Jesus had spent several years together with his disciples when He presented Himself to the Jewish nation as their Messiah. He had said to His disciples, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:3232Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)). Now He was about to leave them and they were afraid of the Jews and so locked the door. But locked doors couldn’t keep the Lord out. He came to them with a new message, “Peace be unto you” (John 20:1919Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)). Peace, real deep and lasting peace, couldn’t be proclaimed until the Lord had laid the foundation for it on the cross. A holy God could not make a just peace with a sinner by ignoring his sin. But God didn’t ignore sin. The Lord Jesus “who knew not sin He has made sin for us, that we might become God’s righteousness in Him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) JND). Now that God was satisfied with what Jesus did to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, He wanted that peace proclaimed. The disciples were to be sent out telling others the gospel of peace. The Lord Jesus delighted to repeat the message twice (John 20:19,2119Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)
21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21)). He also mentioned the Holy Spirit, who would come and dwell in them forever on the day of Pentecost. Here they were told to receive Him. It all makes a beautiful picture of our privileges as believers in Christ. We receive new life from God just as Adam received life when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. We receive the Holy Spirit as the power and energy of that new life. We also are given the privilege of being gathered around a risen Lord Jesus Christ to be in His presence.
Resurrection Bodies
The Lord appeared in His resurrection body, which is like the one we will have when our bodies are transformed. That whole subject is presented in 1 Corinthians 15 in some detail. Also Philippians 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21) says, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.” In His resurrection body the closed doors where the disciples were assembled were no barrier to the Lord. He appeared in the middle of the disciples in a locked room. Our bodies will one day be completely suited to being in glory in the presence of God.
Message to Thomas
Thomas had not been present with the other disciples on that resurrection Lord’s day and had missed seeing the Lord. He clearly didn’t yet believe that the Lord was risen. But the disciples’ message to him was tender and was used to bring him to gather with them on the next Lord’s day when he did see the Lord. Their hearts seem to have been so filled with the joy of who they had seen that they had to tell others about Him. When our hearts are filled with the joy of being brought into the Lord’s presence, we won’t have to come up with clever speeches to convince others of what we have seen. That won’t work anyway. Instead there was a message that reached Thomas’s heart, and the next Lord’s day he had the privilege of the Lord Jesus talking directly to him.
Belief Without Sight
Thomas learned to believe only after he could physically see the Lord and had the opportunity to reach out and touch the wounds in His hands and side. Someday soon the Jewish remnant will have that opportunity too. The Lord will return and plant His feet on the mount of Olives when He comes to judge and make war. But now in our day we have an even greater privilege of believing when we can’t physically see any of this. We only see by faith. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:2929Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)).
Further Meditation
1. What was the disciples’ message to Thomas?
2. What are we to believe without seeing it?
3. Death, the Intermediate State, Resurrection, and Final Destiny by B. Anstey discusses some of the fundamental issues discussed in this chapter as they apply to mankind.