John 20:19 – 31
As we come to the end of the Easter Octave with the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, we hear the Johannine presentation of the risen Lord’s appearances to the apostles on both Easter Sunday (20:1 – 9; Mary Magdala, Peter and John at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday morning) and this Sunday, where we hear of our risen Lord’s appearance to the disciples on Easter Sunday evening. The appearance to the disciples that we hear in John’s Gospel is similar to Luke 24:36-39; Mark 16:14-18 and 1 Cor 15:5, with one significant difference: none of the others include the incident with Thomas. In fact, other than being named among the apostles, Thomas is not mentioned in the other Gospels. On the other hand, in John’s Gospel, there are three incidents where Thomas is specifically named (cf. Jn. 11:15, 14:5). Perhaps, it reflects a more actively committed and – at the same time – skeptical community of faith by the time this gospel was written. For us, it is a great encouragement whenever we struggle with our faith in the risen Lord; as with Thomas, he comes to us and offers us his peace.
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
the disciples: by implication from John 20:24 this means ten of the Twelve, presumably in Jerusalem.
Peace be with you: as you will read in your footnotes, although this could be an ordinary greeting, John intends here to echo John 14:27. Notice what Jesus did not say: “So, where were you when I needed you most,” or “Do you have any idea of how much I suffered for you!” Instead, he simply offers them his peace. On this, Divine Mercy Sunday, we experience the merciful love of God most completely through the merciful risen Lord. Jesus had offered this peace at the Last Supper but it had a much deeper meaning now as the disciples faced the crucified Jesus who was now the risen Lord; the very person they had denied and abandoned.
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Hands and side: Luke 24:39-40 mentions “hands and feet,” based on Psalm 22:17. These two are the only references to Jesus’ being nailed to the cross; the usual custom was to tie the accused to the cross. As God, Jesus could have appeared to his disciples under any guise. But, he simply identified himself to them by showing them the marks of his suffering. More than any words could ever do, his appearance made them realize that his passion was, indeed, his glory and a promise for all humankind.
Rejoiced: The theme of rejoicing in John 20:20 echoes John 16:22. This may be the greatest understatement in all of John’s Gospel. This rejoicing was a complex mixture of utter confusion, guilty embarrassment, humbling relief and grace-filled peace. Jesus wanted to assure them of his peace, so he said it again. His double greeting of peace assured them both that they were forgiven and that they had nothing to fear.
21 (Jesus) said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Send you: By means of this sending, the Eleven were made apostles, that is, “those sent” (cf. John 17:18), though John does not use the noun in reference to them (see the note on John 13:16). A solemn mission or “sending” is also the subject of the post-resurrection appearances to the Eleven in Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:47; Mark 16:15. The purpose of this commissioning is to perpetuate the work of divine salvation accomplished in Christ.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.
Breathed on them: As you will read in your footnotes, this action recalls Genesis 2:7, where God breathed on the first man and gave him life; just as Adam’s life came from God, so now the disciples’ new spiritual life comes from Jesus. Cf. also the revivification of the dry bones in Ezekial 37. This is the Johannine version of Pentecost. This is a sacrament, indicating the conferring of the Holy Spirit. Recall that, according to John, the conferring of the Holy Spirit is contingent on Jesus’ glorification and return to the Father (cf. 15:26; 16:7). Notice that, in v 17, he told Mary Magdalen that he had not yet ascended to the Father; here, we learn that he had ascended. Although this may appear to be chronologically in conflict with the synoptic accounts, all accounts link the resurrection with the animation of the Church with the Holy Spirit.
23 Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
Whose sins you forgive…: As you will read in your footnotes, the Council of Trent defined that this power to forgive sins is exercised in the sacrament of penance. See Matthew 16:19; Matthew 18:18.
24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples said to 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 into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Unless I see: like us so often, Thomas needed to see proof some proof to be convinced.
26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Now a week later: clearly Sunday had become by this time the special day of Christian assembly and liturgy.
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
My Lord and my God: compare this with the first verse of the gospel: “and the Word was God.” Paradoxically, it was the doubter who makes the most complete affirmation of Christ’s return to be found on the lips of anyone in the Gospels.
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Blessed are those: As you will read in your footnotes, this verse speaks of a blessing on future generations; faith, not sight, matters. As important as the resurrection appearances are for the testimony of the early church, it remains a fact that it is the Word of God itself – the Gospel – which is the power of God.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book.
31 But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
These verses are clearly a conclusion to the gospel and express its purpose. While many manuscripts read “come to believe”, possibly implying a missionary purpose for John’s gospel, a small number of quite early ones read “continue to believe,” suggesting that the audience consists of Christians whose faith is to be deepened by the book; cf. John 19:35.
