Go! And Believe The Risen Lord - John 20:19–29 Series

Go! And Believe the Risen Lord - John 20:19–29

John 20:19–29 (NLT):

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.

20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came.

25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Introduction: The Silence After the Celebration

Resurrection Sunday is glorious—but what about the Monday after? What happens in the hearts of disciples once the shouts of “He is risen!” fade into the quiet reality of daily life?

The week after the resurrection was not business as usual. It was a week of transformation, of confirmation, and of mission. It was a week when fear was met with peace, doubt was overcome by truth, and lives were forever changed by the risen Lord.

Today, we are invited to go! and believe the risen Lord—to step out of fear and into faith, not just for a moment, but for a lifetime.

I. From Fear to Peace — John 20:19–21

Verse 19 tells us the disciples were meeting “behind locked doors because they were afraid.”

The Greek word for “afraid” here is “f?ß??µe???” (phoboumenoi), the same root from which we get “phobia.” They were paralysed by fear.

But then—“Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!” And what does He say? “Peace be with you.”

This is not a casual greeting. It’s shalom—a divine peace that restores wholeness, dispels anxiety, and proclaims reconciliation with God.

“Peace doesn’t come from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of Christ.” — Charles Stanley

Stanley is right. The world gives peace through distraction; Jesus gives peace through resurrection. His scars still bear witness that He has conquered sin and death.

Application

Are you behind locked doors in your heart today? Maybe fear, doubt, or failure has kept you hidden. Jesus steps into your room, uninvited but welcome, and speaks peace. Will you receive it?

II. From Doubt to Faith — John 20:24–29

Thomas, often labelled as “Doubting Thomas,” wasn't present at the first appearance. He says in verse 25, “I won’t believe it unless…”

Thomas wanted proof. But eight days later, Jesus returns and meets Thomas in his doubt. “Put your finger here… Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

The Greek word for “believe” is “p?ste??” (pisteuo), meaning to entrust one’s entire self. It’s not just mental agreement—it’s heart surrender.

And Thomas responds with one of the strongest declarations of Jesus’ divinity in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!”

“Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the presence of trust in the midst of it.” — Tim Keller

Like Keller says, the presence of Jesus changes everything. Jesus doesn’t condemn Thomas—He invites him.

Jesus meets you where you are. Are you doubting today? Questioning God’s presence, His power, His plan? The resurrected Jesus invites you to examine His wounds and trust in His love.

III. From Confusion to Commission — John 20:21–23

Jesus doesn’t stop at peace—He commissions.

“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” (v.21)

This is a missional moment. The disciples, once paralysed, are now apostello—sent ones. The Greek ?p?st???? (apostello) means to send out with authority.

He then breathed on them—a deliberate echo of Genesis 2:7, where God breathed life into Adam.

The disciples aren’t just given a mission—they are spiritually empowered.

“You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.” — Rick Warren

Jesus gives new purpose, new breath, and new life. And He sends us not in fear, but in faith.