John 20 : 19 : Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
After Jesus was ressurected from death, He did not immediately go to heaven. Instead, he stayed on the earth for 40 days. What was the purpose of him staying 40 days on earth? The Lord desired to restore the hearts of His disciples. Because when Jesus died, His disciples became discouraged, their faith was shaken and they lived in fear. Imagine if Jesus had left them in this condition, they will never be able to rise up and become apostles who greatly shared the gospel around the world.
Three days after Jesus‘ death, on Sunday evening, the disciples gathered in a place with the doors shut. Why? Because they were so afraid of the Jews who wanted to capture them because they were Jesus‘ followers. But suddenly, Jesus came and stood in the midst of them and said, “Peace be with you.“
The Lord gave them peace that surpasses all understanding to calm the fearful hearts of His disciples. The Lord restored their hearts. Every fear that filled their hearts was changed to perfect love and peace. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, visited His disciples personally and awakened their faith again. His perfect love was poured out to the disciples and casted out all fears, 1 John 4:18.
The Lord truly loves His disciples, and also us, His children. He promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His grace and peace will always be with us until the end of times. This an assurance that strengthens us as we live in these end times.
After the Lord restored His disciples, He ascended to heaven and left them. But, He did not let them be alone. Ten days after, on the day of Pentecost, the Lord equipped them with the power of His Holy Spirit. The disciples were able to evangelize and shake the world with the gospel of grace.
On Thursday, we will commemorate the Ascension Day of Jesus to heaven. Let us pray so that the Lord restores us so we are ready to receive the fire of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and shake the world with the gospel of grace.
Source : Ps. Juliet Pranoto