John 20:19-31
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked 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. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending 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 them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
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 mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 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 disbelieve, 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 believed.”
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 so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection
Jesus’ gracious encounter with the fearful, guilt-ridden disciples is a model of what should happen every time we gather together in Jesus’ name to worship God. Jesus comes into our midst (John 20:19), speaks to us by his Word (vv. 19–27), applies the gospel of peace to our souls (v. 19), breathes his Spirit upon us (v. 22), and commissions us to go forth as servants of the gospel (vv. 21–23).
The authority Jesus gave the apostles to pronounce the forgiveness of sins (v. 23) is extended through the church by the preaching of the gospel. Only by believing the gospel of God’s grace can anyone expect to hear Jesus say, “Peace be with you.”
1 Peter 2:1-8
2: So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
0 They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Reflection
It has been said that Christ will not taste sweet to us until sin tastes bitter, and the reverse is true as well. Christ and sin cannot both look beautiful to us simultaneously; as the beauty of one rises, the other falls.
Once we have tasted the goodness of Christ and his gospel, we will long for more (1 Pet. 2:2), and it is this longing that fuels our continued growth. Believers “grow up into salvation” (v. 2) by “the pure spiritual milk” of the Word of God and especially the gospel (cf. 1:25). Gospel grace not only begins our walk with God; it also changes us over time so that we become more like the people we truly are as the children of God. Grace leads to godliness as we are transformed by Christ’s love and learn to honor him more and more as we grow in Christian maturity. Remember, even this growth in maturity is only “acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v. 5). Our sacrificial lives of devotion to the Lord are not what makes us acceptable to God. Jesus himself made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf; in light of his great work of salvation, we devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord of mercy.
Psalm 40:1-3
40: I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
There is no way to have our sins forgiven other than hearing and responding to the message of the gospel. Pray for the millions in the world who have never heard the good news of God’s grace in Christ. Ask God to send believers to them and create churches among them so that many might hear the truth and put their trust in the Lord.