Peace Be Unto You – The Resurrection and Our Calling
The Empty Tomb – The Beginning of Awakening
John 20:1 – Early on the first day of the week, Mary from Magdala went to the hole in the rock. It was still dark. She saw that someone had removed the big stone from the front of the hole.
The resurrection of Jesus is the turning point of history—the moment when death was defeated, and hope was restored. But before the joy, there was confusion. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb expecting sorrow, only to find emptiness.
Jesus Calls Us By Name – The Personal Encounter
John 20:14-16 – Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned towards him and she said in the Jewish language, ‘Rabboni!’ (This means ‘Teacher’.)
Jesus calls her by name, and suddenly, everything changes. The resurrection is not just a cosmic event—it is personal. It is intimate. It is transformative.
The Shift – A New Relationship With Christ
John 20:17 – Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me because I have not gone up to the Father yet. But go to my brothers, the disciples. Tell them, 'Now I will go up to my Father. He is also your Father. He is my God, and he is your God.'"
Jesus does not allow Mary to cling to Him in the old way—because something new is happening. He is ascending to the Father, and His relationship with His followers is shifting.
Peace in the Midst of Fear – The Disciples’ Awakening
John 20:19 – On the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting together. They had locked the doors of the room because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you."
The disciples are hiding in fear, but Jesus enters their locked space. His first words? "Peace be with you."
This is the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). It is not the absence of trouble but the presence of divine assurance.
The Commission – Sent With the Holy Spirit
John 20:21-22 – Then Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As my Father has sent me, I also send you." After he had said this, he breathed on them. He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
Jesus does not just comfort them—He commissions them. The resurrection is not just about victory over death; it is about sending forth His followers to continue His work.
Faith and Doubt – The Invitation to Believe
John 20:26-27 – Eight days after that, the disciples were in the house again. This time Thomas was with them. They had locked the door. But Jesus came and he stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’
Thomas, often called "Doubting Thomas," demands proof. Jesus does not rebuke him—He invites him to touch His wounds.
Conviction, Grace, and the Pursuit of Purity
We are constantly experiencing anxiety about separation from our Father, the knowledge that we will die, falling out of His favor, and the literal punishment Jesus pays for every sin we ever commit, even those we haven't committed yet.
If one sin is punishable by death, we have no chance—but with the sacrifice that He made, our awakening to the fact that we have broken the Ten Commandments, and the Holy Spirit tugging at our conscience, we are convicted to strive for the kind of purity that Jesus showed us—without lowering the bar despite our shortcomings.
Grace does not give us a license to sin; it makes us hate our sin. It awakens us to the weight of what separates us from God and compels us to turn away from it.
This turning—repentance—is not optional. It is vital to our salvation. True belief in Jesus cannot exist without a response, without a change in direction.
Repentance is the act of turning away from sin—a deliberate step, not just regret but a complete shift in heart and action toward righteousness.
Romans 3:23-24 – Everyone has done wrong things. Nobody is good enough for God. But God says that we are right with him. He has made us free because of Jesus Christ. That is his gift to us.
Grace is not necessary if we don’t understand why breaking the moral law is so important. But the Holy Spirit convicts us, not by force, but by awakening something familiar—a truth we already know deep within.
John 16:8 – When the Holy Spirit comes, he will show people that they are wrong. He will show them what is really good. He will show them how God judges people.
We are not meant to carry this weight alone. Jesus met the standard for us, but He also calls us higher.
Conclusion: The Call to Transformation
The resurrection is not just a historical event—it is an invitation.
- To recognize Jesus in the midst of our sorrow.
- To receive His peace, even when we are afraid.
- To be sent forth, carrying His message to the world.
- To believe, even when we have not seen.
- To strive for purity, knowing that grace does not lower the bar—it lifts us toward transformation.
John 20 is not just a chapter—it is a call to awakening.