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Jesus Appears to His Disciples

John 20:19-31

Good News Translation (GNT)

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19  It was late that Sunday evening, and the
   disciples were gathered together behind
   locked doors, because they were afraid of the
   Jewish authorities.
   Then Jesus came and stood among them.
   "Peace be with you," he said.
20  After saying this, he showed them his hands
   and his side. The disciples were filled with joy
   at seeing the Lord.
21  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
   As the Father sent me, so I send you."
22  Then he breathed on them and said,
   "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23  If you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven;
   if you do not forgive them, they are not
   forgiven."

   Jesus and Thomas
24  One of the twelve disciples, Thomas
   (called the Twin), was not with them when
   Jesus came.
25  So the other disciples told him, "We have
   seen the Lord!" Thomas said to them, "Unless
   I see the scars of the nails in his hands and
   put my finger on those scars and my hand
   in his side, I will not believe."
26  A week later the disciples were together again
   indoors, and Thomas was with them. The
   doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood
   among them and said, "Peace be with you."
27  Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger
   here, and look at my hands; then reach out
   your hand and put it in my side. Stop your
   doubting, and believe!"
28  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my
   God!"
29  Jesus said to him, "Do you believe
   because you see me? How happy are those
   who believe without seeing me!"

   The Purpose of This Book
30  In his disciples' presence Jesus performed
   many other miracles which are not written
   down in this book.
31  But these have been written in order that
   you may believe (a) that Jesus is the Messiah,
   the Son of God, and that through your faith in
   him you may have life.

   Footnotes
   John 20:31 believe;
   some manuscripts have continue to believe.

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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by the
Scripture Union

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

    John 20:19-31

Later that day, the disciples huddled terrified in the upper room. By now they'd heard Mary's tale.

Jesus understands.
His greeting 'Peace be with you' is a blessing, not a rebuke.

He meets his followers in their fear and confusion. His presence and words reassure. The narrative recounts events on the same day as the resurrection; now it is the evening and the room is filled with emotions.

The disciples had the door locked, in fear of the religious authorities. Jesus cannot have helped much in dissipating their fears when he appeared in the middle of the room, but the disciples' emotions soon changed from fear to joy.

Jesus' breathing of the Holy Spirit on his disciples is a source of much discussion among scholars because of Acts 2. The question is whether this is simply a symbolic act, a partial anointing that is fulfilled in Acts 2, or a full anointing and, if so, how many times the Holy Spirit is given!

However this event is interpreted, it is significant to note that Jesus' actions mirror Genesis 2:7 when God breathed life into the first human he created.

Now Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit - the Spirit that gives life - upon his disciples.As he breathes, it is interesting to note what else is going on.

Jesus enters the room and twice says, 'Peace be with you.' The disciples respond with joy. In this moment, as Jesus breathes life on his disciples, the fruits of the Spirit of joy and peace are evident in that place.

To a people who have been living in fear behind locked doors, Jesus not only reveals himself but evidences this by breathing his Spirit and producing the Spirit's fruit. He not only did this for his disciples, but he longs to do this for us too!

By showing his hands, Jesus recognised their fear and moved them to a greater scenario.

They had seen him being crucified, it is true, and the authorities were looking for them, but the point of reference has shifted from the authorities to the resurrected Lord.

Jesus again brings peace to the disciples, which has relevance to both their past and their present fears. Jesus transforms their fear into passion by giving them a mission - to witness to the world concerning what they have seen and experienced.

Their witness can only be given under the authority of God.

Thomas is a great character to focus on because of his doubt: we identify with him. Thomas wanted to have the same experience as the other disciples: an experience that would help him develop his faith in Jesus.

Jesus did not reprimand Thomas for asking; rather, he made the statement that it is possible to believe without facts. How long can a person go on with a doubt? Some people will never be satisfied.

In honesty, we should say that most of us never eliminate our doubts; we can learn to live with them. Thomas needed to change his present belief, and this can be a painful process. It is not pleasant to struggle with a doubt for a week.

The fact is that Thomas witnessed Jesus performing many miracles; he had enough proof of Jesus' power and authority. The purpose of witness is to lead the person to Jesus.

John says that he wrote his Gospel 'that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah'.

Thomas had to experience the risen Jesus before he could lead others to faith.

Most of us need the same: we need to witness the supernatural before we can witness to others. Thomas' doubt became the passion that, according to tradition, took him to South India to establish the church there.

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