My Godchild, Bennett, is five years old. His mom, my friend, Susie, shared this story with me about his anticipation of Easter. Two Saturday nights ago, she was tucking Bennett into bed and he was a little antsy as I imagine most kids are the night before this big day. Finally, he busted out with, "Mommy, I'm so excited!" Susie answered, "Why are you so excited, Bennett?" No doubt, she was anticipating his answer that tomorrow the Easter Bunny would be coming and he would get to eat lots of candy. But, Bennett surprised her. "Mom, Jesus is coming back tomorrow to be with his friends! He's probably packing right now!"
     Susie and I laughed together - marveling at the images and understanding that kids bring to this awesome event of Jesus' resurrection. The image of Jesus packing for his trip from death back to life is a new one for me. Nowhere in the Gospel accounts do we hear of him appearing to Mary Magdalene or his disciples with a bag slung over his shoulder or wheeling a suitcase behind him. Yet, the more I think of what Bennett said, the more I think that he was right on. In a sense, Jesus had packed for his resurrection appearances. I'm not talking about an extra robe, a pair of sandals, a toothbrush and toothpaste. I'm talking about a message. Jesus packed a message. He packed important words and instructions that he wanted to share with his disciples. And he unpacks this message, at least in part, in the Gospel reading for today.
     First, he unpacks a message of peace. "Peace be with you!" he says three times as he comes to the disciples on two different nights. It's more than just a greeting. It's more than Jesus wishing that each of them would feel a deep, inner tranquility. Jesus is imparting a fruit of the spirit here. He's unpacking a kind of peace that the world can't give, but God can. As his disciples are holed up behind locked doors in fear of the Jewish leaders, he comes to them and says, "Peace is yours." As his disciples look upon the crucifixion scars on his side and hands, he says, "Peace is yours." As Thomas refuses to believe until he sees Jesus with his own eyes, while the other disciples - his friends - claim with conviction, "We have seen the Lord!" Jesus comes to them and says, "Peace is yours." Jesus' very presence is one of peace, despite all the other emotion going on in this story. His message of peace is a gift he unpacks for his disciples. But, it's only the beginning of his message.
     Jesus also unpacks a message of sending. "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you," he says. What good is the resurrection if it is kept a secret? Where is the power in Jesus conquering death if no one knows about it? God sent Jesus to do specific and saving work in his earthly ministry. Jesus carried out his job to perfection on the cross. His work on earth is done. And now it is the disciples' time. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus sends them out. To tell others that they have seen the Lord. To share their faith. To call others to claim their own faith in Jesus as their Risen Lord.
     Finally, Jesus unpacks a third message. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained," he says. These are powerful words. We act on them in different ways. Sometimes, we hear them and think Jesus is sending us out with a message of judgement - as deciders of right and wrong. We forget that God is the ultimate judge. We forget that God already looked out on the world, judged that humanity was mired in sin and could never save itself, and decided to send his Son to take on the sins of the world. Jesus is not sending us out to be the judge of right and wrong. God has already done that. And Jesus, by his death, has declared each and every one of us righteous before God. Sinners of His own redeeming. Inheritors of eternal life. This is the message with which we are sent out. It's a message of forgiveness - not through our own power, but through the power of what Jesus has done - through the power of the Risen Christ.
     As Jesus unpacked his message for his disciples who walked with him in his earthly ministry and were eye witnesses to his resurrection, they were able to pack for their own continuing journeys of faith. The Biblical accounts in Acts and other letters tell us how they took Jesus' message to heart and went out to share the Easter message and tell their own stories of faith. The fact that we are sitting here today and have heard Jesus' resurrection message also tells us that they did what Jesus asked of them. But will we? As disciples of Jesus in the 21st Century, his message is the same to us. The peace Jesus unpacked is still ours for the taking - despite our own reasons for fear today - despite our own reasons for unrest. We, too, are asked to go out and share our stories of faith - how we have received new life in Jesus Christ - how we understand that his resurrection affects us today. And we are asked to proclaim forgiveness. Forgiveness in Jesus' name. Forgiveness because of what Jesus did for us all. So, pack your bags, you messengers of the Risen Lord. You have a story to tell. You have a message of love and forgiveness to impart. Amen.

Kid's Sermon
Have a paperclip closed in my hand, so the kids can't see it. Tell them there's a paperclip in my hand and ask the kids whether they believe me or not? Why or why not? How can you believe me if you haven't seen it? Tell the story about Thomas. Jesus asks us to believe in him even though we can't see him.