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.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Comment: Fear, not surprisingly, had wrung Jesus disciples’ hearts to great despair! What would happen next to them, they thought! So, they locked themselves away, hidden and ‘secure’, they hoped. Jesus entered without knocking on the door or climbing through the window. He offered shalom peace and gave them the Holy Spirit by breathing in them. He, the Holy Spirit, was already in the world, everywhere, and there would be a magnificent display 50 days later when the evidence of the Coming would spectacularly explode for ‘on the spot display’ and recorded for all time before the world! Did in fact, as Jesus breathed on those in the room, the Holy Spirit enter every true believer in Jesus life? But Jesus had promised that He, the Holy Spirit, would come and abide with them as He departed.
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although 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, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, 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 believed.” Comment: Some believe everything and are gullible! Some won’t believe anything in spite of the context of their life indicating the truth of something by their past experience. Thomas had been with Jesus and the close followers of Him for several years, and I suggest had excellent background experience to trust his fellow apostles’ words. Or was his lack of trust because of Judas’ betrayal? His friends had already explained to him what happened in the locked room and tried to share their excitement and joy, but Thomas wasn’t prepared to believe anything which he couldn’t ‘scientifically’ prove! Thomas was in the room a week later with friends when Jesus was there again. Late but not too late, Thomas fell to his knees and called out “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” And the same is true until today. To believe is to be truly blessed!
Jeremiah 17: 7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Prayer: Lord, I believe. Help me when I tend to not trust You. Please.
As I read it! 