Just because Thomas said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” some people may quickly conclude that his faith was not as great as the other disciples. However, the story of the doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29) provides testimony to the Resurrection of Christ. Other stories of testimony include the story of Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the tomb (Matthew 28:1-10), the story of Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and so forth. These testimonies have provided invaluable evidence for Christians ever since the early Church. Christians believe because of the testimonies of the first disciples in the Gospels and the continuing testimonies of Christians throughout the ages, but also because of their personal experience with the risen Christ.
The common saying “seeing is believing” means that when something unlikely is witnessed, the truth of its occurrence or existence can no longer be doubted. Such was the case of Thomas; after he saw the risen Christ and actually touched Him, he no longer doubted and said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus replied, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20:29) Jesus said this not to belittle Thomas, but to declare a beatitude (i.e., a blessing) on future generations. Future Christians will not be able to see the risen Christ with their eyes, and yet blessed are those who will come to believe in the risen Christ.
The Gospel account when Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (John 20:22-23) is unique to John’s Gospel. The action of Jesus as He breathed on the disciples recalls Genesis 2:7, when God breathed on Adam and gave him life. Just as God gave life to Adam, so too did Jesus give His disciples new life in the Spirit. This Gospel account has been aptly named the Johannine Pentecost.
But that was not all that happened when Jesus appeared to His disciples after the Resurrection. In the Gospels, Jesus forgave people’s sins; e.g., the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26) and the sinful woman who anointed His feet (Luke 7:36-50). When Jesus appeared to His disciples, He gave them the authority to forgive sins in order to continue His work of mercy. This authority to forgive sins is exercised by the bishop or priest in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, but it is Jesus Himself, present in the Sacrament and yet unseen, who forgives. In this Sacrament, Jesus continues His work of mercy and forgiveness through the Apostolic Church until the end of the age. Jesus never stopped calling sinners to Himself, and blessed indeed are those who do not see the risen Christ and yet believe.