Holy Absolution Easter Applied John 20 19 to 31
April 12, 2026
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Quasimodo Geneti, The Second Sunday of Easter 12-April-2026 Sermon Text: John 20:19-31 Sermon Theme: “Holy Absolution - Easter Applied!” I. Peace Won FOR YOU (vs.19-20) II. Peace Sent Forth For All! (Vs.21-23) III. Peace Received Only By Faith! (Vs.24-31) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Quasimodo Geneti, The Second Sunday of Easter 12-April-2026
Sermon Text: John 20:19-31
Sermon Theme: “Holy Absolution - Easter Applied!” I. Peace Won FOR YOU (vs.19-20) II. Peace Sent Forth For All! (Vs.21-23) III. Peace Received Only By Faith! (Vs.24-31) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Today you are made new again! 1Pe 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— Mat 18:3 .., "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
A newborn infant hungry cries can only be satisfied by nourishment from his mother’s breast. A Christian hungers and thirsts for righteousness. He is fed by his Mother, the Holy Christian Church, with the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. Through the Word of Christ the Holy Spirit daily calls, daily gathers, daily enlightens, and daily keeps the Christian in the one True Faith in Christ within a local congregation.
Did you hear God’s Word echoing from space last Sunday? On the way to the moon the astronauts were asked by CBS to reflect on Easter, Victor Glover, the pilot of the Integrity Spaceship, was ready to speak of the hope our risen Lord Jesus gives mankind. He said, "As we are so far from Earth and looking at the beauty of creation, I think, for me, one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see the Earth as one thing,""When I read the Bible and I look at all the amazing things that were done for us... You guys are talking to us because we're in a spaceship really far from earth, but you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe and the cosmos.""Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we're doing is special, but we're the same distance from you. And I'm trying to tell you — just trust me — you are special," he said. "In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together."
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. True honest scientific study leads back to acknowledge that all life is created by the Intelligent Designer and are not an accident of time and space. Reaching the farthest any human beings have ever traveled in space away from our planet on the dark side of the moon. Glover said,“As we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth—and that’s love.” According to Scripture, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and that the second is like it: “love your neighbor as yourself.” “Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are,” Glover stated. “And He also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it, and that is to love your neighbor as yourself.”
God the Holy Spirit teaches you, 1Pe 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience,...” During the fifty days of Easter we joyfully confess Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Why do we fall silent when we leave the doors of our Church? Is it because the devil, the world, and our sinful nature attack our conscience? They whisper, how can you be joyful - you’re a sinner. How can you tell others that Jesus lives - you’re life is a mess. The rob you of the blessing of Good Friday and Easter - a good conscience. Stop listening to their lies and rejoice: “Holy Absolution - Easter Applied!” I. Peace Won FOR YOU (vs.19-20) II. Peace Sent Forth For All! (Vs.21-23) III. Peace Received Only By Faith! (Vs.24-31)
I. We are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses that Jesus of Nazareth physically rose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday morning. The Roman guards reported it to the Jewish authorities. They were bribed to spread the lie that the apostles stole the body while they slept. Read about it in Matthew 28. If you were a Roman solider you only fell asleep on guard duty once - after that you were executed. After the angels preach Jesus’ resurrection the Lord appears to them saying, “Rejoice.” Mary Magdalene hears and sees our risen Lord grasping His feet. Read about it in John 20. Luke 24 records the Stranger on the road to Emmaus talking with two despairing disciples. Opening up the Scriptures to show that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, die, and be raised on the third day. It wasn’t until He took and blessed the bread a their table - that their eyes were opened to see it was Jesus. They run back to tell the others in Jerusalem.
Our text begins on Easter Sunday evening, (vs.19a) The disciples hid locked behind closed doors. Perhaps in the home of the parents of John Mark where they had celebrated the final Passover days before in the large upper room. The disciples were hearing reports, but they didn’t know what to make of them. People just don’t rise from the dead.
Suddenly Jesus appears. Locked doors do not prevent His resurrected body from suddenly appearing. Just as the stone tomb could not contain His resurrected body - the tomb wasn’t opened by the mighty holy angel warrior to let Jesus walk out - but to show the world He had already risen and left our sin and death behind. The disciples fear the Jews, for they fear death. They had put their Master to death, they had to be next. Maybe they feared the reports of a risen Jesus - Peter had denied Him, all abandoned Him - would He come in fury?(vs.19b -20)
“Peace be with you.” speaks our risen Lord Jesus. Don’t fear, you may have abandoned Me - I have not abandoned you! I have paid your debt in full - your sins are covered in My blood! I draw near to calm your conscience with My living peace!” Is it real peace? Look to His hands and His side. The disciples seeing and handling His living flesh with the marks of our redemption are filled with gladness.
