The Shining Island in the Storm

"Peace be with you!"  Hello everyone! Hope your day is going great! In our world, we are inundated by information and entertainment. Our minds are flooded constantly with "stuff." Can you, with me, just stop everything for a minute? No music, no talking, and simply close your eyes and listen to the silence. And now, in your head and heart, hear Jesus say, "Peace be with you!" Only with Jesus can  our souls be filled with that valuable comodity: "the peace that passes understanding." Read John 20: 19-23 and let it soak in. These words bring amazement to the followers of Jesus and John, the beloved apostle, remembers it clearly!

Peace? Is it possible to have peace in this world of worry, struggle, disappointment, loss and pain? Peace when all seems "down the drain" and hope is almost gone?  Peace when someone precious to me is no longer there?  Peace when I feel most people are against me and "out to get me?"  Peace when all I have worked for and hoped for seems to be lost forever? Really??? How is that possible? It seems like a pipe-dream, to say the least!


Tunnel of gloom. This passage in John that we are sharing today takes place after the darkest times in the lives of Jesus' disciples. They have lost everything! They followed Jesus with such high hopes for the future! They saw His power and believed Him to be invincible. And yet, the Jews and Romans together have taken Jesus and killed Him. Fear, despair, confusion and hopelessness fill the room where the disciples are gathered. Gloom and depression hang in the room like dark clouds. When Jesus was crucified, darkness fell over the land, and that darkness continuesto reign in their hearts -- permeating them to the core.

Our darkest path. This is Katrinka writing today and I have lived long enough to experience such times in life. I think everyone has shared in the bitterness of  "times that try men's souls." Sometimes we think we are singled out for trouble, but nothing could be further from the truth. The example of Job in the Old Testament brings things into focus. God singled him out as being an example of righteousness, and yet God allowed Satan to try him to the point that he was on the verge of death. He suffered the loss of everything he had! When his wife bitterly questioned why Job was holding onto hope and integrity in the face of such major calamity, he gave her a very wise answer: "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10).

It brings incredible peace into my soul to read The Bible. Try it. It is definitely the" Best Medicine" for any problem. Today this scripture from John brings blinding light into the room, and into our hearts. The Light chases the darkness away and lifts up our souls to praising our God! Jesus IS the Light of the World, and He suddenly appears in the dark, gloomy room! Jesus unexpectantly stands right there in front of  his distraught and pesimistic friends in all His Resurrected Glory!

Talk about "cleaning up the environment"? Jesus instantly cleared away all the rubbish of darkness and depression with His appearance and the words: "Peace be with you!" It seems logical that the followers were shocked. Who wouldn't be?  Luke 24:37 tells us more, stating that they thought they were seeing a ghost! Jesus showed them His wounds and reassured them that He really does live again! It is stunning to think that One who they saw dead and buried is now standing before them alive and well. More than that, Jesus is different in the most glorious ways, and the fact that He just appeared in the room shows that there were some big changes in His risen body.

Need a fill-up? Many times you and I need a spiritual refueling. If there was ever a need for refueling, this was the time for the followers of Jesus. They got an instant refill with His appearance, but He had even more for them. Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

The Godhead is composed of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Before His crucifixion, Jesus, the Son, was with them in human form. He told us that when we see Him we also see the Father. But now, after His resurrection, there is another Gift from above--the Holy Spirit. He is also called "the Comforter" in scripture. The name alone gives peace in the Christian heart. The Comfort of God is not something external, it is internal, nourishing and healing true followers of Jesus from within. The Spirit of God insures the Christian a comfort that is beyond any remedy the world can provide. He produces the "peace that passes understanding," no matter what the circumstances of life.

Jesus changes things! This particular occasion we read about today changed a lot of things in the life of the followers of Jesus. Jesus gave them, among other things,  the gifts of: (1) peace, (2) joy, (3) comfort and (4) direction: (1) In place of stress and worry, the disciples were given reassurance and peace of mind that Jesus was absolutely not overcome by opposition and physical death. (2) In place of depression and tears they received relief and an upbeat spirit! (3) In place of aching lonelinss and tears of loss, they received proof that He lives, the warmth of His reassurance, and the constant presence of the Holy Spirit within their hearts. (4) In place of the feeling, "Where do we go next?" they received clear instructions and focus for the future: Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

Our Job Description. As Christians, you and I have been given these same gifts and the same direction and instruction. Jesus says to us, as well:  "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16). Now we are ready to face the day with Jesus, hearts up, positive thinking, peace in our hearts, and a mission to live by! Let's go do it, shall we?