January 31, 2026 

 Jesus appears to His disciples in John 20:21-22 after the resurrection, while they are still afraid and hiding behind locked doors. Rather than waiting for their fear to disappear or their confidence to grow, Jesus speaks peace over them and sends them out. By breathing the Holy Spirit upon them, Jesus reveals that discipleship and mission begin not with readiness, but with relationship and God’s sustaining presence.

Devotional:

The disciples are not brave when Jesus sends them. They are huddled behind locked doors, still shaken by everything that has happened. The resurrection has taken place, but fear has not magically disappeared. They are uncertain about what comes next, unsure of their place in the world, and not at all confident about stepping back into it.

That’s the moment Jesus chooses to send them.

He doesn’t scold them for their fear. He doesn’t tell them to get it together or wait until they feel stronger. He stands among them, speaks peace, and says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Then He breathes the Holy Spirit into them.

There’s something deeply comforting about that sequence. Peace comes before sending. Presence comes before responsibility. Jesus does not demand courage before calling them forward. He offers Himself first.

This passage feels personal because many of us assume we must feel ready before we can live faithfully. We tell ourselves we’ll step out once fear settles, once uncertainty fades, once we feel more capable. Jesus doesn’t wait for any of that. He sends His disciples while their hands are still shaking.

Discipleship doesn’t begin when fear disappears. It begins when Jesus meets us inside it and reminds us that we are not alone. Being sent is not a reward for readiness. It’s an act of trust. Jesus entrusts ordinary, uncertain people with holy work, not because they are fearless, but because His Spirit will go with them.

There’s also a tenderness in the way Jesus sends them. He doesn’t overwhelm them with instructions. He breathes on them. The same breath that gave life in the beginning now fills them again. This is not about striving harder. It’s about being carried.

Christ is revealed here as the One who knows our fear and does not disqualify us because of it. He sends us as we are, not as we wish we were. Mission flows out of relationship, not perfection.

If you feel hesitant about what following Jesus looks like next, this passage offers reassurance. You don’t have to wait until you feel ready. You don’t have to conquer fear before moving forward. Jesus stands with you, breathes peace into your uncertainty, and sends you with His presence.

Action: Pay attention today to one place where fear or uncertainty has been holding you back. Without forcing yourself to resolve it, ask Jesus to meet you there and trust that His presence is enough for the next step.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for meeting us behind our locked doors and speaking peace into our fear. Thank You for trusting ordinary people with Your work and sending us with Your Spirit. Help us move forward, not because we feel ready, but because You go with us. In Your name we pray, amen.

Thought for the Day: Jesus sends us with His presence, not our confidence.

The disciples were still afraid when Jesus sent them out. He didn’t wait for their fear to disappear, He met them in it. This devotional reflects on what it means to be sent by Christ just as we are, carried by His peace and presence.