Learn well despairing Christian - the source of peace with God is never your doing. It is the Father’s gift in His only begotten Son’s sacrifice for you on the cross. His wounds are your peace. The Lord has laid on Him all your iniquity. He carried it alone. He suffered for it alone. He paid for it alone - once for all. Now His living wounds heal you!
Your fallen fleshly thinking tempts you to take your eyes off of Jesus’ living wounds FOR YOU. The devil whispers, ‘You have to do something good to win God’s favor for your sin.” The world trumpets, “God only helps those who help themselves - Jesus doesn’t want you until you get your act together.” Don’t believe it. Jesus walks through the locked doors of your sinful heart - “Peace be with you.” He speaks to you in His Church through His Word. Look only to His wounds FOR YOU!
II. Did you hear of the rescue last Sunday? A downed wounded weapons officer from a US F-14 was rescued after evading enemy capture in Iran since Good Friday. It was a massive operation and expenditure of equipment to save one man. A greater rescue is here FOR YOU. When there was only one man - fallen Adam - God spared no expense- from eternity He planned his rescue through His Son humbling Himself to become our Brother. Our Brother to become our Substitute - to reconcile us to God our Father by the Holy Spirit and reunite us into God’s family - in which He created us to live.
Did you hear of your rescue this morning? (Vs21) As the Father sent Jesus, now our risen and ascended Lord sends forth men to preach His Gospel to all creation. Jesus’ three year public ministry was to preach the Father’s Word and was limited to a small geographic area. Now He sends forth His apostles, evangelists, and teaching pastors to the ends of the world. The pastoral office is ordained by Jesus and given to His Church. Pastors don’t stay in a congregation forever. Over the 75 years of our congregation’s history we’ve had a long list of pastors serving us. They were all sent by Jesus - to speak His Word. To His called, ordained, and sent servants of His Word - Jesus says, Luk 10:16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." A pastor is sent only to speak Christ’s Word and doctrine. Doctrine summarized in The Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creed.
Jesus equips men to serve as pastors within His Church. (Vs.22) He breathes out God the Holy Spirit through His Word. They are not free agents, but have their conscience bound to God’s Word. (Vs.23) Why does Jesus send these men? To free our conscience from our sins. To proclaim absolution. Forgive us our sins! Peace is sent forth in Jesus’ Word - He has given power on earth to men to forgive sins.
Lutherans in Article XI of the Augsburg Confession state: [1] Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. [2] For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12).
Source: https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_xi/
Private absolution is the living justification - [1] Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. [2] People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. [3] God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5]).Source: https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_iv/
This morning a great rescue took place! A congregation of sinners was declared by our living Jesus - “forgiven!” Sin, Satan, death, and hell lost all claim upon you. Do you believe it? Speak it. Jesus sends it forth through the Pastoral office, but all Christians are to speak the Gospel - every Christians has the power to free the burdened conscience of a repentant sinner by speaking the absolution to them - comforting them with cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness and freedom from sin.
III. What does it matter if I neglect gathering with my congregation every Sunday? (Vs24-25) You miss Jesus. He won your salvation on Calvary, but He is not there. He is here - just as He promised - as two or three gather around His Word and Sacraments.
Thomas was ready to die with Jesus as He went to raise Lazarus, but now he will not believe. Beware of hardening your heart by neglecting coming to Christ Jesus in Church every Sunday. Thomas wanted the same evidence the others had received, but the more they spoke of Jesus alive - the more his heart grew cold. Beware of unbelief. It lurks at the door.
The next Sunday breaks. The 8th day of creation -Jesus’ resurrection ushers His Church into the new creation. Here every Sunday earth and Heaven are reunited in His living body and blood. (Vs.26-27) Jesus is present in His Church - still today. He appears to call Thomas back into the Faith. “Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.’ He says the say to your trouble conscience every Sunday. “Believe - your price is paid - receive full and free forgiveness of all your sins.” Forgiveness is never earned by getting your life straight - it is received from our living Jesus’ wounds through His Word spoken in His Church.
Faith confesses Jesus. (Vs28) Jesus is “My Lord and my God!” Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. (Vs.29) You are blessed! The Holy Spirit has given you the victory over this world - our faith! He comes by water, blood, and Word.
Son of man, can these dead bones live? Lord, You know - (vs.30-31). Ezekiel saw the nation of Judah dead, defeated - where was their hope. In Jesus’ Word. Where is your hope? In Jesus’ Word. It is written for you! It is the means by which God the Holy Spirit brings and keeps you clinging to Jesus - the Christ - the Son of God. By faith alone you have life in His Name.
Hear Him! Today Jesus says to crushed sinners, to you - “Peace! I forgive you all your sins!” “Peace, I have baptized you into My death and resurrection victory!” “Peace, I feed you My living flesh and blood - you are forgiven, filled with My perfect life, you are saved in My wounds.”Peace! Like a newborn baby desire the sincere milk of God’s Word. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Amen.
