Can you imagine someone appearing out of thin air in a room in which you had locked the door? Or can you imagine someone walking through the door without opening it? What if that person was someone you knew who had died and yet they started talking with you?
That is exactly what Jesus did to His disciples. They were locked away. They were in hiding from the authorities. They feared they would be the next ones to be hauled away and crucified for no other reason than they had followed Jesus. They were also enemies of the Jewish leaders.
Jesus simply comes in, whether appearing out of thin air or walking through the locked door and stands in their midst. He knew they were looking for Him. He also knew they wouldn’t find Him unless He wanted them to. So, He went to them. He had many things left to do before He ascended. He needed to see many people in a short period of time.
Jesus gave them His peace. A peace that goes beyond understanding. Imagine that peace falling on them. They suddenly know that everything will work out according to God’s plan and that Jesus dying on the cross was part of it along with His resurrection. They would fear no more. They would become bold in proclaiming His message.
We can be bold proclaiming the message of Jesus, too. Because of His resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life. I know, many of us want a comfortable life now. That is not what Jesus promised. He promised He would always be with us. He promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He promised us He would provide for our every need as we carried out His mission, which is to make disciples.
I pray we all trust Jesus is always with us. I pray we seek to accomplish God’s plan for our lives. I pray each one of us boldly proclaim the message of Jesus to make disciples for Him. Trust Jesus is with you. Do God’s work. Accomplish Jesus’ mission. Proclaim the gospel boldly. Make disciples.
John 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Marty Pressey 