Jesus: Prince of True Peace John 20:19-23

Text: “For unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6.

Good morning, peace-loving Christian!  You were perhaps, like the author, once a ‘wild-child’ of the world.  But now, in Christ Jesus, you are become a lover of true peace.  What made the difference?  Yes!  Jesus made the difference.  Praise His Name.  For you and for me, Jesus is the Source of true and everlasting peace.  Thanks be to the Living Lord God!

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”  (Romans 5:1-2)

Fear is the one factor that is holding the Christian church back today!

Picture the scene described in today’s Bible reading, my friend.  Most of the disciples of the now Crucified Christ Jesus are huddled together for comfort behind doors that were securely shut.  Their Lord and Master had been taken captive, brought before the Roman Governor; interrogated brutally by Pilate and the Roman soldiers; found ’…faultless…’ but guilty of condemnation; tortured, beaten, humiliated, and then barbarically crucified to death.  Those disciples, as close associates of the Crucified Jesus were, no doubt, at the top of the Jewish leaders hit-list for a similarly brutal death.  They must have been terrified there in that upper room.  Think about it!

Yet, at the height of their most dreaded fears - ‘…came Jesus and stood in the midst…’  Hallelujah!  The Lord Jesus always comes in a perfect time!

There is no mention of a door being unbarred to let the risen Christ Jesus enter the upper room.  There is no mention of Him knocking the locked door.  There is no mention at all of chains having to be taken from the door; or a barricaded door having to be opened to give Him entrance.  No!  ‘…came Jesus and stood in the midst…’  

The risen Christ had a glorified Body that had overcome death and been resurrected from the tomb.  His glorified Body had the power to wall right through those barred doors; right through those stout walls.  Nothing could keep the risen Christ Jesus from fellowshipping with His people.  Glory!  You and I shall one day have bodies just like Him!  Wow! 

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear (in the air), we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”                   (1 John 3:2)

“Then we (born again at Christ’s Appearing) which are alive and remain shall be caught up (translated, raptured) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

“And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bare the image of the Heavenly.  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption (fleshy bodies) inherit incorruption.  Behold I show you a mystery (new revealed truth); We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed.  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruption (fleshy body) must put on incorruption (glorified body), and this mortal (temporal life) must put on immortality (Eternal life).”  (1 Corinthians 15:49-53)

These eye-witness disciples (the mark of a true apostle) of the risen Lord Jesus actually saw His glorified Body come right through that wall!  All fear was suddenly banished. 

The once terrified disciples became fearless witnesses for Christ Jesus.  What they had seen with their own eyes could never ever be down-played, or taken away from them.  Most of the disciples of Christ went to a martyr’s death without fear - because they KNEW the truth of the Gospel; they KNEW by personal experience the resurrection power of the Son of God - and being totally convinced of these facts, they lost all other fear.  Praise God!

Christ’s Bodily Presence in that upper room banished all fear in the hearts of His chosen disciples forever.  The absence of all fear is the state of true peace.  For the genuine Spiritually regenerate Christian, death, pain, illness, sword, famine, disease - are as nothing, if Christ’s Presence is assured.

Take heart then, peace-loving Christian!  Knowing in Whom you and I have believed - Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living Lord God - we can also be fearless and at peace in the very centre of His Sovereign will.

Thought:  ’…Perfect love (of Christ) casteth out fear…’                (1 John 4:18)

Better Late Than Never! John 19:38-42

Text:  “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him (the Lord God Almighty) which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”

Matthew 10:28.

 Good morning, fearless Christian witness!  There is no such God-ordained role for the ‘secret Christian witness’!  Doing something in ‘secret’ and being a Christian witness are diametrically opposed terms and meanings.  You can either try to fulfil a role in secret, OR you can be a witness - the two are mutually exclusive terms.  Praise God for open and fearless Christian witnesses!

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me (Christ Jesus) both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

Dictionary Definition: Witness - someone who sees or has personal knowledge of an event, etc.; someone who gives evidence; someone whose signature confirms the genuineness of a document, or of a signature already added…(something that is) proof or evidence of anything; knowledge brought in proof; testimony of a fact…to give evidence of; to confirm fact of; attest to truth of, etc.  (The Chambers Dictionary page 1920)

The Divinely inspired Scriptures clearly teach us that every Christian must witness in the following manner:  

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16)

The clear proof of the Gospel of Eternal Salvation - found only in the Lord Jesus Christ by God’s grace, through faith - is openly revealed in the daily lives of fearless Christian witnesses.  True Christians have not only found secure Salvation in Christ and in His finished Atonement Sacrifice at the Cross, but are not content to keep such Eternally priceless knowledge selfishly to themselves; they must share it with as many other precious souls as possible.