Acts 4:32-35
This Sunday, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles, which presents the Church in its earliest times. It follows one in which the Holy Spirit came to the community that had gathered to pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit. It is the second of three summary passages (along with Acts 2:42-47 – cf. footnote; 5:12-16) that outline, somewhat idyllically, the chief characteristics of the Jerusalem community: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the centering of its religious life in the Eucharistic liturgy (Acts 2:42); a system of distribution of goods that led wealthier Christians to sell their possessions when the needs of the community’s poor required it (cf. Acts 2:44 and the note on Acts 4:32-37); and continued attendance at the temple, since in this initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between Christianity and Judaism (Acts 2:46). The generalized sharing of possessions in this summary has probably been extrapolated from single instances that tradition supplied (cf. 4:36-37; 5:1-10 – a very interesting story!) The story of Ananias and Sapphira confirms that the universal surrender of goods is a product of later idealizing. Most scripture scholars would agree that the story is based on fact, but has been subjected to popular imagination. Notice that it is the only NT account of divine capital punishment, more fitting in the OT.
The cynic might read this passage and respond: “Obviously, the Church has gone downhill since then,” but if someone asked you to describe your family, you would be more likely to list their positive attributes – helping each other, being there for each other, generally good to one another – than their shortcomings. Luke may have been doing the same thing here.
32 The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.
they had everything in common: This sharing of material possessions continues a practice that Luke describes during the public ministry of Jesus (Luke 8:3) and is in accord with the sayings and parables of Jesus in Luke’s gospel (Luke 12:33; 16:19ff).
33 With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all.
34 There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale,
35 and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.
1 John 5:1 – 6
We hear from John’s first letter to the Church in Ephesus. Through the ages, there has been much discussion as to the authorship of the Johannine letters. Today, most scholars agree that all three were written by the same secretary-disciple of John, who also wrote the Gospel. To fully appreciate the reading we will hear on Sunday, we would do well to begin at 1 Jn 4:7. In this passage, we learn the true nature of love – that it is based on faith. It is not the love that is natural to humanity, but has been revealed by God and is perceived by faith. This message is part of the overall message of this letter that speaks of the three interrelated dimensions of a believer’s relationship with God: obedience, love and faith.
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves (also) the one begotten by him.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God: As you see in your footnote, Children of God are identified not only by their love for others (1 John 4:7-9) and for God (1 John 5:1-2) but by their belief in the divine sonship of Jesus Christ. Faith, the acceptance of Jesus in his true character and the obedience in love to God’s commands (1 John 5:3), is the source of the Christian’s power in the world and conquers the world of evil (1 John 5:4-5), even as Christ overcame the world (John 16:33).
2 In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments.
3 For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,
the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments: If the proof of the love of God consists in the love of one’s brother (4:20), it is no less true that the love of God that consists in obedience to his commandments (v. 3) is a sign that one loves his brothers, because this is the greatest and most inclusive of all the commandments.
4 for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.
5 Who (indeed) is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Jesus is the Son of God: The significance of this true faith is further clarified by another Christological formulation. Jesus was proclaimed him to be the “Son of God” after he was baptized by John (cf. Mk 1:11) and he accomplished his mission by his bloody sacrifice on the cross. In fact, it is only through his sacrifice that Jesus became our savior.
6 This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth.
Water and blood: refers to Christ’s baptism (Matthew 3:16-17) and to the shedding of his blood on the cross (John 19:34). The Spirit was present at the baptism (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32,34).
Jesus is the Son of God: The testimony to Christ as the Son of God is confirmed by divine witness (1 John 5:7-9), greater by far than the two legally required human witnesses (Deut 17:6). To deny this is to deny God’s truth; cf John 8:17-18. The gist of the divine witness or testimony is that eternal life (1 John 5:11-12) is given in Christ and nowhere else. To possess the Son is not acceptance of a doctrine but of a person who lives now and provides life.
Just as Jesus put his faith in God his Father and loved his fellow man to the point of giving his blood, so the true Christian loves to the point of shedding his blood for his fellow man. This is the sober truth of Easter. But, there is great promise in today’s readings, as well. We cannot avoid failures, as we see in the Lord’s disciples who abandoned him and hid after his Resurrection. The secret and grace of Christianity is that the merciful Christ meets us in the very midst of our failures and fears, offers us peace, and then sends us to share that peace with the whole world.
That is also the message of Divine Mercy Sunday. I hope you read my article in this Sunday’s Parish Bulletin; it provides the historical context for the inclusion of this feast on the Church’s calendar. As you all know, this feast is a rather recent addition – instituted in 2000 – and is intended to be an antidote to the secularism, individualism and anti-faith environment in which we find ourselves. We will display the Divine Mercy image in church for a week beginning on Sunday; I invite you to spend some time in veneration of this powerful image of our Lord.