Resurrection changes everything. It changes the way we see the past, the present, and the future. In the new life of Christ we are all offered the promise that death is not the end.
It really is only the beginning.
Begin now to see God at work to bring life again, to you and to every one.
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19-20
When I’m home alone and it’s dark outside, I routinely lock the doors. The combination of aloneness and darkness stirs up a fear that is held in check if I’m locked in.
Compared to my fear of things that go bump in the night, Jesus’ disciples had legitimate reason to be afraid. Their very lives were at risk; they found comfort in bolting the door. While their intention was to keep out the bad guys, they had inadvertently locked out Jesus too. As it turns out, he did not need an open door to get in. Imagine their shock! They did not recognize Jesus at first, even though he reassured them saying, “Peace be with you.” They did not relax until he showed them the scars on his hands and side. Once they were convinced that it was truly Jesus, they could celebrate.
What fears inadvertently lock Jesus out of your life? Be encouraged that Jesus is able to pass through those barriers and in this very moment he stands ready to give you his peace.
Tammy Wiens-Sorge
Lord Jesus, give me the courage to name the ways I’ve locked you out of my life, and then give me faith to believe that there is no lock big enough to prevent your love from breaking in. Surprise me with your presence and release me from my fear. Amen.
But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Romans 8:10-11