19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Disciples Commissioned
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Thomas Refuses to Believe
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
Eight Days Later
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.”
Thomas’ Act of Faith
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” 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 believe.”
Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
B. EXPLANATION
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Context: The preceding immediate two verses (vv. 17–18) state: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Mag’dalene went and said to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” Mary Magdalene has told the disciples that she has seen the Lord. It was on this same evening that Jesus had appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24: 22–35). Then, in Luke’s Gospel, he appeared to Simon Peter and later “the Eleven” who had already met these two disciples (Lk. 24: 33–49).
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week” — This is the evening of the actual day of the resurrection.
It is Sunday, “the first day of the week” in the Jewish calendar, and it is evening when night is approaching with its darkness. Darkness in John’s Gospel is the time of evil and lack of faith. The disciples are without faith: Jesus has just been crucified and they are afraid that they too might be arrested and perhaps killed for being followers of his. Their hopes had been for a political coup when they would have been successful as followers of Jesus in a new political kingdom. Now all of that has disappeared. Disappointment, dejection and fear have set in.
“the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews” — They have the doors locked because they are afraid of the Jewish religious leaders who had had no hesitation in crucifying Jesus. They are huddled together in terror. Because of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted for a week, they are not prepared to try to escape back to Galilee.
John does not say that they were apostles but “disciples” and he does not give a number.
“Jesus came and stood among them” — And suddenly there is Jesus standing in their midst. He came through the closed door. That type of entry must have stunned them. We are not told of their reaction. Obviously they were speechless.
“and said to them, “Peace be with you.” — Immediately he addresses them to re–assure them. “Peace be with you”, he greets them. This is the normal greeting of Jewish people. But it takes on deeper and special meanings as uttered by Jesus in the Upper Room. A few days before this, as Jesus was taking his leave from his disciples, he had told them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. (Jn. 14: 27–29).
Jesus leaves the disciples “peace”, “my peace”, peace that is not of “the world”. This has to be divine peace, heavenly peace, what we call salvation, God’s life.
They had not understood then and even if they had their memories were clouded. Only with the coming of the Holy Spirit will they remember all that Jesus had said.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side” — There is no need for further proof or clarification. By his wounds they are assured that this person in their midst is the same person that was crucified whom they had known so well for years.
When Luke tells us of this scene he says that Jesus showed the disciples “his hands and his feet” (Lk, 24: 40) John mentions “his hands and his side”. The wound of the spear in the side reminds us that Jesus suffered and died and bestowed the Holy Spirit from this wound in the form of water.
“Then the disciples were glad” — Once again this is something which Jesus had foretold them on the night before he died. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn. 16: 20–22).
“when they saw the Lord” — Jesus is referred to as the divine, risen “Lord”.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you’” — Once again Jesus greets them with “Peace be with you”. “His peace” has special meanings. Already we have seen where it includes not being “troubled” or “afraid”; they are to be courageous. They should be joyous because Jesus is going to his Father. They are to be people of faith because he has prepared them for his departure by telling them about it. (Jn. 14: 27–29). Now Jesus adds further insights.
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” — Note the Trinitarian reference: “Father”, “Holy Spirit” and “me”.
First he professes that he is a missionary, that is ‘one sent’. He has been sent by his Father with special instructions and commission to bring salvation to the world (Jn. 3: 16–17).
Now, he adds, “I send you”. Jesus makes his disciples to be missionaries, people sent by him to continue his work, as he will explain. They are to bring his “peace”, his salvation, to the world.
It is important to understand the full meaning of these words. They were proclaimed by Jesus who had just shown them the wounds in his hands and his side. The Father had sent him to save the world by his passion and death. Disciples cannot expect to go any other road.
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” — Jesus has just made missionaries of his disciples. Now he fulfils a promise made at least three times during his life, to send the Holy Spirit upon them after he would enter into his glory (Jn. 7: 39; 15: 26; 16: 7–15).
