Our Peace | What's in a Name

We continue and conclude our sermon series, What's

in a Name? It has been quite a journey as we've

journeyed through the Gospel of John, looking

at the many distinctives, and we've only scratched

the surface. There are over 100 of them, and

we've hit 16, I believe. In this Holy Week, we've

really looked at six that kind of lead us to

today as we look at the titles and the distinctives

of Jesus. And today is no exception. But today's

a weird one. Today is one that we don't necessarily

always think about when it comes to Jesus. We

give him the title of Savior, Lamb of God. We've

sung about the lion today. All of these things

that have Old Testament implications, New Testament

implications, 2025 implications. But today, we're

going to talk about a word that I think if we're

all honest, we all really, really need every

day of our life. And that is the word peace.

So peace, right? Like peace sign, like P -E -A

-C -E, just so we are clear. And a question I

have for us this morning is, what does peace

even mean anymore in our lives? I think about,

I don't know, maybe 100, 150 years ago, things

just moved a lot slower. With the rise of the

internet in the 90s, and now we see, if we're

being honest, our lives really can't function

without it. I know I have three or four curmudgeons

that probably would disagree with me, but we

rely on speed constantly. I look out and see

all of the families with kids, and I know your

life is not slow. I know it's not. How do I know?

I have three. 12, 10, and 8, right? Okay, that

life is just fast, but there are days, Karen

and I just, we long for that quiet and that peace,

and we get it from 8 .45 to 9 .30 every night

-ish. But what does peace even mean anymore?

Peace is one of the most misused words in our

world today, in my opinion. I just want peace

and quiet. How many of you have said that this

week? Some of those hands went up way too fast.

I need to get to a peaceful place in my life.

Right? Maybe you said that or a version of that.

Or maybe what we hear at the end of people's

lives as families are going through death, rest

in peace. But I think... Our world today knows

very little about peace. Because I think we've

allowed for turmoil and confusion and division

and drama, if you will, to be something that

undergirds and underlines the little gods we

have in life. I've heard it said, I just need

a little bit of stress to get things done. Or,

you know what, life wouldn't be life without

a little bit of drama. Both of those, I think,

are misunderstandings of what it means. To have

peace. The news, our neighborhoods, even our

own hearts seem to be dominated by things that

are the exact opposite of peace. And maybe this

resonates with you this morning. Anxiety, anger,

unrest. Maybe this morning you're sitting in

those three places. Anger, anxiety, unrest. Maybe

you've turned those words against individuals

in your life, the church, politics, whatever

it is. Maybe you look in the mirror, and those

three words come way before anything peace or

rest or whatever those positive ones would be.

But today, this Easter Sunday, I proclaim and

I submit to you this morning that peace itself

has a name, peace itself has a face, physically

walked out of the tomb. Jesus is not just the

bringer of peace or the one that blesses us with

peace. I'm going to submit this morning to all

of us, he is our peace. Ephesians 2 reminds us

of that. And this is the good news of Easter

Sunday in John 20. Now let's kind of set the

scene really quick. It was evening. The disciples

had locked their doors. Jesus had died. The most

still day of the church calendar, that holy Saturday.

We've gone through Maundy Thursday. If you were

here, we came to the table of our Lord. We walked

through Good Friday. And we see the growing darkness.

Maybe you attended a Tenebrae service where it's

a service of growing darkness. Then what do you

do with this Saturday? Now I have some pastor

friends that are part of big churches that they

do Easter celebration on Saturday. And I silently

rebuke that. I will never say that to them, but

I do hold that in my head. Like, what are you

doing? No, leave Sunday to Sunday, blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah. That's just me. But Saturday,

it's evening. The disciples had locked their

doors. Jesus had died. And now, were they living

in peace? No. They locked their doors. Not because

they were in a bad neighborhood. They locked

their doors because they were afraid. But into

that fear, into the room, into that very moment,

Jesus comes and stands among them and says, peace

be with you. You think about that encounter,

that interaction with the dead, now resurrected

Christ. I don't know, that word peace to me would

have meant something a little different in that

moment. Because it has this... This power to

it now. Jesus came and did the things he said

he was going to do. All the times he mentioned

to the disciples that he was going to die. But

he was going to rise again. They never understood.

Then he dies. And now you're sitting here. And

now it's Sunday. And now he shows up. He's there.

That's the power of Easter. It's resurrection

peace. And it's peace that the world can never

give. The world can try. It can give you the

money, it can give you the status, it can give

you a job where you get to create your own schedule

and take tomorrow off. That doesn't mean peace.

