John 20:21 “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
I have heard messages on and read this passage many times, but there is always something new to learn. The words that struck me the most were when Jesus said, “Peace be with you!” They never really stuck out to me, but while studying this passage, they were repeated three times, so they must have some significance. In Bible study, we talked about the meaning of these words in Hebrew. Translated they mean, “Shalom,” which is a Hebrew greeting. However, they seem to be more than just a greeting in this passage because Jesus said them twice while he was with the disciples. I was wondering why he did that. In verse 1, it says that the disciples were in a house with the doors locked because they were scared of the Jewish leaders. They were afraid that the leaders would try to put them on trial as well, especially after Jesus had died. The fact that Jesus had disappeared from his tomb that morning must have scared and worried them even more because they did not know where Jesus was. They must have thought that someone would come after them and question them about the disappearance. Everything was uncertain to the disciples at that point, so they hid and stayed among themselves.
Their fear turned into joy when Jesus appeared in the room and showed himself to them. The words, “Peace be with you!” were some kind of comfort to the disciples. There are only three instances where Jesus said this, and they are all in this passage, which gives them even greater importance. Why did Jesus say these words? He knew that the disciples had been scared, worried, and depressed. He knew they were missing something because their hearts were down and empty. The four words, “Peace be with you,” give comfort and assurance that fear and worries are unnecessary. Jesus wants to give peace, especially in times of distress, fear, and sadness. I may not be sad or afraid, but the last few weeks have been very stressful. My classes demanded a lot of time and energy, and also knowing that next year is going to be stressful and even more work intensive, made me worry how I will handle the pressure and work. I sometimes forget how powerful God’s word is and when school demands a lot of my time I am willing to give it because it seems important and necessary considering that I will have a job in the end. However, last week I was so tired after coming home from my internship in the afternoon that I just wanted to sleep and not go to Bible study, but then I was hoping I would maybe get something out of it and it would give me some strength. Obviously it worked. Jesus words of peace gave me new strength and comfort that I don’t have to worry about papers, exams, presentations, or the future because it is all in God’s hands.
