On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:19-21).
1. Fear is the Opposite of Faith (John 20:19a).
- “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews”
2. Peace is the Christian Response (John 20:19b).
- Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
- “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).
3. The Cross Is Our Hope and Motivation (John 20:20).
- “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
- “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
4. We Go Because Jesus Came to Us (John 20:21).
- Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:19-21).
- And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
