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.