Peace Be With You

John 20:19-20.

19 “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”

Introduction

I thank God we are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

I want to talk to you about what happened after Jesus’ resurrection and I want to do it in a way that may seem different.

I would like for us to place ourselves in the disciples shoes and try to experience their thoughts and what they felt right after Jesus was crucified.

I want us to experience their thoughts and feelings when they knew that Jesus had got up out of the grave.

When we think of a repass, we think of today’s times when people come together for fellowship after a home-going celebration.

Usually there is conversation and sharing of memories of the one who has transitioned. These conversations many times include witnesses and statements of how that person impacted the lives of people associated with them.

Come with me to the time immediately after Jesus was resurrected.

Within the same chapter of our text, it is written about Mary Magdalene going to Jesus’ tomb early and saw that the stone used to seal the tomb had been rolled away. And she ran and told Peter and the other disciple who Jesus loved.

She told them “They have taken Jesus away and we do not know where they laid Him.

Peter and the other disciple (known as John) ran to the tomb. Peter went in the tomb and saw the linen cloths laying there and the cloth used to cover His face folded in a place by itself.

If Jesus’ body had been removed by someone, the cloths would’ve either still been on His body or fallen off and scattered in the tomb.

Jesus told them He would rise on the third day, and now they see He kept His promise.

Peter and John left but Mary stayed at the tomb. She saw the two angels again and they asked why she cried. Then she saw Jesus and He called her name.

Oh what joy she must have felt! Oh what relief!

Oh the joy we feel when we think all is lost and the Spirit of The Lord shows and we see a move of God!

The disciples were held up in a place, with the doors locked because they were afraid of the Jews.

The Jewish leaders were looking for the disciples because they found out Jesus’ body was gone and they accused the disciples of stealing it. (This is revealed in Matthew 28:11-13)

Whenever the Lord moves, the enemy gets stirred…accusations fly, lies are told and a plot to stop His move emerges...

Now this is where the repass I mentioned earlier comes into focus…I wonder what their conversations were like.

Perhaps they talked about the times they spent with Jesus. What would we be doing if we were in their position? Perhaps they talked about:

What they heard about Jesus’ birth.

All of the miracles He performed.

How He fed five-thousand men, women and children.

How He raised Lazarus from the dead.

How He healed the woman with an issue of blood.

How He cast a legion (4 - 6 thousand) of demons out of a man.

Jesus giving sight to the blind.

Healing the lame.

Telling a violent storm to calm down.

Causing a whole army of soldiers to fall to their knees when He said “I Am He”.

How He healed a soldiers ear after Peter cut it off.

How He asked His Father to forgive His tormentors because they didn’t know what they were doing.

While they were locked in, Jesus walks in. According to Luke chapter 24:37, they thought they were seeing Jesus’ ghost.

Jesus calmed their fears when He said “Peace be with you” and He showed them the wounds in His hands and side.

Jesus didn’t rebuke the disciples for deserting Him. His love for them was still strong!

No matter what we’ve done, Jesus will always bring us peace when we realize the wrong we’ve done and ask to be forgiven...

Conclusion

As we celebrate our risen Savior, let’s recall all the wonderful and powerful things He’s done centuries ago all the way to today.

We sing a song that has these words; “Jesus I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me - He’s done so much for me, I cannot tell it all.”

Let’s remember the disciples were shut up, together and unified in their feelings about this historical event.

When Jesus walked out of the grave he brought an abundance of blessings with Him and freely gives to us.

When fear has us held up for whatever reasons, recall the works of our Lord before the cross, on the cross and out of the grave.

Remember His peace is with us:

He gives peace not as the world gives. Let not your troubled, neither let it be afraid!

We’re going to have tribulations but we can be of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world!

If you are living today without peace today:

the same one who got up and walked out of the grave is here for you right now...

the same one who forgave Peter for denying Him three times will forgive you.

the same one who forgave the disciples for deserting Him will forgive you.

the same one who forgave the ones who tormented Him will forgave you.

the same one who makes the demons that torment you leave you alone, Yes He will forgive you!