This recalls Genesis 2: 7 –”The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” God’s breath is life–giving. As God gave life to man whom he formed from dust of the earth, now Jesus gives “breath” to his disciples. The word “breath” and “Spirit” are the same. Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit on his disciples. This is now a new creation. The disciples are re–created by new life, the life of the Spirit. (See also I Kg. 17: 21; Ezek. 37: 9).
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” — Jesus gives to his disciples the power to forgive sins, that is, to grant salvation, the remission of the power of the devil. They are to be channels of God’s forgiveness. They are to be Christ to the world. Here we see the origin of the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation.
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin” — It is not known why he was called “the Twin”. The explanation of his name in mentioned again in Jn. 21: 2.
He is mentioned several times in John’s Gospel. First, when Jesus decided to go to the tomb of Lazarus, the disciples tried to dissuade him because the Jews were planning to stone him. He was adamant and Thomas said to the others, “Let us go also and die with him” (Jn. 11: 5–16). Next, Thomas asked Jesus, who had said that he was leaving them, to tell them where he was going as they did not know where and so could not know the way to follow. (Jn. 14: 1–5). Third, his name is mentioned after that of Simon Peter when they were in Galilee and decided to go fishing (Jn. 21: 1–3). The fourth mention is the present passage that is responsible for his title of “doubting Thomas”. Thomas is more than a doubter — he is one who refuses to believe unless he can have empirical facts.
He “was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him” — Experts tell us that this can mean “tried to tell him”.
“‘We have seen the Lord’” — At the beginning of John’s Gospel when Andrew, Philip and a third unnamed disciple had found the Messiah, they told Simon Peter and others that they had found the Messiah. Now the disciples proclaim that they have seen the Risen Lord, that is, the Son of God. In this way John proclaims that Jesus who was crucified is the Messiah and Son of God. He will repeat this in verses 30 to 31 below.
“But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” — The idea behind “place my finger”, “place my hand” is to thrust with force.
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but 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; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.”
“Eight days later” — This is again the Sunday, the first day of the week. The disciples had already accepted that on this first day of the week they should assemble together. Ever since the resurrection the “first day”, or Sunday, is a more important day for Christians than the Sabbath. It is the day of resurrection.
The day is also called “the eighth day”, that is the day of the new creation. The first creation as recorded in the beginning of Genesis took seven days. The “eighth day” is the beginning of a new creation. When Jesus breathed on his disciples as recorded above in verse 22 he replicated the action of God who breathed into clay and created the first man.
“his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them” — These words echo the first appearance when Thomas was not present. However, it is noteworthy that on this second appearance we are not told that the reason for the doors being shut was “fear of the Jews”. After the first appearance there was the advent of faith and the disciples are no longer afraid of the Jews.
“and said, ‘Peace be with you’” — This is the third occasion in this passage that Jesus uses this greeting. It is very important for him.
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side” — Jesus uses the words Thomas used the previous Sunday.
“do not be faithless, but believing” — Thomas had asked for signs and portents. Jesus says that those who ask for these are not people of faith but of empirical knowledge. He wants people of faith, who will accept the word of God and the testimony y of God’s appointed messengers. This is a very strong call by Jesus personally to belief.
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 believe.”
“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” — Immediately Jesus spoke to him he proclaimed his magnificent act of faith. He did not exclaim; he asserted. This is the greatest act of faith in the entire bible. What an encouragement for those among us who may have doubts or preconceived ideas!
“Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as “Lord”. [1] This title testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach him for help and healing. [2] At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, “Lord” expresses the recognition of the divine mystery of Jesus. [3] In the encounter with the risen Jesus, this title becomes adoration: “My Lord and my God!” [4] It thus takes on a connotation of love and affection that remains proper to the Christian tradition: “It is the Lord!” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 448).
This great act of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ links with John 1: 1, 14 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?” — We were not told if Thomas put his finger and hand into the wounds. These words, “you believed because you have seen me” imply that he did not insert his finger and hand. He was happy to “see and believe”, a regular formula in John’s Gospel.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” — These are words of tremendous consolation and strength for the hundreds of generations that have never seen Jesus but who do believe. The risen Jesus calls them “blessed”, specially gifted by God.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” — John addresses readers personally in these final two verses of his Gospel.
