The tomb was empty. The women had come and told the apostles this. We read that John and Peter ran to the tomb to see for themselves. Did others come? We don’t know. Those that ran did confirm the tomb was empty. Mary stood outside talking to who she thought was a gardener until she realized it was Jesus as He spoke to her. Jesus was alive! The tomb was empty!
All of this should have been cause for celebration. As we read on in the account recorded by John, we find out that wasn’t the case. The apostles, minus two,
were hiding behind a locked door. Judas, who had betrayed Jesus and took his own life was not there. And for reasons we don’t know, Thomas was also absent that evening. But there was no party to celebrate the risen Lord going on. They were hunkering down so they wouldn’t be the next ones arrested and possibly impaled upon a stake.
We are told that the doors were locked out of fear (John 20:19-20). What could, what would a knock at the door bring? Jewish religious leaders now coming for Jesus’ followers? Or worse, Roman soldiers to rid the land of the followers of this man from Nazareth, who had turned the city upside down with His teachings and claim to be a king. The lock would hopefully keep all that on the other side of the door.
There wasn’t a knock, there was Jesus suddenly standing among them. Like the stone rolled in front of the tomb, the locked door could not keep Him out. As He stands there, the words He speaks to this frightened gathering of those who had spent so much time with Him were simple and comforting, “Peace be with you.” It was a peace they could not get from a lock on a door.
Most of us lock our doors every night. Our reasons for this are similar to those on the evening that Jesus rose from the grave: safety, self- preservation, keeping potential harm on the other side of the door. It is a cultural thing, a wise thing in the world in the times we live in and these locked doors do give us peace at night when we sleep.
Something to think about the next time you lock or unlock your door. . . peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding that Paul tells us about (Philippians 4:7). A peace that may not take away all nervousness or anxiety, but that helps as we realize this world is not our home and Jesus has overcome this world (John 16:33). Yes, we may stress at times, be anxious at times, even freak out on occasion. But no lock can keep us from the love that comes from our risen Lord, and in that we can have peace.
Still locking my doors at night,
Randy