From Fear to Faith
On that first Easter Sunday evening, the disciples gathered behind locked doors, gripped by fear. Even after the empty tomb had been discovered, uncertainty still clouded their hearts. They were terrified of what might happen next, isolated and anxious about their future.
It is in the midst of this fear that Jesus enters — not with condemnation, but with a blessing: "Peace be with you." He stands among them, shows them His hands and side, and breathes His Spirit into them. Fear is dispelled by His peace; doubt is swallowed by His presence. It’s a profound reminder that faith is not born from fear but from encountering the Risen Lord.
The Empty Tomb and the Apparitions of Christ form the two great pillars of our Christian faith. As our pastor reflected, it wasn’t just the sight of the empty tomb that renewed the Apostles’ hearts — it was seeing the Risen Christ, alive and standing among them. From that moment on, everything changed: their locked doors and fearful hearts were transformed into boldness and courage.
Yet, not all were present that evening. Thomas, weighed down by his own fear and doubt, isolated himself from the community. His absence left him vulnerable to disbelief. “Unless I see the mark of the nails…” he said, voicing a skepticism that resonates with many hearts even today.
But God’s mercy is greater than our doubts. Jesus appears again, not to scold Thomas, but to invite him — to see, to touch, to believe. In the presence of Christ and within the fellowship of believers, Thomas moves from doubt to proclamation: “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas' story is not just his own; it’s ours.
It reminds us that isolation breeds doubt, but community fosters faith. That Christ doesn’t abandon us in our skepticism but meets us right where we are. That peace is not the absence of fear, but the presence of Jesus.
This Easter season calls each of us to a personal resurrection — from fear to faith, from doubt to belief, from isolation to communion. Jesus continues to breathe His Spirit into our lives today, offering us His peace, His forgiveness, and His call to mission.
"Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed," Jesus said — a blessing spoken directly over you and me. We are part of the great tapestry of believers who walk by faith, not by sight, trusting in the victory of the Risen Lord.
Let us, like Thomas, find the courage to proclaim with full hearts:
"My Lord and my God!"
Let us unlock the doors of our own hearts, allowing Christ’s peace to enter, and step boldly into the mission to which we are called — sent out, just as the Father sent Him.
In this Easter joy, may we remember:
Fear is real, but Christ is greater.
Doubt may come, but faith will triumph.
We are not alone — Christ is with us, and so is our community of believers.
Together, we journey from locked doors to open hearts, from isolation to communion, from death to life.