To watch the full service online, click here.
In the days after the resurrection, we find the disciples gathered behind closed doors, holding both hope and uncertainty. Thomas, who was not present when Jesus first appeared, longs for something more than secondhand testimony. He wants to see, to touch, to know for himself. In this familiar story from John’s Gospel, we are reminded that faith often grows in the space between doubt and encounter. Jesus meets Thomas where he is, not with judgment, but with peace, inviting him into belief through relationship.
Rev. Mike Love invites us to consider how we see Christ, not only as risen, but as the one still marked by the wounds of the cross. Thomas does not simply seek proof of life. He seeks the crucified Christ, the one who bears the marks of suffering and love. In the same way, we are called to recognize that our faith is shaped by the full story of Jesus. The wounds are not erased in the resurrection. They remain as a witness to God’s redeeming love, reminding us that healing and new life often come through places of brokenness.
As we reflect on this encounter, we are invited to consider how our own experiences shape the way we see and follow Christ. Like the disciples, we gather in spaces of comfort and community, yet we are also sent beyond them. The Spirit breathes life into us, calling us to carry the presence of Christ into the world. In our own wounds and in our shared life together, we become witnesses to the grace we have received. Even when we have not seen, we are blessed as we continue to believe and live out that faith each day.
Take Time to Reflect
- Where in your life are you longing to see or understand Christ more clearly?
- How have your own wounds shaped your faith and your ability to care for others?
- In what ways is God calling you to move beyond comfort and be a witness to Christ this week?
John 20:24-29 New International Version
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”