Peace and Recognition – John 20

A text – John 20:19-31

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ 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.”

²⁶ 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.” ²⁷ 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.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ 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.”

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

A reflection:

Mary Magdalene is the first to see the risen Jesus in John’s gospel. She mistakes him for the gardener. Then he calls her by name. She recognizes him. She leaves the garden and tells the rest of the disciples. That evening is the first time they see Jesus for themselves. It seems at first they don’t know what to make of this suddenly-appearing Jesus, but when he shows them his hands and his side, they rejoice to know that it is really their Lord.

Later on the disciples saw Thomas, who hadn’t been in the room when Jesus appeared. They told Thomas that Jesus had visited them. I had always thought that Thomas’s statement to his friends was harsh and distant – “Unless I see the mark of the nails…” as if to tell his friends “I won’t believe your tales – I must see for myself.” Yet, in the early sentences of this story – verse 20 – the rest of the group doesn’t quite believe their visitor is Jesus either. Jesus shows them his hands and side. Then suddenly they rejoice. So Thomas wasn’t the only one who had a hard time believing. These poor shocked followers who had just experienced a profound death were forlorn. Muddled with grief. Numb. That’s what grief does, and it is different for everyone.

Jesus extends his peace to his disciples on both visits. It is necessary. We need God’s peace. Jesus’s remarks to Thomas are not meant as a rebuke to Thomas, I don’t believe. They are meant to teach all the disciples that each person who comes to faith comes in a different way, aided by different things. And notice: the gospel does not say Thomas actually touched the wounds. He makes his proclamation of faith without that. The peace given by Jesus goes beyond human understanding and makes all things possible. Pray for that peace today and every day so that we may live it out in a world that needs it.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for the lives of the disciples you chose to share your story with the world. Help us be disciples, too, as we extend your peace to the people we know. Amen.