John 20:19-31 - 10am Cafe Style Communion by extension

The disciples were meeting together on the first day of the week. That's today – Sunday. It was late in the evening, so they had finished their day's work, or not yet started their night's work. They were scared - scared of the Jewish Authorities – the temple guard. They were expecting someone to come and arrest them. More than that they were worried about the strange things that had happened. The missing body that Mary had reported, and the very much alive Jesus that she had told them about a little later. What was happening? Imagine it. There you are having followed this prophet for three years – having given up you livelihood to do so, in some cases. Then your leader, or teacher (rabbi) is been arrested by the temple guard and handed over to the Romans to be crucified. That is a difficult enough situation, but now there are reports that he has come back from the dead. What to do.
Have you watched the BBC series “The passion”. The discussion at this meeting was very enlightening. Some simply didn't believe that Jesus was alive. They wanted to go home, and restart their lives. They were afraid of arrest either there in the room, or on the way, and were planning how they could best get home. Some of them were starting to believe, but were not sure, the suddenly, among them – not walking through a door like some 19th Century ghost – just there in the room was someone who talked in the same way that Jesus did, about the same things. There was something extraordinarily familiar about him. As the discussion goes on some of them start to see that its Jesus.
Thomas, who's not there, famously will not believe until he sees evidence, but none of them are really that certain.
Jesus has come to see them, but being Jesus, He is not there for a coffee and chat, or simple to provide re-assurance. He has a very specific reason for appearing to them all at the same time. His first words tell us what that purpose is.
“Peace be with you! l As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
What Jesus, what are you saying? You want us to take over your ministry?
Music interlude 1
They must have had 100's of questions, not least worries about getting arrested, and sent for crucifixion.
This is what Jesus had been preparing them for. All their experiences over the last three years were leading to this.
Can you think of some of your favourite stories about Jesus and his disciples, and what the disciples might have learnt through them?
Training and testing
Favourite Stories of Jesus and the disciples
Include Feeding 5000, Matthew 14:13-21
Learning to rely on God rather than yourselves, your abilities and your assets
Raising Lazarus, John 11:1-16
A demonstration of God's power, and a taste of things to come
Driving out demons, the ones the disciples can't do. Luke 9:37-45
Practical experience, proving that some things are harder than others – a test failed?
The response of the 72. Luke 10:1-20
The joy of a successful mission “Even the demons obey us”
The betrayal, arrest and crucifixion. Luke 22:1-23:49
The hardest lesson of all – The things of God are more important that life itself.
All these things were training for the disciples. Jesus has used many different techniques to help them learn, he has shown them what he does, told them stories, sent them out to practice, and tested their learning.
It is fashionable today to talk about whole life learning, and it is true that we are always learning, and that many of us are undergoing some form of training, a lot of the time. Those of us who are still at school, or university are in full time training. As part of any training there will be tests of your success in learning whatever it is you have learnt. Sometimes the tests will be formal exams, at other times they will take the place of observed practice.
What tests do we face in our lives, at school, at work, or in the church?
SATS
Exams
Driving test
Professional Qualifications
Other training courses – Management training

Many years ago people from this church started going out to visit couples who wanted to have their children christened. The material was called “Good News down the street” and took the form of six evenings spent with the couple discussing the Christian faith. Perhaps there are some people here now who joined the church as a result of one of these courses. I was on several teams in the early days, and I know that some of you have done many more that I will ever manage. The idea of these teams was that as the teams became more experienced their members would become team leaders, and others would join the teams. Eventually after some experience those new people would also become team leaders, and take on the role of making contact with the couple, agreeing the dates, and who on the team would lead a particular session. We can see that Jesus had been doing similar things with his disciples for the last three years. Some of the stories have tests – as in the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus asked the disciples to feed the crowd. He wanted to see how much they'd learnt – who would they rely on in a crisis – themselves and their worldly abilities, or their heavenly father. When he sent out the seventy two, they had no choice but to rely on their heavenly father, you can't drive out demons with money!
Up to last summer I was in part time training to become a reader. Reader training is all about continuous assessment. Each task results in a piece of written work, or a presentation, or a sermon. There is a mixture of the academic and the practical. To pass the course, I have to be able to demonstrate that I meet a certain standard. So if you don't think my sermon today is up to standard, I suggest that you speak to the Bishop about how the training works, and who they let pass their courses.
At some point the training must come to an end, and the real work must begin. For me that happened last October, when I was licensed as a Reader. There was a special service in Chelmsford Cathedral, and I was presented with a certificate and a bible, and a blue scarf, as a recognition of what I had achieved, and so that others could recognise what I have become.
Now, when I prepare a sermon there is no more worrying about making sure I stick to the script I write for a sermon. If I deviate, all I have to worry about is getting back on track. Now in many ways I was fortunate, because I didn't have to go solo, after having lots of support and review, both Paul, and Warner are very supportive, but have let me do whatever I have come up with. For some of those on my training, though, once the course had finished they had their first experience of preparing a sermon on their own, and delivering it unaided, without any sort of review occurring.
Not all pieces of learning are completed with a special ceremony, mostly though you will get some form of recognition, a certificate, or a licence that allows you to do something, like drive a car, or fly a plane.
Do you remember your first time out in a car – without any passengers? Were you the sort of person who was looking forward to that experience, or were you the sort of person who was dreading it.
His can apply to anything that you do after training.
Ask the question again – get a story or two.
Commissioning
Few of us though will be asked to complete 3 years training, and then be sent on the same mission that resulted in our leader and teacher being arrested and killed. That is what the disciples are being asked to do, although not in those words. It is not lost on them, though I'm sure. In the BBC mini-series “The Passion” Jesus repeatedly says to his disciples “Spread my message”. That is what He is doing here. “As the father sends me so I send you”. They have had the training, they have watched the role model, they tried it in practice, they've had the feedback, and now – its time to get on with the work. Jesus has commissioned them to do the same work that he was sent by his Father to do.
Music 2
So here we have the disciples finishing their course, and being commissioned to go and do the real work. The work they had been training for for the last 3 years. They have no idea at the moment how they are going to spread Jesus' message. They are too scared even to think about it, but seeing Jesus is changing them. His next action is the greatest confirmation of their mission that they could possibly have received.
He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”. This is more than a certificate, or a license, or even a Blue Scarf, this is recognition and acceptance by God. The apostle Paul says in 2Corinthians 1:21-22 “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” We know that the Holy Spirit does not arrive until Acts Chapter 2, some 50 days from the events of today, but we see here Jesus preparing his disciples for this momentous event. They are ready for the mission, at least all but one of them is ready.
Peter's re-instatement is in the next Chapter.
In the Church of England the Confirmation Service is the special service that the church uses to recognise that people are ready to do the work of the church. The bishop will say of each candidates “Confirm, O Lord, your servant with your Holy Spirit. “. That is just us doing our best to understand what God is doing in his relationship with that person. Each of us must always answer the question for ourselves. Have we received the Holy Spirit? Are we ready to do the work of spreading Jesus' message? Or perhaps are you ready to continue to do the work of spreading Jesus' message?
OIL
In the early church people were anointed with oil as a symbol recognising their commitment and readiness to join with the disciples in the work they had to do.
Announce the oil, and give the option.