Monday of Easter 2

No Fear

John 20:19–20 (ESV) On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

The afternoon of Easter Sunday finds the disciples behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” Notwithstanding that they should have been in Galilee awaiting Jesus' resurrection appearance to them, their fear was not irrational. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus had told them, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours" (John 15:18–20).

Jesus often taught that the pattern of His followers’ lives would follow the shape of His own life. We all know that His life involved rejection and crucifixion. The Jews were eager to wipe out the “Jesus movement,” so the disciples would have feared that they were next, for they had publicly professed faith in Him and proclaimed the Gospel. But they had forgotten Jesus’ promises: “I chose you out of the world” (John 15:19) and “Take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). They didn’t have anything to fear, but they did anyway because they were faithless sinners like us.

Nonetheless, Jesus does not rebuke their fearfulness but absolves them when He says to the disciples “Peace be with you” and then shows them His scarred hands and side. Then the disciples were overjoyed, not fearful! Even though they would end up facing great opposition and even persecution as disciples of Jesus, they knew that their greatest fear - condemnation under God's Law - had been alleviated: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:10). The Incarnate Son of God poured out His precious blood on the cross, making peace between God and mankind. Since we have been washed in the blood of Jesus through Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion, we too are at peace with God, and there could be no greater cause for rejoicing than that!

Prayer: O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer requests: for Bessie Mahaffey and Alma Gause, under hospice care; for our homebound members: Joe and Lynn Cottle, Carolyn Dube, Duane Gruetzner, Delma Roitsch, Willard and Ann Teinert, Joycelynn Harvey, Virginia Wilkins, Cheryl Kieschnick, Wilbur Gaskamp, Doris George, Alice Kovar, Helen Ray Gustafson, Uce Gruetzner, Ruth Wissen.