John 20:21
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
John 20:21 NIV
Read the Context: John 20 NIV
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Footnotes
John 20:24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.
John 20:31 Or may continue to believe
Devotional
Imagine the scene in John 20. The disciples are gathered behind locked doors. They have witnessed the death of Jesus, and fear has taken hold of their hearts. They are uncertain about the future and unsure of what comes next.
Then Jesus appears among them.
His first words are words of peace. He shows them His hands and His side, assuring them that the One standing before them is their risen Lord. Their fear turns into joy.
But Jesus does not stop with comforting them. He gives them a commission: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Jesus brings them peace, but He also gives them a purpose.
That same pattern matters for us today. Jesus meets us in our fears, strengthens us in our weakness, and reminds us that we do not face life alone. But His presence is not simply intended to make us comfortable. His presence prepares us to carry His love into a world that desperately needs it.
Notice that Jesus connects their mission to the Holy Spirit. He breathes on them and tells them to receive the Spirit. The mission would require more than their own courage, wisdom, or strength. They would need God's presence working in and through them.
We often want God to remove everything that makes us uncomfortable before we step out in faith. We want confidence before we speak, certainty before we act, and courage before we take the first step.
But sometimes courage grows as we obey.
You may feel nervous about inviting someone to church, sharing your testimony, or offering to pray with a friend. You do not have to be fearless. You simply need to trust the One who sends you.
Jesus doesn't just give us peace only to enjoy peace. He gives us peace that equips us to go.
Put It Into Practice
Reflection Question
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my fear and speaking peace into my life. Thank You that You do not call me to follow You and then leave me to do everything in my own strength. Holy Spirit, fill me with courage, wisdom, and compassion. Help me move beyond my comfort zone and represent Jesus faithfully wherever I go. May the peace You have given me become a source of hope for someone else. In Jesus' name, amen.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Footnotes
John 20:24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.
John 20:31 Or may continue to believe
Devotional
Imagine the scene in John 20. The disciples are gathered behind locked doors. They have witnessed the death of Jesus, and fear has taken hold of their hearts. They are uncertain about the future and unsure of what comes next.
Then Jesus appears among them.
His first words are words of peace. He shows them His hands and His side, assuring them that the One standing before them is their risen Lord. Their fear turns into joy.
But Jesus does not stop with comforting them. He gives them a commission: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Jesus brings them peace, but He also gives them a purpose.
That same pattern matters for us today. Jesus meets us in our fears, strengthens us in our weakness, and reminds us that we do not face life alone. But His presence is not simply intended to make us comfortable. His presence prepares us to carry His love into a world that desperately needs it.
Notice that Jesus connects their mission to the Holy Spirit. He breathes on them and tells them to receive the Spirit. The mission would require more than their own courage, wisdom, or strength. They would need God's presence working in and through them.
We often want God to remove everything that makes us uncomfortable before we step out in faith. We want confidence before we speak, certainty before we act, and courage before we take the first step.
But sometimes courage grows as we obey.
You may feel nervous about inviting someone to church, sharing your testimony, or offering to pray with a friend. You do not have to be fearless. You simply need to trust the One who sends you.
Jesus doesn't just give us peace only to enjoy peace. He gives us peace that equips us to go.
Put It Into Practice
- Identify one fear that keeps you from sharing your faith. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage to take one small step beyond your comfort zone.
- Encourage someone today by sharing how Jesus has given you hope or peace.
- One Person. Five Days of Prayer. One Step of Faith. Ask God to put one person on your heart who needs to experience the love and hope of Jesus. Pray for them every day over the next 5 days. Look and listen for ways God is prompting you to reach out. Remember, the goal is not to pressure someone into a decision. It is to faithfully love them, pray for them, and create opportunities for them to encounter Jesus.
Reflection Question
- Am I allowing fear to keep me behind locked doors when Jesus is calling me to step out in faith?
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for meeting me in my fear and speaking peace into my life. Thank You that You do not call me to follow You and then leave me to do everything in my own strength. Holy Spirit, fill me with courage, wisdom, and compassion. Help me move beyond my comfort zone and represent Jesus faithfully wherever I go. May the peace You have given me become a source of hope for someone else. In Jesus' name, amen.
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