Lord, thank You for leaving Your throne above and taking on flesh for me. Teach me to trust You with my heart when I do not understand what my eyes see.
John 20:19, On the evening of that first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
The gathering place for Jesus and the apostles was the Upper Room. While its exact location is not known, we do know that these men met in this room when they stayed in Jerusalem. It was their place to meet, to fellowship, and just to be with Christ. Can you even imagine the conversations that must have happened there?
It made perfect sense, then, that this was the place the resurrected Christ chose to appear to them as a group – in this place where they could look around and know where each person sat, where they could still envision Christ kneeling to wash their feet. Yes, this would be the place the apostles would return to when their world seemed to be shattered.
Scripture tells us that the apostles had locked themselves in the Upper Room because they feared the Jews. And though the door was locked, Jesus came right on it – because this was where His people were gathered. You don’t have to knock at a place like that. Jesus knew where His people would be, and He knew they would be afraid. “Peace be with you,” Jesus said. How His voice must have soothed their souls.
In what place do you find yourself today? Is it a place of comfort, or has life gotten a little crazy? Do you find yourself wondering what to do next? Life gets that way for all of us at times. The good news is we don’t have to frantically search for Jesus. Choose to be still in the midst of the chaos and you will find Him. Jesus will present you with comfort in your pain. And He will fill you with peace.
