The Word of the Lord from John 20: \u201cAnd when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, \u2018Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld\u2019\u201d (John 20:22-23). This is the Word of the Lord. <\/p>\n
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Dear Friends in Christ. <\/p>\n
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\u201cIf you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold the forgiveness from any, it is withheld.\u201d With those words, the Lord Jesus entrusts to His disciples the Office of the Keys, and it sounds like powerful stuff. It is, but not in the sense that sinful natures crave. What comes easily to my mind is the Middle Ages, where the Pope would wield this authority like a weapon as he placed whole nations under the interdict, saying, \u201cUntil your king submits to me, no one in his kingdom will be forgiven and all of you are going to hell.\u201d That\u2019s a horrible abuse and rightly condemned. The Office of the Keys is not about using the grace won by Christ to manipulate people: the Office of the Keys is about life after Easter.<\/p>\n
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We don\u2019t talk about the Office of the Keys very much. Let\u2019s walk through this Gospel lesson for a few minutes, and then apply it to today. <\/p>\n
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I. The Absolution, The Sending and The Case Study
\nAs our Gospel lesson begins, the disciples are in a locked room, fearing for their lives. It\u2019s the evening of Easter, and they\u2019re still trying to sort things out: Peter and John have seen the empty tomb and they\u2019ve heard the angels\u2019 message of Jesus\u2019 resurrection secondhand from the women, though they don\u2019t believe it. Mary Magdalene says that she\u2019s seen Jesus and even touched Him. But they\u2019re still locked inside the room because of fear. <\/p>\n
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The fear comes from doubt. They don\u2019t believe that Jesus is risen from the dead. And they have many reasons to be afraid. They\u2019re afraid that those who crucified Jesus are going to target them next. They\u2019re afraid that the last three years of their lives as His disciples are going to doom them. They\u2019re afraid that, once they die, that\u2019s the end. They\u2019re afraid that any mercy God might have for them is gone, since they abandoned Jesus in His hour of greatest need. That doubt and fear clings to them, gnawing at them. As long as they doubt, they\u2019ll be afraid\u2014and their lives will be dictated not by freedom and joy, but by terror that would have them keep running, keep hiding. If Jesus isn\u2019t alive, there\u2019s no deliverance. They\u2019re marked as \u201cguilty\u201d of being His followers, and that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The despair of the last three days will continue. But so far, there\u2019s nothing they\u2019ve encountered that can take that doubt and fear away.<\/p>\n
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But Jesus can, so He appears to them in the midst of the locked room. He\u2019s brought His risen body and blood with Him: He stands there in the flesh. He doesn\u2019t just appear. He speaks: and He speaks to say, \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This is not just a greeting. It\u2019s absolution. It\u2019s forgiveness. Jesus\u2019 first words to them aren\u2019t, \u201cYou\u2019ve done such a lousy job of following Me that you\u2019re fired.\u201d Nor are they, \u201cI\u2019m giving you another chance to earn My favor.\u201d There\u2019s no condemnation. There\u2019s no requirement for them to make up for their failures. That\u2019s remarkable: for what if He is risen from the dead, but bent on revenge? What if He is alive, but only to punish all who had hurt or failed Him? Their fear and their doubt, their guilt and their shame, all cling to them. They can\u2019t get rid of their sins themselves. What if the Lord is back only to condemn the sinner? <\/p>\n
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But He is not back for revenge or condemnation. He says \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d In other words, \u201cI\u2019m at peace with you. My Father is at peace for you. I don\u2019t hold your doubt and fear against you: in fact, My hands, feet and side have holes in them to set you free from your doubt and fear.\u201d He could just as well say, \u201cBe gone, fear. Be gone, doubt.\u201d He sends them away by His Word. That\u2019s why the disciples are happy to see the Lord. It\u2019s more than just a feeling of relief: the sins that were clinging to them, that would keep them from believing and rejoicing, are gone. Christ has spoken them away. <\/p>\n
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This gift is not just for them. It is for all who will believe, so He sends them. He says to them, \u201cPeace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.\u201d Sending them to do what? To speak and give His peace to others. How? \u201cAnd when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, \u2018Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
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In other words, He\u2019s sending His disciples to speak His peace to others. The world is full of people with sin clinging to them. Some are already sorry for it, but they just can\u2019t get rid of it\u2014it clings to them like a bad tattoo no matter how hard they scrub to try to remove it. The disciples will go to them and tell them about Jesus, about His death and resurrection. Then they\u2019ll go on to say, \u201cBecause Jesus died for you, God is at peace with you. Your sins are forgiven. They don\u2019t cling to you anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n
