Acts 5:27-32 Peter & the 11 defend their faith to the authorities Revelation 1:4-8 Hymn of Praise to one coming w/ the clouds John 20:19-31 Doubting Thomas

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
The Lord is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!

That is the Good News – or perhaps the Best News and it is News that cannot be silenced – God will not have it – the Apostles dared not keep silent – NOR SHOULD WE!

Verse 18 of John’s 20th Chapter states, Mary Magdalene went and announced to all the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Verse 19 begins today’s reading and John tells us that the disciples had locked themselves in an upper room – for fear of the Jews

– BUT when you read today’s passage with verse 18 – does it not sound like they locked themselves in the upper room because of the Crucifixion and the stories that Jesus had been raised up and was alive???

John tells us that the Beloved Disciple believed because of the empty tomb and the burial clothes rolled up inside the tomb; Mary Magdalene believed because Jesus appeared to her after Peter and the Beloved Disciple went home; & YET, Peter had not yet come to believe – nor had the other disciples.

I believe that the disciples were as much afraid that Jesus had indeed been raised up as they were afraid of the Jews – they were not just afraid – they were cowering behind locked doors.

I am told that after one has suffered one of life’s storms – you just naturally take on added precautions to feel safe. For instance, Many years ago Carolyn and I went to a Davis Cup match in Atlanta – and we saw a Braves game, as well, while we were out - our hotel room was broken in to.

We were shook and we were moved to a concierge floor where you had to have a key to get the elevator to go to the floor and their was always someone on duty as you got off the elevator.

Carolyn’s parents home was burglarized and soon thereafter they moved to a Condo on the bay with a state of the art security system.

II am sure that each of you has a story about one of life’s storms crashing over you and the efforts you made to be safe or at least safer
– perhaps you started locking your doors
– or your car
- or you installed new locks

Rather than risk being pained again – you closed and locked the door to provide you with a sense of security.

The disciples closed and locked the doors, “FOR FEAR OF THE JEWS” –
- but also against the intrusion of the Risen Christ!

Just as with the disciples, our securely locked doors are not an impediment for Jesus.

This is part of the Good News of Easter – That Jesus is not stumped nor deterred by our locked doors

Jesus has come and is coming to each one of us – HE comes because he loves us so much that he gave his life for us and seeks to come into our hearts and lives so as to transform us into the Disciples that he calls us to be! There may be a time to shut and lock the doors to the storms of life – but only to stop and plan, to assess and consider new ways to open the doors to our hearts and lives and even our Church as widely as possible.

As we begin our second 50 years of worshiping and ministering to our troubled world and community, join me in PROMISING To be faithful – To share the Good News – To let Jesus into our hearts and lives!

If we can do that, then we can make our Easter Acclamation the outward and visible sign of our faith

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

The Lord is Risen, Indeed! Alleluia!