John 20:19 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.”
Three times in the span of ten verses, Jesus tells the disciples, “Peace be with you.” Why? This is shortly after His death and resurrection. He hasn’t yet ascended into Heaven. There is still so much confusion and fear for Jesus’s disciples and loved ones. They meet in secret, behind locked doors. They whisper and fret. And yet–three separate times–Jesus transcends locked doors and says, “Peace be with you.”
John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
This repetition feels really important. There are so many things going on in this life, in our personal lives, that cause fear and anxiety, doubts, grief. These people who loved Jesus so mightily are dealing with His death, the disappearance of His body, the loss of a Savior whom they thought would save them from Roman rule. They don’t yet understand how He is making a way in their wilderness, and Jesus is concerned first and foremost with restoring to them a sense of peace that can only come from Him. “Peace be with you.”
John 20:26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Lord, You have important kingdom work for all of us, but until we are calm, focused, centered in You, covered in Your peace, our ability to serve is limited. There is so much causing fear, doubt, grief, Lord. Help us to center ourselves on You, to breathe in Your grace, to hear, to listen, to believe when You whisper, “Peace be with you.” Amen.
John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”
Have a blessed day. I love you.