In the 21st century, it's easy to think that the disciples were gathered together, perched on the edge of their chairs, waiting for Jesus' resurrection.
No, they were in a locked room, afraid for their lives, wondering if the Romans would kill them, too, as an effort to completely crush the movement.
They didn't fully realize how much more powerful Jesus was than the Roman empire. If they had known at the time, then maybe they wouldn't have been sitting inside behind locked doors, but would instead be sitting in the garden, unafraid of the Roman guards, waiting for the resurrection.
But they weren't. They were hiding, afraid.
What's amazing is that after Jesus ascended to heaven, this group of scared disciples would go on to transform the world, and they'd do so unafraid of death. Most of them would be publicly martyred, killed for their proclamation. They were afraid here, but not later on -- they went boldly into public, each of them proclaiming what they believed to be true.
What changed?
Jesus came into a locked room and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.
It is my solemn prayer that the same Holy Spirit come into the locked doors of our hearts and continue to breathe that same peace upon us, that we, too, may go out into the world with joy and boldness.
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