"As they sat there, the Risen Jesus was suddenly in their midst.
He said 'Peace be with you',"

John chapter 20 records straight facts about women, the disciples, the empty tomb and what Jesus did after his resurrection. It mainly gives us evidence so that we may believe the fact that Jesus rose again from the dead. To the author of this gospel, our believing the fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the most important thing. However, it's not easy for us to believe. For example, Jesus taught his disciples repeatedly about his approaching death and resurrection (Mark 8:31, 32). But they didn't understand what to think about something beyond death. So let's ask God's help, that through the gospel of John we may believe the fact that Jesus rose again from the death, for through his resurrection can we have a living hope.

1. THE EMPTY TOMB: It was Sunday morning, the first day of the week. The Jewish Sabbath is our Saturday. While it was still dark, Mary of Magdalene went to the tomb. The other gospels tell us that several women went to the tomb with Mary (Mt.28:1, Mk.16:1, Lk.29:10). John confines his story to Mary of Magdalene. The author spoke only of one woman, Mary, so that he could simplify his narrative and more effectively emphasize the fact that Jesus rose from the death.

Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross and observed the Crucifixion of Jesus. She also watched the burial of Jesus body. After his burial she went home and cried all night, not knowing why such a good man like Jesus had to be condemned and crucified. The next day, early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, she trudged sorrowfully out of the Jerusalem City gate and went to the tomb to anoint Jesus` body with spices as the _expression of her thanks to Jesus for what he had done for her. She knew about the huge stone which had been placed at the tomb's entrance, and about the Roman security guards who sat nearby. But she had no problem with these obstacles because her heart was willing.

When she got to the tomb, however, she saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. This was terrible! So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" Peter and John immediately started for the tomb. They ran. John, who must have been younger than Peter, outran him in this race, and reached the tomb first. He just looked in, and went in, and went no further perhaps out of fear. But Peter came late, looked in, and went in, and saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. Though he came later than John, Peter successfully made the final goal in, because of his abruptness. Although they saw that the tomb was empty, they could not relate this to the fact that Jesus had to rise from the dead according to the Scriptures. They went back puzzled.

2. JESUS APPEARS TO MARY OF MAGDALA: Then the disciples went back home, but Mary stood outside crying. As she bent over to look into the tomb, she saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the food. They asked her, " Woman, why are you crying?" She said, "They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put him". Then she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was a gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him". Mary's last hope was to anoint Jesus' body with spices. What a tragic thing had happened! Jesus' body had been taken away …she thought.

To Mary belongs the glory of being the first person to see the Risen

Christ. However, she couldn't see the glorious Risen Lord because of her tears. She loved Jesus because Jesus had loved her so dearly. She had been tormented by seven demons and was so ugly that no one dared to even look at her, but Jesus looked at her and loved her. Now her demons were gone, and her sins were forgiven; but her sorrow remained, because she had not yet met the Risen Christ.

"Woman," he said, "Why are you crying?" She was crying because she couldn't put spices on the dead body of Jesus, but to the Risen Christ she had nothing to cry about. Again Jesus said to her, "Mary" she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "RABBONI! (Which means Teacher)?" Jesus called her by name. He said, "Mary". Now she realized that it was Jesus, and cried out in Aramaic, "RABBONI!" Jesus told her "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." She still wanted to cling to the human Jesus and spend time with him forever. What Mary wanted was an everlasting human relationship with Jesus on the earth. But Jesus didn't so. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord! I have seen the Risen Christ". The disciples' eyes popped, but their hearts were still groping in darkness.

3. JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES: What were the disciples doing when the glorious news of the new era knocked at their door? They were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. They knew that the Jews were behind the plot to kill Jesus, and they were afraid that their turn would come next, for the high priest had been concerned about Jesus' disciples. As they sat terrified behind locked doors, they must have listened at every knock on the door. They felt like the emissaries of the Sanhedrin were coming to arrest them. They were overpowered by fear.

As they sat there, the Risen Jesus was suddenly in their midst. He said, "PEACE BE WITH YOU." This was more than an ordinary greeting. He was blessing them with the peace of God, the peace that only the Risen Jesus can give. The very word "PEACE" is sweet, yet the work for peace is hard.

In this world there can be no real peace or rest, no real joy or hope. The world is full of hatred and misunderstanding because of the power of Satan. It is a world where one thinks only in terms of his ethnic loyalty. Sadly, like in Rwanda (Africa), many of us think ourselves as a member of a certain tribe first and second as a Christian. There is an ethnocentric streak in all of us which requires the Peace of Jesus to overcome. Does it not say, that in Christ there is no Jew nor Greek, bond nor free-all one in Christ?

Let us look at the hills areas of Manipur. It is a "Christian Dom." But do the so called Christians live in Christianity and Christian ideology. If there is one word which stands for Christianity, it is "PEACE", the peace of Jesus. Is there Peace in our families?

Is there Peace in our societies? Do you sleep peacefully and wake up without hearing the sound of "BOOM! BOOM! We live in a world of tit for tat and teeth for teeth. We thirst for blood. The demon of Communalism or should we call it "TRIBALISM" has broken down the hedge of our Peace. We are torn in pieces. We are not free to move wherever we want. All division tends to destruction and ultimately self-destruction.

The disciples saw the Risen Christ. The power of death disappeared from their hearts. When they heard "PEACE BE WITH YOU" the Peace of God was overflowing from their hearts. When Jesus commissioned his disciples, he did not give them intellectual advice, nor did he give them Gun shooting or Karate training. He gave them only the Holy Spirit. Thus, when the Holy Spirit comes, we can go out to spread the good news of salvation. Jesus said, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." The main point of this verse is that disciples must proclaim the forgiveness of sins through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

4. JESUS APPEARS TO THOMAS: Doubt is another spiritual problem of man. Now Thomas one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. When the other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he declared, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hand into his side, I will not believe it." Thomas was a man of unbelief. He wanted a scientific explanation about Jesus` resurrection. Jesus visited them to see Thomas. Jesus did not rebuke him for his doubts and unbelief. The Risen Christ who would go back to the Father soon to sit on his glorious throne said to Thomas "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side." As soon as Thomas saw the wounds and scars in his hands and side, he said to him, "My Lord and my God!" This doubter, Thomas, looked at the wounds and scars in his hands and side and could see the Holy God in the Risen Jesus. He made a confession of faith, "My Lord and my God! You are my Lord who saved me from my sins!"

Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed". Thomas was blessed because he had seen the Risen Jesus and believed. After he had seen the Risen Jesus, he could enter the realm of faith and the spiritual world. He could understand the meaning of his death and resurrection, as well as the promise of his kingdom. John's gospel is written not as a collection of knowledge about Jesus, but so that the reader may believe and have eternal life.

In conclusion, to have faith in the resurrection of Jesus is important because the resurrection of Jesus is the prelude of the resurrection of all mankind. In addition to this, we can get practical benefit by believing in the resurrection of Christ. Men can overcome the problem of fear, doubt or hatred.

On this victorious occasion of the Lord's resurrection day, let us have self-examination. Are we worthy to be called the followers of Jesus Christ? Christ Rose Again with the power of resurrection. What does this day mean to you? The gospel never works where the apple of conflict grows. Do you need to seek Peace with others? Before we can make Peace with or among others, we must first cultivate Peaceable-mindedness. Before we can be providers of Peace, must we be, first of all, a lover of Peace. But to be a lover of Peace, you and I have to pay a price for it. What is demanded of a true Christian is an uncompromising commitment to the ministry of Peace where no TRIBALISM and CASTISM have any place.