MISSION WOODS CHURCH
Sunday, April 12, 2026
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  • Rejoice In The Lord Always
  • He Lives
  • Oh How He Loves You And Me
  • You Are My Hiding Place

      • John 20:19-20ESV

      • John 20:21-23ESV

      • John 20:24-25ESV

      • John 20:26-27ESV

      • John 20:28-29ESV

  • It’s a week after Easter. Last week we celebrated the resurrection. Our text today recall not only that day, but eight days later. John doesn’t tell us what had happened during the in between time. We only have two occurences where Jesus appears to the disciples, and the appearances have similarities and differences.
    We learn 5 key things in this passage that will help us live out our faith in the resurrected Jesus.

    1. Peace in Presence

    On that first day of the week, the day of the resurrection, when it was evening the disciples were gathered with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. Jesus brings Peace by his presence.
    John 20:19–20 ESV
    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.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
    I have to admit, sometimes I see humor in the Scriptures where perhaps humor is not intended. This is one of those occasions. The disciples are huddled behind locked doors in fear, and Jesus appears to them and uses the common greeting of the day, “Peace be with you.” Perhaps it would be equivalent to saying, “Hi, how are you?” Or for our younger people, “Wassup?”
    Notice the change in how the disciples demeanor is expressed. It begins in vs. 19 with them behind locked doors “for fear of the Jews.” and ends with “the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
    We live in a time where many are living in fear. Jesus is aware of our fears, Jesus reassures us in the midst of this. Christ is present in our uncertainties.
    Do you have doubts? Join the club. The disciples did too.
    Do you have fear? So did the disciples.
    Do you need a challenge? Jesus provides that too.
    That leads us to our 2nd point.

    2. Purpose in Commission

    Sometimes we forget that Jesus resurrection wasn’t the end of things, in many ways it was only the beginning. Through it, we are commissioned in a very powerful way, and it is not one where we can just sit back and do nothing.
    John 20:21–23 ESV
    Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
    Jesus emphasizes the peace he brings. Yet one thing that we sometimes miss in the Gospel of John is there is a commission here as well, and it’s modeled after the way that Jesus was sent from the Father. When we think of how Jesus came, I’m reminded of Paul’s description in his letter to the Philippians:
    Philippians 2:5–8 ESV
    Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    Humility is key, and reliance on God. And where does that power come from? Jesus gives it to us. Let’s look at the verse again:
    John 20:22 ESV
    And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
    And gives us incredible power given to us in the Spirit:
    John 20:23 ESV
    If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
    You and I are called to live out this commission in an increasingly skeptical world. Yet in recent years we’re seeing a significant change especially among our younger people.
    There is mystery in faith that young people are embracing.

    3. Pondering in Doubt

    I think too often within modern Christianity that doubt has been seen as a lack of faith. Yet throughout the Scriptures we read of doubt. From Moses doubting he could speak to Pharaoh, to Elijah cowering in a cave fleeing Jezebel, to the father asking Jesus “If you can do something” in healing his son.
    Doubt is not always the stumbling block to faith that we might think it is. We read of the disciples encounter with Thomas in vs. 24 & 25.
    John 20:24–25 ESV
    Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.”
    We label Thomas with the monicker “Doubting Thomas”, but I want to point out right away that he did not ask for anything the other disciples didn’t receive. We read in vs. 20, John 20:20 “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” It was by the marks in his hands and side that Jesus identified himself to them.
    What instructs us is that Thomas voices his doubts. Thomas wanted a personal encounter, he didn’t want to go by second hand faith, or hearsay. I can imagine Thomas wanting to believe it and at the same time thinking it was too good to be true.
    Henri J.M. Nouwen used a phrase that I find helpful. He used to say, “Live in the question.” In the midst of our faith journeys we’re going to have questions and we’re going to have doubts. What do we do with those? Do we seek answers or do we throw up our hands and simply choose disbelief. Do we examine reasons for faith or do we ignore them?
    Living in the question invites us to keep asking, keep seeking, keep pursuing the answers to the questions and at the same time not being disheartened by the reality of having questions.
    Jeremiah 29:13 ESV
    You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
    By Jesus reaction eigh days later we see the patient response and a willingness to reveal Himself to us. Why should we imagine we would receive anything less?

    4. Personal in Invitation

    When I read this passage I love the patience and gentleness with which Jesus responds to Thomas’ challenge. It took some time, we read that it was more than a week before the disciples were inside again with Thomas. Again, the doors are locked. And Jesus comes to them.
    John 20:26–27 ESV
    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.” 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.”
    When the disciples were gathered behind locked doors, “for fear of the Jews”, Jesus came to them and said, “Peace be with you.” Now, when once again they are behind locked doors - no mention of fear, but Thomas’ doubt is front and center. Again, Jesus comes to them, “Peace be with you.”
    Then he approaches Thomas directly, “Put your finger here, see my hands, and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
    It is so telling that Jesus meets Thomas right where his doubts are. He doesn’t call Thomas to him, He comes to Thomas. Jesus meets us right there in the midst of our doubts and guides us from that place of doubt to a place of trust and belief.
    All of this leads us to number 5.

    5. Proclamation in Faith

    Despite all the doubt, the disciples invited Thomas to remain with them. Despite his doubt, Jesus came to Him, meeting him where he was and giving him a reason to believe. And though Thomas is given the title “Doubting Thomas”, what we too often forget is that he is the first one to profess that Jesus is not only Lord, He is God!
    John 20:28–29 ESV
    Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
    It is Thomas’ declaration that creates a theological turning point among the disciples seeing Jesus as divine. The doubting Thomas is the one who is the first to declare Jesus is God! That is what he should be remembered for - though the doubts are important as well.
    We need doubts. Doubts challenge us and cause us to seek answers. We live in a time where we don’t get to see Jesus hands or side, we are among those of whom Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
    Our faith, not having seen, is a gift from God.
    We’ve been gifted with this faith. We’ve been commissioned as well. The Spirit is upon us.
    You and I can extend forgiveness.
    You and I are commissioned and sent by God to share the Gospel.
    What a gift that Jesus meets us in our doubts and fears.
    Though our fatih may be challenged recognizing it is in the midst of those challenges we encounter Jesus in very real ways.

    Unfinished Business?

    When I was a teenager a friend had a button that read:
    PBPGINFWMY
    At the time I was a new Christian, but had not seen anyone really externally speaking out about their faith. I asked him what it meant and he proudly announced, “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.”
    God is not finished with us. In the midst of fear and doubt, let us continue to invite God in trusting that God will meet us there. AMEN.

      • John 20:19–20ESV

      • John 20:21–23ESV

      • Philippians 2:5–8ESV

      • John 20:22ESV

      • John 20:23ESV

      • John 20:24–25ESV

      • Jeremiah 29:13ESV

      • John 20:26–27ESV

      • John 20:28–29ESV

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MISSION WOODS CHURCH
info@missionwoodschurch.org
(253) 922-5555
http://www.missionwoodschurch.org
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