Sermon Text: John 20:19-31
Sermon Theme: “Holy Absolution - Easter Applied!” I. Peace Won FOR YOU (vs.19-20) II. Peace Sent Forth For All! (Vs.21-23) III. Peace Received Only By Faith! (Vs.24-31) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Today you are made new again! 1Pe 2:2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— Mat 18:3 .., "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
A newborn infant hungry cries can only be satisfied by nourishment from his mother’s breast. A Christian hungers and thirsts for righteousness. He is fed by his Mother, the Holy Christian Church, with the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. Through the Word of Christ the Holy Spirit daily calls, daily gathers, daily enlightens, and daily keeps the Christian in the one True Faith in Christ within a local congregation.
Did you hear God’s Word echoing from space last Sunday? On the way to the moon the astronauts were asked by CBS to reflect on Easter, Victor Glover, the pilot of the Integrity Spaceship, was ready to speak of the hope our risen Lord Jesus gives mankind. He said, "As we are so far from Earth and looking at the beauty of creation, I think, for me, one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see the Earth as one thing,""When I read the Bible and I look at all the amazing things that were done for us... You guys are talking to us because we're in a spaceship really far from earth, but you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe and the cosmos.""Maybe the distance we are from you makes you think what we're doing is special, but we're the same distance from you. And I'm trying to tell you — just trust me — you are special," he said. "In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together."
Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. True honest scientific study leads back to acknowledge that all life is created by the Intelligent Designer and are not an accident of time and space. Reaching the farthest any human beings have ever traveled in space away from our planet on the dark side of the moon. Glover said,“As we continue to unlock the mysteries of the cosmos, I would like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth—and that’s love.” According to Scripture, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and that the second is like it: “love your neighbor as yourself.” “Christ said, in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are,” Glover stated. “And He also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it, and that is to love your neighbor as yourself.”
God the Holy Spirit teaches you, 1Pe 3:15-16 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience,...” During the fifty days of Easter we joyfully confess Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Why do we fall silent when we leave the doors of our Church? Is it because the devil, the world, and our sinful nature attack our conscience? They whisper, how can you be joyful - you’re a sinner. How can you tell others that Jesus lives - you’re life is a mess. The rob you of the blessing of Good Friday and Easter - a good conscience. Stop listening to their lies and rejoice: “Holy Absolution - Easter Applied!” I. Peace Won FOR YOU (vs.19-20) II. Peace Sent Forth For All! (Vs.21-23) III. Peace Received Only By Faith! (Vs.24-31)
I. We are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses that Jesus of Nazareth physically rose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday morning. The Roman guards reported it to the Jewish authorities. They were bribed to spread the lie that the apostles stole the body while they slept. Read about it in Matthew 28. If you were a Roman solider you only fell asleep on guard duty once - after that you were executed. After the angels preach Jesus’ resurrection the Lord appears to them saying, “Rejoice.” Mary Magdalene hears and sees our risen Lord grasping His feet. Read about it in John 20. Luke 24 records the Stranger on the road to Emmaus talking with two despairing disciples. Opening up the Scriptures to show that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, die, and be raised on the third day. It wasn’t until He took and blessed the bread a their table - that their eyes were opened to see it was Jesus. They run back to tell the others in Jerusalem.
Our text begins on Easter Sunday evening, (vs.19a) The disciples hid locked behind closed doors. Perhaps in the home of the parents of John Mark where they had celebrated the final Passover days before in the large upper room. The disciples were hearing reports, but they didn’t know what to make of them. People just don’t rise from the dead.
Suddenly Jesus appears. Locked doors do not prevent His resurrected body from suddenly appearing. Just as the stone tomb could not contain His resurrected body - the tomb wasn’t opened by the mighty holy angel warrior to let Jesus walk out - but to show the world He had already risen and left our sin and death behind. The disciples fear the Jews, for they fear death. They had put their Master to death, they had to be next. Maybe they feared the reports of a risen Jesus - Peter had denied Him, all abandoned Him - would He come in fury?(vs.19b -20)
“Peace be with you.” speaks our risen Lord Jesus. Don’t fear, you may have abandoned Me - I have not abandoned you! I have paid your debt in full - your sins are covered in My blood! I draw near to calm your conscience with My living peace!” Is it real peace? Look to His hands and His side. The disciples seeing and handling His living flesh with the marks of our redemption are filled with gladness.
Learn well despairing Christian - the source of peace with God is never your doing. It is the Father’s gift in His only begotten Son’s sacrifice for you on the cross. His wounds are your peace. The Lord has laid on Him all your iniquity. He carried it alone. He suffered for it alone. He paid for it alone - once for all. Now His living wounds heal you!
