Grace That Finds Us
John 20:19-31 (NIV)
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Discussion Questions
Bishop Malone noted that even after Mary Magdalene's powerful personal testimony, the disciples were still paralyzed by fear behind locked doors. Have you ever received genuinely good news that still couldn't break through your anxiety or grief in that moment? What was that like?
The sermon listed many real fears people are carrying today — economic uncertainty, health concerns, fear of violence, fear for their families. Which of those fears feels most present to you or your community right now, and how does your faith speak to it?
Bishop Malone emphasized that Jesus didn't show up to confront the disciples' failure or their abandonment — he came offering peace. What does it mean to you that Jesus' first move toward people who had let him down was not correction but comfort?
The sermon described belief as a process rather than a destination — something we choose "over and over again." Where are you in that process right now, and what does it look like for you to keep choosing belief in this particular season?
Bishop Malone said she has a lot of respect for people like Thomas who aren't afraid to ask the hard questions of faith. What's a question about faith or God that you've been carrying but haven't felt safe enough to say out loud?
The sermon pointed out that Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and make disciples while they were still doubting — he didn't wait until they had it all figured out. How does it change the way you think about your own calling to know that God entrusts the mission to imperfect, still-becoming people?
Thomas's confession — "My Lord and my God" — was described not as the end of his journey but as the beginning of a deeper faith. What has been a turning point in your own faith — a moment that didn't close a chapter but opened a new one?
The message closed with the idea that some of us have been going through something so long we've started to accept it as permanent — "it just is what it is." Is there an area of your life where you may have quietly stopped expecting God to move? What would it look like to hold that area open again?
Bishop Malone described the Holy Spirit as the one who guides, teaches, and leads us into belief — not just after we believe. How have you experienced the Spirit working in you during seasons of doubt or uncertainty, even in ways you might not have recognized at the time?
Stay Connected Each weekday, we share a brief reflection rooted in Scripture and designed to help you connect what we talk about on Sunday to the modern world we navigate every day. Whether we are walking through a specific book of the Gospel or exploring themes from our current sermon series, our goal is to provide a moment of peace, perspective, and prayer to start your day.
Visit our Daily Devotions page to subscribe or read the current series.