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!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:19-23
Happy Easter! This is the day! This is the place we've wanted to be - a resurrected Jesus, our Savior, the Messiah, walking and talking among us.
Can you imagine what it must have felt like to be a disciple that day? Think about being behind locked doors. Their locks were not a simple flip on the door knob. Their locks were heavy bolts that fell in place across the door. No one was getting in there.
Then suddenly Jesus appeared. The rumors were true! He really was alive!
Was it a ghost, an apparition?
No, Jesus showed them his wounds. I wonder, since he had conquered death and the grave, were they healed? Were they still healing? I don't know. But Jesus used his wounds as proof that he was the real thing!
I wish I had a lot of time to write today. I should have written this last night. ;0) But right now this is enough: Jesus was dead. Now he's alive. He has not left us. He is with us. He has given us his Spirit, so that we can live in peace, without fear, with joy and victory every day.
He is not dead. He's alive!
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