“Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.


John 20:19-20


John tells us that on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, out of fear, the apostles locked themselves in a room. They feared being arrested and killed as Jesus had been. They were concerned about their future. They thought they had no hope at all. Their minds were filled with worry and confusion. They had thought Jesus was the Messiah. They had thought Jesus was going to lead Israel to overthrow the Romans and then become king of Israel. They had thought that, as his closest followers, they would be large and in charge as a result.


Now that Jesus had been killed, they thought they were next and so, they were confused about what to do. On top of that, they had been told that Jesus’ tomb was empty and some women reported that they had seen Jesus. But the disciples did not know what to think of that. They had no expectation that Jesus was going to rise from the dead. In the midst of their confusion and worry, Jesus offers them peace.


God wants to bring peace to our minds. He does not want us living with confusion or worry. Name something that is confusing you or causing you worry. Ask the Father to replace it with peace instead.