New Testament Stories

Thomas Sees the Risen Lord

Therefore when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." John 20:19 

                              On the Sunday after Jesus was crucified, the disciples were all in a room together with the doors locked. They were afraid of the temple police. Mary of Magdala had hurried back from the tomb to tell them that Jesus was alive again.

      Suddenly, Jesus Himself was there. He stood in the room and said, " Peace, be with you!"

     He showed them the scars where He had been nailed to the cross. He showed them the place where the soldier's spear had pierced His side. Then He said, "In the same way that My Father sent Me, now I am sending you!" He breathed on them and said, "Let the Holy Spirit come into you. When you forgive people's sins, they are forgiven forever."

     Thomas, one of the disciples, was not in the house when Jesus came in. When the other disciples said, "We have seen the Lord," Thomas did not believe them.

     "People can't rise from the dead," Thomas said. "I won't believe it until I see it for myself. I will have to see the scars and put my finger in the holes."

     The next Sunday they were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus suddenly came into the room. He came in even though the door was closed.

     "Peace be with you!" Jesus said. Turning to Thomas, He showed him His scars. He let Thomas touch the place where the nails had been. "Look, Thomas. Don't be faithless. Believe in Me."

     "My Lord, and My God," Thomas said to Jesus.

     "You have seen Me and believed, Thomas," said Jesus. "But happy are the people who can believe Me without seeing."