No Quarter – The First Sunday after Easter

Alleluia, today is Easter! Welcome back as the Church experiences not a gap of seven days from Easter morn, but instead we return to Easter Day. Let the ill who missed Easter Sunday not fret, and let the traveler who missed their home parish now celebrate – Christ is Risen! Why do I say that we return to Easter Day? Because the Gospel lesson picks up where we left off on Easter morning, opening with, “Then the same day at evening,” – in other words, it is still Easter Day for us! (Gospel lesson, John 20:19, KJV).

But where do we find the disciples after Peter and John have heard the proclamation and the women’s testimony that Jesus has risen? We find them with “the doors were shut … for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19, KJV). Cowering behind locked doors and hiding, they still live in fear instead of joy. There is no alleluia to be heard among the disciples, for they are acutely aware that just over forty-eight hours ago, there was a mob inflamed by the religious elites calling for Jesus’s crucifixion. Let us not forget, for the hiding disciples certainly have not, that this mob refused to be satisfied even by Pilate noting that Jesus did nothing to deserve death. The mob would not be satisfied with freeing Jesus and crucifying an actual rebel, Barrabus. Therefore, we find the disciples having heard the good news that Jesus is risen, but it has changed nothing for them in terms of the fear they face. For them, death could be imminent. After all, it’s why Peter thrice denied our Lord during His trial. It’s why all of them deserted Christ, including John, who fled so quickly that he lost his clothing.

How many of us in the pews have heard Christ is risen, but have allowed our fear of men, our fear of the world, fear of our circumstances, fear of our employer, and fear of our past failings to outweigh the victory of Jesus within our own lives?

Lives again our glorious King; Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save: Alleluia!

Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Remember, Christ went to war for us and not against us. He bypassed us rebels to righteousness and instead freed us from the traitorous sin in our hearts, deplorable death in our bodies, and arrogant enemy of our souls, Satan himself. When Jesus went to war, He crossed over the river Jordan and the river of death for us. He did not merely wound our enemies, He destroyed them. Christ even goes down into Sheol and conquers it. What was once the devil’s dark domain is now illuminated by Christ’s presence.

Quite frankly, Jesus Christ showed no quarter on Easter Day. He took up His own life again and boldly walked out of the tomb into the garden, after having expelled the serpent whom He trampled afoot and exiled. Jesus shows no quarter to sin, death, and the devil – neither should we.

During Eastertide, we should be bold and loud, and every Sunday, we should sing victory songs because we join in the new Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land. Christ is on the move and is driving out sin, death, and Satan from our hearts. Let us not forget that every Sunday is a renewed Easter; therefore, sing with St. Paul:

O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 15:55-57, KJV).

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won; Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids Him rise; Alleluia!

Christ has opened Paradise. Alleluia!

Hide no longer behind locked doors of your own making. Boldly come before the throne of grace because our King pardoned us rebels and made us holy sons to sit at His table! What amazing grace and what unspeakable love for His former enemies – you and I. Likewise, we see this grace made abundantly clear when the disciples are shocked and afraid to see their once-dead Lord come suddenly into the locked upper room and stand in their midst. Jesus spares not a moment and speaks first – not words of judgment nor condemnation for the faithless disciples, but instead He says, “Peace be unto you.” (John 20:19, KJV).

Peace.

The warrior King of kings, who has shown no quarter to sin, death, and Satan, comes back to the disciples whose sins He bled for, and despite their desertion of Him, He comes not with the sword, but with Peace. Shalom.

They could hardly believe their eyes, and though many in the Church cast shame on Thomas for his doubts, we hear in John 19:20, prior to revealing Himself to Thomas, “he shewed unto them his hands and his side.” In other words, the other disciples, like Thomas later, needed to see Jesus’ wounds. The Conqueror bore witness to His victory through the holes in His blessed body that it was He who bore their transgressions, bruised for their iniquities, “and with his stripes we are healed,” who stood before them offering Peace. (Isaiah 53:5 KJV). Yes, the one whose “chastisement of our peace was upon Him” is the very same One who stood before His disciples telling them, “Peace, be with you.”

