Room Full Of Truth

John 20:20
And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

They had seen Him die....
Now they saw Him alive....
They had the image of Him being driven by Roman whip to the hill outside of Jerusalem burned into their collective conscience.
Burned so deep that collectively, they had all ran away save one.
Now here before them was the risen Son of Mary.
No longer the bruised, battered and beaten carpenter of Nazareth, but the Son of God....glorified and alive.

It didn't matter what the rumors were...that Jesus didn't actually die but somehow had staged an elaborate escape. The proof was standing right there before them.
It didn't matter that they were in hiding, or that they had fulfilled the words spoken the night before His crucifixion, when He told them they would leave him by himself because of their fear. The sheer presence of Jesus in that room made everything they had heard Him say become even more important.

If you're a disciple, what would you have said when Jesus appeared in that room? What words could you have possibly spoken that would have made any sense. You know they were embarrassed by their behavior. Do you think maybe they were afraid that He was there to rectify or exact some punishment on them for their behavior during His time on the cross? That He might have come back to exact some revenge on them? I think it might have been in the back of their minds.

Do you think maybe that Peter hung back behind everyone? Wanting to see Jesus, but at the same time, not wanting to see Him. Then there in that awkward silence and tension, Jesus spoke. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
Jesus was there to put into motion what would become the birth of the first century church. The door was open for anyone to have a restored relationship with God the Father........not to mention His Son and His Holy Spirit.

Just as Jesus had prayed on the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," the impact of that phrase resonate within that tiny room where  11 men were gathered. Do you understand that these were the same 11 who would go forth and change the world. The world! Not their community...not their village...not their county or even country...but their faithfulness would produce others who would "leave everything" to go forth and tell of this Jesus.

We should be a "telling" people.
A simple sharing of what Jesus has done for us.
People need to hear the story.
The cashier at Walmart...she needs to hear...
The doctor at the clinic....he needs to hear...
The person fishing down at the city boat docks...they need to hear...
That Jesus is who He claimed to be....
And that Jesus will do what He claimed He was capable of doing.

No longer do you have to live life looking at the world through a whiskey bottle.
No longer do you have to buy the lie that the only way you can have "FUN" is to shoot up and get high.
No longer do you have to try and convince yourself that you're really not a bad person in spite of the fact that you stole your grandmothers pain medication.

Jesus wants to meet you right where you are today.
Just as He met those disciples in that room we read about in John.
In spite of all the emotions and fear you are wallowing in, the first words you will hear Him say is ..."Peace be with you."
Who could say such a thing except one who was capable of providing such peace.
It's right there for you today...
All you have to do is call out to Him...
"Oh, Jesus! I'm so tired of my life....come and teach me about Your peace."

You might be surprised as to what happens.
God on you....
mb