Thomas J Parlette
“Do Not Doubt, but Believe”
John 20: 19-31
4/12/26
What a week it had been for the disciples. Everything had happened so fast. One moment the crowd was welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna, palm branches, and real hero’s welcome. And then, a couple of days later, everything changed. He was arrested, tried, convicted, taken to the cross and crucified.
The disciples must have been a bit shell-shocked. They had experienced the heights of joy, and then crashed back down to reality with the death of Jesus. It’s no wonder they went into hiding. They were afraid. They thought they might be next. If Jesus could be killed in such a cruel, unfair manner – what about them? It’s no wonder they locked the doors and doubted the news about Jesus’ resurrection.
The day had started with Mary and her visit to the tomb. She had gone there early in the morning and found it empty. Peter and the other disciples went racing to the garden. They returned with mixed reports. Later, Mary came and told them that she had spoken with Jesus.
Imagine her excitement as she blurted out the good news to the disciples. We can also imagine the stunned silence that greeted her good news. Her story was pretty hard to believe. Jesus was dead, and now he was alive. When you first hear it, it does sound impossible. In fact, the Bible tells us that their first reaction to Mary’s story was to dismiss it as idle nonsense, the fantasy of an over active imagination.
Well, that very evening the disciples gathered again, once more behind locked doors. And in their middle of their fear and confusion – there’s Jesus, standing among them. All of a sudden, he’s just there, and he says, “Peace be with you.” His words to his disciples are still his words to us. Just when things seem hopeless – Jesus is there. Just when things seem terrible – Jesus is there. Just when things seem impossible – Jesus is there, offering peace.
For the disciples, things couldn’t have gotten much worse. By the end of their Easter weekend, their lives were in shambles. Three years before, they had heard Jesus say “Follow me,” and for reasons they still couldn’t fully explain, they did. Following Jesus was going to be their future. When he came into power, they were going to be his closest advisors, his cabinet, his vice presidents. But now, all that was gone. Did they have any future at all? Were they even going to get out of Jerusalem alive. Perhaps the soldiers were on their way to drag them off next. No doubt, their faith was shaken. They had trusted Jesus. They had believed in him. Their whole understanding of God, everything they believed and lived for had died along with him.
But just when they were at their lowest – there was Jesus, standing in their midst. There to grant them strength and hope. That’s all that mattered.
At this point of the story, in walks Thomas. Doubting Thomas, as we usually call him. He doesn’t really deserve that nickname. When we think of Thomas, we think of that one stubborn disciple standing there with his arms crossed, refusing to believe what we already know to be true, looking like the original curmudgeon himself – “Get off my lawn with all that raised from the dead nonsense! That just doesn’t happen.”
But that isn’t really fair to Thomas. We can understand how he felt. In many ways, Thomas stands in for us, giving voice to all of those who have lingering doubts about whether this story is true. You wouldn’t want some evidence of this miraculous resurrection. When Thomas says: “Unless I see for myself, I will not believe. Unless I feel the marks of the nails and touch the in his side with own fingers, I won’t be able to believe.” You can hear his desperation, his hopelessness, can’t you? “Nope, I’m not going to get my hopes again. I’ve been disappointed before – not this time. This time, I want some proof.”
We’ve all been there. We’ve trusted someone, and they let us down. We love someone, only to lose them. We reach out for reconciliation, only to be rejected. We’ve all been there. We can understand how Thomas feels.
Adam Hamilton is the Pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. He is a well-known speaker and author of several books and bible studies on a variety of topics. During this season of Lent, our Wednesday Bible Study Group has been reading and studying his book John: The Gospel of Light and Life.
During his final lecture included in the video resource, Hamilton says that every Easter, he includes the same story in his sermon – he’s done it since he started the church in 1990. He tells how people often ask him if he really believes this story about Jesus rising from the dead? Do you really believe in the Resurrection?
And Hamilton always says, “Believe it – I’m counting on it.” (1)
In other words, he is counting on this story of Jesus defeating the power of death to be true. He points out that this is really the only way that the story of Jesus can end. If he died and remained in the tomb, then the powers of this world would have won – greed, selfishness, hate, fear and ultimately death, would have the last word.
We don’t just believe that in our heads – we count on it in our souls.
For the disciples, locked away in that upper room, filled with doubt and fear, things seemed as bad as they could be – they were at rock-bottom.
And that’s when Jesus shows up – offering hope and peace and assurance. “I am alive! Here, feel the wounds for yourself. I am alive – Do not doubt, but believe – you can count on it.”
Frederick Buechner is often quoted as saying, “The worst thing isn’t the last thing.” The full quote goes a bit deeper.
“Resurrection means that the worst thing is never the last thing, It’s the next to last thing. The last thing is the best thing. It’s the power from on high that comes into the world, that wells up from the rock-bottom worst of the world like a hidden spring. The last, best thing is the laughing deep in the hearts of the saints, sometimes in our hearts even. Yes. You are terribly loved and forgiven. Yes. You are healed. All is well.” (2)
Into this rock-bottom pit of doubt and despair and confusion, Jesus shows up and offers peace. A Peace that only resurrection can bring. A Peace that we count on, in this life and in the life to come as well. A Peace that we remind each other about each week when we gather for worship. When we pass the peace each week, what we are saying to each other is “Stop doubting, and believe. You can count on Jesus’ resurrection.”
And for that, May God be praised. Amen.
1. Adam Hamilton, John: The Gospel of Light and Life, Abingdon Press, 2015, DVD lecture #6.
2. Frederick Buechner, Final Beast, www.goodreads.com
