prepared by Rev. Daniel J Yovan – 12th April 2026
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Prayers
Glory to you, O God: you raised Jesus from the grave, bringing us victory over death and giving us eternal life. Glory to you, O Christ: for us and for our salvation you overcame death and opened the gate to everlasting life. Glory to you, O Holy Spirit: you lead us into the truth and breathe new life into us. Glory to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
If we have fallen into despair, Lord, forgive us. If we have failed to hope in you, Lord, forgive us. If we have been fearful of death, Lord, forgive us. If we have forgotten the victory of Christ, Lord, forgive us.
Almighty God, of your own free goodness and mercy you have created us, and through the resurrection of your only-begotten Son you have given us hope; guard us by your love and, in your wisdom, keep us in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
| STF 297 Christ is alive Christ is alive! Let Christians sing. The Cross stands empty to the sky. Let streets and homes with praises ring. Love, drowned in death, shall never die. Christ is alive no longer bound To distant years in Palestine,But saving, healing, here and now, And touching every place and time. Brian Wren (b. 1936). | In every insult, rift and war, Where colour, scorn or wealth divide,Christ suffers still, yet loves the more, And lives, where even hope has died. Women and men, in age and youth, Can feel the Spirit, hear the call, And find the way, the life, the truth, Revealed in Jesus, freed for all. Christ is alive and comes to bring Good news to this and every age, Till earth and sky and ocean ring With joy, with justice, love, and praise. |
John 20: 19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
Jesus and Thomas
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told 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 in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection:
Two of Jesus’ disciples get blamed before and after Easter. Instead of focusing on the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Maundy Thursday, Peter receives all the blame and instead of celebrating the risen Christ, Thomas gets abused. Thomas is known as the doubting Thomas. But I would like to call him, ‘the believing Thomas’. When so many other did not believe the resurrection of Jesus, why do we hold Thomas accountable and not the others. When Mary Magadalene reported the news of the risen Lord, the disciples did not believe (Mark 16: 11). Peter and John ran to the tomb to make sure he is not there, (John 20: 4-6; Luke 24: 22). Jesus appeared to two disciples on the way to Emmaus (Mark 16: 12), they went back and told the rest, and they did not believe them. And finally, In Matthew 28: 16, in the great commission, 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. So, it is not fair to single out Thomas as the ‘only doubter’.
Let us look at the context of this passage. Thomas was very sad because Jesus appeared to his friends and Thomas missed that ‘mini ordination’ (John 20: 19 – 23). So, he wanted to see him. Most probably he would have felt left out. Wouldn’t you feel heartbroken if that happened to you. Thomas was very loyal disciple. At one point in Jesus’ ministry, Thomas was even ready to die with him (John 11: 7 – 16). We do not know what he was feeling during this period. But I am sure he was crying out to Jesus…..Was he praying day and night for an encounter with Jesus?
Friends, sometimes we also feel left out, sidelined or treated without no importance. When that happens some of us will move away from that situation. But Thomas would not settle down for this. He was sincerely searching, ‘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”, in v. 25. It sounds like a demand. Because we heard this verse projected out of context so many times in the past so many years, we made an informed decision to label Thomas as ‘doubting Thomas’.
Jesus now appears and asked Thomas to touch the wound marks on his hand and side. And we assume that Thomas touched Jesus’ wounded spots in his body. This is because we see some photos of Jesus appearing to Thomas with some physical contact between the two. But we have no scriptural evidence for that ‘touching’. He cried out to Jesus as soon as he met him face to face, ‘my Lord and my God’. Thomas did not say, ‘thank you Jesus for giving an audience to me too, I now believe you’. Instead he made a high Christological confession, ‘my Lord and my God’. When Jesus appeared, Thomas did not clarify any of his doubts with Jesus. We may have several questions and doubts about faith and life in general. But hang in there, on the day when we meet Jesus face to face all our confusions, worries, doubts and fears will disappear. We will receive answers to all the unanswered questions. Until then, let us develop a life of faith through reading Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life death and resurrection. Jesus is our Lord and our God, Amen.
Intercession:
In the power of the resurrection we offer our prayers to God.
Remember, O Lord, in your love the Church throughout the world. We pray for all those who have been baptized and confirmed. We pray for those who are struggling to make sense of faith in you. May your Spirit draw all peoples to you. May your whole church know your power and be a sign that Christ is risen.
Lord of life, hear us in your love.
Remember in your love the world you have made…those who seek a fair and proper use of the world’s resources….those who strive for justice and peace. May the whole earth be transformed by mercy and rejoice in hope. Lord of life, hear us in your love.
Remember in your love those who suffer the victims of violence and injustice. We specially pray for all those who have lost their loved ones to the war in the Middle East and all over the world. May all in need find comfort, strength and freedom in the living Christ. Lord of life, hear us in your love.
Remember in your love those who have died: those who have confessed the faith and those whose faith is known to you alone. May all your children receive grace and light according to their needs and come at last to share with all the saints in life eternal. Lord of life, hear us in your love.
Gracious God, we ask these prayers through Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Saviour. Amen.
| STF 298 Christ the Lord is risen today; Alleluia! All creation joins to say: Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high; Alleluia! Sing, you heavens; let earth, reply: Alleluia! Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won; alleluia! Vain the stone, the watch, the seal; Alleluia! Christ has burst the gates of hell: Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King; Alleluia! Where, O death, is now your sting? Alleluia! Once he died our souls to save; Alleluia! Where’s your victory, boasting grave? Alleluia! | Soar we now where Christ has led,Alleluia! Following our exalted Head; Alleluia! Made like him, like him we rise; Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies: Alleluia! King of glory! Soul of bliss! Alleluia! Everlasting life is this, Alleluia! You to know, your power to prove, Alleluia! Thus to sing, and thus to love: Alleluia! Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788). |
Blessing:
Christ our King make you faithful and strong to do his will that you may reign with him in glory; and may almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Alleluia! Go in joy and peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Alleluia!
