John 20:19-23

We'll do three things, Lord willing. Spend about five minutes getting to know some verses of the Bible a bit better.

Maybe five to ten minutes of general scene setting. And then probably about 15 or 20 minutes.

Seeing how it is that in verses 19 to 23 we might meet the Lord Jesus. And how meeting him in those verses might shed light upon the blessing that Reuben's installation as elder pastor here is could be, should be, will be.

So verses 19 to 23. Just a few minutes getting to know them. Are they up there? Good. I'm glad they're not.

On the evening I'm going to read to you a line and then ask you a question which you can answer quietly inside your own head.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week. What time of day?

What day of the week? On the evening of that day, the first day of the week.

The doors being locked. What were locked? The doors being locked.

What was done to the doors? Where the disciples were. Which doors?

For fear of the Jews. Why did they lock those doors?

Was it morning or evening? What day of the week was it?

What was locked? Where were they locked? Why were they locked?

Someone, Jesus, came and stood among them.

Who came and stood among them?

What did Jesus come and do?

It's the evening of the first day of the week.

And the doors are locked where the disciples are for fear of the Jews.

And Jesus came and stood among them.

And he said to them, peace be with you.

Who said to them, peace be with you?

What did Jesus say to them?

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and side.

When did he show them his hands and side?

When he had said this, peace be with you, what did he show them?

Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

How did the disciples feel?

When they saw the Lord, how did the disciples feel?

What made the disciples feel glad?

When they saw the Lord.

And Jesus said to them again, peace be with you.

Someone said to them again, peace be with you.

Who was that?

Jesus said something to them again.

What did he say to them again?

Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I'm sending you.

Who sent Jesus?

The Father.

And like the Father sent Jesus, then what?

Jesus sends the disciples.

How does Jesus send the disciples?

As the Father sent him.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them.

When did he breathe on them?

After he'd said, as the Father sent me, even so I send you.

What did he do when he'd said that?

He breathed on them.

And he said to them, receive the Holy Spirit.

Receive who?

What?

The Holy Spirit?

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

If you forgive the sins of whom?

If you what the sins?

If you do forgive the sins of any, then what?

They are forgiven them.

If you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

When is forgiveness withheld?

When they withhold it.

If they withhold it, then what?

It's withheld.

Is the Father in those verses?

As the Father sent me, even so I send you.

Is the Son in those verses?

All over them.

Is the Spirit in those verses?

He breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit.

What verbs go with Jesus in those verses?

He came, he stood, he said, he showed, he said, he breathed, he said.

How did the disciples feel?

Afraid and glad.

Oh, and Jesus offers them peace as well.

Do you feel like you know those verses a little bit better?

The Lord Jesus, oh look, what day of the week is it?

It's the first day of the week.

What time of day is it?

I mean, now, healing.

It's the evening of the first day of the week.

Doors aren't locked.

Is the Lord Jesus here?

He is here by his Spirit.

He's here to speak to us through his word.

Brilliant.

Then let's talk to him using this word.

Let's speak to the Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, on the evening of that day,

your resurrection day, the first day of the week,

the doors were locked where the disciples were

because they were afraid of the Jews.

And Lord Jesus, you came and stood among them.

And Lord Jesus, you said to them,

peace be with you.

And when you'd said this,

you showed them your hands and your side.

They were glad when they saw you.

And you said to them again,

peace be with you.

You said to them,

as the Father has sent me,

even so I'm sending you.

And when you'd said this,

you breathed on them

and said to them,

receive the Holy Spirit.

You told them,

if you forgive the sins of any,

they are forgiven them.

If you withhold forgiveness from any,

it is withheld.

And Lord Jesus,

you are here by your Spirit.

You are here to speak to us through your word.

And we thank you.

If the Lord Jesus said to you now,

if he struck me down,

so that was the end of the sermon,

all the lights went out

and it was the end of the sermon,

or he said to you now,

that's it.

You've had chapter 20,

verses 19 to 23.

You are meant to go into the week

nourished by something from those verses.

What are you going to take?

Let me give you 30 seconds.

What are you going to take

from those verses into this week?

Amen.

So you've got yourself another pastor.

What difference is that actually going to make

to the price of potatoes

or your life?

How is having Ruben

as one of the pastors here

really going to change things for you?

And can't you think of other things

that would actually change your life a bit more?

Like if you discovered a million pounds

in your bank account,

if you actually met her

or met him,

if things changed at work,

if things changed with health,

you can think a lot of things

that would make more difference

to your life than,

bless you,

having Ruben

as another pastor here.

