Can you imagine what it must have been like? Pouring everything you have for three whole years into one single endeavor and suddenly it all seems to be a wash. Everything you have been working for has just been swept right out from underneath your feet.

Overwhelming angst—emotional numbness—excruciating anxiety—debilitating depression—paralyzing fear.

Right now, I’m working on a PhD, and I don’t say that to brag in any way… I’ve barely hung on most of the way. In fact, exhaustion and many of the above feelings have come and gone through this process, but the reason I bring it up is that if I were to suddenly flunk out, or even worse, if I were to get to the end—defending my dissertation—and I lost the whole thing, I’d be utterly devastated. Every single one of those would crash over me one after another. I wish I could say that wasn’t the case, but after all the work and effort that has gone into this degree, failure would be devastating.

In the whole scheme of things though, a PhD is relatively meaningless compared with what the disciples had been pursuing with Jesus for about three years. They were under the impression—rightfully so—that they were witnessing first hand the setting up of God’s kingdom on earth and the Messiah accomplishing our salvation.

Maybe, you would have been like John sitting at the foot of the cross with some last bit of hope that Jesus would break loose of the nails and finally set up his kingdom in the way you imagined it. But no one, not even John, had a hint of hope after Jesus was shut up in that tomb. Fear overwhelmed each and every one of Jesus’ followers.

All this effort, all this excitement, and all this suffering… for nothing!

BUT THE STORY DOESN’T END THERE!

Praise God, there is more to this story! Jesus defeated death. He overcame the evil one. And He defeated sin once and for all. Jesus rose from the dead, and it’s in the hope of Jesus’ resurrection that we find both the disciples’ fears and ours turned upside down.

In John 20, the fear of the disciples is evident. Peace is nowhere to be found, that is, until Jesus arrives on the scene. Each encounter he has with his followers (Mary, the eleven minus Thomas, and Thomas) comes with profound joy and peace. Jesus proclaims peace over His disciples that is firmly grounded in the clear power of the resurrection.

As we read this story, we find our hope for salvation secure and we can look forward to the day when our bodies are restored to perfection like Jesus’.

But on top of all that, as we face chaos in this world, situations that seem hopeless, adversity that strikes overwhelming fear in our heart, we can look to the resurrection to remind us that Jesus brings us ultimate peace. He has overcome the greatest of obstacles, and we can count on his omnipotent presence with us from now until eternity.