98. Jesus Comes to His Disciples.
That same evening Jesus materialized his body in
the locked room where the disciples were staying.
He greeted them peacefully, but they were amazed and shocked
by this manifestation, assuming it was an immaterial spirit.
However, Jesus reassured them and proved to them
through touch and by eating fish that it was a "real" body.
He advised them to keep their hearts open to the truth and ordained them
to go out
and share the message of God with the help of the Holy Spirit, practicing forgiveness.
Thomas had been absent on this occasion and wanted
to have the physical proof before he would believe it.
A few days later Jesus appeared again for the sake of Thomas.
Jesus declared that those who believe in the power of God
without even having seen are blessed indeed.
The accounts of Jesus and his teaching have in fact been written
so that people may understand and believe in the Christ of God.