John ended his Gospel with chapter 20. Later an additional chapter was added by a disciple of John. Abstracting from that extra chapter at this point we can see that these two final verses in chapter 20 sum up the purpose of John’s Gospel. John wrote that his readers might first “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. Jesus the Christ means Jesus the Messiah or Anointed One, promised for centuries in the Old Testament.
John tells us that many “signs” Jesus performed in his life–time are written by him “that you may believe”. This repeats the thought of verse 9 in this chapter. The sacred scriptures are stepping stones of faith; all should read and reflect, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, the greatest disciple, and so become people mature in faith.
“and that believing you may have life in his name” — Second, through this belief John wished his readers to have “life in his name”, that is in his person, what the name stands for. This life is eternal life, the life of the Blessed Trinity. Sharing this life means that we are the “children of God”. “To all who did accept him he gave power to become the children of God” (Jn. 1: 11–12).
APPLICATION
Introduction
This Sunday was known previously as “Sunday in White”. The name derived from the fact that the newly baptised wore their white garments for the last time in public on a Sunday.
The titles of the Sundays following Easter Sunday are called “Sundays of Easter” rather than “Sundays after Easter”. Easter Sunday is known as the First Sunday of Easter. Each of these Sundays has readings concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Each year they are selected from John’s Gospel with the exception of the Third Sunday of Easter, Years A & B, when the reading is from Luke’s Gospel.
The First Readings on the Sundays of Easter are taken from the Acts of the Apostles which records the impact and effects of the resurrection on the young Church.
The resurrection is not portrayed in any of the four Gospels. There were no witnesses of that event. The Gospels describe the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus to his disciples.
Qualities of Resurrected Body
The Risen Body of Jesus is recognised as one and the same as the crucified body by the signs of the nails in the hands and the hole in his side from the thrust of the soldier’s spear.
He certainly was not a ghost. We know that this body could be touched (Jn. 20: 17). Thomas demanded that he touch it but we are not told if he actually did. He did not need to touch to believe. His personal encounter with his risen Lord goaded him to proclaim “My Lord and My God”.
John in his First Letter describes his faith — That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete (I Jn. 1: 1–4).
We know that the Risen Jesus could eat. By the shore of Lake Tiberias he fed the apostles with bread and fish (Jn. 21: 1–14) and presumably took some himself. Luke records that he ate (Lk. 24: 42–43).
We are not given a list of the qualities of his Risen Body. However, there are some indications. John shows us Christ entering into the Upper Room twice and he did not come through an open door: “The doors were shut” (Jn. 20: 19, 26). His Risen Body is not limited by material surroundings as our bodies are. His Body is transformed and has the power of the Spirit. But he is not a spirit. He does have a real body. And he does have a special type of life which comes to him from his Father.
Thomas
(i) Thomas has often been described as ‘Poor Thomas’. The reason for this is that once he was alleged to have doubted that Jesus rose from the dead and the name of “Doubting Thomas” remained from that first day of the Church until the present day. He did not doubt; he refused to believe! That, of course, is much worse.
On the other hand he could have been called ‘The Man of Greatest Faith’ because he proclaimed the greatest act of faith in the Bible when he said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God”. Unfortunately he was not so lucky to be called that.
Let us look at Thomas with eyes of faith. We should not rush in to condemn Thomas, the first disciples, or their contemporaries of today, for their lack of faith. Jesus had foretold at least three times that he would suffer, die and rise again. But they did not understand what he meant about any of these three happenings. Descending from the Mount of Transfiguration, the three apostles Peter, James and John, discussed what Jesus meant about rising from the dead. The concept was beyond their experience or imagining. Who had ever heard of someone rising from the dead? Of course Jesus had raised three people but that was different No one could even think that he could raise himself. They probably presumed that he was speaking in metaphors.
