Shalomنموونە

“And With That, He Breathed on Them …”

Yep, you read that right. “He breathed on them.” The “He,” in this instance, is Jesus. Shortly after walking out of an empty tomb and into a garden, Jesus appears to His disciples. When He does, He says to them:  

… “Peace [Shalom] be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20 NIV

Jesus, the man who a few days ago was murdered on a Roman cross, is now standing in the same room with His disciples declaring shalom. Talk about an unexpected surprise. At this point in the story, the last thing the disciples were expecting was for Jesus to walk into the room. More likely, they were waiting for the Roman soldiers to show up and do to them what they did to Jesus. But instead, their crucified and risen Savior is standing in front of them proclaiming peace. 

Again Jesus said, “Peace [Shalom] be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21 NIV

Jesus is announcing shalom to His disciples and inviting them to carry on the mission the Father had given Him: bringing shalom to chaos. Don’t miss this: As a follower of Jesus, you have been called by God to bring shalom. 

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:22-23 NIV

All of us have been invited to partner with God in bringing shalom to chaos. And while that is no small thing, you have everything you need to do what God has called you to do.  

You have the Spirit of God in you. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, empowering you to continue the work of rescuing humanity from sin and partnering with God to bring shalom. 

A common question that people ask at this point is: How do I figure out what I’m called to do?

If that’s you, ask yourself these questions:  

• What do I love?  
• What am I good at?  
• What does the world need? 

The intersection of your answers to those questions is a great place to start when it comes to understanding your calling. And along the way, keep asking God to guide you and lead you. 

You have been called by God to bring shalom. And you have everything you need to do what God has called you to do.