All sorts of things.

Now that would change my life,

you might be thinking.

I've got nothing against Ruben,

but is it really going to make

much difference actually to me?

And even if it were going to make a difference,

how?

Now we're getting closer to John 20.

Because having Ruben here as an elder,

as a pastor,

would mean you get a little bit more of Jesus.

Every believer is a Christ-bearer.

Every believer carries the Lord Jesus with them

wherever they go by the Spirit.

So we meet Jesus every time we meet another believer.

But what if we could meet believers

who had a lot of Jesus about them?

That's what we want

when we appoint an elder.

Somebody who's got higher than average

like Jesus-ness to them.

Somebody who carries a bit more of the Lord Jesus

with them than average.

Jesus appointed 12 apostles

so that they might be with him.

Now they saw the boldness of Peter and John

and they recognised that they had been with Jesus.

Paul says we're always carrying in our body

the death of Jesus

so that the life of Jesus

may also be manifested in our bodies.

Paul said we think like Jesus.

We've got the mind of Christ.

Paul said we feel like Jesus.

I yearn for you with the bowels,

the heart, the guts of Jesus.

He said we smell like Jesus.

We are the aroma of Christ.

Every believer carries around with them

the presence, the smell of the Lord Jesus.

But elders, pastors are meant to be unusually smelly people.

Smelly with the Lord Jesus

so that when they come into the room,

when they come into your life,

when they minister to you,

you meet something of the wisdom

and the compassion of the Lord Jesus.

Last three Sunday mornings,

you've been looking at John's Gospel.

I didn't hear this morning's.

I have listened to the previous two,

loved them.

It's all about the Lord Jesus.

He is life.

And last week, John the Baptist,

not me, him.

Ditto.

Not Reuben, the Lord Jesus.

We want to carry Jesus,

channel Jesus,

communicate Jesus,

be close to him and filled by him,

bring his wisdom and love

and holiness and grace to people.

Be ambassadors, representatives, embodiments.

And elders and pastors

are meant to be particularly intense versions of that.

So not being a scholar or academic,

Jesus didn't read many books, did he?

Not being charming or smooth,

Jesus wasn't particularly charming or smooth.

Not being an activist and charging around

and having plans for everything,

Jesus didn't.

Not being an organizer of movements

or a builder of institutions,

Jesus wasn't.

Not cleverness or competence

or charm or busyness,

not those things.

What you're getting is Reuben Hunter.

You're meant to be getting

more of the Lord Jesus

in the particular form

of Reuben Hunter.

The words Reuben Hunter,

to me,

mean

my friend of many years,

a dear,

dear brother

whom I deeply love,

profoundly respect,

I'm immensely grateful to

and immensely grateful for.

Reuben Hunter.

That's what you're getting.

But actually,

Reuben means,

see,

a son.

So you're not getting an expert,

you're not getting an executive,

that sort of thing.

You're getting a son

of our Heavenly Father.

That's to say,

a brother.

You're getting a brother.

Hopefully,

a more mature than most,

brother.

A kinder than most,

brother.

But see,

a son,

Reuben.

And you're getting a hunter.

One of my favorite stories

from the Desert Fathers

is about Macedonius.

A certain captain of soldiers

who took a great delight

in hunting

once came in search

of wild animals

to the desolate mountain

where Macedonius,

the hermit,

dwelt.

He was prepared for the chase,

having brought with him

men and dogs.

As he went over the mountain,

he saw far off a man.

Being surprised

that anyone should be

in a place so desolate,

he asked who it might be.

One told him

that it was the hermit Macedonius.

The captain,

who was a pious man,

leapt from his horse

and ran to meet the hermit.

When he came to him,

he asked,

what are you doing

in such a barren place as this?

The hermit in his turn asked,

and you,

what have you come here to do?

The captain answered him,

I have come to hunt.

Then said Macedonius,

I also am a hunter.

I am hunting for my God.

I yearn to capture him.

My desire is to enjoy him.

I shall not cease from this my hunting.

Reuben Hunter,

see,

a son

in pursuit

of God,

who is particularly,

intensely

carrying the Lord Jesus.

That's what you're getting.

But carrying the Lord Jesus,

what would that look like?

When Jesus arrives

in John chapter 20,

John 20:19–23

verses 19 to 23,

then you get

his presence

and his peace

and his wounds

and his intimacy

and his breath

all over you

and good news

of forgiveness.

That's what you get.

And so if

Reuben arrives

carrying the Lord Jesus

with him,

and of course

all of us

as believers

one to another,

if Reuben arrives

carrying the Lord Jesus

with him,

these are the sorts

of things you'll get.