(ii) When after the resurrection, Thomas joined the disciples a week after they had seen Jesus, they told him of their encounter. He would not believe the unbelievable. He told them bluntly that he needed to experience the wounds before he would accept that the person the disciples met was the same who had been crucified.
It is interesting to compare the attitude of the disciples to Thomas’ refusal to believe. When someone in today’s society refuses to believe, or is even ‘difficult’ on a parish committee, the first reaction of many is to demand that the person be excluded or at least be segregated and kept away from the community. That was not the attitude of the disciples. They were happy that Thomas was among them. They sought to show him how he could believe. They certainly did not throw him out of their circle. They had experienced somewhat similar doubts before the first visit from Jesus, even after hearing of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus and that of the two disciples who had travelled the road to and from Emmaus. They understood how Thomas was thinking, that he had problems but he did not see them as a matter of faith but of resolving his problem in the best possible way. Others might not agree with his approach. But he was sincerely seeking the truth.
When Jesus appeared he did not reprimand Thomas but cooperated with him by showing him his wounds. Then he entered into dialogue with Thomas, “be not faithless but believing”. That personal word from the Risen Lord was all that Thomas required. He burst into his great act of faith, “My Lord and my God”. What touched Thomas’ heart was the love, mercy and compassion of Jesus who obviously understood him and his problem.
The Scriptures do not record if Thomas did touch the wounds. There was no need to do so. His faith was greater than physical evidence.
(iii) Thomas’ act of faith is in the resurrection and divinity of Jesus. The person he associated with for almost three years he now acknowledges to be the same one who is resurrected and is God’s Son.
Jesus praises him. John adds a note of encouragement for us. How blessed are we who believe without encountering the Risen Lord in the flesh. Blessed are those who do not demand signs and portents of their own choosing.
Commentary on 2nd Easter Sunday (A), 16.04.2023
A. TEXT
Jesus Appears in Upper Room
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Disciples Commissioned
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Thomas Refuses to Believe
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
Eight Days Later
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.”
Thomas’ Act of Faith
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” 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 believe.”
Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
B. EXPLANATION
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Context: The preceding immediate two verses (vv. 17–18) state: “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Mag’dalene went and said to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” Mary Magdalene has told the disciples that she has seen the Lord. It was on this same evening that Jesus had appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24: 22–35). Then, in Luke’s Gospel, he appeared to Simon Peter and later “the Eleven” who had already met these two disciples (Lk. 24: 33–49).
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week” — This is the evening of the actual day of the resurrection.
It is Sunday, “the first day of the week” in the Jewish calendar, and it is evening when night is approaching with its darkness. Darkness in John’s Gospel is the time of evil and lack of faith. The disciples are without faith: Jesus has just been crucified and they are afraid that they too might be arrested and perhaps killed for being followers of his. Their hopes had been for a political coup when they would have been successful as followers of Jesus in a new political kingdom. Now all of that has disappeared. Disappointment, dejection and fear have set in.
“the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews” — They have the doors locked because they are afraid of the Jewish religious leaders who had had no hesitation in crucifying Jesus. They are huddled together in terror. Because of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted for a week, they are not prepared to try to escape back to Galilee.
John does not say that they were apostles but “disciples” and he does not give a number.
“Jesus came and stood among them” — And suddenly there is Jesus standing in their midst. He came through the closed door. That type of entry must have stunned them. We are not told of their reaction. Obviously they were speechless.
“and said to them, “Peace be with you.” — Immediately he addresses them to re–assure them. “Peace be with you”, he greets them. This is the normal greeting of Jewish people. But it takes on deeper and special meanings as uttered by Jesus in the Upper Room. A few days before this, as Jesus was taking his leave from his disciples, he had told them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. (Jn. 14: 27–29).
Jesus leaves the disciples “peace”, “my peace”, peace that is not of “the world”. This has to be divine peace, heavenly peace, what we call salvation, God’s life.
