Jesus had been with them for approximately three and a half years. Why did they still need Him to be with them? First of all, there is never a time when we don't need Jesus. He has to do His ministry of helping hurting people through us or there isn't going to be a ministry.

John 15:4-5 (NIV) REMAIN in Me, and I will REMAIN in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must REMAIN in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you REMAIN in Me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man REMAINS in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

For Jesus to be with the disciples, the disciples had to remain in Him. If they remained in Him, He would remain in them. Jesus had to be with the disciples all the time for them to be able to do anything. The moment they thought that He was gone was the moment they couldn't do the ministry. They didn't have any choice. They had to remain connected to Jesus. He was constantly giving them everything they needed to do everything they did. They didn't know how to live life or do the ministry any other way. He had developed a complete dependency on Him in their life and ministry. He resisted pretty much every suggestion they came up with. He didn't allow them to decide where they were going to go or what they were going to do. He didn't allow them to think for themselves. He gave them every assignment with complete details as to how to carry it out. If they lost Jesus, they were going to cease being able to live the life that He had given them or do the ministry of helping people.

When we put on the full armor of God, we are putting on Jesus. At salvation we receive Him into our body and He makes His residence there. Jesus remains in us forever. However, to have His protection and to do His work in helping those around us, we have to put Him on. This is an additional decision we have to make. If we remain in Him then we live inside the full armor of God at all times. If we live in the full armor of God at all times, we fulfill John 15:4-5 and we become able to produce a hundred fold crop of righteousness, people accepting Jesus as their Lord, and disciples being trained through our life and ministry.

Another reason Jesus had to be with them was, this Jesus is different than the Jesus they had been walking with. This is the risen Christ. He died for their sins and He raised for their justification (being declared good morally and relationally). Now they could be delivered from the greatest fear we humans have. The fear of death. The main reason they were locked inside the house was because they were afraid to suffer and die.

Heb 2:14-15 (NIV) Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Our greatest fear, of course, is a fear of eternal death. But, our fear of physical death is held in place by our fear of eternal death. If we don't know where we are going after we die, we will fear dying. Jesus took care of that. We know that, if we are killed for the cause of Christ, we will spend eternity with God in His Kingdom. The thing that is confusing to a lot of us is the fact that we live in a place where few are killed for being Christians. Why would we fear sharing Christ with others? Jesus and the disciples lived in a place and time where people could kill you for being a Christian. What is scaring those of us who don't face that fear? We lack Jesus' peace.

John 14:26-27 (NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not LET your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

As we have already discussed, when Jesus says something He speaks with creative power. When Jesus said to the disciples: "Peace be with you!", He wasn't saying: "You guys relax." He was GIVING them peace. When He tells us to not let our hearts be troubled and not let ourselves be afraid, He is delivering us from a troubled heart and fear. He is GIVING us healing in that area of our heart and life.

John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

He isn't telling us to stop being afraid. He isn't prodding us into getting out there to do the ministry and stop being chicken. The pressure is never against us and our human strength, skills, or efforts. If we believe that He is at this moment GIVING us freedom from a troubled heart and a life of fear, then we will immediately have it.

Mark 11:24 (NIV) Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you HAVE received it, and it will be yours.