Locked in Fear? Hear What the Risen Jesus Says to You- Sunday Sermon

Scripture Reading: John 20

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them 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. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Fear, Forgiveness, and Easter Joy: Peace Be With You

A sermon by Roland Rossmiller | Easter Sunday

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Fear has a powerful effect on us. It shapes how we live, how we think, and often what we choose to do — and not do. Fear tends to close things down. It closes doors. It isolates and it silences us.

We know that kind of fear. It shows up when the doctor calls and says, "We need to talk." It shows up when the numbers don't add up and we are not sure how things will work out. It shows up in the night when the house is quiet, but your thoughts are not.

I have had nights like this. You wake up, and everything around you is still — but your mind is not. Thoughts start coming: things you cannot fix, things you regret, things you cannot control. Fear has a way of pressing in, and when it does, it does not just stay around us. It settles inside us.

The Disciples Behind Locked Doors

That is exactly where we find the disciples in our text. They are gathered together behind locked doors. But it is not only the doors that are locked — their hearts are locked as well.

At first glance, the fear seems reasonable. Jesus has been crucified, and the authorities who carried out his death are still around — still present, still powerful. Naturally, the disciples are asking themselves: What will they do to us? This is real and understandable fear.

But there is something deeper going on. Their fear is not only about danger — it is also about guilt. These are the men who ran away. They abandoned Jesus in his hour of need. Peter denied him. None of them stood firm.

Now Jesus is risen, and that changes everything. But it also raises a troubling question: What will Jesus say to us now?

That question reveals a deeper fear — the kind that comes from standing before God with a guilty conscience. And that is a fear we know as well. It is not just fear of what might happen around us, but fear of what our sin means before God. We begin to ask: What will God say about my life? What about the things I have done, or failed to do? Can these things be undone?

This kind of fear settles into the heart and leads us, just like the disciples, to pull back, to hide, and to keep our distance from God rather than face him.

Jesus Comes Anyway

This is the condition of the disciples when the risen Jesus appears. Nothing has changed on their part. The door is still locked. Their fear is still present. Their guilt has not been resolved by anything they have done.

And yet — Jesus comes anyway.

He does not wait for them to get themselves together, or for their faith to grow strong. He comes right into the middle of their fear and stands among them. And the first thing he does is speak:

"Peace be with you."

That word peace changes everything. It is not a casual greeting. It is a declaration. It is a gift. It is forgiveness. Instead of confronting them with their failure, he gives them peace. Instead of holding their sin against them, he speaks reconciliation. Everything they feared hearing from him is replaced by this one word: peace.

Easter Joy

At that moment, something new enters the room — something they did not expect: joy.

Not because their circumstances have changed, but because Jesus is alive. The one who was crucified now stands before them. Death has not won. Sin has not won. The grave has not held him.

This is Easter, and Easter changes everything.

Jesus then shows them his hands and his side, so they understand that the word of peace is grounded in physical reality. This is the same Jesus who was crucified, and the wounds are still there. Those wounds tell the full story: sin has been paid for, the judgment they feared has already taken place — on him. Death has been defeated. That is why the word peace is certain. It rests not on their faithfulness, but on his finished work on the cross.

A Door Locked from the Inside

It may help to picture it this way. Imagine a door locked from the inside. You are on the inside and you know it is locked. You feel stuck. You may even keep checking the lock, thinking there is no way out. But then someone comes — not from your side, but from the outside — and opens it.

That is what Jesus does. The disciples did not open the door. They could not. Jesus came through it, stood among them, and with his word opened what they could not open: peace with God.

This is an important shift for us to see. Our peace with God does not depend on how well we have lived or how strong our faith feels. It is not based on whether we think we have done enough. Our peace is grounded entirely in Christ — what he has done, what he has suffered, and what he has accomplished in his death and resurrection.

Peace Given Through His Word

That is why Jesus repeats the same greeting: "Peace be with you." That is what he came to give.

And then he shows how that peace is delivered. He breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit," and adds: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven."

Here we see clearly that the peace Jesus gives is not merely a feeling. It is something concrete, given through his Word. When he speaks forgiveness, something actually happens. Sin is removed. Guilt is taken away. Peace is given. This is not simple emotional comfort — it is reality created by his word.

And where there is that kind of peace, there is also joy. Not a shallow or passing happiness, but a deep and steady Easter joy, rooted in the truth that sin is forgiven, death is defeated, and Christ is alive.

Peace Stronger Than Fear

That is why it matters so much to us, even now. Fear still shows up in our lives. Guilt still tries to speak. There are days when our hearts feel just as closed and guarded as those of the disciples.

But our peace does not depend on how open or closed our hearts feel. Our joy does not depend on how strong our emotions are. Both peace and joy come from what Jesus says: "Peace be with you. Your sins are forgiven."

These words stand firm whether we feel them or not. They are stronger than fear, stronger than guilt, and stronger than doubt — because they come from him.

The Pattern That Continues for You

When we step back and look at the whole scene, the pattern becomes clear. The disciples were locked in fear. Jesus came to them anyway. He spoke peace, he showed his wounds, and he brought them Easter joy.

That same pattern continues for you.

The risen Jesus comes to you — not because you have everything together, and not because your faith is strong enough, but precisely in the midst of your fear, your guilt, and your uncertainty. He comes to you through his Word. And when that Word is spoken, it is not merely information. It is Jesus himself, present and active, giving what he promises.

When he speaks forgiveness, your sin is gone. That is certain. That is real. That is finished.

Even though fear may still try to press in, you are no longer locked inside it. Jesus has come to you. He has spoken his peace. He has given you forgiveness — and with that comes a lasting joy that cannot be taken away.

Christ is risen, and his peace now fills your heart with lasting Easter joy.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.