Whew!  The party's over for another year.  And what a party!  Lots of flowers and food and candy and children and brilliant color.  The music was superb (as expected), the fellowship of family and friends can't be beat, and even the coffee was better than usual.  The egg hunt and party for the kids was so fun.  Good times had by all!  As the host, per se, I stand at the door, warmly shaking hands with so many unfamiliar guests and family members.  "Great service!" they say.  I appreciate their appreciation but I wonder whether they heard it through all the hoopla-that thing about Jesus actually rising from the dead.  The news concerning God's love for them, a love so deeply sacramental and sacrificial.  A subject involving an immense amount of misery, pain and death before the party could begin.  If you were to ask one of my guests, "What meant the most to you on Easter Sunday?" what answer do you think they might give?  What answers can they give when they don't ever hear anything but the sentimentality of the first birthday party and the painted eggs on the other end?  What answer would you give?  We Christians are good for throwing biannual parties-triannual if you count Mother's Day.  I must admit, frankly-even though I'm glad to help throw the annual parties and I appreciate the hoopla as much as anyone else-it tires me.  "Jesus died and rose again for this?" I ask myself.  I guess so; that's what makes him the incredibly magnanimous and merciful savior.  As for me, I stand at the door on Easter Sunday, wishing I had the guts to say, "Thanks for coming!  See you in December!"

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

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.’  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’  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 retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

Jesus and Thomas

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 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.’

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.’  Then 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.’ 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 come to believe.’

The Purpose of This Book

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.