“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
John 20:21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.20.21.NLT
Without looking at scripture, who spoke these words, and when were they spoken?
Reflection
Here is the setting: “That Sunday evening, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders.” John 20:19 NLT. This was a time of fear and confusion. The Jewish leaders of the Temple, the house of God, had crucified Jesus. The disciples were wondering if they were next.
They were also in grief over the loss of Jesus. Never had they been so changed and transformed by anyone. He was life. He lived the truth like they had never seen before. He showed them a way of living that was so freeing and fulfilling. He connected them with God in a way they had never known. Now, he was gone.
Look who shows up: “Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!” John 20:19 NLT. The crucified dead man is alive. The disciples had heard some early reports of this from some trusted women and travelers to Emmaus, but they didn’t know what to make of it.
Ponder the significance of his presence. The last time they saw him alive, it was torturous and brutal. The last words they heard him say were “It is finished!” They know he was buried. All of these things are definitive facts and images etched into their very souls. Unforgettable.
First words and actions: Jesus first words and actions with the disciples gathered in fear are: “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side.” John 20:19-20 NLT.
He calms them with his words of peace and shows them he is the one who was, in fact, crucified and buried. Now he lives again. A brutal death was not the end of Jesus’ mission of being the Kingdom of God on earth.
Fear gives way to joy: “They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!” John 20:20 NLT. When Jesus shows up, the fear of the world and the anxiety of our circumstances give way to joy.
Jesus speaks peace, and we receive joy.
The mission is still on: “Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:21 NLT. Jesus is reminding them that what he started, they will continue. This mission of saving humanity and restoring people to God is just getting underway, and the disciples are key to carrying it out.
Notice what Jesus didn’t say: Wow, that was rough, let’s go away on holiday. I have done my part. It’s time to do what we want to for ourselves now.
The Holy Spirit is given: To do this mission, the disciples will need help. They don’t know it yet, but Jesus is not physically back with them forever: “Then he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22 NLT.
They, as we do today, have the Holy Spirit every step of the way in living out this mission of inviting people to believe in Christ, be forgiven of their sins, and experience a restored relationship with God forever.
Let’s go and offer people forgiveness of their sins: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:23 NLT.
Yes, it is Christ who died for our sins. Forgiveness comes through belief in him as the living Son of God.
With the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, as the disciples did then, we do now have the opportunity, responsibility, and authority to be generous in offering people the opportunity to experience the forgiveness of sins made possible through Jesus Christ.
Encouragement
While no story in our lives matches what the disciples experienced when the crucified, dead, and buried Jesus showed up alive and well in their presence, it is a profound reference point to draw on in our journey today.
When we are gathered in fear because of what is going on around us or to us, focus on the living presence of God in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
Watch fear be replaced with inexplicable peace and joy.
Receive the encouragement to be sent back into the fray of life with a message of forgiveness and restoration through Jesus Christ.
What Jesus began then continues today, and, according to him, all of hell can break loose against the church (the body of Christ, the Kingdom of God growing in this world right now), and it will not be successful.
This mission of Jesus, lived out through us with the presence of the Holy Spirit, is meant to be generously shared with everyone everywhere. It is to be part of our daily lives, words, and actions.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for John’s recording of the first time you met them, when they had much to fear and were grieving.
Your presence changes everything. You do bring peace and replace our anxiety with joy. Thank you.
As you did with the disciples then, you do with us now: You call us to get back into the fray of life and continue the mission by being generous in offering your forgiveness to anyone and everyone. This is a life mission for all of us.
Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit to carry this out. We cannot do this on our own. With the Holy Spirit, help us to grow in sharing your great invitation with everyone we can.
The world needs you right now. They need what you have made possible. Please use us to help others find you.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen