Peace Be With You (A Short Sermon on John 19:38 - 20:23)

Without question, this is the strangest Easter I have experienced in my life. For the first time in years, I will not be frantically rushing out the door to get to church hours before congregants arrive. Rather than practicing hymns and checking microphones, I will be pouring myself a coffee from the Kalita Wave, and parking myself in front of a laptop.

Church is online only this year. As I lament the festive gathering of saints I will be reminded, like the writer of Hebrews (Paul? Maybe? Maybe not?), that we are His temple. 

Fear has certainly gripped our country and the majority of the world, just as fear gripped the disciples after Jesus’ death. I recently finished another pass through John’s Gospel and noticed something very timely in John 20. It was something that I’ve thought of but overlooked several times. I think because of our current self-isolation this passage resonated stronger than before. Jesus died, Jesus rose again, and Jesus presented himself to those who were afraid. It’s a powerful thing to think about at this moment in time.

Easter may not look the way it has for you in the past, but this year in our isolation we may have a better understanding of how the Disciples must’ve felt before seeing Jesus in the flesh. I hope that you find this message encouraging, it was originally intended for our local congregation in SC but it occurred to me that some of you might benefit from it as well.

If you enjoyed this, and found it helpful or encouraging let me know. Leave me a comment. Maybe I will post more in the future. Until then God Bless, and I look forward to prayer tomorrow. 

-Michael W. Livingston