April 23 Devotion - Peace be with you

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

وَلَمَّا حَلَّ مَسَاءُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، وَهُوَ الْيَوْمُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الأُسْبُوعِ، كَانَ التَّلاَمِيذُ مُجْتَمِعِينَ فِي بَيْتٍ أَغْلَقُوا أَبْوَابَهُ خَوْفاً مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، وَإِذَا يَسُوعُ يَحْضُرُ وَسْطَهُمْ قَائِلاً:

«سَلاَمٌ لَكُمْ!» 

 ²⁰ وَإِذْ قَالَ هَذَا، أَرَاهُمْ يَدَيْهِ وَجَنْبَهُ، فَفَرِحَ التَّلاَمِيذُ إِذْ أَبْصَرُوا الرَّبَّ.

John 20:19- 20

Not until the first day of the week had passed—in the evening—did Christ appear among the disciples as a group to establish their faith in His resurrection. Until then—all through that heartbreaking Sunday—the disciples doubted and were afraid. When it finally dawned upon them that Christ was alive, they "were overjoyed". That was a time of supreme rejoicing!
On this occasion Jesus opened the minds of these beloved men that they might understand the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things.”

 وَقَالَ لَهُمْ

: «هَكَذَا قَدْ كُتِبَ، وَهَكَذَا كَانَ لاَبُدَّ أَنْ يَتَأَلَّمَ الْمَسِيحُ وَيَقُومَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأَمْوَاتِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ،

 ⁴⁷ وَأَنْ يُبَشَّرَ بِاسْمِهِ بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَغُفْرَانِ الْخَطَايَا فِي جَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ انْطِلاَقاً مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

 ⁴⁸ وَأَنْتُمْ شُهُودٌ عَلَى هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ.

Luke 24:46-48

From now on let us rejoice in the Lord, keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Apostle Paul was able to say rejoice in The Lord always because he focused on Jesus not on all the troubles he had.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father thank You God for Jesus, His death and resurrection. Teach me Jesus to rejoice in Your peace and to keep my mind, eyes and thoughts on You. Bless me Lord with the ability to rejoice in You always. LORD, I pray that out of Your  glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can always declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour and Jesus may continue to dwell in my heart through faith. Lord I submit to Your wisdom in all things. Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Ephesians 3:20-21. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein