From Anxiety to Peace

In John 20:6-9, we see Peter and John hurry to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. Their hearts must have been racing and not because they had just run to the burial place. They had followed Jesus for three years and seen the miracles and heard His powerful teaching. Suddenly, He was taken from them by the soldiers and crucified. That must have created much anxiety for the disciples.

And three times Peter had denied that he was one of Jesus’ followers. He was likely struggling with the guilt of this denial and feeling uncertain about his future. So much time and energy invested in Someone who was now dead.

The year I graduated from high school, Don Francisco released an album containing the song “He Is Alive.” The lyrics describe how Peter must have felt following Jesus’ death, and how we are prone to feel at times in our own lives. The last two lines of the final verse are especially powerful.

Something strange had happened there but what I did not know,
John believed a miracle but I just turned to go,
Circumstance and speculation couldn’t lift me very high,
‘Cause I’d seen them crucify Him and then I’d watched Him die,
Back inside the house again all the guilt and anguish came,
Everything I’d promised Him just added to my shame,
But at last, it came to choices I denied I knew His name,
Even if He was alive it wouldn’t be the same.

But suddenly the air was filled with a strange and sweet perfume,
The light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room,
Jesus stood before me with His arms held open wide,
And I fell down on my knees and clung to Him and cried,
He raised me to my feet and as I looked into His eyes,
Love was shining out from Him like sunlight from the sky,
Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release,
And every fear I’d ever had just melted into peace.

He’s alive, He’s alive, He’s alive and I’m forgiven,
Heaven’s gates are open wide. He’s alive!

Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb. Peter and John’s anxiety and uncertainty did not have the final say. Jesus rose! Because Jesus is alive and in us by the Holy Spirit, His life is available to us in any situation we face. He will bring peace where we have been in bondage to anxiety or anything else that the Enemy uses to rob us of a life of peace in Christ.

Questions for Thought

1. When circumstances in life tempt you to fear and behave in a way that is contrary to who you are in Christ, will you choose to trust Him or lean on your own understanding?
2. Does it make a difference in your daily life to remember that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you?

Daily Challenge

Every day for the next week, read Romans 8. Read it in different translations. Ask God to show you how the truth of this chapter may help you face the situations confronting you.