Thomas

Upon entering the locked room, Jesus repeats, “Peace be with you.” In the midst of the disciples' fear, Jesus doesn’t give a casual greeting; he gives a declaration of restored relationship and divine reassurance.

Jesus doesn’t rebuke the disciples’ fear. He meets them in it and offers them peace, which empowers them to move beyond their fear into Christ’s work.

For Jesus, peace, forgiveness, and mission are tied to the promise of the Holy Spirit.

This resurrection moment doesn’t take place publicly for all to see. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on the disciples in a private, intimate setting.

In John’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit is received personally while the Risen, Crucified Jesus is still present.

Imagine you are Thomas and you miss out on encountering Jesus with all the other disciples. Yet, a week later, Jesus again appears and this time invites you to see and touch his wounds.

Jesus’ peace transforms sorrow into joy—then, today, and in the days to come. This resurrection moment isn’t a one-time occurrence. The Risen Christ continues to bring about transformation.

Resurrection is a BOTH/AND moment. Yes, the resurrection happened at a particular, specific time, day, and place in human history; AND, the resurrection is an ongoing hope for us today.

Jesus commissions the disciples to return to Galilee with the power of the Spirit to continue his work. They, like us, still struggle to recognize the risen Christ, but the proclamation of the resurrection gives hope to wounded hearts.