John 20:21-22 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

Here is the dawning of the Church Age. These words mark the distinctive difference in relationship between disciple and apostle. These men are now sent, but not sent alone. These men are the first to receive the Holy Ghost, the first within the body of Christ.

Now we get to witness the distinction between being a student and a follower of our Savior, Lord and Christ. The difference began at the Cross and now these men have more than words to share. They have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit breathed into them by God Himself, the resurrected Christ.

Now begins our church age quest to fill the body of Christ, His Bride, with every soul that is given to believe on Jesus Christ and receive Him into their hearts.

Are these early days a model of things to come? Are there lessons here for us who have just begun to believe and have received the Holy Ghost ourselves?

Remember you are a new creation, as you once were, others will become new in order to continue on this path set before us. While we are all different in experience and personality, we all share one thing in common. We all start over with a clean slate. Our memories are not who we are now.

Philippians 3:8,13b Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Count the days by Jewish reckoning. Friday Evening, the beginning of the Sabbath. Saturday Evening, the end of the Sabbath. Sunday Evening, the beginning of the second day of the week. I was always confused about these three day in the grave until I realized He went into the ground Friday before the Sabbath began. Sunday Evening was the beginning of the Fourth Day.

So Friday, the three dark hours while He was on the Cross until sunset was actually the first dark day. Our reckoning of days, years, and millennia all changed that day because of His work on the Cross.

Now here, Sunday Evening, Jesus appears to some of His disciples at the first prophetically possible moment, the beginning of the fourth day. He does not hesitate to come as soon as possible. The scriptures need to hold true, otherwise He might have come earlier.

First things first, “Peace be unto you.” Over and over again whenever Jesus appeared to His disciples in moments of distress, He quelled their fears first. Is this not exactly what we need upon exciting the darkness? Our souls are still reeling from the trauma in our lives and peace needs to be restored before we can move on towards anything else.

Then comes doubting Thomas.

John 20:25,27 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

No one can reveal Christ to you but Christ Himself. Believe what you want but revelation only comes from God.