Jesus appears to His disciples

John 20:19-31

As I said over Easter it is much easier for us to begin to understand the events of Easter because we are looking back with 2000 years of accumulated knowledge.

But it was not like that for the disciples who were living at a time when the most significant event in human history was being played out.

As far as the disciples were concerned Jesus was dead, all of their hopes and beliefs as to who He was, had been dashed.

So, it is not surprising that they are hiding away from the Jews and had locked the door, they must have been very afraid.

And then suddenly Jesus just appears and stands among them, it doesn't record their reaction but shock is the mildest word that comes to mind.

“Peace be with you”, He says , I wonder if they responded and “also with you”? I doubt it very much.

Maybe there was disbelief because we are told He shows them His hands and His side.

He then repeats, "Peace be with you"

I am reading in to scripture now but I think Jesus’ words give us a sense of the compassion He has for people reacting in a very human way.

During His time on earth Jesus saw many things that weren't good but He always sees those things through a lens of compassion not condemning the people.

He always forgave people but called them to not sin again and challenged them with the Gospel.

In Verse 21 Jesus gives them a command that travels down the years to us "As the Father has sent me I am sending you."

It's effectively another example of the great commission.

Whatever God asks us to do we need to remember two things:

We are not operating on our own authority; our authority travels down through the years from this moment.

This means we are not operating in our own strength or own authority but rather in God’s so it makes it very important that we seek the Father’s will and follow Him.

Secondly Jesus has given us a blueprint to carry out this command, during His time on earth He was very practical healing the sick, raising the dead, standing up for the poor and demonstrating the Gospel.

This made Him very popular with the people and they flocked to see Him and to listen to Him.

Jesus would then speak out the Gospel, in other words He earned the right to preach and teach.

We also do it in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are told Jesus breathed upon them and said receive the Holy Spirit.

To be effective we need to do it in the power of the Spirit it's like the fuel of the Gospel.

But Thomas is not with them first time round and he still has doubts, it's where the expression doubting Thomas comes from.

I would be the same though and I suspect most of you would too. If people told me someone who was dead had come back to life I would want some evidence.

And Jesus provides that and Thomas puts his hands in the holes etc.

Thomas then makes the declaration,“My Lord and my God.” It's the declaration we all make when we see Jesus for who He is.

But Jesus then makes a very important comment and one we often miss.

Verse 29 says this

"Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed"

Now and again I have met people who say they have had a vision of Jesus but for most of us we believe but we have not seen.

The Christian faith is exactly that, we believe by faith even though we have not seen. Like Peter’s declaration of who Jesus is, it is revealed to us by God.

Some people say I would believe if I saw Him and I often wonder why doesn't He just turn up every so often then thousands would get converted.

But the proof we do have is the words of the Bible and the living testimony of people and their lives.

Verse 30 tells us Jesus did other miraculous signs not recorded but the ones we do have are that we may believe.

Faith is something we have to exercise and then that faith grows.

We pray for non-believers, we demonstrate the Gospel and we speak it out but ultimately it is God, not us, who draw people to Him. It is our job to play our small part by working with Him and for Him.