Advent Day 16

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “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. (John 20:19-21)

Imagine you’ve been a part of an amazing movement with an inspiring leader. Everywhere you go, lives are changed. Promises you’ve heard since infancy are fulfilled. You are a part of something bigger than yourself. But what your leader is saying and doing infuriates a lot of people. So much so, in fact, that they are actively trying to take him out.

And then they do just that. All of it comes to an end. All of what you thought you were a part of comes crumbling down. All of what you thought was true appears to have been false. And now you fear they are coming for you. So what do you do? One of two things: you hide, or you fight. Either way, fear leads us away from trusting others and into relying on ourselves. And if you spend enough time relying on yourself, you know the result of that endeavor is not one of peace but chaos.

Try as we might, humans make bad saviors.

This is where the disciples find themselves. Overwhelmed by their fear, they lock themselves away. They grasp saving themselves by any means necessary.

Locked doors may keep the fear at bay for a while, but they can do nothing to hold back our Savior. And so Jesus reappears in the midst of their fear and hiding to proclaim his peace.

“Peace be with you.”

This is the same promise sung by angels at his birth, for Christ’s peace alone is not a euphemism but a reality. No matter what fear has caused you to do or say, our resurrected leader––the authority incarnate––bestows an end to the root of fear.

Your faith in Christ means fear is no longer coming from you. You don’t have to hide from it, nor do you have to fight it on your own. Our incarnate Savior has granted you his peace. Come out from your hiding place, drop your weapons, and go and live freely.

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