Bible Study – Peace Be With You
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Easter - the unearned gift of grace. Of course, we cannot “figure it out.” How comforting, then, to have these scriptures, showing first how the disciples struggled to grasp what had happened and then stories of Jesus before the crucifixion, which are written in the light of the Resurrection.
As Easter people we know, as Paul said, that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God. We are people who expect life out of death. And so, in Eastertide we celebrate the wonder and prepare ourselves to take the awesome message out into the world on Pentecost.
Today’s reading from the Gospel of John follows the discovery of the resurrected Jesus by the women at the tomb. Although several disciples raced to the tomb to see for themselves, they returned to the upper room – reasonably sure that they would be the next to be killed. While they huddled in fear, Jesus came to them, and even after all he had been through, he continued to teach the message of peace and forgiveness.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for being patient with us as we seek to follow Jesus. Alleluia, Christ is Risen! Amen.
Please open your Bibles to John 20:19-31 and read or read the scriptures below.
John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
- Why do you think the disciples were afraid?
- Why do you think Jesus' first words were: “Peace be with you?”
- Does it seem odd that Jesus “breathed” on them? If so, why do you think he did this?
- How did Jesus help Thomas – who was not there the first time Jesus came – believe that it was really Jesus?
The disciples passed the message of peace to those they met, and those people told other people, and so it has gone down to this day when we say to each other: “Peace be with you.”
• When during our church service do we hear the words “Peace be with you”?
• How do we respond? (Do some people hug each other? Shake hands with each other?)
• Are there other times we pass peace to other people? (We may not say, “Peace be with you, but what are other ways we can greet people in peace?)
• What does it look like when we greet others in peace?
A Timeline for the Easter Story, beginning with Maundy Thursday, the last time Jesus has been with all the disciples:
- The Last Supper on Maundy Thursday
- Jesus washing the feet of his disciples to show them how to lead
- The crucifixion
- Joseph of Arimathea, who gave his tomb so Jesus could be buried
- The women going to place burial herbs on the body of Jesus and finding the tomb empty
- Jesus appearing first to the women and then to all the disciples except Thomas, then Thomas getting his chance
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
LUMO-Gospel of John 20:19-31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxmGFQYHilI
John 20 Easter Story: Doubting Tomas Animated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDC9SGGpn1U
Gospel of John Summary: A Complete Animated Overview Part 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfh_wOsauk
Song: Only Believe – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJh1wwQJSK4 or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFz_jHPJh-g
Activities:
Greeting Cards: Make your own card or use a card you have and write a brief message and their name and address on the envelope. If you don’t have the address call or stop by the church office to get the address. Following is a list of people on the Prayer Requests and Shut-Ins you can send a card too:
Prayer Request: Bob Flittie, Vicki Tlamka, Emily Alexander, John Schauer,
Brooks Giblin (great nephew to Mary Magstadt), Richard Zink (friend to Parde’s), Tracy Muller (cousin to Gene Schultz), David Schultz (Lois Kimbrell’s cousin), Chris Soloman (Pastor Berry’s daughter), John Schauer
Shut-Ins: Virgene Muller, Bob Olsen, Michael Phelps, Alan Reeh, Duffy Severa
Prayer Partners: You can take the name of a person above and pray for that person. Or you can also pray for peace in the world, a local concern, etc. Choose a person or organization for whom you want to pray and pray every night for them
Chenille Cross: Make a cross out of chenille wire and hang a mini-sign saying “I BELIEVE” at the top.
I Believe Poster: Glitter glue “I BELIEVE” on a small poster and add happy faces and cross stickers, etc. Then write “Faith is Believing in things NOT SEEN”!!
Jesus Appears to His Disciples – Fill in the Blank: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-appears-to-his-disciples
Doubting Tomas - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/doubting-thomas-4
Doubting Tomas - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/doubting-thomas
Stop Doubting and Believe – Maze: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/stop-doubting-and-believe
Prayer: “Dear God, we hold these people and organizations up to you,” Help us to be people of peace, love, and joy. Amen.
Answers to Reflection Questions:
- Why do you think the disciples were afraid? (Jesus has been killed, and they thought they might be next.)
- Why do you think Jesus' first words were: “Peace be with you?” (Perhaps because he could see that they were way too scared to understand anything until they felt more peaceful.)
- Does it seem odd that Jesus “breathed” on them? If so, why do you think he did this? (“Breath” and “Spirit” are the same word in Hebrew. They would have expected to receive the Spirit through breath.)
- How did Jesus help Thomas – who was not there the first time Jesus came – believe that it was really Jesus? (Jesus invited Thomas to touch him to see for sure that he was Jesus.)