That is not the same thing. Because the peace

that the world gives is temporary, circumstantial,

and fragile. You ever think about that? When

you think you're about, you kind of have on the

calendar, I'm going to take that day off, and

I'm just going to get some stuff done, or I'm

going to get nothing done, and then what inevitably

happens? Things go awry. Our control over our

schedule, we get called into that early meeting.

We go, no, but I can start my day off at 10.

The meeting's done at 9 .55. I'll start from

10. Then all of a sudden, something comes at

10, and then it just becomes another day. But

the real peace that we're talking about today,

the resurrection Easter peace, it's a peace that

can enter locked rooms and can unlock fearful.

That is the peace that Jesus is. So let's break

it down. Jesus appears, showing us that this

peace is personal. John 20, 19 -21. 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

feet. The disciples were glad when they saw the

Lord. Jesus said to them, peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.

Notice something. When were they glad? You can

answer. When they see him. They were locked in

their fear. They were absolutely locked in their

fear. I liken this to the kid who needs to go

to mom and dad's room at night because they have

this nightmare. But they know, especially in

the Holland owner house, they know that they

know they will get relief from that peace when

they wake up. Mom, right? You get that when you

wake up. Mom, because that peace turns to fear

if they wake up dad. And so understand, that's

a bad night. But understand, just as little kids

need to see things to bring them peace because

they don't know how to kind of self -actualize

peace within themselves, they see Jesus and they

have peace. You see, this is no mere greeting.

Jesus is doing something here. He is teaching

the ones that should have gotten it already.

I don't know about you, but that's convicting.

Peace be with you isn't just a phrase. It's a

promise. You see, the idea behind this is the

Hebrew understanding of shalom, a wholeness,

a restoration, a putting back together what sin

had broken. That is what shalom meant. And what

does he do? Jesus shows his wounds, not in some

morbid display, but as evidence. And 33 % of

you, a statistic I just made up right now, need

that in your life. Some of you need the evidence

of faith in order to believe. And I'm going to

encourage you, get past that. Jesus has done

what he said he was going to do. Jesus has fulfilled

every messianic prophecy to every jot and tittle.

Ken, what is the jot and the tittle? The dot

on the I, the cross on the T. Everything he said

he was going to do, he did. And now he's showing

them the evidence. His crucifixion wasn't a mistake.

It was a pathway to peace. And he's showing them.

Isaiah 53 reminds us, but he was pierced for

our transgressions. Or he was despised and rejected

by men. A man of sorrow and antiquated with grief.

And as one from whom men hid their faces, he

was despised and we esteemed him not. He also

reminds us that he was pierced for our transgressions.

So he's showing them. Now, if you're new to Munster

Church, maybe you're a guest. You don't have

to answer, but I do like to ask questions, and

I do wait for some responses. So you're a disciple.

You're in this room. Jesus shows up. Again, locked

door, so that's something right there. But then

he shows you the hands. He shows you his feet,

his side. What is the response you would have

as a disciple? You were in fear. You've now been

given peace by Jesus himself, peace itself. What's

going through your mind? I'm seeing a ghost.

Just went mind blown. Okay, anyone else? Is any

of you getting to comfort? Or are we still locked

in fear? That's what I had to wrestle with this

week. Like, okay, he says these things, and before

his death, I believed every word -ish. But notice

who's in the room. I always put myself in the

person of Peter, not because upon me God was

going to build the church because that church

would have fallen apart way long ago. But Peter

had foot and mouth disease, and so do I. And

so I resonate a lot with Peter. And notice what

I read in the beginning of service. It was Peter

and the disciples. You see, Peter had not yet

been forgiven by Jesus for denying him. He'd

not been brought back into the fold as a disciple,

but that's a different sermon. But understand

that in this room was Jesus' closest friends,

now gripped with fear, doubt, all of those things.

He shows them these things. I think I would have

just been in awe. But if I'm being honest, I

probably still would have doubted. And mainly

because I think we do that even in the midst

of evidence. And in 2025 today, what is evidence

really? Not much at times. Because we just try

to logicalize, my word, right, the truth out

of things. We almost try to look for non -truth

and get excited when we find it because we got

the gotcha. It's like gotcha journalism. We get

that little sound bite. We get that little clip

that goes on the Instagram for eight seconds,

and that's what we think truth is. No, Jesus

is double and tripling down in this room for

the ones that should have gotten it. Jesus shows

his wounds as a display of the path of peace,

that he goes through these things so you and

I, the church, could have peace. Because Jesus

is risen, we have peace with God, and we belong

to him, and he comes into our fears and our doubt.