They had not understood then and even if they had their memories were clouded. Only with the coming of the Holy Spirit will they remember all that Jesus had said.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side” — There is no need for further proof or clarification. By his wounds they are assured that this person in their midst is the same person that was crucified whom they had known so well for years.
When Luke tells us of this scene he says that Jesus showed the disciples “his hands and his feet” (Lk, 24: 40) John mentions “his hands and his side”. The wound of the spear in the side reminds us that Jesus suffered and died and bestowed the Holy Spirit from this wound in the form of water.
“Then the disciples were glad” — Once again this is something which Jesus had foretold them on the night before he died. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn. 16: 20–22).
“when they saw the Lord” — Jesus is referred to as the divine, risen “Lord”.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And 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; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you’” — Once again Jesus greets them with “Peace be with you”. “His peace” has special meanings. Already we have seen where it includes not being “troubled” or “afraid”; they are to be courageous. They should be joyous because Jesus is going to his Father. They are to be people of faith because he has prepared them for his departure by telling them about it. (Jn. 14: 27–29). Now Jesus adds further insights.
“As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” — Note the Trinitarian reference: “Father”, “Holy Spirit” and “me”.
First he professes that he is a missionary, that is ‘one sent’. He has been sent by his Father with special instructions and commission to bring salvation to the world (Jn. 3: 16–17).
Now, he adds, “I send you”. Jesus makes his disciples to be missionaries, people sent by him to continue his work, as he will explain. They are to bring his “peace”, his salvation, to the world.
It is important to understand the full meaning of these words. They were proclaimed by Jesus who had just shown them the wounds in his hands and his side. The Father had sent him to save the world by his passion and death. Disciples cannot expect to go any other road.
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” — Jesus has just made missionaries of his disciples. Now he fulfils a promise made at least three times during his life, to send the Holy Spirit upon them after he would enter into his glory (Jn. 7: 39; 15: 26; 16: 7–15).
This recalls Genesis 2: 7 –”The Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” God’s breath is life–giving. As God gave life to man whom he formed from dust of the earth, now Jesus gives “breath” to his disciples. The word “breath” and “Spirit” are the same. Jesus bestows the Holy Spirit on his disciples. This is now a new creation. The disciples are re–created by new life, the life of the Spirit. (See also I Kg. 17: 21; Ezek. 37: 9).
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” — Jesus gives to his disciples the power to forgive sins, that is, to grant salvation, the remission of the power of the devil. They are to be channels of God’s forgiveness. They are to be Christ to the world. Here we see the origin of the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation.
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, 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 in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin” — It is not known why he was called “the Twin”. The explanation of his name in mentioned again in Jn. 21: 2.
He is mentioned several times in John’s Gospel. First, when Jesus decided to go to the tomb of Lazarus, the disciples tried to dissuade him because the Jews were planning to stone him. He was adamant and Thomas said to the others, “Let us go also and die with him” (Jn. 11: 5–16). Next, Thomas asked Jesus, who had said that he was leaving them, to tell them where he was going as they did not know where and so could not know the way to follow. (Jn. 14: 1–5). Third, his name is mentioned after that of Simon Peter when they were in Galilee and decided to go fishing (Jn. 21: 1–3). The fourth mention is the present passage that is responsible for his title of “doubting Thomas”. Thomas is more than a doubter — he is one who refuses to believe unless he can have empirical facts.
He “was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him” — Experts tell us that this can mean “tried to tell him”.
“‘We have seen the Lord’” — At the beginning of John’s Gospel when Andrew, Philip and a third unnamed disciple had found the Messiah, they told Simon Peter and others that they had found the Messiah. Now the disciples proclaim that they have seen the Risen Lord, that is, the Son of God. In this way John proclaims that Jesus who was crucified is the Messiah and Son of God. He will repeat this in verses 30 to 31 below.
“But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” — The idea behind “place my finger”, “place my hand” is to thrust with force.
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but 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; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.”
