Peace Be With You

April 26, 2026 homily on John 20:19-23, 26 by Pastor Galen

“When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were…Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” – John 20:19

Take a Deep Breath

One of the things I’ve learned as a father is that telling a young child to “calm down” or “stop crying” usually does not work. One of my daughters, in particular, when she was little, would get into such crying fits that she would go into convulsions, gasping for breath. And the more we pleaded with her to calm down, the worse it got.

The only thing that worked was when I started taking deep breaths and invited her to take a deep breath with me. I would say, “Take a deep breath in,” and then I would breathe in and hold it for a few seconds, and then say, “Breathe out,” and we would both breathe out. We would just keep repeating this until finally the convulsions stopped and she could catch her breath, and the tears stopped streaming down.

The same practice works not just for children, but for teens and adults of any age. If you’re feeling scared, nervous, or anxious at all this morning, I invite you, right now, to take a deep breath in. Hold it for a few seconds, and then breathe out slowly. Wait a few seconds, and then breathe in deeply again, and keep repeating as needed.

Do you feel a little bit more peaceful? A little calmer after taking those deep breaths? Sometimes the first step towards feeling at peace is to take a deep breath. 

In a Locked Room

In John chapter 20, Jesus’ disciples needed to take a deep breath. They were feeling scared and anxious. It was Easter Sunday, in the evening, the same day that Jesus had risen from the grave and appeared to Mary Magdalene. That same day he appeared to two of the disciples as they were walking on the road to Emmaus.

Jesus’ disciples (with the exception of Thomas) were gathered together in a room with the doors locked. They were sad, confused, and scared. They were reeling over what had happened to Jesus just a few days prior, when he was arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death on the cross. Of course they were overjoyed by the news that Jesus had risen and that he had appeared to several of the disciples. But they were also scared that the same people who had arrested and crucified Jesus might be looking for them as well.

And so they huddled together in fear. In a room with the doors locked. Perhaps some of them were having so much anxiety that they were finding it difficult to breathe.

Even if it were true that Jesus had risen from the grave, which they wanted to believe, they knew that things would never go back to the way they had been. Jesus had told Mary Magdalene that he would be ascending to the Father, which meant that Jesus was not going to be physically present with them in the same way that he had been before his crucifixion. They were going to have to figure things out on their own, all by themselves, or so they feared.

And so their fear of living the rest of their lives on the run, as “wanted” people, was compounded by the feeling that they were going to be all alone, without Jesus there as their companion and guide.

The Peace of Christ

And so, given their state of worry and fear, it’s little wonder that the first words Jesus spoke when he appeared to them in that locked room were the words, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). Jesus didn’t reprimand them for their fear or criticize them for their worry and concern. He didn’t scold them and tell them to calm down or stop crying. Instead, he proclaimed the words that we proclaim to one another every Sunday when we gather for worship: “Peace be with you.”

And then, after saying this to them, he showed them his hands and his side, and they rejoiced when they saw that it was really him, and that he was really alive. 

But then I imagine that they must have panicked again when they thought about the fact that he would not always be with them in the flesh, as he was now. And so he said to them again, just a few verses later, “Peace be with you” (John 20:21). And then after the second time he said this, “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit…’” (John 20:22).

In delivering this proclamation of peace to his disciples, and in breathing on them and inviting them to receive the Holy Spirit, Jesus was not simply putting a Band-Aid on their pain. He was not asking them to pretend that everything was okay. Rather, he was imparting peace to them, literally giving them the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Comforter, to fill their lungs with breath, to instill a deep-seated peace within them. A peace that cannot be taken away. A peace that is different from the peace that the world promises, as Jesus said in John 14:27.

As Jesus proclaimed those words over them, “Peace be with you,” and as he breathed on them and invited them to receive the Holy Spirit, I imagine him inviting them to breathe in deeply the peace of Christ and to receive the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who would be with them to comfort them and guide them always, even when Jesus wasn’t with them in the flesh. No doubt the disciples felt a much deeper sense of peace and calm as they breathed in and received the Holy Spirit as their Comforter and guide.

But I find it interesting that exactly one week later, the disciples were again gathered together in the same house. Jesus appeared to them, as he had before. And again, he greeted them with the exact same words, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26).

No doubt this was because the worries and fears and anxieties had returned. They knew in their minds that the Holy Spirit would be with them, and that one day they would see Jesus again, but they needed Jesus to speak those words of peace over them a third time. 

