Disciples in a Locked Room

In John 20, we read of Jesus coming to His apostles in a locked room. Again, we are thinking

about recognizing Jesus when we least expect it. The disciples in this case are locked in a

room to keep the Pharisees out. They know something happened at the tomb, but they are not

sure what. Certainly they did not expect Jesus to materialize in their midst.

Think about it. One minute they are secretly meeting together in a locked room and the next

Jesus is standing there with them. How did He get in? Where did He come from? Is He a

ghost? You can imagine how scared and amazed those men might be. While Jesus may

surprise us with His presence, He gets us. His first words to His followers was, “peace be with

you.” (vs 19) Peace is what the Apostles needed and that is what Jesus offers. He then

showed them His wounds to prove it was the “real” Him. What kind of evidence do we need to

know it is Jesus speaking to us?

I understand you may be tired of hearing about Lori Vallow Daybell, but she is in the news again

as she did another interview with a reporter. I mention this because Lori thinks God spoke

directly to her and asked her to be His sword in this world. She believes she talks with Jesus

every day and tries to follow His guidance. Now the fact that she has been convicted of four

murders and one attempted murder does not seem to resonate with her. She is following the

voice of God, or is she? That may be many people’s issue in our world as they listen for the

voice of Jesus in their lives. What is He saying? You are special? You have a special mission?

Kill people? Of course, we know God asks His followers to love and not kill others. So, what to

think? How does God guide us today and how should we follow Him? Let me tell you about a

person of faith who asked for a purpose from God.

Do you know the story of Bethany Hamilton? You may have seen the movie Soul Surfer, a

biopic about her life. You see, Bethany was a young Christian teenager who loved to surf.

When she was 13, a shark bit off her arm. What would your response be to that tragic incident?

How would you feel if you trusted God, and yet, He let a shark bite your arm off? Bethany has

turned this incident into a testimony about God. She is a professional surfer (yes, with one

arm), and a mother of three. She actually married a Christian youth minister. Bethany inspires

others with her faith and determination to not be a victim and follow God wherever He leads.

Has Jesus come into your locked room and given you peace? Has He shown you His wounds

to help you forget yours? I want to say that we should expect Jesus when we least expect His

presence, but that doesn’t make sense. He comes in His own time often just when we need

Him. And, like it or not, we are often called to be His witnesses in unusual ways. I would call

Lori the anti-witness for God. She acts in ways that are contrary to the love we read about in

our Bibles and then justifies her actions (or denies them) based on her delusions. What do

people in the world think about Christians when they hear her story? I imagine they want

nothing to do with her God of death and destruction. Bethany, on the other hand, inspires

people to overcome their weaknesses with faith. She gives them an example to follow in the

dark times of their lives based on her faith in God. Each of us is called to follow Jesus with peace

and faith in His will for our lives.

Let’s listen to His call and remember God is with us in our locked room offering eternal peace.

First Christian Church Breckenridge, Texas