Scripture Reading for this Easter Morning
The Gospel of John, Chapter 20 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. And so she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him." Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they were going to the tomb. And the two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter, and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth, which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb entered then also, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beheld two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around, and beheld Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren, and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained." But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing." Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. 

John 20:19, When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
 	Today, as we celebrate Easter, the day of the remembrance of the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, it is appropriate to consider the first words that he spoke to His gathered disciples after coming to them in the locked room of their hiding place.… Peace be with you. While this is considered in terms of a general greeting, it holds a greater significance than that within the reality of Jesus Christ, alive and glorified. According to Strong’s Concordance, first, this expression of peace is a verb – to join one. The definition then proceeds as peace, quietness, rest, and then the verb variation, set at one again. 
	In this context, we can see the multifaceted reason for this greeting. First, as the disciples were afraid that the Jews were going to crucify them as well, they were in fear for their lives. That is why the door was locked. Christ, in revealing Himself to them, was bringing to them peace from their fears and anxiety of death. The peace of God brings forth the realization of safety in Him. He has all things well in hand and His people can find rest from their fears in Him. King David knew this peace. Ps 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety. We are safe in the Hands of God, and Jesus was reminding His disciples of this truth. In His crucifixion, Jesus Christ completely satisfied the just sentence of death that was upon all of us. And, in His victorious resurrection, Christ forever overcame the power of death for those who believe upon Him. 
	As well, we see this peace on another level as we consider Gideon, and his obedience to do that which God required of Him. Judg 6:22+23 When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face." And the Lord said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." Please remember, that only a handful of men had ever seen the Angel of the Lord and lived. Because of this, Gideon feared that he would be put to death. Yet the Lord, in His tender kindness and loving mercy, spoke peace to Gideon which encouraged him and took away his fear of death. Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die. What comforting words to settle the heart in the one who hears them!
	Returning then, to our text, consider the hearts of the disciples as they were gathered together. They suddenly found themselves in the presence of the One Who had been slain, but was now alive. They realized that they were in the very presence of God’s Son, and there must have been that deep seated fear of the just sentence of the Lord. Christ, in His Love and Mercy and Grace, was giving them the encouragement that they did not have to fear death before God’s Holiness any longer. Rather, they were now at peace with God.
	This is the fulfillment of the promise of God that had been given to Abraham. All that had been sought by the people of Israel, over all those centuries, is now accomplished in the fact that Christ’s death and resurrection has established peace between God and man. 
Consider but one of the many prophesies of this truth as Zacharias’s tongue was loosed at the circumcision of his son, John, later called John the Baptist. Luke 1:67-79 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant —  As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old —  Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace." John was sent to prepare the way for the Lord, to declare the salvation of God, the way of peace. In Jesus Christ, we are guided into the only way of God’s peace, the living relationship of oneness with God in His Beloved Son. He is the light by whom the shadow of death is vanquished for all of eternity to those who come into His guidance of peace with God. 
	As well as the prophets and their prophecies, angels were sent to proclaim His peace. As we often read at Christmas, the angels heralded His birth to the shepherds in Luke 2:10-14 And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." … on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. 
Even in His physical birth, Jesus is eternally linked with peace, with being the Only One by Whom man can receive peace from God. He is the only manner of reconciliation with God and it is in Him that we have peace, not only with God, but peace from the heart of God, and peace in the very presence of God. We are brought into the rest that can only be found in Him. We cease from our struggle and strife and worry and know that God loves us and in that love we have nothing to fear. 
Additionally, it is in Christ, through the effective work of the Holy Spirit that we are not only the recipients of God’s peace, but the expression of the peace of Christ unto others. Listen to Our Lord as He sent forth His disciples to declare the Gospel of peace with God. Luke 10:2-6, And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. "Go your ways; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. "Carry no purse, no bag, no shoes; and greet no one on the way. "And whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.' "And if a man of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. 
Wherever we are, there should be the evidence of the peace of God in action. We become a calming influence in the midst of turmoil and strife because we bring Christ’s peace to bear upon the situation. We in nowise control, nor do we distribute His peace, only the Holy Spirit has that power and ability. We simply obey His guidance and give expression to our complete trust in God, no matter how small or large the details. We encourage complete acceptance of God’s peace to reign in the lives of all concerned and we stand on their behalf before the throne of God’s grace for their sake. Simply our presence should speak peace, because where we are, there Christ is present.
