"When it was evening on that day,
the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house
where the disciples had met
were locked for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
“Peace be with you.”
(From John 20:19-31)
It began when the disciples were in a locked room out of fear and Jesus appears to them saying, "Peace be with you."
Jesus says "Peace be with you" twice, calming the disciples at this astounding, unexpected appearance.
Jesus shows them his hands and side.
Thomas, though, was elsewhere and didn't see Jesus hands and side, so when the disciples say they saw Jesus, he doubts their story.
And thus, Thomas earns the undeserved title of "Doubting Thomas".
This, however, is a resurrection story.
The resurrection stories intent is to show, that even in locked doors of fear and anxiety, Jesus brings peace.
Because the human events of the past week were enough to wreck a sense of security or peace Jesus' disciples might have felt, it was necessary to bring inner peace.
A week later, the disciples are gathered in a locked room and Jesus appears saying to Thomas, the one who wanted proof, "Peace be with you"
Having received the proof, Thomas recognized Jesus as the Son of God.
All of us, when, caught in the paralysis of fear, need to experience the Jesus' peace in our hearts.
When fear assails us, it's futile trying to overcome it ourselves.
Jesus's words of peace are necessary in order to set aside the paralysis of fear holding us bound, and restoring order in our lives.
Our world has widespread turmoil with global, national, and social unrest.
Our lives can feel tension and anxiety from time to time.
Through prayer and searching the Scriptures, Jesus' peace calms out hearts, helping us endure the upheavals and tensions we face disrupting our souls.
By faith in Christ, we can eternally hear Jesus' calming, assuring words:
"Peace be with you"
Think about it: What do you do with your own questions of faith in times fear and anxiety?
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