Peace Be with You: Encountering the Risen Christ

John 20:19-31

By Dr. John Hill, Editor & CEO

After the resurrection, the disciples were locked away in fear. Even though they had heard the good news from Mary Magdalene, even though the tomb was empty, fear still held their hearts captive. They were overwhelmed, uncertain, and unsure of what would come next. It was into that very place — a room closed off by doubt and fear — that Jesus came. He did not scold them for their fear. He did not express disappointment. Instead, He spoke these beautiful words: "Peace be with you."

The risen Christ meets us in the same way today. He doesn't wait until our faith is perfect or our courage is strong. He steps into the rooms of our hearts just as they are — full of fears, full of questions, full of uncertainty — and He brings peace. This peace is not something we have to earn. It is His gift to us, won by His cross and resurrection. His peace is the sign that the work is finished, and that we are forever secure in His love.

John tells us that Jesus showed them His hands and His side. He showed them the marks of His suffering, the proof that the same Jesus who died now lives. In seeing His wounds, the disciples knew they were truly encountering the risen Lord. In the same way, Jesus does not hide His scars from us. He reminds us that our Savior knows suffering firsthand — and that in His resurrection, He has overcome it all. The scars of Jesus are a testimony that no pain, no fear, and no sin is beyond His redeeming power.

Then Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." Just as God once breathed life into Adam at creation, Jesus now breathes new life into His followers. Through His Spirit, we are made new. We are not just called to believe in the resurrection; we are empowered to live it. Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit is His personal presence within us — guiding, comforting, empowering, and sending us into the world with His message of forgiveness and hope.

In the second half of this passage, we meet Thomas, often remembered as "Doubting Thomas." He wasn't with the others when Jesus first appeared, and he struggled to believe their testimony. Thomas needed a personal encounter with Jesus — and Jesus graciously gave it to him. Jesus did not reject Thomas for his questions. He invited Thomas to see, to touch, and to believe.

What grace this is! Our doubts do not disqualify us from the love of Christ. Our struggles are not reasons for shame. Jesus understands our human frailty and meets us with patience and mercy. He still invites us to come closer, to bring our questions, and to find in Him the answers our souls long for.

Thomas’s declaration, "My Lord and my God!" is one of the clearest and most beautiful confessions of faith in all Scripture. In the end, it was not proof alone that changed Thomas — it was the presence of Jesus Himself. And so it is with us. When we encounter the living Christ, our hearts are awakened, our faith is strengthened, and our lives are changed.

Today, whatever you may be facing — fear, grief, uncertainty, or doubt — remember that Jesus comes to meet you right where you are. His first words to the fearful are still the same: "Peace be with you." His Spirit is still breathing new life into those who will receive it. His wounds still speak of a love that has conquered death.

Let us open the doors of our hearts wide. Let us welcome the risen Christ into every fear, every doubt, and every closed-off place. And let us, like Thomas, fall before Him with joy and say, "My Lord and my God!" Peace be with you today, dear friends. Christ is risen indeed!