What happened on the first Easter morning absolutely changed the course of history forever and it changed my life completely. I hope it has changed your life too. Something amazing also happened on the first Easter afternoon.
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19
The disciples were confused and afraid. They were letting fear control their actions and they were isolating themselves, barring themselves in from the world, so to speak. What they had known for the last few years as constant had seemed to change overnight. Jesus didn’t let any of that stop Him. None of their doubts intimidated Him. He didn’t let any locked door stop Him from meeting them right in the midst of their fear and speaking, “Peace be with you.”
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” John 20:20-21
He was compassionate and loving but He wouldn’t let them stay in their comfort zones, shut in that room, for long. He had bigger plans for their lives than they could even comprehend. His power, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that would come upon them, would take those men, hiding for their lives, and transform them into arguably, the bravest and boldest people of their time, not afraid to proclaim His name, even if it meant dying for it. Jesus’s love makes us brave. He meets us right in the midst of our fear but He doesn’t let us stay that way.
Does that mean that Peter and John and all the rest of the disciples were never afraid again? No, they still experienced normal human emotions just like anyone else. They still prayed for boldness in the face of persecution. But fear didn’t rule their lives anymore. With God’s love reining in their hearts and His Spirit dwelling within them now, things would be changed forever.
God’s specialty is taking fearful, broken hearts and transforming them into courageous, bold hearts, equipped with His power. He took Peter, who denied Christ because he was afraid of the possible punishment or consequences that would come if he was identified with Him and transformed him into someone who spoke and preached with authority and boldness, regardless of whatever opposition he faced. He even eventually gave up his life for the sake of the Gospel. The other disciples had similar circumstances as they spread the Gospel message and started churches. Nothing could stop the power of God working through them.
No door of fear is too heavy or too tightly closed to keep Jesus from coming in and changing everything. Whatever is keeping you locked in, and from living out your God given calling is no match for the Savior. His love breaks down all the walls and sets the captives free.
I’ve seen Him do it with my anxiety, depression, and fearfullness, and you can see Him do it with whatever it is that’s keeping you closed in too. I know because I’ve experienced it first hand. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” That might sound cliche but once you’ve experienced it, clicheness will be the farthest thing from the truth.
Where light is in a specific spot, there cannot be a shadow or any form of darkness in the same spot. Similarly when the Holy Spirit is reigning supreme in and shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts, fear is going to have to eventually give way.
I’m guessing that one of the main reasons that the disciples were afraid was because they felt alone. They didn’t understand what was happening yet even through Jesus had told them about it previously. They probably felt like without Him there with them, everything had changed. When He rose from the dead however, and came back to them and then sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in them forever, they would never be alone anymore. They had power and purpose given to them and knowing that they were never alone changed everything.
God never promises that our lives will be immune from difficulties but He does promise to be with us always, to never leave us or forsake us, and that nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, can separate us from the love of Christ. When we know that He loves us like that — that He knows the number of all the hairs on our head, that He’s never not watching, that Jesus is interceding for us constantly at the right hand of the Father — and when we start to grasp the kind of love that He has for us every second and the way He’s guiding our steps, even through the hard areas of of lives, the fear is no match for His love.