Jesus came

and stood among them.

Here are some

fearful disciples

and Christ comes

to where they are

and joins them there.

Here is a broken world

and the Son of God

comes into that world

as Emmanuel,

God with us.

And Jesus has

a very present way

of being present.

You know how you

and I can be here

but not here.

Halfway through

a conversation,

sorry I was somewhere

completely else.

We absent ourselves

but not the Lord Jesus.

Look at his attentiveness.

There's not much about it

but look at his eye contact.

There's lots about it.

Look at his touch.

He's there with the person

who's in front of him

right now.

There is something

very real and personal

and direct and serious

when you're with Jesus

and so with those

who carry Jesus.

Of course,

you might be behind

some sorts of locked doors.

There might be members

of the congregation

who are like behind

locked doors.

Of course,

we're afraid of stuff.

Of course,

we don't want to let people in.

How are you denying access

to Christ?

What are you afraid of?

Think of somebody else

in your life

who's got locked doors.

Think of how the Lord Jesus

might come

and stand

even though you thought

you locked him out

and then maybe

it'll be Reuben.

Maybe it'll be Reuben

who comes and stands

even though it's behind

locked doors.

Maybe it'll be patience

or prayerfulness

or empathy

or understanding you

or knowing that he stands

like you

in need of God's mercy.

Maybe it'll be gentleness.

Who knows

what it'll be

but if he is a real

Christ bearer,

if he is carrying Christ

like the Christ of John 20,

then he will get behind

locked doors

and be really present

to you

because,

blessed be his name,

Jesus is present.

Let's be quiet.

Lord Jesus,

it's the fact

that you're with us

behind locked doors,

that's

the marvel,

the wonder,

the delight.

We thank you.

Jesus brings his peace.

He told his disciples

that it was his peace

he would give them.

I mean,

that's back in

chapters 14 to 16.

His peace

that he would give them.

His,

it's okay.

Jesus had peace

during his busy days.

It's okay.

He had peace

in the middle of storms.

It's okay.

He had peace

in the face

of vicious opposition,

fickle crowds,

disloyal disciples.

It's okay.

He has a peace

which comes

from clinging on

to nothing,

holding loosely

to and letting go

of everything.

He let go of sleep

and food

and possessions

and favour

and even life.

Why?

Because he rested

in the Father's

yes.

It's Easter day,

this story,

and Easter,

the resurrection,

is God's almighty

yes

over the Lord Jesus,

over his

crucified son.

That's why he's raised

for our justification.

Raised for our justification

means if we're joined

to Jesus,

God speaks an almighty

Easter day yes

over us,

too.

It's okay

because God says

a big,

loud yes.

Put those two together

and see how Jesus

speaks peace.

It is the okay

of clinging on

to nothing

because you're

resting

in the Father's

yes.

So when Jesus

gives us

his peace,

it's like he's

sending

waves

over us

of,

in me the Father

speaks his almighty

yes

over you.

That's what it's like

to be

in Jesus'

presence

and to hear

Jesus' word.

It's like hearing

the Father's

yes

over you.

And Jesus,

when he gives

his peace,

it's like he's

sending waves

of,

it's okay.

You can let go

of your fear,

your self-protection,

your clinging

and all that stuff.

Forgive the word,

but I've got a new

ambition from the

last couple of weeks

when I came across

this sentence

of John Updikes.

He says,

I like old men,

they can be

wonderful bastards

because they have

nothing to lose.

The only people

who can be themselves

are babies

and old bastards.

And the reason

is this,

because they've got

nothing to lose.

They're not afraid

of any no

that you can speak

over them

and they're not

afraid of any no

that you can speak

over them

because they've got

God's loud yes

in Jesus

ringing in their ears

and ringing in their hearts.

cheerful serenity,

ease of soul,

peace be with you,

cling to nothing,

it's okay,

the Father says yes.

And when a good pastor

brings Jesus

into our lives,

he brings the peace,

the it's okay,

the Father says yes

into our lives.

But it's not his peace,

it's Jesus' peace.

Let's be quiet.

Lord Jesus,

it's your peace

that's our delight

that we marvel at.

Thank you.

Jesus brings his wounds.

What does he do?

He shows them his hands

and his side.

He brings his wounds.

Now we know

that Jesus' wounds

are like no other.

Jesus' death

and only his death

deals with our sin.

but we also know

that there's meant

to be something

of Jesus' cross

in our lives.

