On that first Easter evening, the disciples were hiding behind locked doors. The tomb was, and is, empty. The women were saying, “He is risen!” And yet fear had the upper hand. They were afraid of the Jews, afraid of what the future held, afraid that they might be the next to be strung up on a cross. They doubted the Resurrection and the promise of the Lord. And so they were afraid.
And Jesus came and stood among them. The grave could not hold Him; locked doors certainly couldn’t keep Him out. “Peace be with you,” He said. Not a scolding. Not a lecture. Peace from Himself, who is the antidote to their fear.
And then He did something that might seem surprising: He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” This is what we call the Office of the Keys.
Find out more in this sermon from St. John's Lutheran Church of Oakes, ND!
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