April 12, 2026; John 20, 19-31; The Second Sunday of Easter
In today’s gospel, the risen Jesus appears to his disciples in a locked room. If we are to appreciate the significance of Jesus’ appearance, we must know what was in that room before he came. The answer, in one word, is guilt. The disciples had been with Jesus in the garden when he was arrested, and they all fled. They had followed Jesus for years. They had rejoiced as they heard his preaching to the people. They witnessed his transfiguration on the mountain. They marveled as he fed five thousand people with five loafs and two fish. But when the soldiers came to lead him to the cross, they all ran for their lives. We find them sitting in a locked room covered with guilt. Despite the promises of faithfulness that they made, despite the hoped that they had carried, all that is left to them now is their shame. Jesus comes into that room and says, “Peace be with you.” In a room filled with guilt, Jesus comes in peace. To those who are covered with shame, Jesus offers forgiveness. To the disciples who betrayed him, Jesus says, “Let’s begin again.”
Jesus’ words are not only for the first disciples, but also for us. His words reveal the essential nature of our God. Yes, our God is a God of power, justice, and moral goodness. But God’s heart is a heart of mercy. God does not come to punish us and God will not remember the many times we fail. Our God is a God of second chances. That is the kind of God we need, because too often we fail, and our lives are broken. We find ourselves asking: “Why did my marriage end? Why am I estranged from my daughter? Why did I not have the courage to stand with my friend in need?” And as those questions take hold, we realize that we sit in a locked room nursing our shame.
We need s God who comes to us in our shame with words of peace, a God who allows us to forget what we have done and what we have failed to do, a God who permits us to set aside all that could have been and should have been. We need a God of mercy. That is why Jesus will never say to us, “I’m done with you.” His words are always, “Peace. Let’s begin again.”