“The fruit of the righteous (made righteous in Christ Jesus) is a tree of life; and he/she that winneth souls (by open Christian witness) is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

This is the reason the apostle Paul cried out: “For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel!”  (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Paul had a passion for precious souls - and so should every true Christian!  We are saved by grace in order to serve the Lord Jesus!

Two early Christian believers learned this lesson the hard way and by personal experience - Joseph of Arimathaea, and Nicodemus.

In today’s Bible reading from John’s Gospel account, we learn that Joseph of Arimathaea was indeed a disciple of Christ Jesus - but he tried to be a ‘secret Christian witness', and that was an impossible thing to do.

“And after this (Christ’s Crucifixion and death) Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the Body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave.  He came therefore, and took the Body of Jesus.”  (V.38)

To Joseph we can now respectfully say, ‘Well, brother Joseph, better late than never!’  He learned by personal experience the fact that, there can be no such person as a ‘secret Christian’!

However, look what happened when Joseph came out and revealed his love for Jesus.  Immediately we learn of yet another would-be secret Christian coming out in service to Christ also.  Faith in one,  inspires faith in others!

“And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night (in secret?), and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”  (V.39)

To Nicodemus we can respectfully say, ‘Well, brother Nicodemus, better late than never!’  He also learned the lesson that there can be no such thing as a ‘secret Christian’!

“Then took they (Joseph and Nicodemus) the Body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.”  (V.40)

At the dangerous time in question, these two ‘better-late-than-never’ Christian believers took their stand fearlessly for the Crucified Christ.  They discovered that their love for Jesus was more precious to them than life itself.  

By their fearless public witness, they remain a great encouragement to all true believers today; and they now sit at the feet of King Jesus, forever worshipping Him.

Thought: It’s better late than never - come out, Christian, and serve Christ today!

John, the Eye-Witness Apostle! John 19:31-37

Text:  “And he (John) that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”

John 19:35.

Good morning, Gospel-believing Christian!  You and I fully believe the Gospel accounts written in our Bibles; the infallible Word of God Himself - due to the Scripturally enlightened fact that we have been given faith by God to do so.  We believe God’s Word because we are born of God - through trusting in the Sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord God has introduced us to the Eternal Truth - and the Truth has set us free from all sin.  Hallelujah!  What a gracious Lord God we love and seek to serve!

“And ye shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free.”     (John 8:32)

“Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am the way the TRUTH, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (John 14:6)

It is crystal clear that the Lord Jesus Christ was, is and forever shall be - God’s TRUTH incarnate.  We believe the Gospel accounts, therefore, because we personally know God’s Truth, Christ Jesus.  This is a solid fact of our faith; we are in possession of Spiritual truth from God that the world knows nothing about, for it is exercised by God-given faith in Christ.

“But the natural man/woman (unregenerate) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him/her; neither can he/she know them, because they are Spiritually discerned.”        (1 Corinthians 2:14)

False Religionists:  The Jewish leadership in today’s Bible reading knew nothing of God’s truth.  They were very religious people; but their hypocritical actions betrayed their sin-soaked hearts.  They wanted to observe every jot and tittle of their RELIGIOUSITY - but had no time nor thought for Christ Jesus.  There are still many such false religionists today.

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”  (V.31)

Strict in their observance of Jewish ritual laws of the Sabbath day, they showed no modicum of compassion for the crucified thieves, and less for the already dead and cruelly Crucified Christ.  They had religious works, but alas, they were utterly devoid of true faith from God.  They were still ‘…dead in trespasses and sins…’               (Ephesians 2:1-10)

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith (religious fervour) without works (Godly works motivated by true faith) is dead also.”  (James 2:26)

True Christians:  On the other hand, the apostle John was personally present at Calvary’s Hill on that Eternally significant Crucifixion Day.  John witnessed with his own eyes every aspect of the day’s events and faithfully wrote a record of that day’s events for all seekers of Eternal Truth that would later search and find Eternal life through the Gospel account of Christ Jesus‘ Sacrifice.  Old Testament prophecies foretold this Divine event.

“And he (John) that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.  For these things were done that the Scriptures (Old Testament prophecies of Christ) should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken.”  (V.35-36) 

“He keepeth all His bones; not one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:20)

“And again another Scripture saith, They shall look upon Him Whom they pierced.”  (V.37)  (Zechariah 12:10)

Being personally present, an eye-witness of these vital Crucifixion events; and specifically seeing with his own eyes the evidence of Christ’s resurrection - made John an apostle with full authority from the Lord God.  Thus, we can believe his truth concerning God’s Truth - the risen Christ Jesus.  Hallelujah!  God’s Word is truth!

“Sanctify them through thy truth; Thy Word IS Truth.”  (John 17:17)

“In the beginning was the Word (Christ Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”    (John 1:1;14)

Thought:  With these Heavenly truths in mind therefore, let us go forth boldly to be witnesses for the Living Truth - Christ Jesus, the Salvation of Jehovah God, to every sinner who believes in Him.  (Romans 10:13)