it says we’re held in slavery by the fear of death. This doesn’t mean that you’re afraid to die of COVID-19. You’re in fear because you’re already in a state of spiritual death. So this passage isn’t saying that people are afraid because of their physical death, but because we’re separated from God, we’re already in a state of spiritual death. Because of that, we are slaves to this fear for our entire lives as we’re spiritually dead. We’re enslaved to fear; we’re not afraid because we lack something. Even if you have what you think you lack, you’d still be afraid.
However, Jesus Christ has destroyed the one who has power over death, the Devil. So this means that those who are in a state of sin and spiritual death are already dragged off in fear and slavery by Satan. There are some times when we have something to be afraid of, but sometimes we have anxiety or panic attacks or fear even though there isn’t anything to be afraid about. If you’re afraid because there’s something to be afraid about, that’s reasonable, even though that fear isn’t an answer, but sometimes, you’re afraid when there’s nothing to fear, and they’ve labeled it as a panic disorder. There’s no medication for that. Even the doctor himself is afraid, so how can he heal someone else’s anxiety? He himself is trembling in fear because he needs to survive, so how can he solve someone else’s fear?
3) The fear that drives out fear
(1) Fear the Lord (Fear) (Prov. 3:7)
In order to get rid of this fear, we need to have the real fear that drives out all other fear; we need to be afraid of what we should truly fear. In Proverbs 3:7, when it says to fear the Lord it means to revere the Lord. Because we don’t fear the LORD, we fear about things we shouldn’t be afraid of.
(2) Be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body (Matt. 10:28)
Mt. 10:28 says don’t be afraid of someone who can kill your body. In other words, don’t be afraid of the circumstances and dangers that you may face in the real world. If you are afraid of that, you will be seized by the devil. Instead, be afraid of God who can destroy both soul and body. If you fear what is truly to be feared, you will cast out all other fears. Fearing God doesn’t mean we’re afraid. In fact, when we fear God or stand before Him, we have a peace inside of us that can cast aside every other fear. Instead, we live recklessly not following God at all. How do we live recklessly?
(3) Relying on my knowledge, thoughts × (Prov. 3:5)
What does Proverbs 3:5 say? Not to lean on your own understanding. Do not rely on your own realizations or understandings. If you rely on your knowledge or studies, that’s a big problem. Because you’re relying on that, you are not fearing God. Because you’re trying to live according to and relying on the things you know and understand, you’re not fearing the Lord, but you are full of fear.
(4) My point of view is wise × (Prov. 3:7)
Proverbs 3:7 says do not be wise in your own eyes. He is saying don’t think you’re wise when you think of yourself. Don’t think you’re wise or something great with the perspective you have. You say, “I have a pretty renowned way of looking at the world, oh I studied sociology, so I have the correct viewpoint of how I see the world.” Don’t think of yourself like that. Some people are trying to learn some special knowledge and they’re hooked on that. There are some people who look at the world and create conspiracies about it, “President Trump is like this and such and such.” That’s why people are filled with fear.
2. Jesus Christ of the Resurrection
For these disciples that are trapped in their fear and locked in their doors, the Lord comes to them through locked doors. Our resurrected bodies will transcend time and space, so the disciples are shocked. That’s why Jesus’ first words to them are “Peace be with you.” If Jesus says “peace be with you,” are the disciples gonna automatically be peaceful? If God says honor your father and mother or love your children, will you automatically be able to honor your father and mother? If God says, “Love your children,” can you automatically love your children? It’s not like that. Only when they are able to confirm that the One Who has resurrected is with them are they overcome with this true joy and peace. When are we overjoyed and filled with peace? When we see and experience that the One Who has resurrected, Jesus Christ, is with me.
1) Peace be with you (Jn. 20:19)
(1) Not the peace the world gives (Jn. 14:27)
John 14:27 says the peace Jesus gives you is not the peace that comes from the world or from people. People cannot create peace.
(2) Peace in Jesus (Jn. 16:33)
John 16:33 says that peace is only found in Lord Jesus Christ. “In Jesus Christ” means being with Jesus. Being with Jesus doesn’t mean you’re using Jesus to live however you want. It is a state where you are completely submitted to Jesus as your Lord. A servant is only at peace when they are completely submissive to their master. If they are not submissive to their master, they will always be creating suffering for themselves.
