Peace Be With You
Pastor Jeffrey Smith
“Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.’” John 20:29
Easter is the day that we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, the day that Jesus rose from the grave after three days. It is the day that we realize the resurrection is not just an event but a person, and His name is Jesus. Jesus is alive and today is a day to celebrate! We celebrate because the resurrection has come to meet us in the middle of where we are and deliver us there.
The resurrection finds us in:
-
Our brokenness- We can become so broken that we become blind to the truth that the Resurrection has already found us. He’s with us, but we miss it. The Lord wants to come into your brokenness and call you by name. Remember who you are in Christ and who He is to you. He has promised to never leave or forsake you.
-
Our fear- Fear is the absence of peace. We tend to be not just fearful, but live in fear, locking all the doors and shutting everyone out. The Resurrection comes in the middle of your locked doors and speaks peace over your future, your health, your finances, and over your relationships. Whatever has you fearful, He has come to speak peace over you.
-
Our doubt- When Jesus rose from the dead, one of His disciples, Thomas, was doubtful and asked to see Jesus’ scars to confirm that it was really Him. Jesus showed Thomas His scars and he believed. Jesus is not against evidence. Evidence is seeing and believing, but Jesus says we are blessed when we believe without seeing. When we are honest about our doubts and struggles, Jesus meets us there and reminds us of His presence even in the middle of our doubts.
The Resurrection doesn’t just find us, He rescues us. He has come to speak peace and rescue us in the middle of our brokenness, fear, and doubt. This is the beautiful story of the resurrection wrapped up in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the Resurrection, and on this Easter Sunday we get to celebrate the One who has come to bring hope and healing into the middle of our brokenness.
