Shut In On Resurrection Sunday

No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve always come back home to Arkansas for Resurrection Sunday.  I couldn’t imagine NOT celebrating the day with my family.  I remember one Resurrection Sunday in particular.  I had made the decision to drive home this time instead of fly.  We were having so much fun fellowshipping after service that I didn’t want to hit the road.  My uncle said, “Am I wrong or is Houston still in Texas?  You need to go.”  I laughed and hit the open road.  Away from family.

The country and much of the world are shut down right now.  My family exchanged greetings through text and Messenger.  We celebrated our risen Savior in a new way.  We made plans for the day that self-quarantine was over.  We looked forward to a new day.  What do you do when you’re shut in on Resurrection Sunday?  My pastor had a solution for us that is found in John chapter 20.

The disciples are gathered together behind shut doors after Jesus has died and been resurrected.  They are afraid and for good reason.  They have witnessed what the Jews have done to Jesus.  They sit together and wait.  And a resurrected Jesus physically came to them without opening a door.  His presence filled their shut down situation.  Church, that’s good news!  Even though we are not gathering together physically like the disciples, Jesus can and will come into our homes.  Behind our shut doors and make His presence known.  In our attempts to keep coronavirus at bay, we must be mindful that Jesus is very present with us…no matter where we are.

Not only does Jesus make His presence known to the disciples, but He also displays His mighty power.  He shows the disciples His pierced hands and side.  Though Jesus is alive, He still has wounds that show what He endured.  The wounds that Jesus displays to the disciples are testimony to the disciples that Jesus has all power.  Satan didn’t come to scare Jesus.  He came to kill Him.  Well, his plan failed.  And the power of God is displayed each time Jesus shows a scar.  I know I’m not the only child of God that has been scarred by life.  We should take heart in our scars.  They are testimonies that Jesus still has all power in our lives.  Satan wanted us dead but actually left us with testimonies that have the power to transform lives.

Then Jesus grants the disciples peace.  We’ve already heard the story of how Jesus spoke to a raging storm and the winds and the waves obeyed.  So, imagine the feeling that flooded the disciples when Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”  The angry people were still outside of the shut doors.  That hadn’t changed.  But Jesus spoke peace to them in the midst of a shut-in situation, and it calmed their anxiety.  They experienced a new revelation of who Jesus is.  His voice and Word changed their outlook on the situation.

Jesus spoke peace to them a second time before He departed.  But not to boost the earlier peace proclamation.  His second voicing of peace was a call to action.  It was a summons to service.  Now that the disciples had peace within themselves, they were charged with sharing their peace with a dying world.  The time for being shut-in was over.  When we realize that Jesus died and was resurrected for us, it should propel us into action.  We should want everyone to experience the peace and joy that we have EVEN when we’re self-quarantining.

The disciples didn’t have internet or FaceTime.  They didn’t have Androids or iPhones, but they had the Gospel message.  They knew that Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected.  They knew that because of Jesus Christ they had new life.  And they couldn’t wait to share the Gospel.  Y’all we serve a risen Savior.  Use your time at home to share your love for Jesus with others.  While you’re away from friends and family, remember to point others towards Him.  And even after we’re able to move around, always share the good news about Jesus Christ with others so that they don’t remain shut-in.  #wepreach

Questions to chew on…and propel you to action:

• Do you wrestle with fear and anxiety? How do you handle overwhelming situations?
• What scars have you experienced in life that make you feel unworthy for service in the body of Christ? Do you realize that God wants to use all of you, scarred or not?
• When was the last time that you told someone about Jesus?
• If Jesus followed you on social media, would He be able to tell that you follow Him?