From Fear to Joy
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:20, 28-29 “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” …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 transformation in this room is remarkable. The change in Thomas is profound. The same disciples who were hiding in fear now experience joy. The disciple of doubt, now full of confidence. The circumstances outside the room had not changed. The world for the disciples was still uncertain. But everything inside the room shifted because Jesus was there.
Joy in this moment is not emotional excitement or temporary relief. It is the deep recognition that Jesus is alive and present. It is the confidence that Truth is real and known. It is the settling of fear because the source of fear has been overshadowed by something greater.
What makes this moment even more powerful is that Jesus does not remove every challenge they will face in the future. The disciples would face persecution. Opposition would not go away, instead Jesus gives himself to his disciples as Presence, as Proof, as Purpose. And that changes everything.
Without all the answers, the disciples could begin to grasp that everything was going to be OK because Jesus was with them. As Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
God is not absent from difficulty. He is actively working within it. Jesus had called his disciples and he would not abandon them.
The same is true for us.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
Fear may still attempt to speak, but it no longer has final authority over us who belong to Christ.
The pattern of this passage now becomes clear. Jesus meets fear with presence. He meets doubt with proof. He meets uncertainty with purpose. And the result is joy that fear cannot undo.
This is not because life becomes easy, but because Jesus is alive. And that reality redefines everything else.
As you move through your days, remember that joy is not something you must manufacture. It grows where Jesus is recognized and trusted. Walk confidently with Him!
Reflect: Where have you experienced moments of peace or joy in the midst of difficulty? How can you remind yourself daily that Jesus is present, proven, and purposeful in your life?
Prayer: Risen Lord, thank you that you turn fear into joy. Help me to live each day with awareness of your presence, confidence in your truth, and trust in your purpose. Let your joy take root in me and overflow into the lives of others. Amen.
When the Future Feels Uncertain
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’”
The disciples are still in the same room, still processing everything they have experienced. Fear has been interrupted by joy, but clarity about the future has not yet fully formed. Into that uncertainty, Jesus speaks again. And this time, His words are not only about peace but about purpose.
He sends them.
This is significant because nothing about their circumstances suggests readiness. They are still recovering emotionally. They are still trying to understand what resurrection means. And yet Jesus gives them direction. He does not wait for perfect understanding before assigning purpose.
There is something deeply reassuring about this. Purpose in the kingdom of God is not reserved for those who feel fully prepared. It is given to those who are willing to follow the One who calls them.
Our purpose is given. Our future is planned and prepared to give our faith an opportunity to show and share itself. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Your life is not an accident. Your days are not random. Even when the path ahead feels unclear, God is already at work preparing what comes next.
Fear often shrinks the future. It convinces us to stay where things feel safe and predictable. But Jesus expands the future by sending His followers into it. He does not send them alone. The same presence that brought peace now accompanies their purpose.
This means that uncertainty does not disqualify you from being used by God. In fact, it is often in the middle of uncertainty that trust becomes most real.
Today, instead of asking only for clarity about the entire future, ask for faithfulness in the next step. Purpose often unfolds gradually, not all at once.
Reflect: Where do you feel uncertain or hesitant about your future right now? What might faithfulness in your next step look like today?
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that my future is held in your hands and not left to chance. Help me to trust you even when I cannot see the full path. Give me courage to walk in the purpose you are giving me today. Amen.
When Doubt Needs Something Solid
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:24–27 Now Thomas (called Didymus), 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 it.”
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.”
Thomas has often been remembered as “doubting Thomas,” but his story is more honest than dismissive. He is not rejecting faith; he is wrestling with uncertainty. He has heard the testimony of others, but secondhand belief is not enough for him. He wants something solid, something tangible, something he can hold onto when everything else feels unstable.
There is something deeply relatable in that. Many people today live with similar tension. They want to believe, but they also want assurance. They want faith, but they also want clarity. And when life feels fragile or confusing, doubt often becomes louder than hope.
What is remarkable in this passage is not that Thomas doubts, but that Jesus meets him in his doubt. Jesus does not rebuke him for asking for evidence. He does not distance Himself from honest questions. Instead, He invites Thomas to come closer. He offers His wounds as evidence. The very marks of suffering become the foundation of belief.
This confidence through evidence is what Jesus spent 40 days after his resurrection proving and showing. Those that would lead the proclamation of the Gospel he desired to be convinced of the authenticity of the Gospel and the One they proclaimed. Acts 1:3 says, “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
As a result, the resurrection is not presented as wishful thinking but as a reality confirmed by witness and encounter. Jesus is not threatened by investigation. He is the proof Himself and he knows all the evidence will support and point to the truth of his person, message and mission.
This allows you and me to have doubts too. There is a profound truth here for those moments when faith feels fragile. Jesus does not ask you to ignore your questions. Instead, He invites you to bring them into His presence. The wounds that caused doubt in Thomas also became the evidence that restored his faith.
