Before we continue to look at Christ’s appearances after the resurrection, God brought me back to a detail that I had missed as I read Jn. 20: 5-8 today. It was not the empty tomb that struck John with amazement but the linen grave clothes and napkin or face covering folded to the side. Jesus no longer wore the clothes of death but lay them aside as visible evidence that He was alive and defeated death. The disciples had received the message of Mary. Peter had told them that he had seen the Lord. Late in the evening, the men from Emmaus told how He had been made known to them. The disciples’ hearts were prepared for what now came, when Jesus appeared in the midst of them and said, “Peace be with you”(John 20: 19) and showed them His hands and His feet that demonstrated that He was flesh and bone and not a ghost. With Mary, He revealed Himself to the fervent love and worship she exhibited and also later to the women after He had ascended into heaven and returned. Then to Peter, probably in the afternoon, who stood in awe of Him after denying Him three times (Luke 24: 34). With the men at Emmaus, it was their constraining request that received the revelation. Then He met the willing servants whom He had trained for His service, and He handed over to them the work He had done on earth. They rejoiced to see Him alive and declared that Jesus Christ is the Son!
“Then said Jesus to them again ‘Peace be unto you; as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you.” (v. 21) He changed their fear into the boldness of peace and gladness. He had finished the work that the Father sent Him to do and now He was passing on that divine mission to them. For this divine work to be accomplished they needed power. We read in verses 22-23 that He breathed on them the Holy Spirit which would enable them to share the message of repentance and forgiveness in Christ. This action by the risen Lord was a quickening and foreshadowing of the full endowment with the Spirit in power at Pentecost which would occur 50 days after His resurrection.
Verses 24-25 reveals that Thomas, one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples shared with him that they had seen the Lord. We are familiar with his response that he would not believe them until he could see and feel the nail scares in His hands and put his hands in His side. Jesus would later deal with Thomas’ doubt and Peter’s denials.
Jesus’ words “Peace Be With You” still resonates to us as believers 2000 years later. He is still the same yesterday, today and forever. Likewise, the commission He gave His disciples comes to every messenger of the Gospel with wonderful power. Christ says the same words to us today: “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you…Receive the Holy Spirit.” We can have the same personal manifestation of Jesus as the Living One, with His pierced hands and feet. If our hearts are set on nothing less than the presence of the living Lord, we may be assured that it will be given to us. Jesus never sends His servants out without the promise of His abiding presence and His almighty power.
Andrew Murray, a South African writer, teacher and Christian pastor, was born on May 9, 1828 (194 years ago last week) and died January 18, 1917. He had a great passion for missions and said that “missions is the chief end of the church.” Yes, indeed missions is the chief end of the church still after 2000 years. May we pray this prayer by Andrew Murray as we occupy until Jesus comes:
Ever blessed Lord, how wonderful is the place You have given man, in trusting him to continue the work You have begun. Open our hearts for the great thought that, through the preaching of the Gospel and the work of intercession, Your people are to work out Your purpose. Lord, open our eyes, for Jesus’ sake. Amen