2026-04-12 Easter 2

Scripture Readings

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

In this last Lenten Bible Study we did on The Chosen, Season 3, they pointed out a phrase that the Jews often said to each other. “Shalom Shalom.” If you remember episode 7 where the Roman Gaius asks Peter why he says it twice, he answers “Well, once means ‘peace.’ Twice means ‘perfect peace’ … complete wholeness.” This isn’t just The Chosen movie magic, either. It is actually a Biblical greeting that comes from Isaiah 26:3. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Shalom Shalom. Perfect peace.

We’ve got this same kind of double peace today for the Second Sunday in Easter. The Disciples were still railing from crucifixion of our Lord Jesus and the bewilderment of Him being risen from the dead. They were hiding out somewhere, with the doors locked, avoiding the Jewish onslaught of resistance to Jesus and His followers. In the midst of that terror and turmoil, Jesus appears to them. The very first thing He says is “Peace be with you” (JN 20:19). And immediately, He shows them what brings about their peace in the marks of His passion: His nail pierced hands. His spear-stabbed side. And all of a sudden, the Disciples’ fear is dissipated for joy of beholding the risen Christ.

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you’” (20:21). Shalom Shalom! Perfect peace. Complete wholeness. The rift between God and man is healed by the Lamb of God who was slain on the cross for the life of the world. It is in the very context of this perfect peace that Jesus then commissions the Disciples and upgrades them to ‘Apostles.’ “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (JN 20:21-22).

Disciples follow. Apostles are sent. And what are they sent out to do? They are sent out to be bestow perfect peace upon the world. Perfect peace, Shalom Shalom. with God and humanity is entrusted to them with the expectation that they will apply it to the world. Just like the blood of the passover lamb was applied to the doorposts and lintels, the Apostles will likewise apply the blood of Jesus the Lamb of God to the hearts and minds of sinful people who repent. They will apply the forgiveness of sins. Peace with God and perfect peace at that is only possible in the forgiveness of sins.

God is still applying His perfect peace to us with His forgiveness to this very day. Through the congregation’s called Pastor sins are still richly forgiven by the grace of God. No matter who we are, no matter where we’ve been, no matter what we’ve done, God’s perfect peace is applied to His repentant people, Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. That’s why we always begin our Divine Services with Confession and Absolution. We confess our sins, in thought, word and deed. Stuff we have done and stuff we have left undone. We confess it all. And God bestows upon us His perfect peace in the forgiveness of our sins. This is the only way we have true peace with God and complete wholeness with each other. The marks of the crucifixion are the proof we need.

And speaking about the proof, that leads us nicely to good ol’ doubting Thomas. It’s funny how a nickname can stick, isn’t it? Tank or Moose if you’re big. Cheddar if you stink like cheese. Metronome if you walk with a limp. You know the drill. There’s generally some nugget of truth behind these things. Doubting Thomas is no different. Though at this point he wasn’t known as the doubter but rather the twin.

In fact, his real name wasn’t even our modern day ‘Thomas’ either. In the Aramaic language it was te oma - St. John translates this for his Greek readers as Didymus in the footnote on verse 24. But both words mean “twin.” But that’s all we know. We don’t know if he had a biological twin or if he looked like someone else. Maybe he was an Elvis impersonator as his side hussle! We just don’t know. Scholars suggest it was probably more like Kenny Rogers than Elvis. But again, we may never know!

What we do know is that he wants the proof. The other Disciples tell him what happened when Jesus showed up, but Thomas says “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe” (20:25). If he is going to have the twinly double double, “Shalom Shalom,” then he’s going to have to see the proof with his own eyes for himself. It’s really not that unreasonable, is it?

But the dynamic at work here is really between doubt and faith. Eight days later, Jesus shows up again with the same message of shalom. This time Thomas is there. We notice, that our Lord doesn’t read him the riot act for doubting. Jesus doesn’t scold him either. He simply gives him the proof. “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (20:27). This shows us that Jesus is bigger than our doubts. Sincere questions and struggles don’t disqualify us from faith. Often it means God will meet us smack dab in the middle of them. We note Thomas’ faith-filled response: “My Lord and my God!” (28).

What Thomas really missed though was trusting the eye-witness account of the resurrection from the other Disciples. This is why Jesus says “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (29). This is written especially for us. Most people throughout history have not seen the risen Jesus in the flesh. And so there is this special blessing for those who believe the eye-witness accounts of the Apostles as recorded in the Scriptures. To this end, faith isn’t blind or without reason - rather it rests securely on the eye witness accounts. And the fact that almost all of the Apostles were martyred for this testimony. Who would readily die a horrific death for a fabricated story?? It just doesn’t make any sense.

The highest form of faith for us as God’s people is trusting the risen Christ through the Gospel message. Certainly, our Lord lets us touch His body and blood in Holy Communion as our on going blessed assurance of His real presence and forgiveness of sins. But St. John really highlights the scripture for us at the end of this chapter: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31).

We are the people Jesus was speaking about in verse 29 — those who ‘have not seen and yet have believed.’ When doubts arise - and they always do - we don’t have to pretend they don’t exist. We can bring them honestly to Jesus and to His Word. The greatest blessing comes not from demanding spectacular signs or personal visions, but from trusting the reliable testimony God has already given us in Scripture. The lesson we learn from the story of Thomas reassures us that faith is not inferior when it relies on God’s Word rather than sight. It is actually the more blessed path that leads to Shalom Shalom the perfect peace of the Risen Christ, our God and Lord.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!