Mary was overcome with grief. But after Jesus appeared to her, she told the disciples, her brothers in Christ, "I have seen the Lord!" Now, as the dim light from oil lamps flickers against a heavy wooden bar fitted into iron rings on the doorframe, the disciples are quietly finishing their evening meal. Perhaps they hush each other whenever they hear the loud voices of Temple guards walking outside. Peter and John have seen the empty tomb for themselves, but they're still scared. They suspect the authorities might want to punish them for grave robbery, or even worse, blasphemy. But their best attempts to barricade themselves in fall short: Jesus stands among them. He doesn't give them a lecture; he shows them his body. His scars prove he died, but they also make it clear that rejection, pain, and death no longer have the final word. Just as God breathed life into Adam and Eve, Jesus breathes new life into his disciples: 'May my peace be with you.' His actions emphasize that he is with them forever. His presence gives them a new identity and a mission. Like Mary, they are overjoyed. But knowing their fear will not be easily displaced, Jesus repeats himself for emphasis. Again, he says, "Peace be with you." At least three times, he tells them to imitate him. The Father sent him; now he sends them. He ministered by the Spirit; now he breathes the Spirit on them. He announced forgiveness to anyone who believed; now they will echo his message. Yet for at least the next week, the disciples will keep hiding in this room.