(3) God is love (1 Jn. 4:16) and Love drives out fear (1 Jn. 4:18)
1 John 4:16 says that God is love and this love casts out fear (1 Jn. 4:18). Thus, fear is only cast out when you are within the love of God, and that means you have completely submitted to God and are reliant on God. That is the original state that mankind was created to be in. God did not create us to worry about 50% of our problems and God takes care of the rest of the 50%; that’s not what it means to be the image of God. When God says He is with you, He will lead your life completely, so there’s no reason to make our own plans. God says, “I will give you My plans and I will fulfill My plans through you.” This is not by our prepared strength, but God will give us His strength to fulfill His plans. It is only with the things we receive from God that we rule and subdue the Earth. That is the God of love, and when we are within God, fear is cast out.
2) Jesus Christ
(1) Peace on earth (Lk. 2:14)
Lk. 2:14 says that Jesus Christ is the joy of heaven and peace of Earth. Peace on Earth means that the only time this world will have peace is when it is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. If two nations have an agreement to not go to war, that’s just an agreement to not war; it’s not really peace, it’s a state of not being in a war. The members of the nation aren’t actually in peace; there is no peace. Is there peace when a couple isn’t fighting? No, that’s just a state where they’re not fighting. In Japan, people don’t fight, but couples live together but in separate rooms and bank accounts. If the Japanese women don’t have money, they’ll have long unwashed hair like ghosts and can’t even wash their hair or pay for a haircut. They never get a divorce or fight, but they’re completely separated, living in the same home, but like strangers. It’s different for each nation. They live together but do they have peace? It’s a completely different story.
(2) Peace with Us (Micah 5:5)
Jesus Christ is peace. He comes and gives us peace; we don’t create it for ourselves. Micah 5:5 says that Jesus Christ will come to earth and be the peace of Earth. Humans trying to create peace between each other? We don’t have the ability; Jesus is our peace. We think, “Maybe if I become successful enough and don’t make others mad, I’ll have peace,” but that’s not true. The One Who has peace must give me that peace, and I must believe in Him, and that’s what it means to be within Christ. Only that can allow you to enjoy peace.
(3) It is Finished (John 19:30)
When the Lord Jesus Christ says in Jn 19:30 “It is finished,” that means God will give us peace for all our problems in the past, present, and future. Because the Lord was the master even in the past when I was disobedient to him. Only if you acknowledge that will the peace of God come upon you. If you say, “If only I had done this or that in the past,” that’s the human perspective, but the Lord was still your master at the time. “Why did I have to go through this experience in the past?” God allowed you to do that. “Why was it like that when I didn’t believe/” God has a reason for that; God has a reason for non-believers as well, but today, God is my master, and in the future, He will be my master still. Only when I go into the plans of my Master, will the peace of the Lord come to me.
3) With
(1) Child of the Triune God
This is how we are children of God. This means we are no longer living for our own will but we are created to live for God’s will. We’ve already been given this status. Now everything is beginning from the will of God. That’s a child of God. I am someone’s child which means I have to live under that person’s will and power. Me being someone’s child means that I have the status to enjoy the power and authority of that person. If I’m the child of the president, even though the president is just another human, I’m living with the will, power, and authority of the president.
(2) Fulfill God’s will and plan
So what do you do with this? You live with the purpose of His will and His plan. A lot of people want to enjoy being a child of God but they don’t want to go into His will and plan. That’s not the life of a child of God. Being a child of God means nothing is yours anymore, but everything belongs to God. There is no “my plan” but God’s plan becomes my plan when I’m a child of God. “Then are you telling me not to live according to my plans?” Your plans are leading you into your own self-destruction, so leave your plans and follow God’s plans.
(3) Peter sleeps in prison (Ac. 12:6)
The apostle Peter was proclaiming the gospel, and he was imprisoned and scheduled to be executed the next day. An angel went to visit him, but he was sleeping in his cell even though he was facing death the next day. This is the same Peter who was shaking in fear from the main passage we read today. Just a few months after this incident, he’s locked up in prison and sleeping, even though he’s facing death the next day.
If you’re going to die tomorrow, are you able to sleep? People lose sleep and go crazy even when their business is in jeopardy. Even if you’re a little sick in your body, you lose sleep and go crazy, but Peter is about to die. If you want to choose between having a business fail vs. losing your life, you would let your business fail, right? No matter how precious your things are, once you’re dead, it’s finished. But Peter had this peace. It means he was in a state where he was completely in the hand of the Lord, so the peace of the Lord came upon Peter.