Even though

it's Jesus' cross

that deals with sin

totally,

completely,

once for all,

sufficiently,

we can't do it,

we never could.

And yet,

we're to take up

our cross daily.

We're to carry in our body

the death of Jesus.

We're to have fellowship

with him in his sufferings

and be conformed to him

in his death.

And so,

the pattern

of the unrepeatable,

unique,

totally sufficient,

once for all,

deal with sin,

death of Jesus

gets played out

in our

not trying to save

our own lives,

keep ourselves,

giving up,

laying out

of life.

In our lives,

including the lives

of pastors,

that will take the form

of poverty of spirit

and sacrificial service.

When a pastor

shows you

his hands and side,

his wounds,

when any believer

shows you their hands

and side,

their wounds,

they are showing you

their poverty of spirit,

that's to say,

their fragility

and their dependence,

and they're showing you

their laying out

of their lives

to be a blessing

to others.

That's what they're

showing you.

So Reuben's not

coming along

claiming to be strong

or superior,

he's actually qualified

by being weak

and knowing it.

I mean,

there's a load of us

who are weak

but don't realize it,

but those of us

who are weak

and know it,

they're the ones

who are going to be

bringing the presence

of Jesus to others.

Wounds of brokenness

in ourselves,

wounds of blessing

to others.

God,

Reuben had a floor exam

at Presbytery

a couple of weeks ago

where he has to stand up

and answer various questions

and he tells me

that in answer

to one of them,

he had a complete

mental blank.

It was a pretty simple

question, wasn't it?

And he just went blank.

And when I heard that,

I thought,

hallelujah,

thank you, Lord,

God be praised.

That's brilliant.

God blessed Reuben

with the mental blank

because,

and now I'm going to use

some words that Reuben used

when he was telling me

about this.

It means that

as he starts here

at IPC Ealing,

he comes onto the stage,

his words,

with a limp,

not a swagger.

Wounds.

Wonderful.

It's the Isaiah

who says,

woe is me

for I am lost

who's cleansed

and takes the message.

It's the woman

who's forgiven much

who loves much.

It's the Peter

who denies Jesus

three times

and loves Jesus

who feeds the sheep.

The foundational disposition

for the kingdom

is I'm frail,

I'm dependent,

I'm not strong.

What we want

in a pastor

is somebody

who's weak and flawed.

I mean,

we better not want anything

other than weak and flawed

because weak and flawed

is all that's on offer.

What we want in a pastor

is somebody who's weak

and flawed

but who is not trying

to hide that weakness

or pretend that he's better

than he is.

He's been forgiven

by the Lord Jesus,

he loves the Lord Jesus

and therefore he carries

the presence of the Lord Jesus

with him.

Wounds.

Let's be quiet.

Lord Jesus,

we're glad that Reuben

knows his weakness

but really,

really,

really,

really,

it's your hands,

your side,

your wounds

which are healing

and life for us

and we thank you.

Jesus comes with a mission

from the Father

with whom he's intimate

as the Father sends me

so I send you.

In a way,

the Macedonia story

does that for us

but just listen

to one or two phrases

from John's Gospel

which over the next,

is it 10, 15 years

you'll be preaching

John's Gospel, Paul?

Do not make my Father's house

a house of trade.

The Father loves the Son

and has given all things

into his hand.

The Son can do nothing

of his own accord

but only what he sees

the Father doing.

For whatever the Father does,

that the Son does likewise.

For the Father loves the Son

and shows him

all that he's doing.

The living Father sent me

and I live

because of the Father.

I speak just as the Father

taught me

and he who sent me

is with me.

He has not left me alone

for I always do

the things that are pleasing

to him.

The Father knows me

and I know the Father.

The Father is in me

and I am in the Father.

I've not spoken

on my own authority

but the Father who sent me

has himself given me

a commandment.

And on it goes.

The relationship

between the mission,

the being sent,

of Jesus

and his intimacy

with the Father

is so, so close.

Now lots of us

spend our time,

our lives,

I'm afraid,

trying to impress

our earthly Father,

dead or alive

and seeking

his affirmation.

Others of us

are cherished

by our fathers

and we just want

to remain in his love.

Others of us

hate our fathers

and want to defeat them

and get revenge on them.

Others of us

just wish we knew

our fathers.

With Jesus,

the relationship

to the Father

is perfect

and it forms

and patterns

all the service

of his disciples

and therefore

of pastors.

As any of us

to each other

and as Reuben

carries Jesus,

smells of Jesus,

does the work

of Jesus,

it's to be characterized

by intimacy

with the Father

in Christ.