“Eight days later” — This is again the Sunday, the first day of the week. The disciples had already accepted that on this first day of the week they should assemble together. Ever since the resurrection the “first day”, or Sunday, is a more important day for Christians than the Sabbath. It is the day of resurrection.
The day is also called “the eighth day”, that is the day of the new creation. The first creation as recorded in the beginning of Genesis took seven days. The “eighth day” is the beginning of a new creation. When Jesus breathed on his disciples as recorded above in verse 22 he replicated the action of God who breathed into clay and created the first man.
“his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them” — These words echo the first appearance when Thomas was not present. However, it is noteworthy that on this second appearance we are not told that the reason for the doors being shut was “fear of the Jews”. After the first appearance there was the advent of faith and the disciples are no longer afraid of the Jews.
“and said, ‘Peace be with you’” — This is the third occasion in this passage that Jesus uses this greeting. It is very important for him.
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side” — Jesus uses the words Thomas used the previous Sunday.
“do not be faithless, but believing” — Thomas had asked for signs and portents. Jesus says that those who ask for these are not people of faith but of empirical knowledge. He wants people of faith, who will accept the word of God and the testimony y of God’s appointed messengers. This is a very strong call by Jesus personally to belief.
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 believe.”
“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” — Immediately Jesus spoke to him he proclaimed his magnificent act of faith. He did not exclaim; he asserted. This is the greatest act of faith in the entire bible. What an encouragement for those among us who may have doubts or preconceived ideas!
“Very often in the Gospels people address Jesus as “Lord”. [1] This title testifies to the respect and trust of those who approach him for help and healing. [2] At the prompting of the Holy Spirit, “Lord” expresses the recognition of the divine mystery of Jesus. [3] In the encounter with the risen Jesus, this title becomes adoration: “My Lord and my God!” [4] It thus takes on a connotation of love and affection that remains proper to the Christian tradition: “It is the Lord!” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 448).
This great act of faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ links with John 1: 1, 14 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
“Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?” — We were not told if Thomas put his finger and hand into the wounds. These words, “you believed because you have seen me” imply that he did not insert his finger and hand. He was happy to “see and believe”, a regular formula in John’s Gospel.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” — These are words of tremendous consolation and strength for the hundreds of generations that have never seen Jesus but who do believe. The risen Jesus calls them “blessed”, specially gifted by God.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” — John addresses readers personally in these final two verses of his Gospel.
John ended his Gospel with chapter 20. Later an additional chapter was added by a disciple of John. Abstracting from that extra chapter at this point we can see that these two final verses in chapter 20 sum up the purpose of John’s Gospel. John wrote that his readers might first “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. Jesus the Christ means Jesus the Messiah or Anointed One, promised for centuries in the Old Testament.
John tells us that many “signs” Jesus performed in his life–time are written by him “that you may believe”. This repeats the thought of verse 9 in this chapter. The sacred scriptures are stepping stones of faith; all should read and reflect, like Mary, the mother of Jesus, the greatest disciple, and so become people mature in faith.
“and that believing you may have life in his name” — Second, through this belief John wished his readers to have “life in his name”, that is in his person, what the name stands for. This life is eternal life, the life of the Blessed Trinity. Sharing this life means that we are the “children of God”. “To all who did accept him he gave power to become the children of God” (Jn. 1: 11–12).
APPLICATION
Introduction
This Sunday was known previously as “Sunday in White”. The name derived from the fact that the newly baptised wore their white garments for the last time in public on a Sunday.
The titles of the Sundays following Easter Sunday are called “Sundays of Easter” rather than “Sundays after Easter”. Easter Sunday is known as the First Sunday of Easter. Each of these Sundays has readings concerning the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Each year they are selected from John’s Gospel with the exception of the Third Sunday of Easter, Years A & B, when the reading is from Luke’s Gospel.
The First Readings on the Sundays of Easter are taken from the Acts of the Apostles which records the impact and effects of the resurrection on the young Church.
The resurrection is not portrayed in any of the four Gospels. There were no witnesses of that event. The Gospels describe the empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus to his disciples.
