April 15, 2024

Gospel acc. to John 20, 19 + 20

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked in fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and greeted them: ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were overjoyed when they recognized the Lord.

Dear Readers,

have you ever been so lonely and full of fear that you locked yourself away and kept the doors closed somewhere? Jesus' disciples hoped that nobody would find them. They had the doors shut and kept them tight! Their Lord and Master was executed on the cross and then buried. He was dead! Everything in these men had left them: all courage, all joy, all hope.

However, suddenly, and unexpectedly, the risen Christ returns into their lives. He is not a burglar who breaks down the door by force to come to his disciples. No, he simply stands in their midst. He greets them and speaks to them of his peace. He shows them the wounds on his hands through which nails had been driven. He shows them the wound on his side that was inflicted by a Roman soldier. There is no doubt about it: the man standing before them is the risen Christ. He is Jesus who died on the cross of Golgotha. Jesus Christ is truly alive. He, lives eternally.

This experience brings back happiness to the disciples. Jesus opens their hearts and fills them with joy again. He releases them out of all fear and loneliness. His divine peace now fills their hearts.

Today's stamp shows an old key (the four letters CEPT are the abbreviation for „European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations “). For me, this key has become a symbol of the peace that Jesus brings. Where the risen Christ is, there is also his peace. Living spaces no longer remain closed, but his peace re -opens them. Where Jesus Christ shows us his peace, people regain access to their fellow human beings. Peace returns into their relationships. 

The Lord Jesus Christ himself is our peace. He is the Prince of Peace announced by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah, chapter 9). Jesus is the key to peace. We find peace when Jesus comes into our midst. We feel the inner peace when Jesus Christ touches our hearts. Shouldn´t we pray for this? Yes please, let's pray for it!

I hope that your heart is filled with great joy at the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I hope that all your fears will disappear, and that the peace of God will fill your heart and your thoughts. I hope that those responsible in politics and society will once again focus on Jesus Christ and place Jesus, the Prince of Peace, at the center of their decisions. 

Thank you very much for listening to me. I cordially invite you to the next devotion on May 1st. Until then, I wish you God's blessing and protection in spirit, soul, and body through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This text was translated using DeepL (free version), edited by R. Jordan