John 20:19-31
Following Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were behind locked doors for fear of the Jews and Jesus was visible to them as he stood among them. They also remained there the second week and communicate the Easter message, “We have seen the Lord!” yet their actions do not seem to be in line with their understanding. They are still in process and their belief is being cultivated, a belief in the making. We can even look at Thomas’ confession, when he states “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) as a significant movement in belief but it is not the final word. In the next chapter, we read that Thomas is one of the disciples. It is interesting to note that the disciples do not recognize Jesus (21:4), and then later, the disciple whom Jesus loved (John) proclaimed, “It is the Lord!” As we comb through the gospels, we can readily see that the disciples embrace a belief that is moving in the right direction but it does not achieve a full understanding of Jesus. It truly is a “belief in the making.”
