Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen And Yet Believe

Have you ever given any thought to why, in John's Gospel, we read story after story of Jesus making so many resurrection appearances?

Jesus first appeared to Mary on Easter morning at the tomb. Mary had told them about seeing Jesus and speaking to him.

                                                           

They didn't believe her story

 

That evening he appeared to the frightened disciples who hid in fear of the Jews. Offering his peace to them.

Then a week later, while the disciples still hid in fear, Jesus came again to let Thomas have his needed proof that Jesus was alive.  Something the disciple had simply told him about. 

                            

Telling doesn't always cut it. 

And some time later when the, frightened and slow to believe, disciples had finally decided to go fishing; Jesus comes and makes them breakfast on the beach.  And gives them the catch of their lives.  

A catch, a fish story, that no one would probably ever believe.

Despite their lack of understanding about what Easter actually meant for their lives, and the life of the world, Jesus just kept coming. Coming over and over to help them comprehend the extraordinary truth.  A truth given to them by a man who actually came back to life.

He came to let them know that he would always be with them even when he gave his physical body back to God.

There is a one thing about this story that is a clear clue to us about why it was so important for Jesus to appear so many times. 

²⁹Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

That my friends means you and me.  

We who do not see, cannot touch his wounds, are given no tangible proof.  Only stories.

And yet believe.

And, like the disciples, we don’t have to hide behind our fears anymore.

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²²When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.   24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ ²⁸Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ (John 20)