On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
—JOHN 20:19
When Jesus rose from the grave and appeared in the midst of His disciples meeting behind locked doors, I imagine they were stunned, shocked, and overjoyed. With great intentionality, Jesus chose the words He used to greet them. Of all the themes He could have selected at that moment, He picked what they needed most. What was it?
Joy?
Hope?
Love?
While all of these certainly would have been appropriate, Jesus didn’t touch on any of them. He simply said over and over again, “Peace be with you!” According to John 20, it is the first thing He said. He said it again before breathing on them to receive the Holy Spirit. Then when addressing Thomas and his doubts, He said it yet again.
Each time Jesus is recorded as saying this, the writer ends the sentence with an exclamation point. Not only was Jesus intentional, He was also emphatic. His words were conveyed with great emphasis and urgency.
Why peace?
And why did Jesus use the particular phrase “Peace be with you!”?
I have a theory. This world is very good at conjuring up facades. Temporary moments of worldly happiness can appear joyful. The world takes hope and mistakes it for wishful thinking. And the world has made love an everyday word used to describe a feeling that can change quickly.
The peace that flows despite circumstances can only be found through Jesus being with us.
The world’s offering of joy, hope, and love is fleeting, temporary, and dangerously unstable, but it can put on a good show in the short term.
“I got that promotion—joy!”
“I think we can afford this house—hope!”
“He likes spending time with me—I think I’m in love!”
However, jobs can be lost in an instant, houses can be foreclosed on, and relationships can end.
So, really, what the world offers—for a moment or two—are false versions of joy, hope, and love.
But it cannot offer false peace. It can offer peaceful settings and rituals to conjure up peaceful thoughts, but not true soul contentedness. The peace that flows despite circumstances can only be found through Jesus being with us. That’s why Jesus phrased it the way He did: “Peace be with you!” In other words, “You can walk through anything, My sweet daughter, if you realize that I am peace and I am with you.”
Thank You, Lord, that You are peace and You are with me. Help me remember that You are with me everywhere I go, no matter what the day may bring. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.