REVIEW: The women who went to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday morning returned to the Upper Room where Jesus’ disciples had gathered and shared the news. Of course, Peter and John had to see for themselves and so they ran to the tomb only to find it empty just as the women had said. After hearing the reports of the empty tomb, two of the disciples (one named Cleopas) decided to return to their homes in Emmaus, but while they were walking, a “Stranger” whose name was Jesus joined them. And then later that evening, Jesus appeared in the Upper Room with all of the disciples, well, almost all of them! And that is the subject of this blog.  

Let’s pick up the dialogue from John’s Gospel:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus (the twin) was not with them when Jesus came (John 20:24).

We might ask: Why wasn’t Thomas with the other disciples on that first Easter Sunday evening? Well, Thomas was a “fatalist” and for him, the glass was always half empty. He looked on the dark side of things. Remember when Jesus was preparing to return to Bethany and visit Lazarus’ tomb (Lazarus had already died, and the Jews were looking to arrest Jesus)? Well, when Jesus told the disciples that they were going anyway, Thomas said:

Let us also go so that we may die with Him (John 11:16).

Yep, there’s a fatalist for you! “We are all going to die,” thought Thomas, “so let’s all die with Him.” I suppose on that first Easter evening Thomas was once again sulking and looking on the dark side of things, and above all, just wanting to be alone in this misery. But, the other disciples convinced him to join them in the Upper Room, and as you know, a week later, again on the first day of the week (Sunday):

His disciples were again inside the Upper Room, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you” (John 20:26).

Once again, Jesus wanted to assure them of His peace, Shalom, something that He could give simply because of His presence with them. And that is also something that He can do for each of us if we will acknowledge His presence with us. Now Jesus wanted to speak with Thomas and said to him:

Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take you hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer (John 20:27).

Jesus was offering a chance for Peter to actually see and feel the nail prints (as well as the wound in his side from the Roman spear that penetrated Him shortly after He gave up His spirit on the cross). What kind of a body did Jesus have during these first 40 days?

Luke gives us some more insight:

See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you plainly see that I have (Luke 24:39).

So, Jesus was not a spirit, now was He in his earthly physical body, because He could appear and disappear at will. He had what we call a “resurrection body,” a body that could be seen and touched, and that is the body that He had for 40 days until His ascension.

Thomas responded by saying:

My Lord and my God! (John 20:28).

Thomas was affirming the fact that Jesus was indeed his “Lord” (his Master) as well as his “God” who is worthy of worship. To this affirmation, Jesus responded:

Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe (John 20:29).

With this statement, Jesus was thinking of each of us. We believe because we trust the testimony of those who did see Him, and that included over 500 people who probably gathered along the shores of Galilee where Jesus was to meet the disciples after appearing to them in Jerusalem (1 Corinthians 15:6). Maybe those who gathered during the Sermon on the Mount at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry gathered with the disciples to hear them tell of Jesus’ resurrection. At this time, they not only heard the testimony of the disciples, but Jesus showed up to confirm that testimony, and for them to see Jesus “first-hand.”

And for each of us, we have not had the opportunity to “see” Jesus with our physical eyes, but with the eyes of our understanding of what the disciples saw. And for those who believe, Jesus calls them “blessed.” We can trust their testimony of seeing the risen Lord. It is a reasonable and true testimony because they were willing to die for it. Just a “vision” or a “spirit” wouldn’t have sufficed. They needed to see, touch, and feel. We don’t need to because we can believe their testimony of the risen Savior.

If you haven’t placed your faith in Christ, then it’s never too late to do so. Trust the testimony of the disciples who were willing to die for what they saw. You can trust Him today. If you have never done so, today might be just the perfect day.