Beyond Sunday Morning

 John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Believing Is Seeing

After Jesus’ death, the disciples had gathered behind locked doors, fearful that they might also be arrested. They had heard wild stories from Mary Magdalene about seeing Jesus, but how were these to be believed? It was at this crucial time that Jesus appeared to 10 of the remaining disciples and later to the 11th. The impact on his followers was both immediate and striking. Before his appearance, they were hiding and afraid. Now they were preaching, spreading the word about the risen Lord, and defying the synagogue leaders who were instrumental in having Jesus crucified. Thomas, who did not witness the first appearance, is given the moniker of “Doubting Thomas”. But how different were any of the disciples? They had seen and believed. After he appeared to Thomas, Jesus gave a blessing that would apply to Christians throughout the centuries. It would apply to clergy and laity, rich and poor, and all denominations. It would apply to each of us who believe. He said: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” That is us! It is all believers who have only been allowed to “see” through their faith. His blessing was for us.