Peace be with you!

John 20:19-31

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!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Now, Thomas, 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.”

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!” 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.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas the realist's momentous declaration of faith - 'My Lord and my God!' - is the climax of the whole Gospel. John's purpose in writing is to bring his readers to just such an assured and clear-cut belief in Jesus: That they may find 'life' by trusting him. He cannot tell everything about Jesus, but what is told is enough.

Why?

Peace be with you is the blessing of Jesus to all who believe in Him.

After receiving the Holy Spirit, every Christian has the right to forgive anyone's sins, their sin are forgiven.

Thomas believed Jesus is the Lord, is my God after he saw Jesus. But blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed, like most of us.

Receive the Holy Spirit for the Holy Spirit may guide our way and let us know the truth.

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耶穌向門徒顯現目的： 讓他們的害怕轉為喜樂！門徒看見耶穌就喜樂平安了！原來他們不不敢開門，耶穌可以穿過這些圍牆！

不僅只有平安，之後就要受差遣為耶穌作見證。因為有聖靈同在門徒有權柄去傳福音，赦免人的罪。不能停留在看見耶穌而已。

耶穌顯現時多馬不在，禮拜天沒有來做禮拜；會失去許多親近神的恩典。門徒沒有一大早去墳墓，晚上他們都看到了。耶穌來不是責備多馬，不能說多馬是理性主義者，其他人也是看到後有相信。主再用一次機會給多馬，多馬沒有抗拒神，只因信心軟弱。我們會希望耶穌向我們顯現！以為比較屬靈，但是耶穌說沒有看見就相信的有福的！

讀聖經目的是要我們得生命，不是得知識！

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How?

Peace be with us, for Jesus loves me. Be the salt and light in this world to show the love of the Lord.