On this Easter morning, and every Sunday morning, I want you to realize the same Jesus who took down your enemies for you and bled so that you may live, is the same Living God and Loving God who greets you with “Peace” in the closed and locked rooms of your own making. No matter what rooms or barriers you are putting between you and Christ, He will suddenly appear behind the door you think is locked in your heart. What barriers or locks are you putting on the door to your heart? Is it a sin that ensnares you? Is it the way of the world luring you with false treasure? Or perhaps it’s the lies that you are unworthy that Stan weaves in your ears?

Sin will not give you peace. Christ will.

The world will not conquer your enemies. Christ has.

Satan will not be satisfied until you remain his prisoner. Christ takes no prisoners.

Christ frees prisoners to become sons of Glory like Him. Therefore, let us take no prisoners and begin our Eastertide with no quarter. Christ has mercy on us sinners, but He has no mercy against the enemies of our souls. Therefore, let us give no quarter to the deceits, deceptions, and devilish desires of the world. No quarter for our sin; no quarter for our death; no quarter for the demons to gain a hold over us, for we are not our own and we have been bought at a price! (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head; Alleluia!

Made like Him, like Him we rise; Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Alleluia!

Look up, dear ones, and behold the Author of Life and Conqueror of hell and death! Behold Him who told John, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18, KJV). Therefore, rejoice, fellow sinners, that the Author of Life has returned, and be glad as the disciples were “when they saw the Lord” on Easter evening. (John 20:20, KJV).

As for today, be bold as the disciples were when Jesus sent them into their ministry, for every man, woman, and yes, child, has a vocation and ministry to the Lord. We are each called to serve Christ where we are. But remember, this is not a burden, but is joyful service we enter into because Christ enrolled us into His service. Jesus enrolled His disciples into their own ministries on Easter evening, by reiterating and saying, “to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (John 20:21 KJV).

We go not on our own, but after Jesus “had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (John 20:22, KJV). The same Jesus who breaks into the inner room of our hearts also anoints our souls with the Holy Ghost. God hath anointed you to have no quarter on sin, death, and Satan, for they have been defeated! Trust in this reality that by faith in Christ, you not only have been healed and saved, but also anointed, sanctified, and set apart for the ministry entrusted to you. You entered into Jesus’s victory, and what does this mean? Why John tells us, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (Epistle lesson, 1 John 5:4, KJV).

Perhaps you wonder what that ministry is because you think of yourself as a plumber, teacher, salesman, homekeeper, etc. You are none of those things, you are Christ’s. You are a Christian. So whatever you do, from washing laundry to selling cars to fixing a broken faucet or teaching kindergarten, you are in the ministry of heralding, proclaiming, speaking, and telling lost souls that Christ has won. We need to live as Easter people, and that requires re-orienting towards Jerusalem’s empty tomb and realizing and living as though absolutely everything in this life must be viewed in the eternal Light of the Gospel.

The world will fight tooth and nail, it will come hell or high water, and it shall come after you for proclaiming this Truth. This is exactly why we must have no quarter with the world, because we have sheep who need to hear the Master’s call. There are men, women, and children in our towns, cities, and communities who need to hear that Christ is king and Satan is dethroned in their lives. The louder the world pushes against our Christian witness, the more we should dwell in the Holy Spirit’s pushing to proclaim Christ’s victory. Let us look to the disciples, turned Apostles, and how, when they faced persecution and possible death before the very same council that condemned Jesus to death, they ignored the High Priest’s warning to stop preaching Jesus’ Name, stating: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29, KJV). Remember, “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” (Epistle lesson, 1 John 5:9, KJV).

Let us do likewise and obey God rather than men by having no quarter and giving no inch to sin governing us, nor Satan dissuading us from telling every soul we encounter “this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:11-12, KJV). Therefore, as one who has overcome the world, let us show no quarter by sharing the testimony of God through His Son, who lived, died, and was raised for the sins of the world. May our obedience to the Holy Spirit’s testimony be our complete identity, so that we share in the spirit the following words of missionary, C.T Studd: “I pray that when I die, all of hell will rejoice that I am no longer in the fight.” (C.T. Stubb, attributed). Let now our voices be heard not only within the walls of the church but especially beyond, “Alleluia, Christ is risen!”

Almighty Father, who hast given thine only Son to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification: Grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may alway serve thee in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect of the Day)

No Quarter – The First Sunday after Easter

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