Are you afraid of something right now? What are you afraid of? That’s a lie; you’re only afraid because you don’t believe in God. Why don’t you believe in God? As evidence you don’t believe in God, you can’t give things up completely to God. That’s why you’re holding onto your own life, and you’re creating fear for yourself.
Your environment is not what makes you fear. Whenever we are separated from God or not completely reliant on God, that fear will come and find us. In America, there’s plenty to eat and it’s a great place to live, but why is everyone gripped by fear? In New York, there was a shooting where a couple and their four-year old child were shot to death last week. In the past, we would die from drug overdoses, but now we’re dying from shootings. The world has always been like this, and these are just the manifestations of our spirit being seized with fear.
It will get worse in the future, and that’s what it says in the Bible. But Jesus will give you peace. If you don’t know this, it doesn’t matter whether you go to church or not. The churches aren’t afraid to gather together because they receive God’s grace, but once you go into the world, you will have fear again. You’re afraid of people, what people are doing, and you’re afraid of the environment, so that’s why Jesus is giving us the answer in verse 21.
3. Peace of the Commissioned One
1) Jesus’ Commission (John 20:21)
(1) Experience the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” What does this mean? As the Father has sent Jesus, He is sending us to the world. When Jesus Christ came to the Earth, it was not by his will, but by the will of the Father God; He was in a state of complete submission. This isn’t saying something dumb like God the Father is stronger and God the Son is weaker. It means you must be in a state of complete obedience. Philippians 1 says Jesus was in His very nature God, but He humbled Himself into the state of a servant.
The Bible uses the expression often that the Father is within the Son, what does that mean? It doesn’t mean they are mechanically working together, but it means that Jesus Christ was completely united with the will of God and they are living together towards that will. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, God the Father saved him through the working of the Holy Spirit. Though may be Three, but They have one will, they never assert themselves. It’s nothing about being stronger or weaker; they are the same.Even if there is a little bit of a difference, you can’t be one. For us to be one with God, it means we have completely given ourselves up to the Lord. That’s what it means to be in Jesus. Then his peace will come to us. That’s what it means to be in Jesus. Then Jesus says, “Just as the Father sent Me, so I’m sending you,” He is saying this to the 12 disciples. Later on, he’ll tell the other disciples too.
(2) Resurrected Jesus sends us out into the world (John 20:21)
“Oh, Jesus is saying this to the apostles, not to us.” You say many disobedient words like that. The 12 tribes is talking about the tribes of Israel right? Jesus Christ chose 12 disciples to represent all of Israel, so He is saying this to us as well.
Why does Jesus Christ say peace and then say, “I am sending you out into the world?” He is saying, “I will be with you in the world as peace as well.” You can say that this is a mission. You have to find your reason why you’re working/studying in the world in order for God’s peace to come into you. In other words, God’s peace will only come to you when you find the reason why you’re working and walking in the world to be completely in the will of God.
(3) Jesus’ Peace is with Me (Matthew 28:20)
Jesus Christ said that He has overcome the world, so we can enjoy peace in Jesus Christ. The characteristic of the church is that they like gathering, but the problem is that when they go back into their home and the world, they feel they have to endure and fight and escape. It’s a misconception, why is that? When they are worshipping, they feel like they’re within the Lord, but on Monday they go into the world and they feel they are not in the Lord.”
“That’s not true, pastor, on Mondays I feel the assurance that the Lord is within me,” but that’s not what I mean. The reason why I go to work must be within the Lord. Why do I have to go to work? “I believe the Lord is in my heart,” that’s not what I’m saying. Jesus is saying “I’m sending you.” I’m talking about the state where you 100% believe in this fact. I’m talking about your mission, the reason you have to go to work and study. If you don’t have that, most people will say, “It’s hard.” All of these incidents don’t usually happen when you’re in the church, they happen in the world and the field.
These kids will go into the world and their jobs and they won’t be able to handle it there. They’ll be afraid of people. It’s not that they’re afraid of people, but they don’t have the Word of God to tell them why they’re working there. They think they’re at their job just so they can eat and survive, so they’re actually not within the Lord at all. The Lord sent us there and we have to be within that. I’ll explain in more detail later why He sent us.