Qualities of Resurrected Body
The Risen Body of Jesus is recognised as one and the same as the crucified body by the signs of the nails in the hands and the hole in his side from the thrust of the soldier’s spear.
He certainly was not a ghost. We know that this body could be touched (Jn. 20: 17). Thomas demanded that he touch it but we are not told if he actually did. He did not need to touch to believe. His personal encounter with his risen Lord goaded him to proclaim “My Lord and My God”.
John in his First Letter describes his faith — That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete (I Jn. 1: 1–4).
We know that the Risen Jesus could eat. By the shore of Lake Tiberias he fed the apostles with bread and fish (Jn. 21: 1–14) and presumably took some himself. Luke records that he ate (Lk. 24: 42–43).
We are not given a list of the qualities of his Risen Body. However, there are some indications. John shows us Christ entering into the Upper Room twice and he did not come through an open door: “The doors were shut” (Jn. 20: 19, 26). His Risen Body is not limited by material surroundings as our bodies are. His Body is transformed and has the power of the Spirit. But he is not a spirit. He does have a real body. And he does have a special type of life which comes to him from his Father.
Thomas
(i) Thomas has often been described as ‘Poor Thomas’. The reason for this is that once he was alleged to have doubted that Jesus rose from the dead and the name of “Doubting Thomas” remained from that first day of the Church until the present day. He did not doubt; he refused to believe! That, of course, is much worse.
On the other hand he could have been called ‘The Man of Greatest Faith’ because he proclaimed the greatest act of faith in the Bible when he said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God”. Unfortunately he was not so lucky to be called that.
Let us look at Thomas with eyes of faith. We should not rush in to condemn Thomas, the first disciples, or their contemporaries of today, for their lack of faith. Jesus had foretold at least three times that he would suffer, die and rise again. But they did not understand what he meant about any of these three happenings. Descending from the Mount of Transfiguration, the three apostles Peter, James and John, discussed what Jesus meant about rising from the dead. The concept was beyond their experience or imagining. Who had ever heard of someone rising from the dead? Of course Jesus had raised three people but that was different No one could even think that he could raise himself. They probably presumed that he was speaking in metaphors.
(ii) When after the resurrection, Thomas joined the disciples a week after they had seen Jesus, they told him of their encounter. He would not believe the unbelievable. He told them bluntly that he needed to experience the wounds before he would accept that the person the disciples met was the same who had been crucified.
It is interesting to compare the attitude of the disciples to Thomas’ refusal to believe. When someone in today’s society refuses to believe, or is even ‘difficult’ on a parish committee, the first reaction of many is to demand that the person be excluded or at least be segregated and kept away from the community. That was not the attitude of the disciples. They were happy that Thomas was among them. They sought to show him how he could believe. They certainly did not throw him out of their circle. They had experienced somewhat similar doubts before the first visit from Jesus, even after hearing of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus and that of the two disciples who had travelled the road to and from Emmaus. They understood how Thomas was thinking, that he had problems but he did not see them as a matter of faith but of resolving his problem in the best possible way. Others might not agree with his approach. But he was sincerely seeking the truth.
When Jesus appeared he did not reprimand Thomas but cooperated with him by showing him his wounds. Then he entered into dialogue with Thomas, “be not faithless but believing”. That personal word from the Risen Lord was all that Thomas required. He burst into his great act of faith, “My Lord and my God”. What touched Thomas’ heart was the love, mercy and compassion of Jesus who obviously understood him and his problem.
The Scriptures do not record if Thomas did touch the wounds. There was no need to do so. His faith was greater than physical evidence.
(iii) Thomas’ act of faith is in the resurrection and divinity of Jesus. The person he associated with for almost three years he now acknowledges to be the same one who is resurrected and is God’s Son.
Jesus praises him. John adds a note of encouragement for us. How blessed are we who believe without encountering the Risen Lord in the flesh. Blessed are those who do not demand signs and portents of their own choosing.