April 13, 2026
Confessing Jesus - Part 1
John 20:19-23
04/13/2026
19 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.''
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands
and his side. Then the disciples were glad when
they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, ``Peace be with you. As
the Father has sent me, even so I am sending
you.''
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and
said to them, ``Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are
forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone,
it is withheld.'' (ESV)
Historically the Church does not look at Easter as a single
day, but as an entire season, forty-nine days of celebrating the
resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, yesterday We prayed the
historic Collect or prayer of the Church for the Second Sunday of
Easter:
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the
Lord's resurrection may by Your grace confess in our
life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God;
through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and
reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever.
Our Gospel lesson for the Second Sunday of Easter has three
parts. In the first part, Jesus comes to the disciples and gives
them, and the Church, the authority to forgive and retain sins.
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
anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness
from anyone, it is withheld.''
This is the purpose of the Church, to proclaim the good news
that Jesus died to pay the price of our sin, only to rise again
to give to us eternal life. Where sins are forgiven, death is
overcome.
May our Lord grant us faith to trust in His Word, that we
have life because Jesus died and rose again. Amen.