John 20:26 states: “Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘peace be unto you.’”
These words were spoken to His disciples after He had been crucified at Calvary and soon after He had risen from the grave.
The disciples were afraid of arrest. Defeat was certain, hope was gone, they felt they were on the losing side. Their hopes and plans for the future were swept away.
It seemed certain to them that the cause of right and the promises of God were all doomed.
Then a miracle took place. Jesus rose from death and the grave and stood in their midst.
Then they realized a power was released greater than death — Jesus their Master, was alive and the future would reveal greater things. And now the doors being shut, perhaps barred, Jesus was inside with them.
Everything changed because Jesus was in their midst. Then came the thought, if God can do that, He can do anything.
Here was the Master whom they had seen arrested, betrayed, sentenced, flogged, mocked, crucified, buried, now in their midst alive, real, saying “Peace be unto you.” They were on the winning side — all was well.
There is one thing I have to stress and it is this: in the Christian faith our hopes are centered on the person of Jesus Christ. Our attention and focus is on Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus, the living Jesus, who is present to meet our needs: when we are fearful of the future; when the doors are shut and we feel hopeless; when we are uncertain about everybody and everything; when God seems beyond our reach.
It’s then Jesus, the living Christ, the Son of God, stands in our midst. How He got there we do not know, but He is there with us and He says, “Peace be unto you.”
He cares, so He comes to us and is in our midst. Yes, Jesus comes in our darkest hours and things become better.
That is the story of all who are redeemed and helped by Jesus, whether he be the drunkard, the thief, the one in university, the unlearned or the one who has forgotten God.
This is the story, when people have been shut in, imprisoned, helpless, Jesus came and something good happened.
The person who knew nothing but defeat and failure, that nothing was certain, says, “that when Jesus came in,” right inside the heart and stood in the midst of his life, there came peace and victory.
That is the story about Jesus.
The Bible teaches that if Christ be not risen, then our preaching is in vain. It is a fact that Jesus, the crucified man, is greater than death, time, sin and can redeem any man or woman.
It is a mistake to think that Jesus enters into the hearts and lives of very sinful people.
No matter how well we have lived, all need to have Jesus at the very center of their lives.
Everyone has struggles and problems, things that trouble them and they feel disturbed within.
They need Jesus to come into the midst of their lives and say to us, “peace be unto you.”
Our message is not only what Christ has done, but also what He can and is doing now. He has never stopped working miracles.
He continues as He did while on earth, healing the blind, forgiving sin, giving strength to the weary, and fulfilling His promises to those who ask and trust Him.
He can be really there, risen within the doors of your life.
You will be glad, when you have seen the Lord. Things will be different and better.
Tell Jesus, “I open the door of my heart and of my life to you Lord,” and He will come in now,
Bill Annett was the pastor at Oriole Park Missionary Church (now known as Crossroads Church). He and other members of the Red Deer Ministerial Association share their personal views on Sundays and Mondays in Red Deer LIFE and Central Alberta LIFE, and encourage comments and questions from readers. These can be sent to LIFE.