April 7 – The Peace of the Risen Jesus

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
— John 20:19
 
 
On the evening of the resurrection, the disciples were not celebrating—they were hiding. The doors were locked. Fear lingered. Uncertainty filled the room. And into that space of anxiety and confusion, the risen Jesus stepped and spoke the first word of Easter to them: Peace. Not rebuke. Not disappointment. Peace. The peace of the risen Christ is not the absence of trouble; it is His presence in the midst of it.
 
Reflect gently on your own locked rooms. Ask yourself: Where am I holding fear? What anxieties have caused me to withdraw or close off? Do I believe that Christ enters those spaces, or do I assume I must handle them alone? What would it mean to receive His peace instead of trying to manufacture my own calm? The disciples’ circumstances did not immediately change, but their awareness did—Jesus was with them. Resurrection peace flows not from control, but from presence.
 
Today, imagine Jesus stepping into your most anxious space and speaking, “Peace be with you.” You might close your eyes and visualize placing your worries before Him. Breathe slowly and pray, “Lord Jesus, speak Your peace into my fear.” If tension rises throughout the day, return to that simple prayer. You could also extend peace outward—offer calm words in a tense conversation or choose patience instead of reaction. The peace you receive is meant to flow through you.
 
 
Loving Father, thank You that the risen Christ speaks peace into fearful hearts. Enter the locked rooms of my life and calm my anxious thoughts. Help me trust Your presence more than my fears. Fill me with resurrection peace, and make me an instrument of that peace to others. All this I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lamentations 3:22-23 – Even Through the Bad, God is Faithful

Image
The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. --Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB The most significant thing about this wonderful passage is where we find it in the Bible. The Book of Lamentations tells of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which took place over 587 and 586 BC when Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar overran the city. The surviving inhabitants either fled to other countries, were carried away to Babylon as slaves or remained under the brutal rule of an occupying force. Lamentations does not name its author, but it is generally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah. For many years Jeremiah had warned the people and their leaders about their unfaithfulness to God. Jeremiah knew that being chosen by God did not translate to a free pass. He knew that actions had consequences. If God's people were not faithful to God's instructions, bad things would happen. But even...
Read more

Study of James 5:19-20

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins. — James 5:19-20 James concludes his letter with a final exhortation, emphasizing the importance of restoring those who have wandered from the truth. He speaks to the responsibility believers have toward one another—not only to encourage and strengthen the faithful but also to help those who have drifted away from God’s path. James acknowledges that believers can stray, whether through sin, doubt, or deception. Rather than judging or condemning them, he urges the church to pursue them with love and compassion, seeking to bring them back to the truth. The one who helps restore a wandering soul is participating in a redemptive work, covering a multitude of sins. This phrase reflects the biblical theme that love and grace bring reconciliation, both between individuals and ...
Read more

Bible Study: Lydia

On the Sabbath day we went outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together. A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us. — Acts 16:13-15 WEB* On his second missionary trip, Paul visited the Roman colony of Philippi (FILL-uh-pie) along with Silas, Luke and Timothy. Philippi was on the famous Egnatian Road—a trade route from Asia to Rome. The city was important during the New Testament due to its agriculture, location, functioning gold mines, and Roman status. Lydia was a businessworman whose name may have come from the Hellenistic district where the town of Thyatira (thigh-uh-TIE-r...
Read more