2) Receive the Holy Spirit
(1) Breathed on them (Jn. 20:22, Gen. 2:7)
After He said that, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Why do you think it says he breathed on them? Does that mean He wasn’t breathing before? Did He say this so you can do deep breathing prayer? That’s not what He was saying; He was constantly breathing or else He would have died. Why does it say He breathed on them? In Gen. 2:7 it says that the Lord breathed life into the man and that’s when he became alive. So Jesus breathes out and says “I’ll give you the Holy Spirit, receive the Holy Spirit.”
(2) New spirit within you (Ez. 36:26, 27, 37:10)
In Ez. 36:26-27, it says “I will put a new spirit in you.” Jesus Christ wasn’t born yet, but these are the words of the Old Testament. “I’ll give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you a heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” A person can never change until that new heart of flesh by the Spirit comes into them. That physical heart of stone won’t change; only when the Holy Spirit comes into us will our hearts be softened into flesh. A soft heart doesn’t mean you have a soft personality; it means our hearts change so we can follow God’s word.
In Ezekiel 36:27, it says “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and laws.” The Lord says He is sending us to the world but just because He sends us, does that mean we listen to His Word? We don’t; our heart is so hardened that we go into the world and live however we want. Knowing we can’t do it, the Lord is saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit comes into you, you will follow the word of God because He softens your heart.
In Ez. 37:10, Ezekiel breathes out and the Holy Spirit goes into the valley of dry bones, and the corpses come to life as an army. When the Word of God goes into dead bones, the Word becomes organized. For people who have mental problems, when the Word of God goes into them, they will be stabilized. The characteristic of those who have demons is that they are very disorganized and can’t organize things, particularly women who are demon-possessed: if you go into their homes, they’re very messy and everything is scattered. In my personal experience, when they go into the world outside, they appear very pristine and clean, but their homes are so messy.
I’m talking about my personal experience. I went to a shaman’s house and it was very disorganized. That’s the characteristic of a demon-possessed person, they cannot be organized so everything is messy. They’re so confused. It’s a mental and spiritual problem, they’re seized by demons. But when the Word goes into you, then you become organized, but that is not enough. These dry bones are now assembled into the shape of a human skeleton, but they must have the breath of life breathed into them. When the Life of the Holy Spirit came into these bones, they became an army and moved. It’s power. We have muscles that allow us to move. If we only had bones, we wouldn’t be able to move. Even if one of our muscles is injured, we won’t be able to walk in a balanced way.When you receive the Holy Spirit, it means you will move in the direction to save the world. The Holy Spirit is power. The fact that the Lord is with me is power and the fact that I’m going into the Lord is power, too. You don’t receive power by praying a lot. You shouldn’t try to interpret things so physically. Do you think if you pray for 40 days straight you’ll receive power? Even if you pray for 40 days straight, stubbornly, you won’t receive power; you won’t receive power until your will is broken. When you’re in a state where you completely give yourself up to the Lord and the Lord is completely holding onto you, you will receive power. There is no working of the Holy Spirit without the Word of God, because you’ll interpret the Word of God based on evil spirits. Just because someone is healed doesn’t mean that was the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not working unless the Word is relayed.
(3) Filling of the Holy Spirit – Authority (Ac. 1:8)
By the working of the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised that we’ll be witnesses to the ends of the Earth. Witnesses of what? Disciple Peter tells us in Acts 2:32 that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we’ll be witnesses of the fact that Jesus resurrected. If you just talk about Jesus’ death, that’s useless, but no one talks about His resurrection, but the Bible tells us that if we only talk about Jesus’ death and not His resurrection, that’s useless to us.
He has to resurrect as evidence that he is God. The disciples always followed Jesus around, they experienced his miracles, grace, and He even prophesied his death. But who cares, once He died, they all ran away in fear. The world is so afraid like that. Even after they saw His resurrected body, they still didn’t know. Only when the Lord came to them and found them and gave His Word did they confirm that He is the Lord.
Christians who aren’t able to experience the resurrection and the Word are still living in fear. They still talk about the cross but they haven’t experienced the resurrection. You have to experience the resurrection for the Holy Spirit to work upon you and even for seeking the Holy Spirit.
