This text from the Gospel of John is so rich and full that it could be divided up into several sermons. The entire chapter is a record of how different disciples (Mary Magdalen, Peter, the beloved disciple, gathered disciples, and Thomas) came to believe in the risen Lord. Those descriptions of personal experiences with Jesus are in themselves edifying. They can help persons realize that there is no set way in which someone experiences Jesus and comes to trust in him.

The text is filled with fulfillment of Jesus’ words to the disciples during his earthly ministry. His pronouncement of peace as he appears fulfills the promise he made in John 14:27 that he gives them a peace that is unknown by the world. As well, it recalls the beginning of the gospel announcement that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, ESV). This description of the Father’s sending of the Son is meant to inform Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples, i.e., “as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21, ESV).

The Unseen Resurrection

None of the gospels include any description of the resurrection itself. There is no record of anyone seeing Jesus rise from death and leave the tomb. The guards were asleep, and the disciples were hiding. Some like to speculate on that event and parishioners often ask about it. The pseudepigraphal Go­­spel of Peter (ca. 2^ndcentury CE) attempts a somewhat Cecil B. DeMille production of the event, but such speculative eff­­orts do not seem to contribute to a sustained discipleship that the Gospel of John promotes under the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is more important to the gospel writers with regard to post-resurrection life is not the description of a one-time historical event but rather the eternal presence of the living Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit.

Receiving the Holy Spirit

The text is an account of the ways in which Jesus revealed himself to his distraught disciples. They were privileged to see his resurrection body, to hear his voice, and to receive the breath of the Spirit from him. Much has been made of the apparent disparity of this giving of the Holy Spirit and the Pentecost event. Calvin thought that this was just a “sprinkling” of the Spirit (it’s hard to resist Presbyterian baptismal jokes here). Others think that this breathing of the Spirit was an empowering for ministry and that the Pentecost event was the giving of a powerful new life. These debates may be distractions from the fact that the Spirit is given at times and in ways that are determined by the Triune God. For John, the formation and commissioning of the church begins with this gift of the Holy Spirit.

 Within the Locked Room

For all of the splendor of our contemporary Easter celebrations, the first Easter occurred in a time of darkness, confusion, and fear for the disciples. They were afraid for their own lives. Will the authorities who saw Jesus as a threat, see them, his disciples, as threats as well? Questions consume them. What are we to do now? Can we show our faces ? We thought he was the Messiah and said so. What will people think of us now? How can I trust my own thoughts if I was so wrong? With such existential turmoil, the disciples hide and even lock the doors. And Thomas was not among them.

Thomas’ Great Confession

Thomas. His reputation has been short-circuited by his nickname – Doubting Thomas. He was not with the disciples when they gathered on that first Easter Sunday evening. We do not know where he was or why he was absent. We just know he wasn’t there. He is not accused by Jesus of doubting but rather warned against not believing. Jesus did not want Thomas’ questions to short-circuit his faith. Jesus knows what is on Thomas’ mind before Thomas can tell him and Jesus honors Thomas’ uncertainties by offering physical evidence. There is no account that Thomas actually put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds. Rather, he was overcome with recognition of the risen Lord and made the greatest confession of faith in this account – “My Lord and My God.”

One could say that Thomas was choosing Jesus over earthly political power since many Caesars, had insisted on the title Dominus et Deus – Lord and God. But it seems clear that Thomas is making a declaration of who Jesus is – God himself – and who Jesus is to him – his Lord. Thomas has asked for no more evidence than the other disciples had received a week ago, so it does a disservice to him to single him out. We can, however, learn from his disinclination to believe the witness of his fellow disciples. The gathering of believers is essential to our life in Christ. We are strengthened and encouraged as brothers and sisters bear witness to one another about the presence of Jesus in their lives.

Real Forgiveness 

Finally, a major component in the mission of the church is the ministry of forgiveness. There is, as we know, a major difference between Protestant and Catholic interpretations of this mission. Catholics perceive this as a priestly function, whereas Protestants view it as a personal and relational function – a way of putting into practice that kind of forgiveness that Christ offers with a view toward reconciliation. It seems to be the core of what Jesus means when he sends them on their incarnational mission. This means that the cultural misunderstanding of forgiveness as saying, “Oh it doesn’t matter,” is a fragile and temporary way of getting past offenses.

Preaching Angles

Spoiled for Choice!

There is so much in this gospel text that you may want to choose a particular passage within the text, depending on the needs of your congregation. You may want to explore the deeply missional dimensions of Jesus’ commission, i.e., “As the Father has sent me, so send I you.” How has the Father sent the Son? What does that mean for personal and corporate discipleship?

Fear and Hiding

You may decide that exploring the aspects of fear and hiding following the crucifixion will help your listeners to understand the difference between living before and after the resurrection means for them. You can emphasize the fact that no matter where we are…no matter how deeply we have hidden ourselves, Jesus will find us, as the good shepherd found the lost sheep.

Encountering the Risen Lord in Community

The Thomas story may be illuminating. For so long the interpretation of this story has been a negative response to Thomas, giving rise to the familiar epithet of “Doubting.” The story is really about Jesus and his gracious encounter with Thomas. To ask questions, to ponder or wonder is a way to see the risen Lord. And it may be liberating for some to know that Jesus already knows what’s on their minds. Thomas comes to faith when he returns to his brothers and sisters, even with his questions. If is important to remember, however, that Thomas did not ask for more than what the disciples had already experienced. Now, it is in their company that he sees Jesus. We have in this text expressions of both corporate and personal encounters with the resurrected Lord. Both kinds of experiences are necessary in the life of a disciple.

So, one way you might treat the entire text is to focus on the importance of community, of the newly formed Body of Christ. Thomas is absent from the group when Jesus first appears, so he misses an important revelation. The additional texts support this approach by describing what their life together looks like. And that life together is a corporate witness, fulfilling the commission that had been given just as much as a personal witness does. Lesslie Newbigin in his Gospel in a Pluralist Society, writes about “The Congregation as a Hermeneutic of the Gospel.”  He describes how a watching world pays attention to gathered Christians, observing how they live together, how they serve, how they deal with fear and questions, and how they love and seek justice.

Resources on Forgiveness

Should you decide that the ministry of forgiveness is the focus of your sermon, good resources for your preparation would be Miroslav Volf’s Exclusion and Embrace, and Lewis Smedes’ (Volf’s professor) The Art of Forgiving  and Forgive and Forget are most helpful. (Do not leave Volf until Saturday night.)

Al Capone’s Vault

There is a Peanuts cartoon in which Lucy and Charley Brown are walking home from school. Charlie Brown tells Lucy that he got straight As. Lucy responds, “I won’t believe it unless I see the report card.”

—Eunice McGarrahan

Fear is an emotion that produces worry. Here is a story from a friend: “When I was a teenager, I worried about everything – grades, friends, what college I would attend. My mother confronted me and asked, ‘How many of the things that you have worried about have happened?’ I thought a moment and then said, ‘None.’ After taking a breath, I also said, ‘See! Worry works!’ I soon learned that the only way worry worked was to deplete my energy needlessly.”

—Eunice McGarrahan

Adapted from Psalm 133 (ESV)

Leader: Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
People: It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron.
Leader: It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
People: For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Leader: Let us worship the risen Lord who has given us life!

Inclusive Language

Leader: Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers and sisters dwell in unity!
People: It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron.
Leader: It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
People: For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Leader: Let us worship the risen Lord who has given us life!