A Daily Devotion for Friday, April 3
- ontrakk
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
John 20:19-30
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 (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 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.”
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.”
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded in this book.
Jesus knew what it would take to finally convince the disciples that their belief in who he was and who sent him was absolute reality. They were human men, who were afraid and full of doubt, despite everything they had experienced. It is hard to imagine going through these last few days with Jesus, without him, and then together again.
The wounds in His side
drained life blood but not Spirit,
Spirit triumphant!
Holy Lord, help me to have faith even when I feel wounded or scarred. Your love overcomes any earthly challenge, and I know this to be true. Jesus taught this truth and the disciples were brought to full belief, to the point of sacrificing their own safety and lives. I am thankful for your many gifts and your endless grace. Amen
Becky, transforming
.
Friday, April 3rd, 2026
THANK GOD FOR THE SCARS
(Focus: cancer survivors.
Today’s reading John 19-30
John 20:27
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Jesus is there, in the flesh, offering Thomas the opportunity to do what he said was needed to make him believe. Jesus lindicates that Thomas' choice is exactly that: a decision not to accept what he actually sees. Faith is considered a belief and trust in God based on his word as good evidence. To have faith, we must trust that God is there and working on our behalf, even though we can't…
John 20:19-30
This morning’s Upper Room contributor’s focus on the scars borne by Jesus was interesting. Like scars on our own bodies, they present a permanent record of a significant event. For Thomas, they were the mark of authenticity that convinced him that the man who entered the upper room through locked doors was indeed Jesus. Getting in the room may have been trickery, but the scars? Thomas saw them and said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus’s response is, to me, the most important feature of the passage. Christians today are doubly blessed in that while we cannot see Jesus or His nail-scarred hands and feet, we still believe.
Prayer - Jesus, my Lord and my God, I do…