(4) Working of the Holy Spirit – Witness of the resurrection (Ac. 2:32)
That’s why Peter says “I am a witness of the fact that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead by the grace of the Holy Spirit upon me.” Then Jesus Christ says in John 20:23, “I am sending you into the world in order to forgive everyone of their sins.” Jesus is sending us into the world with the authority to forgive sins. 1 Peter 2:9 says we are the royal priesthood, Jesus Christ is saying He will send out the disciples with the authority to forgive sins.How can people have their sins forgiven? Only when the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed and they hear and believe it, they receive forgiveness of their sins. If you don’t relay the gospel to them, they will stay in their sins. “The reason I am sending you into this world is for this mission. I will be with you, giving you peace,” but the members of the church don’t listen. When they’re inside of the church, they’re the church but in the world, they don’t listen to the Word of God, then they live according to their desires, so what does that result in? So of course they are afraid even if there is nothing to be afraid of, but if there’s something to fear, they’re definitely afraid, and that’s why everything they say is “It’s so hard.” Why is it so hard? You have to go into the Word of the Lord but instead you are existing by yourself and you’re so stubborn and that’s why it’s so difficult.
The reason you are being sent out into the world to work and study is to proclaim the gospel for the forgiveness of sins but you lose hold of that, and that’s why the reason you live is instead for your own goals. It’s a repetitive cycle: you go to church every week and then continue living your own way for yourselves throughout the week. The Lord has already said, “I have overcome the world, so I will give you grace. Come into Me and I will give you the peace to overcome the world.”
3) Blessing of the forgiveness of sins
(1) Forgive the sins of brothers (Mt. 18:21-22)
In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks “How many times should you forgive them?” Jesus is basically saying to forgive them infinitely. Saying “77 times,” 7 is a perfect number. He’s saying to forgive them infinitely, but that’s impossible; we have scars, and we still have scars from our parents or children now. “They disappointed me.” They actually didn’t disappoint you, but Jesus is saying to absolutely rely on the Lord.
(2) Repentance for the forgiveness of sins proclaimed to all nations (Lk. 24:47)
Can you forgive the people who treated you so badly at your work, to forgive the ones who conned and swindled you and caused you to fail? The Lord tells you to forgive and the church tells you, but you feel like you should but you can’t. You can’t forgive your spouse, then you become like the Japanese, where you live together but never interact with your spouse and even have separate bank accounts. Many celebrities have separate bank accounts upon marriage because they don’t know when they will get divorced.
(3) My position, work of the world
You need to find your mission of why you need to work and live in the world in order to go into the world, receiving the peace of God. Be completely subservient to Him.
Conclusion: Peace within Jesus Christ, of the filling of the Holy Spirit and within the work of proclaiming the Gospel that forgives sins
I hope you will go into the world today; otherwise you’ll never have peace. There’s a huge difference between comfort and peace. Like I said earlier, just because you aren’t fighting doesn’t mean you have peace, you’re just not fighting. Just because you don’t have problems now doesn’t mean you have peace; it just means you don’t have any problems. That’s why believers can’t live a good walk of faith; they just don’t want problems to come. It’s the same as trying to live your life with a bunch of side jobs, you need to have the fundamental answer. Regardless of what problem comes your way you must be within the Word of the Lord, living with His peace. Then we will overcome the world with Christ. I hope that you will enjoy this blessing with Christ and have the works of forgiving many people by proclaiming the gospel of repentance from Jerusalem to the rest of the earth, just as predicted in the Bible.
Prayer
Let us pray holding onto the Word God has given us. Let us pray together.
**Post message: I explained in the first message how to forgive those in the church. To explain simply, if someone is in poverty but no longer is in poverty, that poverty won’t be bitter to them. If I’m a child of God and know I have a mission from God, then no matter how poorly someone treats me, I won’t be mad at them; instead, I’ll feel bad for them and want them to experience the joy of the gospel as well. But if you don’t realize how great of a blessing you have, you won’t forgive people but you’ll be oppressed because you can’t follow the Word of God. But if I know I’m someone in the midst of everything being completed by the Lord, I will feel bad for the other person instead of being angry and resentful. If I can’t let go of my anger and resentment, it will be Satan’s channel because I cannot forgive. The Bible says that the Lord forgave you, so why can’t you forgive others? I hope you will enjoy this blessing.