The Pursuing Passion of Our Risen LordSample

God Pursuing Us in Our Fear

Three years of ministry with Jesus has now become a nightmare for His disciples. They are afraid to go out because of the fear of the Jewish leaders who were ready to frame them and put them in prison or even kill them. It's not easy anymore for them. They were confident to bring down from heaven fire and manage the crowd when they were feeding 5000. All this has disappeared. They are now curled up in fear. They do not know what to do. And while this was happening, they heard Mary declaring that she had seen the Lord. It didn't sound logical at all to the disciples. The Bible says it actually sounded like nonsense to them. Now why? Their eyes are still filled with those images of brutality that happened to Jesus on the cross. And they can't imagine Him coming back to life again. But as we read in John 20:19 - 23, on the evening of the first day of the week when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you’. After He said this, He showed them His hand and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. He knew their fear. Their minds were, of course, crowded but Jesus was pursuing them in their fear. Yet what we see here is that Jesus was not condemning them for their fear.

We know of situations where they were afraid, for instance when Jesus was taking them in the boat and there was a storm around them causing the boat to begin to sink, we read that Jesus was resting on a cushion. When they woke him up and asked him, ‘Don't you care for us?’, what did Jesus say? Jesus looked at them and said, ‘Oh you of little faith’. He was upset that they don't have faith. But here, after Jesus is risen, He's not really upset. He understood their fear and He came and shared the good news of His presence. And He declared peace upon their life. He said, “Peace be with you”. In other words, “don't be afraid anymore. I am risen. I am the resurrected Lord. I am with you to give you the needed peace. And this peace surpasses all understanding.” Circumstances have not changed. They are in a terrible situation. They are in a worrisome situation. But Jesus is promising them His presence and His peace.

This is the God whom we serve, my dear friends. He pursues us in our fear. He doesn't condemn us for our fear, but rather His presence becomes a solace in our fear. And so as a God who pursues us in our fear, may I encourage you, if you are in a similar situation of fear or of anguish about your future, I want you to be assured through His Word that His presence is with you and His peace is for you as he pursues us for His glory and his purposes. Amen.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for assuring me today that you pursue me in my fears. You are always by my side and helping me overcome my fears by filling me instead with peace by the power of your perfect love. In Jesus' name, amen.