Let's be quiet.

Oh, Lord Jesus,

your intimacy

with the Father

and how that plays out

in the way

you're sent

and how you behave

as sent.

Really, really,

we want this

for ourselves.

But our wonder,

our marvel

is that you have it.

You say

what the Father

gives you to say,

you do what you see

the Father doing.

He delights in you,

you're always pleasing

to him

and he's always

with you

and we thank you.

Breath,

spirit,

just as in the garden

God breathes

into Adam's nostrils

and he becomes

a living soul,

so here

Jesus breathes

onto

or into

his disciples.

I still wonder

whether he goes

or whether he goes

or whether he goes

we don't know.

But he actually did.

I mean,

it's not just a story,

is it?

It did happen.

There were those

disciples

and Jesus breathed

on them

and as he did so,

he said,

receive the Holy Spirit.

He breathed on them.

You know,

it's like

Aslan's breath

and they come

into existence.

Aslan's breath

and the statues

come alive again.

Aslan's breath

and the servants

are transported

to where they need to go.

The breath

of the Lord Jesus.

What breath is that?

Well,

obviously,

the Spirit.

The Father

breathes out

the Spirit

and when Jesus

breathes in,

ha,

he's filled

with the Spirit

which means that

the Father's out breath

is Jesus' in breath

which means that

when Jesus breathes out,

what's he breathing out?

He's breathing out

the Spirit

and therefore,

when we breathe in,

what are we breathing in?

The Spirit.

That's how it's to be.

When we were at Oak Hill,

there wasn't a module

on how to breathe

but really,

there should be

and it's like this.

I breathe in Jesus.

as he breathes

his Spirit

into me.

I breathe out

Jesus

as I lay out

my life

in trustful love.

Breathing in

as Jesus

breathes on us.

Laying out

our life,

breathing out.

We're to carry

and to breathe

Jesus

by his Spirit.

Let's be quiet.

Last one.

You don't need

to do your thing.

Gospel authority.

Jesus,

as the Son of Man,

has authority

on earth

to forgive sins

and then

to dismiss sins,

to release us

from sins.

He has that power

in himself

because of his death

and resurrection.

So as we

carry around

the Lord Jesus,

as we breathe

his Spirit,

spread his aroma,

speak his word

and offer his peace,

we are bringing

his forgiveness

with us.

It's like we've got

anti-venom serum

or debt

cancellation notice

about our person

ready to hand over.

Ours,

it's true,

is conditional.

So effectively,

as believers

and as pastors,

we are saying,

if you relate

to the Lord Jesus

in a posture

of turning away

and saying yes,

then your sins

will be dismissed.

If you don't,

they won't.

Ours is a conditional

announcement

whereas Jesus is

an absolute one.

We're ambassadors.

We have the right

to bestow honours

and to provide

sanctuary

and to grant

citizenship,

but we do so

on behalf of the king

with his authority.

All the ways

that Reuben

will make

a good difference

relate to him

carrying Jesus,

being a bit

of Jesus.

And one of them

is he carries

and announces

the forgiveness

that Jesus does.

But it's his forgiveness.

Blessed be his name.

You hear that,

don't you?

Please hear that.

The presence,

it's his presence.

The peace,

his peace.

The wounds,

his wounds.

The intimacy mission,

his intimacy mission.

The breath spirit,

his breath spirit.

The authoritative

announcement

of forgiveness,

his authoritative

announcement

of forgiveness.

Blessed be his name.

his name.

Six wonderful things

about the Lord Jesus

and therefore

six wonderful things

about those

who smell like him,

who breathe him,

who speak with his words,

who carry him around.

No wonder, therefore,

the sentence

we didn't look at,

the central sentence

when it says,

the disciples were glad

when they saw the Lord.

To the degree

that Reuben

carries the Lord Jesus

around with him,

you will be glad,

and to the degree

that you want Jesus,

you will be glad

when you see Reuben.

He will bring

these things with him.

This is what makes

the Lord Jesus great.

This is what we're

all called to.

This is Reuben's

very special

privilege

and calling

and God's gift

to the church

in Reuben.

But back to last

Sunday morning,

the three-word summary,

not me,

him,

not Reuben,

Christ.

He's here now

by the Spirit.

You believe that?

He's present.

He offers his peace.

He shows us his wounds.

He sends us on his mission

in intimate relationship

with the Father.

He breathes on us

and he announces

the dismissal

of our sins

and gives us

that message

for others.

That's Jesus.

Blessed be his name.

Let's pray.