John 20:19-31

20:19-20 | The first words Jesus said to the assembled disciples were Peace be with you. They must have been terrified, first for fear of hte Jews and because they thought there were seeing a ghost. But when Jesus showed them His wounds, they knew this was their Lord.

20:21-23 | Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit. Just as God created humanity with His breath (Gen. 2:7), He gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples by breathing on them. God was re-creating humanity in Christ.

20:26 | This was the third and final time after His resurrection that Jesus spoke of His peace.

20:27-28 | Rather than belittling Thomas for his doubts, Jesus welcomed his reach and touch, which moved Thomas from unbelieving to believing.

20:29 | Thomas saw and believed, and Jesus affirmed his belief. But then He added, Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed. Anyone today can have as much confidence believing without seeing as those who saw and believed.

Often called “doubting Thomas” for his questions, we can learn much from this man and his encounter with Jesus.

1- Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for his questions; He simply answered them. While we may not receive answers from God so quickly, a sincere and loving relationship with Jesus allows His followers to seek Him out with their questions.

2- Thomas went on to serve God. He preached Jesus in India and was killed by a spear in his back. The church is there today because of this man who asked a question.

Doubter? Not really. Believer who asked a question and then bore much fruit? Absolutely! Christianity ultimately comes down to somethign more than theological questions. In the end, it is all about a person, not a proposition. The questions are the beginning of the journey, but the answers come finally in experience. Jesus meets His followers where they are.