John 20:19 Commentary and Bible Study

The resurrection was the proof of the fulfilment of Christ’s mission. Christ has now appeared first to Mary, then the other women, then fleetingly to Peter as an individual, now to ten disciples. Judas Iscariot is not there of course, and Thomas is not there, for reasons that are given later. So there are ten disciples.This remarkable appearance of Christ is a demonstration of his mighty power, and he appears in his glorified body. He just appears in their midst and they know the doors are locked and yet they see him with their own eyes. It is a kind of physical, glorified, real body, and yet he does not need to open doors, he appears. They are astonished and amazed, but they had been prepared for it. The women, so excited, had said: We have seen the Lord. Peter had warned them: I have seen the Lord. Two of them had seen the empty tomb. They heard the warning: I am not returning, this is an appearance, I have yet to ascend. In future, it will be a relationship of faith. We see how the Lord prepares them, and now he comes.They needed that preparation; they needed to be made to think. The resurrection is not just a wonder, it is something with meaning. There is still unbelief. No one has ever heard of a resurrection. There is going to be one at the very end of time, a general one, but it is easy to believe in things that are going to happen one day at the end of time. To understand that he would be raised physically before their eyes, that stretched their faith too much. So they were prepared, and now he comes and they are astonished.Luke tells us they were frightened, very frightened. But he spoke to them, and these are the words – ‘Peace,’ reconciliation, peace – such significant words. The purpose of the resurrection is fundamentally to demonstrate to the disciples and to all believers that Calvary was totally successful, that the mission of reconciliation has been accomplished, that all sin of God’s people has been borne away, nothing left out. ‘Peace, reconciliation be yours and your possession.’ Of course, it confirms the divinity of Christ and we make a great thing about that. And sometimes people make too much of that as though the only purpose of the resurrection is that it proves divinity. Yes, but it proves the complete and utter success of Calvary, that Christ’s perfect offering of righteousness was all-sufficient to earn Heaven for his disciples, and his death on Calvary and the shedding of his atoning blood was sufficient to atone for all our sin. Resurrection by his own power and also by the Father’s endorsement signals that the Father has said, it is perfect, it is done, it is accomplished, it is achieved everything. ‘Peace be unto you.’