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.
John 20:19-20
It is hard to imagine the rejoicing that occurred when the disciples saw Jesus for the first time since the resurrection. Yes, Mary had told them about seeing Him at the tomb, but with the trauma of the Crucifixion, it was difficult for them to believe. Now they were believers as well, and would face the same difficulty Mary had experienced – sharing the joy of the risen Christ with others.
We are notoriously hard to convince creatures in some ways and too easily mislead in others. An evil meddler tells us we can be like God and we fall into sin by believing him. Jesus Christ tells us He must die and be raised for our salvation, and we have to think about it. That’s the situation in which we and the disciples find ourselves.
They will all go out as Jesus charged them to do, telling His story and sharing God’s love because they believed in Him and rejoiced. We are called to the same task today, and like them, we can rejoice in the hope that Jesus brings us. We can all be changed because of His sacrifice, living new lives in Him.
Gracious God, in Your love and mercy, You sent Jesus to save us all. Thank you for the love He brought us, may we be faithful to the call to share the Good News with everyone. Amen.