Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!”
John 20 vs 19 to 21
Only four followers were at the foot of the cross when Jesus died – Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalen, Mary of Cleopas, and the apostle John. The other disciples had abandoned him. Peter denied he knew him three times!
Guilt – they must have felt incredibly guilty as a result of abandoning their master so easily; letting him down when it mattered most.
Shame – they would have felt ashamed of themselves for being (in their eyes) so cowardly.
Fear – they were fearful of what would happen next. In fear of an imminent witch hunt.
Remorse – how they must have wished they had been more courageous; more loyal and supportive of their Lord when he needed them the most.
And yet, in the space of just three verses, Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you!” Twice in three verses! Jesus wouldn’t make the same statement twice in such a short space of time unless he wanted to get an important message across. He wanted them to stop worrying, and to be rest assured that he was not only at peace with them, but had also given them his peace. Furthermore, the bible tells us that he showed them his hands and sides. Not only to show that he had died and risen again, but to let them know that he had already paid the full price for every single one of their sins and misdeeds.
Guilt, shame, fear, and remorse – four emotions that regularly plague you and I today. How often are we shackled by the guilt of past misdeeds, or fearful of God being upset with us as a result? How often are we weighed down by remorse and shame?
Jesus says, “Peace be with you.”
He has already paid the price for your eternal peace with God. And he has given you his peace. This peace comes with the sure knowledge that by his blood, you are not only cleansed once and for all, but he has given you a gift that can never be taken away – his righteousness.
God is at peace with you, and his unfailing love is yours forever.