Evening Reading for December 4 John 20:19-23 Suggested further reading: Mark 1:35-39 Our Lord proceeds to tell the disciples the work which he now wished them to do, but in general terms. He meant to send them forth into the world to be his ministers, messengers and witnesses, even as the Father had sent him into the world to be his messenger and witness (Heb. 3:1; John 18:37). As he had gone up and down preaching the gospel, testifying against the evil of the world and proclaiming rest and peace to the heavy laden, so he intended them to go up and down, as soon as he had ascended up into heaven. In short, he at once prepared their minds for the work which was before them. They were to dismiss from their minds the idea that the day of ease and reward had come, now that their Master had risen and was with them once more. So far from that being the case, their real work was now to begin. He himself was about to leave the world and he meant them to take his place. And one purpose for which he appeared among them was to give them their commission. The repetition of the salutation, `Peace be unto you, is very noteworthy. I cannot doubt that it was specially intended to cheer and comfort and animate the disciples. Glad as they doubtless were to see the Lord, we may easily believe that they were frightened and overcome by a mixture of feelings, and the more so when they remembered how they had behaved when they had last seen their Lord. Jesus read the condition of their hearts and mercifully made assurance doubly sure by repeating the gracious words: `Peace be unto you. As Joseph said to Pharaoh, `The thing was doubled, in order to make it sure and prevent the possibility of mistake. Augustine says, `The iteration is confirmation. It is the peace upon peace promised by the prophet (Isa. 57:19). For meditation: `God only had one Son and he made him a preacher.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 19:21:05 +0000
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