The Resurrected Jesus Meets His Disciples

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.” - John 20:19-23

Devotion:

In the midst of this pandemic are you struggling with fear? Are you lacking peace? The disciples were terrified in the days following Jesus death.  They had almost been arrested with Jesus and remained under the fear of death.  They were meeting secretly behind locked doors. Jesus passed through these doors with his new resurrected body and meet the disciples in their fear. He greeted them speaking the one thing they needed most in this time, “Peace.” The word was more than just the common greeting of shalom. This had a deeper and fuller meaning.  Jesus wanted the disciples to know that he had overcome death and the turmoil of the world (Romans 5:1, Philippians 4:7).  Where do you need peace that only God can give?

Jesus does not always show up in the way we think that he should. He sometimes allows very painful, difficult things that we do not understand. We don’t have the full eternal perspective that He has in His omniscient.  What He does do in the most difficult struggles of life is show up.  He promises in Psalm 46:1 that He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The reality is that there will be difficult times, but God promises to be our refuge.

Questions:

In what difficult circumstance in your life do you need to acknowledge Jesus is present?  
How can you remind yourself of the truth that Jesus is a very present help in your time of trouble through out the day?  
Focus on the resurrected Jesus and the presence of His Holy Spirit to bring you peace in the midst of your struggle.