The disciples, confined by fear and uncertainty following the crucifixion, were huddled together in a locked room. In their darkest hour, the Risen Jesus appears in their room with the simple pronouncement, “Peace be with you.” This moment signified much more than a mere greeting; it represented the profound peace that comes only from Christ. It was a peace that transcended their understanding and circumstances.
Today, we stand behind our own locked doors, not of wood, but of fear, doubt, and uncertainty. Like the disciples, we are called to not remain behind them. Jesus’s entrance into that room and declaration of peace was a call to action, a reminder that, despite the world’s chaos, we are to press forward with hope and mission.
Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ in the midst of our trouble. With this peace, we are sent out, just as the disciples, to share the message of hope and salvation. In the face of our fear, we find courage and purpose in the mission entrusted to us by Jesus, who overcame the world’s greatest despair and transformed it into a global mission of faith, hope and love.
John 20:19-21