The Keys to the Kingdom

The Keys to the Kingdom

Quasimodo Geniti, the Second Sunday of Easter – 4/27/2025

John 20:19-31

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Gospel lesson from the holy Gospel according to St. John in the twentieth chapter with special emphasis on verses nineteen through twenty-three which read as follows:

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.’”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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.

What Are the Keys?

Luther’s Small Catechism puts it this way: “The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.”

Imagine someone gave you the keys to their house while they were away. That’s a big deal; it gives you access to all the good things in the house. You could watch the TV, or not. Use the washing machine, or not. You could open the front door or keep it locked. In the same way, Christ gives His Church the keys to heaven itself through the forgiveness of sins.

These aren’t manmade powers. These are divine gifts from our Lord and they certainly must be used as Christ would have us use them. When Jesus breathed on the disciples and gave this authority, He was bestowing the remedy won by His death for what our sin had destroyed. He was giving a way to enter the very presence of God without condemnation or wrath.

Forgiveness removes our sins and iniquities and slights. It clothes us again in the righteousness of Christ. In other words, Jesus placed into human hands a divine tool: the Gospel of forgiveness. It's as if He said, “You get to speak My peace. You get to open the gates of heaven.”

Why Does This Matter?

This matters because sin removes us from God’s grace and puts us outside of His care. Not that God stops loving us, but our sin drives us away from Him. Like a spoiled, defiant child, it deserves punishment, discipline, even wrath. In other words, it creates locked doors between us and God.

Sin also isolates us from each other by making us believe we’re alone in our guilt. It weighs us down. And when we look for relief, we find that we can’t open the door ourselves. No good deed, no inner light, no amount of trying harder can turn that key.

It’s common today to hear people say we need to "forgive ourselves." But that’s not forgiveness in the proper sense. Real forgiveness requires someone else, someone against whom the wrong has been done, thereby releasing their claim. Forgiveness ultimately comes from outside of us.

Theologically, the issue is not that someone hasn’t forgiven himself, but that he doubts whether God has truly and objectively dealt with their sins, especially that one sin he can’t seem to shake. The antidote is not to rationalize, excuse, or minimize sin. The antidote is to believe God when He says: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”[2] 

In other words, we need the risen Jesus to come into our locked-down sinful hearts, into the midst of our fears, and speak His Word of peace and forgiveness. And He does, especially through the Office of the Keys. Christ comes to us in the Church, through the Word, and through your pastor’s absolution, imperfect though he may be.

When your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, they are really and truly forgiven. You should not take this word of absolution any lighter than if our Lord Jesus Himself were standing before you saying, “Peace be with you.”

How Are the Keys Used?

The Office of the Keys is given to the Christian Church. Congregations call pastors to serve them, and those pastors are given the responsibility of using these keys: binding and loosing sin for Christ’s people, as public ministers of the Gospel.

But forgiveness is not restricted to pastors. All Christians can and should forgive those who sin against them. Parents can and should forgive their children. Spouses can and should forgive each other. Friends and neighbors can release each other from guilt. In fact, each of us is given a great opportunity to forgive those who have wronged us, particularly those under our care. That’s what makes the Office of the Keys both a comforting and a sobering thing.

The comforting side is this: forgiveness is real and available and tangibly given in the means our Lord has established. No matter how great the sin, the door is open to all who repent and seek Christ in faith. That’s why we confess our sins publicly in every Divine Service. It’s why your pastor is always ready to hear private confession and, more importantly, give forgiveness. This is why we should treasure these words: “I forgive you all your sins.” That’s the Office of the Keys in action, the very forgiveness of Christ being spoken to you.

The sobering side is this: the door can remain shut. Not because God doesn’t want to forgive, but because forgiveness comes after repentance. If someone clings to their sin, refuses to acknowledge it, or rejects the grace of God, the Church must say, “Your sins are not forgiven.”

Not out of cruelty, but out of love. The goal is always to wake the sinner, to call him back to the forgiveness of sins. This may involve barring someone from Communion and the means of grace until he repents and returns in faith. Christ entrusts this authority to the Church for the sake of salvation, not to lord it over others, not to play favorites, but to speak His peace faithfully and truly.

Conclusion: Keys That Open Heaven

On Easter evening, the disciples were behind locked doors. But Jesus came and unlocked something far greater than their hiding place. He unlocked their trust and faith in Him. He forgave their doubt and dispelled fear. And He handed them the keys to His Kingdom.

Those keys are still at work, here, in this place, through the reading and preaching of the Scriptures, through Baptism, through the Lord’s Supper, and through Holy Absolution. The Church is not a museum for saints, but a hospital for sinners. Even more, it is the place where our Lord revives the dead. And here, Christ opens heaven with words that carry the weight of eternity: “I forgive you all your sins.”

In the Holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

 The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] John 20:19-23 English Standard Version. All subsequent citations from the Bible are from the ESV.

[2] Romans 8:1