John 20: 19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" You have to put His first appearance after resurrection to the group of disciples in perspective. Here were a motley bunch of Israelites whom Jesus had called out to follow Him, who had abandoned him in His greatest time of need. His first recruits to His fledgling army that would establish His kingdom on earth had taken flight. The disciples believed that they would be blamed for the disappearance of the body of Jesus. God's grand design to save mankind had not sunk in even though the prophets of old had apparently spelt it out clearly in the Torah. Between the loss of inspiration and hope at the death of a movement, the guilt of having abandoned their Lord, the fear of the Jews & the Romans, the lack of purpose in an uncertain, unchalked future and perhaps even the guilt of having in some way frustrated God's design, the disciples, I am sure were a trembling, broken, spineless, uneducated bunch. They were probably dwelling on plans to flee Jerusalem. The last thing they needed was to meet a Jesus look alike or even a Ghost! BUT, Jesus, entering such a scene as this, just as he was in the boat on that stormy night, says this one word that was needed to restore and carry on. Shalom! Peace be with you! That I believe is the message of Easter- Restoration; the realization that its all been taken care of on the cross and that I am accepted as I am! From restoration, came the Relationship when Jesus breathed on them His indwelling Spirit (John20: 22). From the restored relationship came the challenge or Mission (John 21: 15-17) to take care of the harvest which was followed by the command to stay on in Jerusalem to be Equipped with the gift of the Power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1, 2). Restoration, Relationship, Mission, Equipping summarizes the Easter season.