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There will be lots of others who are stuck in sin, but aren\u2019t sorry for it yet. This will require more work on the part of the disciples. First, they\u2019ll have to preach God\u2019s Law. They\u2019ll have to say, \u201cThe sin that you\u2019re committing is killing you. You\u2019re not at peace with God as long as you hold onto this sin. Repent! Confess the sin! Christ has died so that you might be forgiven, so that you might be at peace with God!\u201d Some will be convicted by that preaching: they\u2019ll say, \u201cThat\u2019s true. This is wrong. I repent. I need the forgiveness that Jesus won for me.\u201d To those, the disciples will say, \u201cYou\u2019re forgiven in the name of Jesus! You\u2019re at peace with God!\u201d <\/p>\n
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Others, however, won\u2019t be repentant: they\u2019ll say, \u201cI\u2019m going to hold onto this sin\u201d for whatever reason. To those, the disciples will say, \u201cAs long as you cling to that sin, that sin clings to you. You\u2019re not forgiven, because you\u2019ve chosen to worship the sin and reject the forgiveness Christ offers. Repent. Turn from your sin, so that you might be at peace with God!\u201d<\/p>\n
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That\u2019s the exercise of the Office of the Keys. To those who are repentant and desire forgiveness and peace with God, the disciples declare that they are forgiven and at peace with God. But that does far more than just give information: it loosens the sin\u2019s hold. It sends the sin away. The Word of forgiveness gives forgiveness and peace. <\/p>\n
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The Gospel lesson goes on to give us the case study of Thomas, who missed Jesus\u2019 appearance in the locked room. He\u2019s also plagued with doubt: it\u2019s the sin that keeps him from believing, and it\u2019s clinging to him. When they see him, the other ten declare to him, \u201cWe have seen the Lord!\u201d (\u201cDoubt, be gone! Fear, be gone! You can be free of that sin and rejoice with us!\u201d) But Thomas doesn\u2019t believe them. Despite the Word that he\u2019s heard, he holds onto his doubt and says, \u201cUnless 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Note how Thomas articulates his doubt: he says that he doesn\u2019t believe the Word. The Word of God proclaimed by the other disciples isn\u2019t good enough for him. He has to see with his eyes. We should probably note something else, too: it\u2019s very likely that Thomas isn\u2019t being a jerk. Sometimes people hold onto sins out of love for them; but sometimes they also hold onto sins out of fear. They know the sin is wrong, but they\u2019re afraid of the pain and the risk of doing the right thing. Thomas could well be afraid of more heartbreak, of more grief. He could well be saying, \u201cIt hurt too much when Christ died. I cannot believe the news of His resurrection for fear that my heart would be broken again.\u201d The devil doesn\u2019t play fair, and he\u2019ll get people to hold onto their sin any way he can. <\/p>\n
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The other disciples do not ostracize Thomas. He\u2019s with them eight days later, back inside a locked room. Jesus appears again, and He speaks His absolution again: \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d (Be gone, fear. Be gone, doubt.) And to Thomas, He says, \u201cPut your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.\u201d Then, before the risen, present Savior, Thomas repents of his doubt and fear, and exclaims, \u201cMy Lord and My God!\u201d He\u2019s restored. He\u2019s set free from sin by Jesus and His Word. <\/p>\n
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Jesus confirms this with what He says next: \u201cHave you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.\u201d <\/p>\n
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\u201cBlessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.\u201d <\/p>\n
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Now the Savior is talking about you. <\/p>\n
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2. Life after Easter
\nI mentioned before that we don\u2019t talk about the Office of the Keys much. What I mean is this: we don\u2019t use the phrase \u201cOffice of the Keys\u201d very much. But just about everything we do in Christ\u2019s church is the exercise of the Office of the Keys, because the Office of the Keys is where you find life after Easter. Now I know that none of you can go back and see the risen Savior and put your fingers in His wounds. You don\u2019t have the same privilege as Thomas and the other disciples. <\/p>\n
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But Jesus declared, \u201cBlessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.\u201d He gives you faith by His Word, because He gives you forgiveness by His Word. That\u2019s what the Office of the Keys is about: giving you now the same life He gave at Easter. <\/p>\n
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An analogy might be helpful here: sometimes, doctors will encounter patients who are sick but refuse treatment. The patients may do so for a number of reasons: perhaps they feel fine, and so they don\u2019t believe the test results. Perhaps they\u2019ve been led to be skeptical of medicine, so they don\u2019t believe the doctor is telling the truth. Perhaps they\u2019re afraid, afraid of surgery, afraid of the therapies. Perhaps they\u2019re so afraid of the possibility of dying that they don\u2019t want to confront the truth that they are sick. But for any of these reasons, a patient might refuse treatment. At that point, all the doctor can do is speak the truth and say, \u201cIf you refuse the treatment, you\u2019re still sick and the problem isn\u2019t going to go away. It will only get worse. Eventually, it will kill you. So I urge you to reconsider and admit your need for treatment, because we can get rid of problem and make you healthy again.\u201d That\u2019s all the doctor can do, in the hope that the patient will change his mind. <\/p>\n
