A New Beginning in the Presence of Jesus – Morning Devotional

A New Beginning in the Presence of Jesus
Pastor Calvin Cook
April 22, 2025
Scripture : John 20:19-22 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.

We are in a season of transition. Easter has led us from the heart of God revealed in Isaiah 43, where God calls His people back to Himself, inviting them to make the decision to follow and listen to His call on their lives. This message of return, redemption, and renewal carries through 800 years to the reminder of what Jesus did for us through His sacrifice on the cross.

When Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished,” it was not the end of God’s work. Some have misinterpreted these words, suggesting that “it is finished” meant that people now had the authority to move on with their lives independently. Unfortunately, this perspective has led many to take that route, missing the full significance of Jesus’ words.

In the Upper Room, as we read in John 20:19-22 and Luke 24:34-43, the disciples may have wondered, “Is it finished?” They had followed Jesus, listened to His teachings, and witnessed His many miracles. Yet, in the wake of His death, doubt must have lingered: Was this truly the end? Haven’t we all asked similar questions? When life is going well and everything seems perfect, we often forget to stay close to God—until trials come and distract us from His presence.

But then, in the midst of their fear—locked away, worried they might face the same fate as Jesus—Jesus walks right through those locked doors. Could it be? Is it really Him? He affirms His presence, showing that it is indeed Jesus, the same one who was nailed to the cross, buried in the tomb, now standing among them.
In that room, four key things happened:
1. Jesus showed up to silence their fears.
2. He offered them peace.
3. He told them to go, or perhaps to start over.
4. He breathed the Holy Spirit upon them.

This moment in the Upper Room marks the beginning of something new. Jesus, in fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah’s words (Isaiah 43), invites His disciples—and us—to forget the former things and step into the new thing He is doing. It’s an invitation to let the past propel us forward into a powerful, transformative future.

Starting over is essential. I find myself in a season of continual reflection on how to do better. Each day presents an opportunity to start over—not just by drawing closer to God, but by allowing His presence to guide me in everything I do. We must leave the past behind and embrace the new things God is making possible. Each day can be the best day, filled with the springing forth of God’s new work.

To start over, the first thing we must do is identify the things that have locked us away in fear. For the disciples, it was fear of the Jews—personal fear that kept them hidden. What about us? Are we allowing personal fears to dictate our actions, preventing us from doing what Jesus has called us to do? We know that the disciples’ fears were overcome, but do we let the fears of our present age hold us back from the abundant life Jesus calls us to?

What Jesus did in that Upper Room is available to us today. He steps into the locked places of our lives and breathes His presence into them. It’s a chance to start over with the new thing Jesus desires to do in your life. Claim this truth, because no matter the struggles we face, the best is still to come.

And since that day in the Upper Room, we continue to have the promise of the Holy Spirit breathing life into us.

Don’t lock yourself away from Jesus.