From Fear to Courage (20:19-25) - Part 1 of 2

​THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION.

As the news of Jesus’ life began to circulate among his followers, at first hesitantly, then with enthusiasm. His disciples didn’t even believe the first reports, and Thomas wanted proof. But wherever people confronted the reality of His resurrection, they experienced a change in their lives. In fact, you can experience that same transformation today. As you see in John 20:19-31, the changes that took place in the lives of people, ask yourself, “Have I met the risen Christ? Has He altered my life?”

From Fear to Courage (20:19-25)

Our Lord was laid in the tomb on the Sabbath and rose again from the dead on the first day of the week. Sunday is called by many the “Christian Sabbath,” but Sunday is not the Sabbath day. The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, commemorates God’s finished work of creation (Gen. 2:1–3). The Lord’s Day commemorates the completed work of redemption of Christ, the “new creation.” God the Father labored six days and then rested. God the Son suffered six hours on the cross and then rested.

God gave Israel the Sabbath as a special “sign” that they belonged to Him (Ex. 20:8–11; 31:13–17; Neh. 9:14). The nation was to have that day for physical rest and refreshment for man and beast, but for Israel, it was not commanded as a special day of assembly and worship. But the scribes and the Pharisees put all kinds of restrictions on the Sabbath observance until it became a day of bondage rather than a day of blessing. Jesus observed the Sabbath day but intentionally violated its traditions.

On that first day of the week, there were at least five resurrection appearances of our Lord: to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18), to the other women (Matt. 28:9–10), to Peter (1 Cor. 15:5; Luke 24:34), to the two Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13–32), and to the disciples without Thomas (John 20:19–25). The next Sunday the disciples met again, and Thomas was there (John 20:26–31). It appears that the believers met together on Sunday evening, the day that came to be called “the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). The early church met on the first day of the week to worship the Lord and remember His death and resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1–2).

Jesus rose from the dead after the Sabbath was over (Mark 16:1). On the first day of the week, He rose (Matt. 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). The change from the seventh to the first day was not due to a church decree but to the faith and witness of the first believers. For centuries, the Jewish Sabbath linked itself with law: six days of work, then you rest. But the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, is the day of grace. First there is faith in the living Christ, and then there will be works.

The Scriptures provide us no evidence that God ever gave the original Sabbath command to the Gentiles or that it was repeated for the church to keep. The church epistles repeat nine of the Ten Commandments, but the Sabbath commandment is not repeated. Paul is clear that believers should not use “special days” to test fellowship or spirituality (Rom. 14:5ff.; Col. 2:16–23).

How did our Lord turn the fear of His disciples into courage? For He had come unto them. We do not know where these ten frightened men met behind locked doors. Jesus came to them and reassured them. He could come into the room without opening the doors in His resurrection body! It was a physical body, for He asked them to touch Him—and He even ate some fish (Luke 24:41–43). But it was another sort of body, one not subject to what we call 'the laws of nature.'

It is an amazing thing that these men were really scared. The women had told them Jesus was alive, and the two Emmaus disciples had added their personal witness (Luke 24:33-35). Jesus probably appeared to Peter personally sometime that afternoon (Mark 16:7; Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5), although Peter’s public restoration would not occur until later (John 21). No wonder Jesus reproached them then “for their unbelief and hardness of heart” (Mark 16:14).

His first word to them was the traditional salutation, “Shalom"—peace! He might have rebuked them for their faithlessness and cowardice on the preceding Sabbath, but he did not. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us after our iniquities. (Ps. 103:10). The work of the cross is peace (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14-17), and the message they would carry would be the gospel of peace (Rom. 10:15). Man had waged war against God (Ps. 2; Acts 4:23–30), but God would declare “Peace!” to those who would believe.

Not only did Jesus come to them, but He also reassured them. He showed them His wounded hands and side, giving them the opportunity to see that it was their Master and not a phantom. The Gospels do not record wounds in His feet, but Psalm 22:16 shows that His feet were nailed to the cross as well.

However, the wounds were more than identification; they were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.” It is in the person and work of Jesus Christ that we have the ground of all our peace. He died for us; He defeated death and rose from the dead, and now He lives for us. He cannot be shut out from us in our fears! He comes to us in grace and comforts us with His word.