His Finished Work

John 20:19-20
^“19 Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’  ²⁰When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side…” John 20:19-20

At first read, you probably see the topic of peace when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection; but there’s much more in these two verses.

The disciples were hiding behind closed doors in fear. Jesus had been crucified. He was dead, and now they hid in fear for their lives. What might their fellow Jews or Romans do if they found them? They had just witnessed their Lord being crucified. He was buried, and they were confused.

Several days later others reported seeing the Lord and even speaking to Him, and they shared the news with the Disciples. These witnesses said they didn’t recognize Jesus until He broke bread with them (communion).

So right there in the depth of their fear and confusion, after hearing the report of others, Jesus appears. He comes to them, right where they are and declares PEACE in their midst. At first I’m sure they were totally confused wondering just who had come into their locked room. Were they seeing a spirit? Was he really their Lord?

Even with His word of Peace in their midst, they weren’t totally convinced. How did they recognize Him?  Verse 20 tells us: “He showed them His hands and His side…”  The Prince of Peace stood in their midst. Once they realized it was Jesus, that He was alive, they rejoiced greatly. What He had told them was true. There was hope but it wasn’t until they recognized His finished work on the Cross that they believed.

Even in the midst of any fear or situation you have going on in your life right now, the God of ALL Peace is in your midst. Don’t look at your circumstances or your present situation. Look at the finished work of Jesus for you and know that your PEACE has been secured forever.

See Jesus showing you His nail-pierced hands and His side and drawing you into an embrace that says “I’m here. I’m your Peace. Rest in Me.” It’s His finished work that brings you ultimate peace that passes all human understanding. Step into it today.