John slammed the heavy wooden door and threw the long iron bolt noisily into its socket. “This door was locked, just as it is now. Suddenly Jesus, wearing only a linen girdle, was standing—here,” he said, moving forward several paces. “I was the first to see him, and I fell to my knees. Some of the others cried out and knelt, and a few ran to that back wall out of fear. Then we heard him say, ‘Peace be unto you,’ and he held up his hands and we could see the nail holes that had been driven in his wrists and also his feet and the open wound in his side where the legionary had pierced him. I wanted to ran to him and embrace him but my legs bad become useless. I could not move from my place. Neither did the others go to him while he spoke to us at length, commanding us to go out into the world, beginning in Jerusalem, and tell his story to all, for we were his witnesses, and great power would be given to us in his name. Then he was gone from the room, just as suddenly as he had appeared, and everyone knelt in prayer. Afterward they came to Peter and me and begged our forgiveness for their unbelief and lack of faith.”

“Had Thomas returned from his trip to the tomb in time to share the … the appearance of Jesus?”

“No, and when we told him we had seen the Lord he laughed at us and suggested that we had consumed too much wine. I remember him saying, ‘Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.’ Eight days later, in this same room, although the door was locked as before, Jesus appeared again and stood among us. He pointed directly at Thomas and asked him to come forward. Thomas was so beside himself with fear that he remained in his seat until Peter’s great arms pushed him toward the Lord. Then Jesus said, ‘Reach here with your finger, and behold my hands; and reach here with your hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing.’ ”

“What did Thomas do?”

“He did as he was told and then he fell before Jesus and said, ‘My Lord and my God,’ and Jesus replied, ‘Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed; but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed,’ and from that time, every one of us, even Thomas, has been witness to the Lord, as I am to you now and will be to another and another, each day, until the Kingdom of God has come to all people.”