Chapter
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

John 20:19
ESV On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
NIV 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!"
NASB Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and *said to them, 'Peace be to you.'
CSB When it was evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
NLT That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! 'Peace be with you,' he said.
KJV 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.
NKJV 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, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

What does John 20:19 mean?

When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples ran away (Matthew 26:56). John and Peter followed the arresting mob at a distance (John 18:15), and John was at the foot of the cross when Jesus was executed (John 19:25–27). Other than that, Jesus' closest followers have apparently been in hiding since His capture. John again uses the term "the Jews" in reference to the religious leaders of Jerusalem and their loyal adherents. It would be reasonable for the disciples to assume that if Jesus' enemies could have Him killed, they might well be looking to get rid of His students, as well.

That Jesus appears in a locked room means that His resurrected body is not blocked by physical barriers. John and Peter saw empty grave clothes in the tomb (John 20:6), but the stone was moved aside (John 20:1). That open tomb, it seems, was a sign for Jesus' followers, not a means for His escape. It allowed them to see what had happened but wasn't done "so that" Jesus could come out.

Jesus' comment here echoes what He said during the Last Supper (John 14:27). It's also the sort of thing a person might say in polite greeting. There's a good chance it was also meant to reduce any sense of fear. When these men had seen Jesus walking on water, they were terrified (John 6:19). They were probably startled to see Him appear, alive and well, in a secured room.

Not long before this moment, Mary Magdalene and other women had come to tell the disciples that they had seen Jesus alive (John 20:18; Luke 24:10–11) and were apparently ignored. One can only imagine the vindication she would have felt when learning that they, too, had encountered Him.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app:
BibleRef.com is part of Got Questions Ministries

For answers to your Bible questions, please visit