0635. Christ in the Midst Comforting

Christ in the Midst Comforting

"Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And after eight days again * * came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst" (Joh_20:19, Joh_20:26).

The two verses above bring two distinct scenes before us.

1. This is a "gathering together" on the day of our Lord’s resurrection. There had been three very sorrowful days. After the Lord was taken down from the Cross and laid away in Joseph’s new tomb, it seemed to the disciples that chaos had come again. Never was there night so dark, nor sky so beset with clouds. All joy was gone.

The first day of the week had dawned with the women early at the sepulcher. They had passed through some very exciting times. The stone they found rolled away; the two angels had given the wondrous note, "He is not here, but is risen." Mary had had a wonderful experience in accosting One Whom she thought was the gardener, but Whom she discovered to be the risen Lord, Himself. She had gone with a message to the disciples.

Now, as the shades of evening were coming on, there was a great stir in Jerusalem. The soldiers reported that the disciples had come and had stolen away the body of the Lord. The disciples were alive with joy, and yet filled with fear. They had selected an upper room for conference; and, there they were, with doors securely fastened for fear of the Jews, discussing the all-glorious news of the resurrection. Each, doubtless, in turn, was telling what had been personally experienced that eventful day.

What joy, what gladness, what new hope was theirs. The fact of the resurrection and the far-reaching meaning of it all was unfolding before them. Different words of the Master, spoken before the crucifixion came to the disciples’ minds, and new meaning was being given to them. The whole ministry of Christ seemed to them, now, to center in the very fact that the Lord was to die, and to be raised again on the third day. Dark things were made plain.

As they talked, they wondered, doubtless, whether Christ would again show Himself to them. Suddenly, as they spoke and rejoiced, yet ever and anon stopping to listen to see if the Jews were detecting their assembling–suddenly, Christ stood in the midst. He stood there saying in gentle tones: "Peace be unto you." Then He showed them His hands and His side. How glad they were. As He stood in the midst, He breathed upon them and said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

2. The 2d verse, 26, is just eight days later. The disciples are again within and "Thomas is with them." They were relating to Thomas what they had seen, particularly dwelling upon the meeting of the week before. Thomas had been full of doubts. He could not accept their statements as to the resurrection of Christ. He thought them deceived. That Christ was actually "alive again," seemed impossible to this son of doubt.

Then, again, "came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst." He urged Thomas to reach out his finger and to examine His hands, and to reach out his hand to put it into His side, and said Christ: "Be not faithless, but believing." Then Thomas said, "My Lord and my God."

What blessing is this, that again and again, our Lord comes to us in the times of our fear or of our doubts, and He says "It is I, be not afraid." It is worth the while to have Him in the midst when the enemy is on our track, or the doubts are in our mind.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR