¹⁹ On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
²⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
²¹ Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."
²² And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
²⁵ So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."
²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."
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 be faithless, but believing."
²⁸ Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
²⁹ Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
³¹ 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.

• This is the end of the Gospel of John. Chapter 21 following this is an appendix or epilogue. The last verse shows the purpose of the gospel: that we can believe in Jesus and have life.
• The vocation of a patriarch or prophet (Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, Jesus' disciples) often has 5 stages. Here is the pattern:
  
  1. INTRODUCTION: the setting is in a house with locked door;
  2. CONFRONTATION (Jesus appeared),
     REACTION (disciples are shocked), and
     REASSURANCE ("Peace be with you");
  3. COMMISSION: "I send you";
  4. OBJECTION: by Thomas;
  5. REASSURANCE (Jesus appears again) and
     SIGN ("examine my hands").

Jesus returns in his glory, as he has promised. Some other promises are also fulfilled, such as joy (Jn 14:19; 16:16-24) and peace (Jn 14:27).

Reflections

1. What are the stages or stepping-stones in my following Christ?
2. What (or who) has helped me to believe in Jesus and have life?
3. Can I be a living Gospel so that others can believe in Jesus and have life?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community