Notes from my sermon from Sunday, May 1, 2011
When Jesus appeared to His disciples in the locked room that first Easter evening (John 20:19-23), He gave them three gifts.
The first was the gift of His presence. What better way could He comfort them in their distress and confusion after His death than by simply showing up? He had a habit of just showing up for people when they were in distress - for the disciples in a boat in a storm; for a widow at Nain, preparing to bury her son; for Mary and Martha, who had already buried Lazarus; for 5000 + hungry people on a mountainside; and now for these disciples.
Many times, just showing up is a great gift to people in distress. You don't have to say anything - just shake a hand, give a hug, shed a tear - and the person you show up for will remember the gift of your presence for a long time.
The second was the gift of His peace. This is the "peace of God, which passes all understanding, that keeps our hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus." This "peace" was more than just a greeting. With this statement of "peace" Jesus created peace in the hearts of His disciples, and they were at peace.
Because Jesus has sent them and us in the same way the Father sent Him, when we give the gift of His peace to another who needs that gift we have planted a seed of peace in them, creating peace in them as Jesus did in His disciples. It may take some time for that seed to grow and bloom and flower, but it is planted when we say "the peace of the Lord be with you."
The third was the gift of His Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost in a big, spectacular way; but here Jesus gives the Holy Spirit in quiet gentleness to His grieving and distressed friends.
And though even now He sometimes gives the Holy Spirit in big, spectacular ways, often He gives the Holy Spirit in the gentleness and compassion of a friend to a friend, of a comforting presence to one in distress, of peace to one in turmoil. When we show up to someone in distress with nothing but our compassion and the peace of Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit is also among us.
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