Heidelberg Catechism, question answer one, is

just a beautiful reminder. Again, this isn't

the whole thing, just the beginning. For us to

declare this, and it's one of my favorite writings

ever, what is your only comfort in life and in

death? And it takes us right out of it in the

beginning. that I am not my own, but belong.

How many of us don't have peace in life because

we don't think we belong? Because we think we're

an outcast, we think we're weird, we think we're

the stranger or we're different, and we think

we don't belong. In Christ, you do, period. I

am not my own, but belong, body and soul, in

life and in death, to who? My faithful Savior,

Jesus Christ. So friend, peace is personal. But

peace also comes with a purpose. Peace has to

have a purpose because Jesus had a purpose. So

by the transitive property or something, if Jesus

is our peace and Jesus has purpose, that means

our peace will always have purpose. John 20,

21 says this. Jesus said to them, peace be with

you. As the Father has sent me, even I am sending

peace. you. There's always purpose with Jesus.

And I think if we're honest, that's how we find

peace in ourselves or in our situation. When

we have purpose, I look out and see probably

175 type A personalities that would be classified

as control freaks. Amen? That was not enough.

That's okay. It's totally fine. Amen. I'm one

of them. That for a lot of times, how we don't

have peace is when we have to give up control.

I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand because

everybody would. But this peace not only is purposeful,

it has a destination. Jesus doesn't just give

peace. He gives peace with a purpose. So our

peace, if it is Jesus himself, has something

quote unquote tied to it. He sends us into the

world with his peace as our foundation. Think

about that. The foundation you and I have as

believers, whether you're in a season of seeking

right now, or you and Jesus have been good, what

would Jesus do? Frog, fully relying on God for

90 years. That our foundation, our identity as

a believer should be purposeful peace. Belgic

Confession, Article 20, says this. We believe

that God sent the Son to assume the nature in

which the disobedience had been committed in

order to make satisfaction completeness by his

most perfect obedience and to our dear punishment

so that we might be restored to God's favor and

set free from the deadly guilt of sin. Some of

you don't like that because it has the word God's

favor in it. And you don't know whether or not

you have God's favor. Well, let me just declare

this morning into your soul, if you are a Christ

follower, you have God's favor. The Bible says

it. Our confessions uphold it. We believe it.

So what does that look like in your life? That

you get to live with God's favor. Yeah, but I

still have allergies. So? That's in this life.

God's favor is to bring the gospel till we get

to see it face to face. Till we're in glory.

We endure with peace and patience and kindness.

We'll get to that verse in about seven minutes.

Yet for a lot of us, we want to look at our circumstance

and go, I can't have peace because I deal with,

insert whatever here. And some of those afflictions

are great. And some of them are not, if we're

being honest. That not only is this peace personal,

not only is there purpose for peace, there's

a perspective here. What the Belgic Confession

is giving us is that we are restored to God's

favor to give us a mission in this life. Whether

you're a pastor, whether you're an accountant,

whether you're a stay -at -home mom, which is

a full -time job. Whether you are a bricklayer,

whether you're on TV, whether you're behind the

screen, whatever it is, you have purpose to live

a life of reconciliation. But that's tough. Because

what is reconciliation? Well, it starts with

forgiveness. Now we just kind of got tense. We

don't really like to give forgiveness too often.

Because we like to have that kind of position

over people. We like to have that little pound

of flesh that we just kind of stick in our pocket.

Friend, that's not the same as being a Christ

follower. It doesn't fit. That because Christ

rose from the dead, gives us his peace because

we have himself, we should live a life of reconciliation.

So kind of my Easter week wrecker, if you will.

Where do you need reconciliation done in your

life? And where do you need to offer reconciliation

to someone in your life? Because it's both and.

It's not either or. If we say we have no sin,

we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in

us. But if we confess our sin, God is faithful

and just, will forgive us our sin and cleanse

us from all unrighteousness. Great. So what?

What do we do with that? We go and forgive others.

Now, that doesn't mean they have to be your best

friends. That doesn't mean they have to be on

your Christmas card list. They don't need to

be your favorites on your phone. But to live

a life as a believer and not forgive and not

offer reconciliation, you're spitting on Easter.

You're spitting on exactly what Jesus rose for.

To give us an audience with God that we will

be there one day, but in this life we are called

to forgive and to bring peace. To be peacemakers.

