There are countless situations in life that have the potential to produce fear in your heart. So many times in life we are like the disciples, locked in a room because we are afraid. He knew they were afraid and he gave them peace. Within this one line of Scripture, you see Jesus’ true heart and his love for the disciples. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders… John 20:19 (emphasis added) How is Jesus speaking to us today in these verses? When we look at three ways Jesus showed up with peace, it becomes clear that 'peace be with you' is not simply a platitude: 1. Now that you understand the background, let’s make this personal. What did he say to him? You guessed it: 'peace be with you.' Jesus (because of his great love and concern) made another appearance just for Thomas. Jesus had to repeat the same scenario a week later because Thomas was not a part of the group when he first appeared. He had to speak rest to their souls and peace of mind to their hearts. The reason Jesus said 'peace be with you' as more than a platitude, was because he had to settle and calm all the emotions that were raging inside of them. Hiding in fear behind a locked door, unsure of what really happened to Jesus’ body, Jesus appears and the first words he utters are 'Peace be with you.' Is there any wonder they were afraid? They were probably thinking “when is our turn coming? They put Jesus to death, surely, they will come for us. Remember they had just seen their Savior-the one who they left everything to follow-put to death. In fact, we see from John 20:19 the disciples were hiding in a room behind a locked door because they were afraid. There were a lot of things in their midst but peace was not one of them. There had to be unrest, confusion, and uncertainty as to what had really happened. – John 20:6-10Ĭan you picture Peter and John going back to the other disciples and telling them what they saw? There were already in a difficult emotional state and this must have exacerbated it. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. Here is what happened when they got there: Upon hearing this, Peter and John raced to the tomb to see what she had told them. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” - John 20:2 This definition of the word is about to make a lot more sense when you look at the context of this verse. It can also mean wholeness or peace of mind. The word for peace used here is ‘ eiréné’ which means one, peace, quietness, or rest. To really understand what Jesus means you must know what the word peace actually means. What Does Jesus Mean by ‘Peace Be with You?’ As you will discover, not only was this necessary for the disciples in the moment, but it was necessary for their future as well. As you see in the verses above, Jesus greeted his disciples with the phrase ‘Peace be with you.’ What was the reason? 'Peace be with you' was far more than just a platitude or casual greeting. I think the same thing can be said of the peace of God. There is this old song that says, if we ever needed the Lord before, we sure do need him now. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” – John 20:26 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” – John 20:19Īgain Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” – John 20:21Ī week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.
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