John 20: 19-31
On the morning of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors 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 side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I’m sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them,”Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it!”
A week later the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
A Thought
Jesus appeared on the first day of the week to his disciples, so that they might believe when they see his hands and his side that he is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus gave them his Peace and breathed on them with the power of the Holy Spirit so they would continue the message of forgiveness of sins that his Father had sent him to accomplish. A week later Jesus appeared to Thomas, who had not been with the others disciples earlier, so that he too would believe. Jesus explained that the disciples believed because they had seen, but we will be blessed who have not seen and yet we believe. Do you want to be blessed? Do you believe?
Our Prayer
Father thank you for the faith to believe in the forgiveness of sins that was accomplished by the life, death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus the Christ. Fill us with you Holy Spirit that we will be your witnesses so that others might believe in the truth of your Word that became flesh for our redemption that by believing we may have life in Jesus’ name, amen.