Where have we heard that before? Jesus. The Sermon

on the Mount. Blessed are the peacemakers. Not

peacekeepers. Because when we peacekeep, it's

usually a fallacy. It's usually lie upon lie

or cover up after cover up. We're called to make.

And we are empowered to do so. Why? Because peace

is empowered. John 20, 22 says this. And when

he had said this, he breathed on them and said

to them, receive the Holy Spirit. Time out. April,

leave that up there. This is almost as weird

as Jesus spitting on the mud, putting it on the

blind guy's eyes, and then telling him to go

wash off. Is it not? Because... I know some of

you, you don't like when people come and talk

to you, right? Especially if they come and talk

to you close. And you all know those people,

right? You all know those kind of close talkers,

right? That they're like, personal space, what

is that? You know, and they, whatever. But understand,

what Jesus is doing, this is a commissioning

before the commission. And why is Jesus doing

it? Why in the world would Jesus be doing it

this way? Where else do we see breath in the

scripture? For lunch and a conversation with

Pastor Jim, where else do we see this intentionality

of, Bree, Ken, you can't answer. Where else do

we see it? Randy, you answered too many. Let's

give someone else a shot. And you're a BSF, so,

yeah, you're almost a seminarian. Janet, you're

on staff. She didn't say anything. Anyone else?

Okay, you. Scuts, you can't answer, okay? Let's

just put it that way. You're an elder, Brent.

We've been here before. Balcony people. Sorry,

floor, main floor, you're exempt. Balcony people,

where else do we see this? Adam, what does that

mean? You're right there. We're in the restaurant.

You even have the menu. How did Adam get created?

God breathed life into him. You can leave the

tip. But understand, this is creation language,

right? This is creation language. Genesis 2,

where God breathed life into Adam. Now Christ

breathes new life, resurrected life, into his

disciples. The peace we carry is not on our own

strength, but it's by the Spirit. Because guess

what? If you forgive people, you're forgiving

people because the Holy Spirit has regenerated

forgiveness in you. Because you can't give what

you don't have. With Christ, you have it. The

peace we carry is not in our own strength, but

by the Holy Spirit. The Canons of Dort, article,

or head, 3 and 4, article 11, says this. When

God accomplishes his good pleasure in his chosen

ones, the church, He powerfully enlightens their

minds by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly

understand and discern the things of the Spirit

of God. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live out

and share the peace of Christ even in a chaotic

world. So peace is personal, right? Peace has

a purpose. Let me go back and look at all my

points so far. Peace is personal. Peace has a

purpose. Peace empowers. And what did I read

right before we prayed? Matthew 25. To me, one

of the two great commissions that we have from

Jesus. One way we walk this out, church, is peace

for the wounded. John 20, 24 to 28 says this.

Now Thomas, one of the 12, called the twin, was

not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciple

told him, we have seen the Lord. But he said

to them, unless I see in his hands the marks

of the nail and place my finger into the mark

of the nails and place my hand into his side,

I will never believe. Eight days later, his disciples

were inside again and Thomas was with them. Although

the doors was locked, Jesus came and stood among

them and said, peace be with you. And he said

to Thomas. Put your finger here and see my hands,

and put out your hand and place it in my side.

Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered

him, My Lord and my God. We all come today wounded.

Though we put on our Sunday best, Easter best,

right? For some of us, we may have plans afterwards.

Don't worry, I am wrapping it up. Understand.

That the peace that Jesus gives us is first and

foremost for the wounded. He meets Thomas in

his doubt. Now before we get to that point, just

a side note. I always wonder why Thomas wasn't

there. I mean, I get doubt. I do. And I think

all of us can resonate with Thomas in this doubt

at times and things in our life. I wish we would

know why Thomas wasn't there. Had that doubt

just taken him over that he had just given up?

I don't know. But understanding that the disciples

go and tell Thomas, right, so I'm sure he's intrigued.

Again, locked door, they're still afraid. But

Thomas is there. Jesus is intentional and personal

and meets us in that place. Jesus doesn't shame

him, but shows up for him. So what does this

tell us today? That Jesus meets us in our doubt.

And in doing so, he brings peace to our wounds,

to our doubts, to our anxiety, to our anxious

rhythms of life. He breathes peace over us into

all of those things. Do you believe that? You

see, that's Easter peace. It's not just doctrine.

We can know all of the depths of this book. You

can love the catechisms and the three forms of

unity, the Westminster, all of the reformed confessions

that we have. They're all good things, all standing

on the word of God. Without the word of God,

those documents mean nothing. But this morning's

not about doctrine. It's about peace. It's about

new life. It's a living person. who meets us

in locked rooms, who breathes life into our fears

and sends us out to bring peace to the most chaotic

worlds we can imagine. And that's going to be

different for all of us. So how do we do it?

