The Second Sunday after Easter
Easter 2
April 12, 2026
John 20:19-31
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
Disappointment, grief, and fear are difficult feelings to process.
Certainly, you’ve experienced a time when you loved someone so deeply that you couldn’t imagine life without them. There are others you’ve trusted in life so completely that you’d follow them anywhere. And there are people you’ve depended on for their steady advice during tough times, and now you feel lost without them — like you’ve lost your sense of direction, and you would have followed them anywhere.
You can experience these feelings of disappointment, grief, and fear after a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or the death of a spouse. Maybe you and a close friend had a falling out. Or, in other situations, a confidant or a pastor was called away to shepherd a different flock.
These situations are difficult for everyone. They often cloud a person’s thinking.
For instance, grief can lead to brain fog, memory loss, and rollercoaster emotions. One moment you’re happy, and the next you’re crying or screaming. The body may become physically exhausted, and you may even experience digestive issues, sleep deprivation, and cardiovascular problems known as broken heart syndrome.
These darknesses and their shadows lead you onto new paths filled with distorted realities. In these moments, your faith is tested—faith in man, faith in God.
You might wonder, is this what is occurring with Thomas in today’s Gospel?
After all, earlier in the Gospel of John, Thomas was not known to be the doubter he is in today’s reading. No, instead, he was bold as he said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we might die with [Jesus].” (John 11:16)
Where were the disciples headed here? Where is the location Thomas mentions? They were going to the tomb of Lazarus, to the place where life and death confront each other, the site where faith and hope struggle, and where Thomas believes death and martyrdom await him and the others.
What happened to this Thomas?
The death of Jesus shattered his hopes and dreams, taking away his rabbi and teacher—somebody he depended on and believed in to rescue and save him and the others from oppression, want, and need.
Thomas would have followed Jesus anywhere...
Surely you can relate to this, Thomas. Surely you’ve felt like Thomas. Some of you might not even blame him for being full of doubt and unbelief.
This is, after all, what has happened here: bold Thomas has become doubting Thomas because he no longer believed in Jesus, His Word, because he could not see his Savior with his eyes or touch Him with his hands.
The Church Father, Gregory the Great, wrote regarding today’s Gospel,
It was not an accident that [Thomas] was not present (with the eleven). The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question. (Gregory the Great)
Alright, so what is Gregory the Great saying here? He is saying, the doubting faith of Thomas is for us, for you. Gregory is saying that Thomas placed his finger into the print of the nails and his hand into the side of Jesus for your faith.
Which raises another difficulty: understanding God’s will and timing throughout life. Why did my high school sweetheart break up with me? She was my everything. Why did God take my spouse to be with Him? I need them. Why did God permit me to have such a falling out with my dear friend? Why did God take away the pastor who understood me the most and always pointed me in the right direction?
The answer to these questions is rarely what you desire or want, because when disappointment, grief, and fear arise, as they did for Thomas, you rarely think clearly and often find your faith wavering at best.
However, through the example of Thomas today, we see that these instances are opportunities for us to trust, have faith, and cling to Jesus’ Word all the more.
And this is what St. John says in the closing verse of the Gospel as he wrote,
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31)
This belief and faith are how you place your fingers with Thomas into the print of the nails and your hand into the side of your Savior. Remember from last week, Jesus never stops being the crucified, and for this reason, every time you enter this sanctuary through the remembrance of your baptism, you enter the cross of Christ the crucified.
When you receive God’s forgiveness through the absolution and the proclamation of Jesus’ Word, you receive His peace. When you approach this altar, you receive the crucified and risen flesh and blood of Jesus upon your lips for your salvation and faith.
In a miraculous way, Jesus continues to come to you as He came to Thomas, both in His Word and in His body, in order for the Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith within you.
Look, life can be scary when going through cosmic changes, especially in relationships. But today is a chance for you to remember that your doubts and fears are not unique; even Jesus’ disciples struggled, and some, like Thomas, experienced a conflict of faith, particularly after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
You are no different from them. You should expect the Christian life to be difficult because you remain in this life with other humans, who likewise are intelligent, emotional creatures.
But through the signs and events written within the Scriptures, be reminded of the hope you have in Christ Jesus, the Savior who has already won redemption for you.
And should you find yourself in darkness, locked in a state of fear, come to where Jesus is present for you, hear His Word of peace, and repeat with the entire Church,
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Come, hear, touch, and receive Jesus for your eternal and everlasting faith. +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