Doubt, when brought into the presence of Jesus, is not the enemy of faith. It can become the place where faith becomes personal and real.
Are there places in your walk of faith where uncertainty has made it difficult for you to trust? Instead of hiding that tension, bring it honestly before Jesus. He is not distant from your questions. He is present within them and is eager to present the proof to dispel our doubts.
Reflect: What doubts or uncertainties tend to surface in your relationship with God? How might Jesus be inviting you to bring those questions into His presence rather than away from Him?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are not afraid of my questions or my uncertainty. Help me to bring my doubts honestly before you and to trust that you meet me there. Strengthen my faith through your truth and your presence. Amen.
The Peace of His Presence
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:19–20 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, 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.
A quiet but profound shift that takes place when Jesus fills the room with his presence. The disciples move from fear to gladness, not because their circumstances have changed but because Jesus is now present with them. His words, “Peace be with you,” are not merely a greeting but a declaration of reality. Peace is not something they must generate. It is something Jesus brings.
We often assume that peace comes when situations resolve, when outcomes become clear, or when threats disappear. But Jesus shows us a different kind of peace, one that is rooted in relationship rather than circumstance. His presence redefines their experience of fear.
The reality is not new. The prophet Isaiah wrote (41:10), “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.”
The command to not fear is anchored in the promise of God’s presence. Without that presence, the command would feel impossible. With it, fear begins to lose its authority.
Think about how differently you experience difficulty when someone you trust is beside you. The first time when you jumped in a pool was easier because dad was there to catch you. The first day of school was easier because mom walked into the classroom with you. The cancer diagnosis was bitter, but your spouse’s support made your heart calm.
The Lord may choose not to change the situation, but he does choose to be with you in it. Not being alone when life is tough is the blessing that brings peace…especially when that is Jesus. You are strengthened simply by not being alone. This is what Jesus brings, not only in that room but to you today.
Here’s another great thing. Jesus’ presence is not dependent on your strength or clarity. It is grounded in His promise. Even when you do not feel it, He is with you. Even when your emotions fluctuate, His presence remains constant.
As you move through your day, practice becoming aware of His nearness. Speak honestly to Him. Bring your concerns without filtering them. Let His peace settle in gradually, not as a sudden emotional shift but as a steady assurance that he is present, walking with you, standing with you, doing life with you!
Reflect: In what situations do you most need to be reminded of Jesus’ presence? How can you intentionally pause and recognize His nearness throughout your day?
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that your peace is not dependent on my circumstances but on your presence. Help me to become more aware of you in the middle of my day and to rest in the truth that you are with me. Amen.
When Fear Closes the Door
Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:19 “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear… Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’”
It is striking that the first Easter evening is not filled with bold celebration but with quiet fear. The disciples have heard reports that Jesus is alive, but they are not yet living in the confidence of that truth. Instead, they are behind locked doors, trying to make sense of what has happened while also protecting themselves from what might happen next. Their fear is not imagined. Jesus was publicly executed, and they are closely associated with Him. In their minds, it is only a matter of time before someone comes for them.
There is something deeply human about this moment. When life feels unstable, we instinctively move toward control. We close doors, not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. We limit exposure. We reduce risk. We retreat into spaces that feel manageable. Fear narrows our world, convincing us that safety is found in a place we feel we can control.
Yet the most important detail in this scene is not the locked doors but the fact that Jesus comes through those locked doors. Without knocking or waiting, He enters the very space defined by fear and stands among them. His first words are not correction or instruction but peace. He does not begin by fixing their situation but by giving Himself to them within it.
This moment reveals something essential about how God meets us. He does not wait for fear to subside before He draws near. He does not require clarity or courage before He shows up. He steps directly into the places we try to seal off.
He doesn’t change the circumstances, he rather steps into them with us. King David wrote in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
The valley remains real, but so does the presence of God. Fear often tells us that we are alone, that we must manage life on our own terms, and that the safest place is behind whatever doors we can control. But the risen Jesus gently interrupts that narrative. He enters our fear and speaks peace, not because everything is resolved but because He is now present.
Today, consider the areas of your life where fear has led you to close off. Perhaps it is a conversation you have been avoiding, a situation you feel unable to control, or a burden you carry quietly. Rather than trying to manage it alone, imagine Jesus stepping into that space. His presence does not always remove the challenge immediately, but it does change how you experience it. You are no longer alone, and that reality begins to loosen fear’s grip.
Reflect: Where in your life have you “locked the door” because of fear? How might it change your perspective to recognize that Jesus is present in that very place?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you see the places where fear has caused me to retreat and close myself off, especially to you. Thank you for stepping into those spaces with your presence and speaking peace. Help me to trust that I am not alone and to open my heart to you even when I feel uncertain. Amen.