The Apostle Paul deals with this encouragement as children of God and partakers of Christ’s peace in Rom 8:5+6, For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace… the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace… As we seek after the Lord to establish His peace, His life, His will in our lives, we become more and more centered in that which will bring honor and glory to His name. Our entire focus of being is found, no longer in our selfish desires and goals, but in Him being glorified in these lives that we live. In that truth, we will always, always find the peace of God reigning from within our hearts and minds and souls. We will find His active life flooding every aspect of our being and will rest in His grace and mercy and faithfulness. That is the peace of God in action, today, not in the great by and by. Today we live in Him! Today we know that His peace is our peace on this earth.
	Please note, the expression of God’s peace is not just for our sake individually, but for the sake of the entire body of believers. The peace of God should be the characteristic manner in which we deal with all, especially the other members of our family, of our fellowship. His peace is the expression of the faith that we are now part of the kingdom of God and fully under the work of the Holy Spirit in our obedience to Him. Rom 14:17-19 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 
	In line with this, just as Christ greeted His disciples with the expression that they would be blessed with God’s peace, so are we to hold that desire within our hearts, one with another. The Apostle Paul could not contain this heart after God and greets the readers of his letters with his oft cited benediction as in Gal 1:3, Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ… We should hold within our hearts the constant prayer that those whom we know are all the full recipients of God’s grace and peace in Jesus Christ. As we fellowship together, it should be with the earnest prayer that God will cover that entire gathering with His grace and peace. We should have this heart as we are dealing with one another, with anyone, and at all times. There is never a time or place which we encounter that is outside the realm of our heart’s desire for God’s grace and peace to reign. Know this reality, not just on Sunday with the fellowship, and not just within our homes and family gatherings. Know His active grace and peace at work, at school, at play, at the store, and even as we deal with all the assorted people on the phone. In each place and person, we should pray for God’s grace and peace to overwhelm and establish the resurrection life of Jesus Christ. 
	That is to be the natural course of our lives, as the Apostle Paul indicates in Gal 5:22+23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. The fruit of the Spirit should be expressed, not just consciously in dealing with others, but instinctively, as the natural course of our walk on this earth. We are indwelled by God’s Holy Spirit. We have His Word to read and to obey. We are covered in Christ’s righteousness and are enabled to stand before the very throne of God in Him. Because of these glorious truths, we are to be characterized, every moment of our day and night by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, these godly attributes. These should be the natural manner in which we are seen by others and by God. They should be our very nature and the normal conduct of our lives. 
	And, lest we think that this is impossible, please consider 2 Thess 3:16, Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! Notice the two key phrases, may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace… and that peace is to be evident …in every circumstance. Whatever excuse we try to make to justify our disobedience is set aside and nullified by this truth. Sure, we may not be able to treat everyone in peace, but we are not the ones who are to do so. It is Christ in us, living forth His peace that is to find expression from within us. God will always express perfect peace because His is the Lord of peace. God’s promise is that He will grant that peace to us. He will do it. What we need to do is simply, very simply, obey. The Holy Spirit is exceedingly faithful to register within our hearts exactly what we should do in every circumstance. There is never a time that He does not show His will as we live on this earth. When we obey, we are at peace; we recognize that His hand is in action and that He is indwelling us with His peace. 
	If, however, we choose not to obey, we will never have peace in any decision. We will find turmoil and unrest and even feel a separation from God, not that we can be separated. However, when we are disobedient, in our hearts we will sense that we have closed our ears to Him and that should cause us to be disturbed and regretful of that disobedience. To know God’s peace is to obey Him. No obedience, no peace. It doesn’t matter how much we argue, how much we justify, how much we do to try to make it right, we will not have peace, if we do not obey. And, thank God, we will know that peace instantly when we turn our hearts back to Him in obedience. As we earnestly confess, which means to come into agreement with Him, we know His peace at work within us and within others around us.
	Finally, the last portion of 2 Thess 3:16…in every circumstance… There is not a single area of our lives that can stand against the peace of God. In every situation, no matter how seemingly impossible, God’s peace will reign, if we seek and obey Him. His peace will flood the worst disaster, the greatest dilemma, the deepest chasm of our lives, as we turn our hearts to Him and ask Him to cover it with His Grace and Mercy and Peace. We find that we are without any excuse not to obey Him and to know His peace, no matter what the road, the trial, the tribulation, the circumstance, or the test. God’s peace will reign supremely in our lives if that is our heart’s desire unto Him.
All of these elements are contained in Christ’s greeting, Peace be with you." He greeted His disciples with peace and He grants that peace into us daily. No fear of death, no fear of separation from God, no anguish or worry about the future. His peace, His wonderful greeting and promise of peace, rests in the power of His glorious and victorious resurrection. Because He lives, today, tomorrow, and forever, we not only have peace with God, but peace with one another, and peace with ourselves in Jesus Christ Our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen. 
When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." Amen

The Easter greeting that we hold for all is fully contained in the words and the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Peace be with you… Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. Because we believe by faith, the truth of the salvation of God in Jesus Christ, the Lord’s blessing is upon all of us. May His blessing find complete and accurate expression as we are gathered together with family and friends in celebration of His resurrection life. Amen

Benediction Dan 4:1-3 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all the peoples, nations, and men of every language that live in all the earth: "May your peace abound! "It has seemed good to me to declare the signs and wonders which the Most High God has done for me. "How great are His signs, And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to generation. Amen