The week after Easter is a gift, a week to live as a joyful witness to the risen Jesus Christ. Instead of leaving resurrection joy behind at church, you get to carry Christ’s peace into the anxious and uncertain places of your life, just as the disciples did behind locked doors in John 20:19–23.
John tells us that on Easter evening the disciples were fearfully hiding behind locked doors when Jesus suddenly came and stood with them, saying, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his wounded hands and side, and their fear overflowed into joy.
In that moment, Jesus didn’t shame them for running away during his arrest. He met them right where they were, in their anxiety and regret, and framed everything in peace, not payback.
That same gracious pattern is still how he meets us today.
This matters because it is so easy for our Easter “alleluias” to fade and for us to slip back into familiar worries. Research from the Survey Center on American Life shows that about 46% of Americans feel at least a little unsure about God’s existence.
If that is true in the wider culture, we can be honest that it is sometimes true inside our own hearts as well.
Easter reminds you that your doubts and failures are not the end of your story. The risen Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on disciples who are still afraid and then sends them out again: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Your past denial, your silence, even the moments you have hidden behind locked doors, do not disqualify you. Instead, they become the backdrop where His peace and grace shine even more clearly.
Between that first Easter Sunday and the next, the disciples walked through ordinary days that became a space for reflection, replaying Holy Week, rereading Scripture, and sharing stories of where they had seen the Lord.
You have that same kind of week ahead of you.
Imagine how it might change your Monday if your first thought were, “He is alive, and He has spoken peace to me,” instead of, “He is gone, and I am on my own.”
Imagine how that one week after Easter can shape your everyday life, learning to receive Jesus’ peace, to honor honest questions, and to gently invite others (especially the “Thomases” in your life) into the presence of the risen Christ.
Your “Thomas” might be a child home from college, a spouse who drifts in and out of church, a coworker who once believed, or even a questioning voice inside your own heart. Like Thomas, they (or you) may honestly say, “Unless I see this and this and this, I will not believe.”
The challenge for us is how to respond as loving witnesses to the risen Jesus, rather than as frustrated salespeople for religion.
Notice how the disciples respond in John 20:24–26. They simply tell Thomas, “We have seen the Lord,” and they do not mock his conditions, pressure him, or try to predict what Jesus will do next.
Instead, they keep the relationship open and welcome him back into the gathered community.
A week later, Thomas is with them when Jesus comes again and gives him exactly the kind of encounter he had asked for. Only Jesus says, “Stop doubting and believe,” and from His lips, those words bring healing and transformation, not shame.
Modern research on people who find their way back to faith reflects this same gentle approach. Studies of adults who have stepped away from church show that a key turning point is often meeting a Christian they can genuinely trust, someone who listens without pressure and makes room for real spiritual questions.
Instead of trying to “close a deal,” this kind of witness simply opens a welcoming door.
So how do you walk with a Thomas in your life?
First, protect their dignity. It is not your calling to mock their questions or try to rush their story along. Witnesses are not lawyers or judges. In a courtroom, a witness simply and honestly says, “Here is what I saw, and here is what it has meant to me.”
You can do the same. Share your own story of how the risen Jesus met you in times of anxiety, failure, or grief and spoke peace into your life.
Second, honor the freedom of Jesus. You are not in charge of when or how He will show up in someone else’s life. The disciples did not promise Thomas a made‑to‑order miracle on a timetable; they simply brought him into the place where the risen Christ often made Himself known, in the middle of His people.
Today, that might look like inviting someone to sit with you in worship, to watch a sermon online together, or to join a small group where they can ask real questions and be heard with kindness.
Finally, remember that you may be Thomas, too. Many sincere believers quietly wrestle with doubts even while they serve in church. Jesus does not label Thomas “Doubting Thomas”; Scripture simply calls him Thomas and honestly records his questions.
If that sounds like you, the invitation is clear: stay close to the community, keep bringing your questions, and place yourself where Jesus has promised to be present in His word and His sacrament. As you do, His scars and His peace may grow more convincing than the worries that have kept you at a distance.
If you would like to explore this biblically rooted approach more deeply, we invite you to watch the full sermon at the end of this message. You will hear how real people in our own church family have seen Christ at work, from a conversion on an ordinary Thursday afternoon to those long, patient seasons when understanding slowly “clicks” after many conversations and prayers.
A “week to witness” is not seven days of arguing with skeptics or memorizing answers. It is seven days of paying attention to what the risen Jesus is doing in your own heart and in the lives of the people around you.
Here are some simple, practical ways to live that out.
Begin with reflection. Set aside ten quiet minutes each day this week to ask, “Where have I seen the Lord?” Think back over the last year, or even the last decade. When did it feel as if everything was falling apart, only for you later to notice God at work even in the hardest moments?
Jot down one story you could share if someone asked why the resurrection matters to you personally.
Next, pray by name for your Thomas. This might be a loved one who once walked closely with Christ and has drifted, or someone who has never believed. Instead of practicing speeches you want to give, ask the Lord to speak His peace to them in ways they can truly hear.
Remember the disciples’ posture: they did not give up on Thomas or push him into a quick answer. They simply made sure there was still a place for him when they gathered again.
Then, offer a simple invitation. It can be as basic as, “Our church has been talking about what happened the week after Easter, would you watch this sermon with me?” or “We’re gathering on Sunday; you’re always welcome to come sit with me.”
Research from Lifeway suggests that about one in three Americans say they doubt the biblical accounts of Jesus’ physical resurrection (The Christian Index), yet many are still open to honest conversation. Your consistent, peaceful presence may be the bridge God chooses to use.
Finally, remember that you are not alone in this. Jesus breathes His Spirit on anxious disciples and sends them out together, not as isolated heroes. When you are unsure how to answer someone’s question, it is honest to say, “That’s a really good question, I don’t know yet. Would you be willing to come and talk with one of our pastors or join our Bible study as we learn together?”
In the sermon that inspired this article, a member simply said, “Pastor, my friend wants to become a Christian, come talk to him.” God used that humble, quiet step of witness to bring a man to faith.
You, too, can live this way in the coming week: honest about your fears, open to Jesus’ peace, gentle with others’ questions, and trusting that the risen Christ still walks through closed doors.
If you would like more encouragement and practical help, take a little time to watch the full sermon on this passage. Let it stir your imagination for what one ordinary week—with an extraordinary Savior—might look like in your own life.
Help support the church's mission by clicking the Donate button below.