From Panicked to Peaceful
Jesus’ startling presence had a powerful impact on the disciples. For one thing, it turned them from panicked to peaceful. Look at how John describes the scene:
“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!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19–21 NIV11)
It’s so easy for us to miss just how scared and panicked these people were. They’d spent 3 years with Jesus, drinking in his every word. They believed in His cause. They knew He was the Messiah, the special anointed one of God, and so when he died on that cross they would have panicked hard!
Finding Peace Amid Panic
They were scared – I can imagine them saying to each other “they took Jesus out, we’re next!” So they locked themselves away, or they ran away – we read in Luke’s Gospel how two of them left for Emmaus to get away from the situation.
Panic is one the devil’s great tools in this world. If he can cause panic, he has the upper hand, because panic never results in anything good. It causes riots and mob-mentality. Ot it paralyzes us.
Nothing good ever comes from a state of panic and so the enemy loves to stir up panic among people, and then watch them self-destruct.
Are you panicked right now? Maybe your work or your home life or your own soul is in utter chaos today, and you are freaking out.
Hear me: Jesus steps into our panic-ridden situations and says peace be with you.
Peace be with you.
According to John he said it a few times to them. They needed to hear it more than once and maybe you do too: peace be with you in the name of Jesus today!
Now, this was a common greeting among the Jews. It’s not as if they’d never heard that before, they’d probably heard it hundreds of times from different people. Shalom was the word – it was a way to bless people, saying ‘I pray God’s peace and blessing over you!’ as you greeted them.
Embracing Christ's Peace
But THINK of the implication of that for these panic-stricken men and women that day! Think of hearing Jesus bless you with those words! I think that they remembered what he had said to them just before he died. Hours before he was arrested, Jesus said to them “peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I don’t give as the world gives, so don’t let your hearts be troubled!” (John 14:27)
They’d forgotten that, in light of what had happened on the cross. How often we forget the peace Jesus offers. We get so overwhelmed by life and its trials, that we forget Jesus’ offer of peace!
Come with your panic today! Come with your fear, your worry, your anxiety, and realize: Christ is here, and he is saying to you “PEACE be with you! I am here, I am with you, I am alongside you, I bring you peace, like nothing in the world!”
Would you lean into him today? Would you embrace him and let his peace flow into your soul?
When Jesus appears he takes panicking people and grants them peace, if they will trust in him.