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That\u2019s what the Church does, too. You have sin that clings to you. It\u2019s true of everybody. You sin daily and much; left unforgiven, it\u2019s stuck to you. It\u2019s bound to you. It weighs you down and seeks to drag you back into unbelief; and unbelief is death. It will drag you down to hell.<\/p>\n
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So we tell you of your sin. We tell you of that within you that is killing you, because we want you to be alive. We want you to be free of guilt and shame, confident that you are at peace with God. Sometimes, you\u2019ll be well aware of your sin already and ready for forgiveness. Other times, though, you\u2019ll be tempted to cling to the sin instead. The devil will conspire with your sinful flesh in all sorts of ways in order to keep that sin bound to you. <\/p>\n
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When you hear of your sin, you\u2019ll be tempted to refuse the treatment of forgiveness. Perhaps it\u2019s because you feel fine: you don\u2019t see how the sin is doing anybody any harm, the whole world\u2019s doing it and it seems to make your life a little happier or easier. Perhaps it\u2019s because you\u2019ve become skeptical of religion, so you don\u2019t believe that God\u2019s Word is telling you the truth. Perhaps it\u2019s because you\u2019re afraid. You\u2019re afraid that you can\u2019t live without the sin, because it\u2019s too deeply entrenched within you. Perhaps, like Thomas might have been, you\u2019re afraid that repentance will break your heart and cause too much pain. The devil doesn\u2019t play fair: he\u2019ll make you believe that you need your sin to stay alive.<\/p>\n
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If you want to keep your sin, that is your decision. It\u2019s not God\u2019s doing: it\u2019s all on you. But if you decide to keep your sin, we can\u2019t tell you that you are forgiven. You\u2019re not. You\u2019ve chosen to keep that sin rather than be set free from it. So if you choose to keep your sin, we simply tell you the truth that your sin is still there. It\u2019s bound to you. It\u2019s not forgiven, though Christ has died to forgive you.
\n(This, by the way, is why it is so bad when churches compromise God\u2019s Word and condone various sinful practices. In doing so, they tell unrepentant people that they are at peace with God, when they are not. In doing so, they encourage sinners to hold onto their sin and be condemned on the Last Day. There is absolutely nothing loving about that at all.) <\/p>\n
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That\u2019s the Office of the Keys. If you say you are sinful and need Christ\u2019s forgiveness, we tell you that you are forgiven. If you say that you don\u2019t need forgiveness, we tell you that\u2014according to God\u2019s Word\u2014you do: and we urge you to repent and be forgiven. If you say that you\u2019d rather hold onto your sin, we tell you that you\u2019re still sinful and face God\u2019s judgment; and we urge you to repent and be forgiven. This isn\u2019t about power or manipulation: it\u2019s about truth. It is simply saying what God\u2019s Word says; and by His Word, God does the work of convicting and forgiving. <\/p>\n
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That\u2019s what we pastors practice in our office by confession and absolution. It\u2019s also what you practice as you tell other people about sin and grace. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A couple of final thoughts, then. <\/p>\n
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One is that we do well as individuals and congregations to examine ourselves carefully. Christ died for all sins, that all may be set free by faith. Sometimes, though, churches give the impression that some sins are simply unforgiveable. I read an article the one day that said that churches seem to have one of two opinions about homosexuality: they either say, \u201cYou\u2019re welcome here because it\u2019s not a sin,\u201d or else \u201cStay out because it is a sin.\u201d Scripture makes clear that it is a sin\u2014but not an unforgiveable one. It\u2019s one that goes deep into psyche and soul, but one that Christ has died for. God grant that we preach God\u2019s Law in love to all sinners, and gladly preach His Gospel to all who repent, no matter what their sins. <\/p>\n
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The other thought is, once again, an invitation to private confession and absolution. Some sins cling better than others, even after you\u2019ve heard a general absolution. It may be because the sin was so awful that it doesn\u2019t stop haunting you. It may be that you need the forgiveness of someone who isn\u2019t around anymore to forgive you, and so you act as one who remains unforgiven. Such sins have great power over you, and they will keep you locked up in a room out of fear. Whatever the reason: if you cannot seem to shake a sin that you would love to be free of, private confession is a great gift of God. It is an opportunity to hear from God\u2019s Word that Christ has died for all of your sin\u2014even that one. It\u2019s an opportunity to hear God say through the mouth of His called servant, \u201cI forgive you for all of your sins\u2014 even that one.\u201d <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Forgiveness is what the Office of the Keys is all about. It\u2019s what Jesus died on the cross to win, and what He gave to the disciples that evening in their locked room. He still gives it to you as well, by means of His holy Word. Be gone, sin. Be gone, fear: for you are forgiven for all of your sins. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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