As we celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday, the gospel passage also presents God as Merciful Father. The very act of raising Jesus from death is in itself an act of God’s mercy: because, if Jesus was not raised, the world would not have got new life, a resurrected life in Christ. we know what happened to the apostles after the death of Jesus. They hid themselves indoors, for fear of the Jews. Now it is eight days after the resurrection of Jesus. He appears in front of them. The natural feeling will be “fear” of seeing a ghost. He tells them “peace be with you”. This peace is the gift of resurrection. Out of his mercy he appears to them and calms their fear. And he confirms this peace with an act of showing his hands and side to them. The result is joy. They rejoiced when they saw the Lord!
Again second time he confirms his apostles with the peace of his resurrection and empowers them with the authority to forgive sins. This is the passage which serves as basis to prove that Jesus has given his authority to priests to hear confession and to forgive sins. In the old testament understanding only God could forgive sins. That’s why elsewhere in the gospel when Jesus says, your sins are forgiven” it is considered as blasphemy. Now, in his mercy God gives this authority to sinful human beings, so that every soul could be saved from eternal fire. Sometime, it may be hard to understand how can a sinful human being (priest) forgive other’s sins. In the confessionals we are not looking at a priest as an ordinary human being. Instead, we are looking at him as a representative of Christ. Choosing this week human person to be his priest is, a great act of God’s mercy. It is Christ who is forgiving our sins out of his mercy through this human person (priest). Does really God perform this act of mercy through a sinful priest? Yes. He does. He came for the sinners not for the righteous ones. He did choose twelve men who were week and sinful and yet he wanted them to take care of his body the church. When Jesus himself could believe that he could work through these week people, what should hold me from believing it?
We know the story of Thomas. He was not there when Jesus appeared to the disciples. Thomas wanted to make sure that he experienced the appearance of Jesus himself before he could believe. But some time we need to understand that everything cannot be proved scientifically. We need faith in order to believe in mysterious things. Thomas did lack in his faith. Therefore, he challenges Jesus to appear before him. That is what we do in our lives. We challenge God to fulfill our wills in our lives. There was no need for Jesus to appear in front of Thomas. It would not add any credit to him. He already convinced the rest. There was no need for him to do it again just for one person. But Jesus is a good shepherd who always goes after the one lost sheep. Therefore, out of his mercy for Thomas, he appears second time. Because he did not want Thomas to be lost. Instead, he wants him also to be saved.
Finally, Thomas now believes in Jesus and recognizes him as his Lord and his God! By doing this he affirms with what John says in the beginning of the gospel “the word was God”. He recognizes Jesus as God. Jesus asks Thomas, have you come to believe because you have seen me? This is the culmination of the purpose of John’s Gospel. Jesus’ question to Thomas affirms the purpose of John’s Gospel. In other words, Jesus tells Thomas, you have seen the glory of my resurrection, as I am raised with body and soul and therefore, you believed that I am your God and savior. But blessed are those who have not seen me and yet, would continue or come to believe me as their God and savior: because, they would believe me out of their faith and that faith will save them. Finally, John explains us the purpose for writing this gospel: that we may continue to believe in him as our God and savior and others who do not believe in him yet, will come to believe in his as their God and savior.