The resurrected Jesus shows His wounds to His disciples. He repeats this twice. The Lord “came”, stood among the disciples and showed them the wounds on His hands and side. This reveals that the resurrection is not an event that erased the cross, but a presence of love bearing wounds.
The disciples’ fear and Thomas’s doubt begin to crumble in the face of these wounds. The nail marks and the spear wound in Jesus' side are not traces of failure, but signs revealing the truth of the resurrection. Through these wounds, the disciples recognize that the resurrected One is the very one who was crucified, and their fear turns into joy. Furthermore, these wounds become the decisive turning point that transforms Thomas's doubt into faith.
That evening, the risen Lord comes to the disciples who had locked their doors in fear. Eight days later, He comes again for Thomas, who remained in doubt. The fact that the risen Lord came to the same place twice tells us that the resurrection does not end as a single past event. Jesus is not one who abandoned His disciples and left, but one who comes again to give hope. He does not give up on those who are afraid or doubting, but enters among them even when the doors are closed. The Lord is one who still comes to us in this way today.
The coming of the Risen Lord holds profound significance for the disciples. Although the disciples neither invited the Lord nor were prepared to welcome Him, the Lord sought them out first. The Lord's love transcends human preparation and qualification. Furthermore, the fact that He came "even though the doors were locked" reveals the Lord's transcendent presence, which no barrier can block. Moreover, the Lord "stands among" the disciples, ensuring that faith in the resurrection does not remain merely an individual experience but becomes a community faith. He also embraces even Thomas's doubts, demonstrating His patience and mercy, which exclude no one.
Today, Divine Mercy Sunday, reminds us of this very truth. Why did the Lord ask Thomas to touch His wounds? It was not to test Thomas. Moreover, it was not a rebuke for his unbelief, but rather an act of mercy inviting his doubts. Jesus' wounds are the door of God's mercy opened to the world. To Thomas, the Lord's wounds must have been a place of pain left by failure and frustration. However, the Lord causes faith to be born right there. Finally, Thomas says, “My Lord and my God”.
This confession is the culmination of the faith that the entire Gospel of John has led, and the most perfect language of faith in the resurrection. Thomas no longer demands proof. It does not even matter whether he touched the wounds. To him, Jesus is no longer 'Him', but becomes 'my Lord'. As the Apostle Peter says, “God has made us born again in His great mercy,” giving us a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This new birth does not mean a life without wounds. Faith in the resurrection is the courage to confess, “My Lord and my God,” even while carrying doubt and wounds.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” Although we have never seen Him, we love Him; and even though we cannot see Him now, we believe in Him and live within His mercy. Today's Gospel asks us: Are we still demanding evidence, locking the doors of our hearts in fear and doubt? However, the Risen Lord does not turn away from us; He comes to us by crossing the closed doors of our hearts. On Divine Mercy Sunday, we remember that Jesus' wounds are within the wounds of those who suffer today. The Lord's mercy, which does not turn away from their wounds, leads us to the faith of the Resurrection.
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