Just as breathing repeated deep breathing helps to regulate our heart rate and fills our lungs with air, so too the disciples needed the repeated reminders that it would be okay, that they would not be alone, that the Holy Spirit would be with them, that Jesus had not abandoned them, and that whatever they endured in this life, the Spirit of Christ was with them.

Peace Be With You

And if the disciples needed this reminder, then certainly we need those constant reminders as well. This is one reason why every Sunday we pass the peace of Christ. It’s a needed proclamation of Christ’s peace, and a reminder of the Holy Spirit’s presence. It’s a word of grace and a proclamation of forgiveness, all wrapped up in one.

When we pass the peace, we are not merely saying hello. We are practicing resurrection. We are speaking Christ’s own words over one another: Peace be with you.

And we need that continual reminder. It’s why we gather together week after week. It’s why you tune in on the livestream even when you can’t be here in person. It’s why we send these mailings out to those of you who are not able to join us in person or online. Because the worries and fears and concerns of life creep in, and sometimes they can become so overwhelming that it’s difficult to breathe.

And so we gather together, in whatever way we can, to breathe deeply together.

We exhale our worries and fears and concerns, and we inhale the peace of Christ. 

Sometimes when we get together, we are feeling angry, and so we just need to vent our frustrations. Other times we are worried or concerned. And often we don’t need anyone to fix our problems; we just need a listening ear. We need someone who can remind us to simply breathe. This is part of the role of the church community, not to scold one another for feeling bad or tell each other to calm down or stop crying, but to proclaim the peace of Christ to one another. To remind one another to breathe in and to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

Because the worries and fears and concerns of this life do come back. Sometimes it’s recurring thoughts and fears. Sometimes it’s worries and concerns fueled by new situations and new circumstances. It may be a medical diagnosis. Uncertainty in the job market. Challenging relationships at work or school.

If Jesus needed to tell the disciples “Peace be with you” three times within the span of one week, then we should expect to need to hear those words spoken over us time and time again as well. The peace of Christ does not mean every danger disappears or every problem is solved. It means we are not alone behind the locked doors.

Through the Locked Doors

The good news is that the peace of Christ is not limited by proximity or inhibited by locked doors. Just as Jesus showed up with the disciples in the room even though the doors were locked and shut, so too the peace of Christ can penetrate the hardest of hearts, cross thousands of miles, and transcend physical distances.

I’m particularly grateful as I think about our congregation, which is in many ways dispersed. A small group of us gathers here in person every Sunday, but between health issues and travel schedules, it’s difficult to get us all in the same place at the same time. A significant portion of our congregants are homebound and join us by way of sermons that are sent in the mail. Others watch our livestream, and still others read our blog posts.

Several years ago, one of the sermons that I preached and then posted on our blog was quoted in an editorial in a newspaper in Canada. It was a reminder to me that the peace of Christ travels farther than we realize. A word spoken in one small sanctuary can reach someone we may never meet.

Surely if Christ could appear to the disciples in a locked room, then the peace of Christ can transcend whatever problems we may be going through.

Breathe

And so this morning, I want to invite us to breathe deeply. Breathe in the peace of Christ. Breathe out the fear, the anxiety, and the worries and concerns. And breathe in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And don’t stop. Keep breathing deeply of the breath of God. Keep exhaling the negativity. And let us help one another to breathe deeply of the love and peace of Christ. Because surely we will need to be reminded again later today, and tomorrow, and certainly next week.

So when the fears return, when the worries creep back in, when the doors feel locked and the future feels uncertain, may we hear again the voice of the risen Christ speaking into our fear: “Peace be with you.”

Breathe in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Guide. Breathe out fear, anxiety, resentment, and despair. And may we become people who carry the peace of Christ with us, breathing it in, breathing it out, and sharing it with a world that is longing to catch its breath.

Amen.

Questions for Personal Reflection in Response to today’s message:

1.     Why do you think Jesus said “Peace be with you” more than once to the disciples?

2.     When you are anxious, afraid, or overwhelmed, what helps you “catch your breath”?

3.     What fears or worries have been weighing on you recently?

4.     What would it mean for you to hear Jesus speak the words “Peace be with you” into your current situation?

5.      How can our church community help one another breathe deeply of the love and peace of Christ?