Let's Go Back to the Bible

Jesus went back to those guys

In the closing hours of Jesus’ life, His closest friends argued in His very presence about “which of them should be considered the greatest” (Luke 22:24), they slept repeatedly while He was deeply distressed (Matt. 26:36-43), they “all…forsook Him and fled” (Matt. 26:56), and one of His very dear friends even invoked a curse and swore vehemently that he did not even know Jesus (Mark 14:71). Do you think Jesus was hurt by their insensitive and self-absorbed behavior? If He had an opportunity to be around them again, do you think He’d take it?

On the very day that He was raised from the dead (He didn’t wait a few days or weeks for things to cool off), Jesus went to the very place where these friends were gathered together. Do you think He told them off? No! Instead, He said to them (twice in one day and then again the next Sunday), “Peace to you” (John 20:19, 21, 26). Jesus didn’t want discord; He wanted peace!

Has someone hurt you? Have you hurt someone? Are you happy with discord? Or, have you extended peace (cf. Rom. 12:18)?