Shalom...peace

SHALOM…PEACE

How often has Jesus warned us of the hatred of the world as He experienced it , how He was persecuted so we shall be as well. His disciples feared for their lives after the crucifixion, locking themselves in the upper room, waiting…

Are we as individuals and a church sitting behind locked doors?

Turn with me to John 20: 19-31

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace to you." And having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Therefore, Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! Just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." But Thomas, one of the twelve, the one called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So, he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will by no means believe." And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been closed, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then He said to Thomas, "Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into My side. Be not unbelieving but believing." And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.

We need to understand that time, Jesus Christ their teacher, their rabbi, was just crucified by the romans, by the Jewish Leaders, they are locked in that room, in fear, they are stuck there in the same place. I mean, a life changing event happened, but it looks like it did not do anything for them, their world did not change.

I want to ask you, what has the resurrection of JESUS done for you?

Is your life different?

Or still the same as before he was crucified?

We sit and judge the disciples, wondering what they are doing, why did they not stay by Jesus, yet have we do anything to make our lives different?

Jesus entered the room where they were waiting, not by knocking or unlocking the door but just appearing in their midst, I mean if He, Jesus was to appear suddenly now in front of us…

There was no question, He showed them His hands, His side, you can only imagine what a rejoicing then took place, Jesus then shared The Holy Spirit with them, teaching them forgiveness towards them whom crucified Him.

The RESURRECTION is a big deal, a life changing event, death was defeated, yet we all live defeated, it takes time, it is a process, it is not easy, and some days are harder than most. By the GRACE OF GOD, WE MUST GROW INTO A RESURRECTED LIFE. It is not because the resurrection failed, the empty tomb is a fact, written down in history. We can say that the empty tomb is the starting point for the resurrection. Ok let us look at an example, on the day that Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, one was not there, the one they called Thomas, how do we call him today, doubting Thomas, the doubter, we are reminded of what he said, “unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger in His side, I will not believe. (how many of us are here, we say we believe but want the proof).

Do you know the end of Thomas’s story, Jesus came back to prove to him that He has risen, Thomas then declared, “My Lord and my God”. He recognized a new relationship, a new way of being. Thomas went on to become an evangelist, preacher in India, was run through with five spears, died preaching the gospel.