Well, it's easy. And I've already said it once,

I'll say it again. You have peace if you have

Jesus, so now go be peace. Whoa, time out. Some

of you do not like that because you don't want

that responsibility. I love you, but tough. If

you have Jesus, you have peace. Now we are called

to go be peace. How? How do we do this? Well,

let's follow that logic. You've been reconciled.

Now go be a reconciler. I don't care if that's

not a word. It might be. I don't care. You understand.

2 Corinthians reminds us. All of this, all this

is from God who through Christ reconciled us

to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world

to himself. Not counting their trespasses against

them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

That is amazing. I have yet to find a church

that has a reconciliation ministry. We know ministry

is called that, but what does this even look

like in life? Is this a group of people walking

down the road going, I am so sorry, I am so sorry,

I am so sorry, I am so sorry. No, that's super

awkward and weird. But the church should be the

message of reconciliation. Why? Because we've

been reconciled. And we've not been reconciled

so we can hold it over other people and just

throw the stones of judgment or skip them like

stones into a river. Jesus didn't just give you

peace for your own soul. He entrusted you with

the ministry of reconciliation. So just as you've

been reconciled with God, you are now called

to be an instrument of peace. Watch out in your

home, in your church, because there's never drama

in church. Okay, you got it? And your communities.

Whatever your community looks like. You are to

be the lightning rod of peace in your life. Yet

we want to judge other people. Wow, they're just

drama kings and queens. No. You are the lightning

rod of peace. Wherever you are. Because if you

have Jesus, that means you have peace. Now you

need to go and be the embodiment of peace for

a world around you. Yes, and we all should be

feeling bad right now. Happy Easter. I do too.

Because we don't do it well. We don't. Yet God

is showing us ways to do it. God has called you

to be an instrument of peace in your home, your

church, and your community. I kind of want to

say, whether you like it or not. How? How are

we supposed to do this, Pastor Jim? Okay, well,

second, you have the Holy Spirit. Now walk by

the Spirit of peace. Father, Son, Spirit, all

bringing peace, embodying peace in you. Now go

walk it out. Galatians 5. But the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, and there's more. You

get it. Peace is not just a status we receive.

It's a fruit we produce when we walk with Christ.

The Holy Spirit breathed out by Jesus empowers

us to live peaceably even in a world that is

chaotic. Even in a world that will say, I don't

want your brand of peace. Because they want to

do it themselves. So friends, don't just leave

this Easter celebration with peace in your heart

and go, ah, this feels great. Ah, just me and

Jesus. He's taking the wheel because I love that

song. And I'm just going to live it out that

way. No, because he's going to drive you to places

where you need to bring peace. That's the cool

and crazy thing about believing in Jesus. Because

he calls you to be peace yourself. In your workplace,

where tensions run high. In your family, where

forgiveness is needed. In your church, where

unity is the witness to a divided world. So I

bump up the practical application before I close.

Again, as we've done the rhythm of this sermon

series, for the head, for the hands, and the

heart. This Easter, know that Easter peace is

not dependent on your circumstances, but on the

finished work of Christ. His wounds are your

assurance of that peace. For the heart, carry

this peace into your lives, or carry this peace

into the lives of others. Who is locked in fear

around you? Who needs to hear peace be with you

in the name of Jesus? And finally, for the hands,

let the resurrection peace of Christ calm your

fears, quiet your doubts, and stir your worship.

He is your peace. So friends, as we conclude

the What's in the Name series today, and we jump

into a book that I'm going to guess 97 % of us

have never dove into. We're going to go through

the entire book of Zephaniah starting next week.

Get ready. But as we conclude this series, here

Jesus has revealed names to us again. Our bread

of life. Our door of protection and salvation.

The good shepherd. The resurrection in the life.

The way, the truth, and the life. Our advocate,

our king, and now our peace. Don't forget our

joy from Maundy Thursday. Each name is not only

who Jesus is, but what he gives to those who

belong to him. So this morning, church, rejoice.

Jesus is risen. He is your joy and your peace.

And now go. Go in his name. Sent in his name.

Go with his spirit and sent by his spirit. Go

as your peace to give peace. This Easter, Jesus

does the same for us. The risen Lord stands in

our midst, not as a ghost, not as a memory, but

as your literal peace in this life. And oh, what

a gift it is to a world that desperately needs

it. Let's pray.