John 20:19-31
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 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 them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 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 have come to believe.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
The Tomb of Corruption becomes the Womb of Resurrection.
It’s been eight days since "He is Risen." The disciples are still behind locked doors. They’re confused, going between a lack of peace, sadness, fear, doubt, loss of time and loss of hope. They might also feel guilty for having left Jesus in His Passion. They experience a time of darkness with a lack of vision and direction.
In the middle of this nightmare, Jesus stands among them and assures them that He is the Risen Christ and He is "The Peace with them.” According to both the Greek and the Syriac Aramaic versions, He is the "Mighty God and the Prince of Peace" fulfilling Prophet Isaiah 9:6.
Jesus' resurrection is the greatest impossibility to become real, "for nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37.
Among the many times the Lord makes the impossible for humans into a tangible reality, may we remember—-
The Virgin gives birth to a child, Luke 1:34
God the Word becomes flesh, John 1:14
Jesus turns water into wine, John 2:1-11
Feeding thousands with two fish and five loaves; six months wages would hardly buy enough bread for this multitude of guests, John 6:7-14
Walking on the water, Matthew 14:25-27
Bringing back to earthly life:
The daughter of Jairus, chief of the Synagogue at Capernaum, Luke 8:40-56;
The son of the widow at Nain, Luke 7:11-17; and
Lazarus at Bethany, John 11:1-45.
With the New Covenant, the bread is Jesus' Body and the wine is His Blood, I Corinthians 11:23-26.
Death is trampled by Jesus' death; the tomb of corruption became the womb of life through His Resurrection. Luke 24:5
The Risen Christ breathed on them and into them. His breath has multiple effects.
It grants them Peace that is beyond human understanding, dispels fear, doubt and isolation. It also sends them out and empowers them, by the authority of the Holy Spirit, to forgive or retain sins, received from the Father and conveyed to them, John 20:21-23.
With all of that, the Risen Christ does not forget Thomas’ doubting, and how to make him a model of repentance and acceptance of Jesus as "Lord and God" (v. 28). He extends His blessing upon those who will believe because they see with their spiritual eyes of faith and proclaim Jesus Christ as "My Lord and my God!"
Nowadays, after 2025 years of Jesus' Resurrection, blessed are the faithful who believe that He is alive and say, “Unless you see with your eyes of faith, you can neither meet the Risen Christ, nor enjoy His Peace and His Joy.”
May we rejoice in the Lord and proclaim His resurrection throughout our lives, witnessing and sowing peace and joy instead of doubt and fear. He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!