Your fallen fleshly thinking tempts you to take your eyes off of Jesus’ living wounds FOR YOU. The devil whispers, ‘You have to do something good to win God’s favor for your sin.” The world trumpets, “God only helps those who help themselves - Jesus doesn’t want you until you get your act together.” Don’t believe it. Jesus walks through the locked doors of your sinful heart - “Peace be with you.” He speaks to you in His Church through His Word. Look only to His wounds FOR YOU!
II. Did you hear of the rescue last Sunday? A downed wounded weapons officer from a US F-14 was rescued after evading enemy capture in Iran since Good Friday. It was a massive operation and expenditure of equipment to save one man. A greater rescue is here FOR YOU. When there was only one man - fallen Adam - God spared no expense- from eternity He planned his rescue through His Son humbling Himself to become our Brother. Our Brother to become our Substitute - to reconcile us to God our Father by the Holy Spirit and reunite us into God’s family - in which He created us to live.
Did you hear of your rescue this morning? (Vs21) As the Father sent Jesus, now our risen and ascended Lord sends forth men to preach His Gospel to all creation. Jesus’ three year public ministry was to preach the Father’s Word and was limited to a small geographic area. Now He sends forth His apostles, evangelists, and teaching pastors to the ends of the world. The pastoral office is ordained by Jesus and given to His Church. Pastors don’t stay in a congregation forever. Over the 75 years of our congregation’s history we’ve had a long list of pastors serving us. They were all sent by Jesus - to speak His Word. To His called, ordained, and sent servants of His Word - Jesus says, Luk 10:16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." A pastor is sent only to speak Christ’s Word and doctrine. Doctrine summarized in The Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creed.
Jesus equips men to serve as pastors within His Church. (Vs.22) He breathes out God the Holy Spirit through His Word. They are not free agents, but have their conscience bound to God’s Word. (Vs.23) Why does Jesus send these men? To free our conscience from our sins. To proclaim absolution. Forgive us our sins! Peace is sent forth in Jesus’ Word - He has given power on earth to men to forgive sins.
Lutherans in Article XI of the Augsburg Confession state: [1] Our churches teach that private Absolution should be retained in the churches, although listing all sins is not necessary for Confession. [2] For, according to the Psalm, it is impossible. “Who can discern his errors?” (Psalm 19:12).
Source: https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_xi/
Private absolution is the living justification - [1] Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. [2] People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. [3] God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight (Romans 3 and 4 [3:21–26; 4:5]).Source: https://bookofconcord.cph.org/en/augsburg-confession/chief_articles/article_iv/
This morning a great rescue took place! A congregation of sinners was declared by our living Jesus - “forgiven!” Sin, Satan, death, and hell lost all claim upon you. Do you believe it? Speak it. Jesus sends it forth through the Pastoral office, but all Christians are to speak the Gospel - every Christians has the power to free the burdened conscience of a repentant sinner by speaking the absolution to them - comforting them with cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness and freedom from sin.
III. What does it matter if I neglect gathering with my congregation every Sunday? (Vs24-25) You miss Jesus. He won your salvation on Calvary, but He is not there. He is here - just as He promised - as two or three gather around His Word and Sacraments.
Thomas was ready to die with Jesus as He went to raise Lazarus, but now he will not believe. Beware of hardening your heart by neglecting coming to Christ Jesus in Church every Sunday. Thomas wanted the same evidence the others had received, but the more they spoke of Jesus alive - the more his heart grew cold. Beware of unbelief. It lurks at the door.
The next Sunday breaks. The 8th day of creation -Jesus’ resurrection ushers His Church into the new creation. Here every Sunday earth and Heaven are reunited in His living body and blood. (Vs.26-27) Jesus is present in His Church - still today. He appears to call Thomas back into the Faith. “Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.’ He says the say to your trouble conscience every Sunday. “Believe - your price is paid - receive full and free forgiveness of all your sins.” Forgiveness is never earned by getting your life straight - it is received from our living Jesus’ wounds through His Word spoken in His Church.
Faith confesses Jesus. (Vs28) Jesus is “My Lord and my God!” Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. (Vs.29) You are blessed! The Holy Spirit has given you the victory over this world - our faith! He comes by water, blood, and Word.
Son of man, can these dead bones live? Lord, You know - (vs.30-31). Ezekiel saw the nation of Judah dead, defeated - where was their hope. In Jesus’ Word. Where is your hope? In Jesus’ Word. It is written for you! It is the means by which God the Holy Spirit brings and keeps you clinging to Jesus - the Christ - the Son of God. By faith alone you have life in His Name.
Hear Him! Today Jesus says to crushed sinners, to you - “Peace! I forgive you all your sins!” “Peace, I have baptized you into My death and resurrection victory!” “Peace, I feed you My living flesh and blood - you are forgiven, filled with My perfect life, you are saved in My wounds.”Peace! Like a newborn baby desire the sincere milk of God’s Word. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Amen.
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