A WORD FOR TODAY, April 8, 2026
Peggy Hoppes
We pray you have been blessed by this daily devotion.
Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, April 8, 2026
Lectionary Scriptures for April 12, 2026, Second Sunday of Easter: Acts 5:29-42; Psalm 148; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31
“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen me. you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.’” John 20:29, WEB
The story of Jesus Christ is ridiculous. It is no wonder that many people consider it little more than a fairy tale. Much of what we know about Jesus is beyond scientific explanation, beyond reason, physically impossible. That God could, or would, become incarnate to live among men and then live to die is outrageous. Some might even say it is a lie. All too many have tried to justify the traditional Christian beliefs by claiming the story is referring to a purely spiritual experience. For them, living so far from the time and place of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, the bodily aspects do not seem so important. We can not touch, hear or see Jesus in the flesh, so it is the Spirit through which we know and experience God.
However, our faith is founded in the reality of what Jesus did and what God did through Jesus. There are those who would prefer to reduce Jesus to little more than a rabbi, teacher and example by which we are called to live. While He was those things, He was also much more. He was the Messiah. Though He did not live up to the expectations of what the people in His day were waiting for, He did accomplish the work that God foreordained.
At Pentecost, Peter made it very clear that what happened to Jesus, the things that they witnessed firsthand, went exactly as God had planned. Though He was crucified at the hands of human beings, it was according to God’s Word. Jesus went to the cross by God’s hand so that His plan for salvation could be completed.
Easter is a time of joy, and the post resurrection stories hold a powerful message about the Christian life we lead in faith and how it is not all sunshine and roses. In that Pentecost sermon, Peter pointed fingers at those he blamed for the death of Jesus. It was not a sermon that would gain Peter many friends. Instead, it was likely to gain him many enemies. The earliest days of the Christian church were filled with the kind of fear, doubt, and uncertainty that we see in the Gospel lesson from John. They were threatened by the same people who participated in Jesus’ death and His resurrection did little to assuage their uncertainty about the future.
Despite this doubt, fear, and uncertainty, it was a time of great joy. Yes, Peter blamed human action in the story of Jesus, but he also preached the rest of the story: God was in control every moment, and it was by His hand. He did this so that we would live in the assurance of hope in His promises. Peter later wrote in his letter that even though they will suffer trials, they will come through the fire with a faith that though tested will result in joy as Jesus is revealed with praise and glory and honor.
On the second Sunday after Easter, eight days after the resurrection, we are reminded that the crucifixion was very real and is a central part of our faith. Our lives of faith aren’t all sunshine and roses. We will continue to experience pain as we live as witnesses for Jesus Christ. However, we are called to trust in God, to live in faith, and to be joyful through the pain because our perseverance will bring us to the time of seeing our salvation in its fullness, enjoying the benefits of eternal life.
We always hear today’s Gospel lesson from John on the Second Sunday of Easter. It is appropriate because it describes an event that happened on the eighth day after the Resurrection. The disciples reacted with typical human foolishness. We are comforted by the fact that while they were afraid, doubtful, and uncertain, Jesus responded with forgiveness and grace. We see Jesus being merciful and know that He will be merciful to us, too.
At the beginning of this passage, the disciples had heard the good news but had not witnessed His resurrected body. In last week’s Gospel passage from John (20:1-18), we heard that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb first thing Sunday morning. She saw the empty tomb and reported it to the disciples. She thought His body had been stolen. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. They believed. What did they believe? They believed Mary’s report, but they were bewildered by what was happening, so they left. Mary stayed and wept in the garden. She said to a man she thought was a gardener, “If you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” It was Jesus and He called her by her name, “Mary.”
Mary had a very close relationship with Jesus, yet she did not recognize Him right away. It took His grace to open her eyes. The same would have to happen to the disciples. She ran to tell them, but they did not believe her immediately. She was a woman, and by some accounts she was not well-liked among the disciples. At the very least, the men had not yet seen Jesus for themselves, and it was too ridiculous to be true. They had not heard His voice or experienced His presence.
Suddenly, Jesus stood among them.
They were hiding behind locked doors because they were still afraid, doubtful, and uncertain. It was too unbelievable. They were probably talking about Mary’s report. How could it be true? She was just one grief-stricken woman. She probably confused a man in the garden with Jesus. Was it a hallucination? How could they believe this story when they had not yet heard His voice or stood in His presence. And then He came.
One of the things you’ll note in the scriptures is that whenever something is important, it is repeated. In the resurrection story from Matthew, the women were told twice to have no fear. The disciples needed peace because they were overwhelmed with grief, fear, and doubt, yet peace is so hard to find when our world has been turned upside down. Jesus brought the peace they needed, and said to them twice, “Peace be with you.” In peace, they could face whatever it was that waited for them outside the door to their room. They would not find peace out there, since the Jews and the Romans would eventually respond to the Christian story with violence and oppression.
From peace He moves on to forgiveness. They are inseparable. We can’t have peace if we are holding a grudge against someone. We can’t have peace if another is holding a grudge against us. But we can face the sin of our world with forgiveness, at peace with the reality of our brokenness and God’s forgiveness. As we dwell in His grace, we share that grace with others and we experience real peace.
Real peace is not the absence of conflict but an unassailable trust in God. The world outside our door is not conducive to that feeling of peace that we long for today. As a matter of fact, we face grief, fear and doubt every day. But Christ comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” He was saying, “Trust in me and trust in my Father. His promises are true and He is faithful. Whatever you face, do so with faith, knowing that everything is already taken care of for you and for the world. Live in the forgiveness I have obtained for you and take it out the door into the world for others.”
This peace brings joy. The joy of Easter can be expressed in laughter and revelry, even if being Easter people means hardship. Early Christian theologians recognized the humor in the way God chose to bring redemption to the world. They called the resurrection of Jesus, “a practical joke on the devil.” They said that Easter was the supreme joke played on death. Because of this Bright Sunday was a time for joking and laughter. The people played practical jokes on their priests and the priests told jokes in their sermons. It was a day of joy and laughter. Eastern Orthodox priests have even been known to gather together during the week after Easter to smoke cigars, drink brandy, and tell jokes.
Besides the joy of knowing Jesus was alive, the disciples were given an incredible gift: peace and forgiveness. Real peace is not the absence of conflict but an unassailable trust in God. The world outside our door is not conducive to that feeling of peace that we long for today. As a matter of fact, we face grief, fear, and doubt every day. But Christ comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” He is saying, “Trust in me and trust in my Father. His promises are true, and He is faithful. Whatever you face, do so with faith, knowing that everything is already finished. Live in the forgiveness I have obtained for you and take it out the door into the world for others.” This is the life we are called to live.
British dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse has this to say about the obedience of dogs. “In a dog’s mind, a master or mistress to love, honor and obey is an absolute necessity. The love is dormant in the dog until brought into full bloom by an understanding owner. Thousands of dogs appear to love their owners, they welcome them home with enthusiastic wagging of the tail and jumping up, they follow them about their houses happily and, to the normal person seeing the dog, the affection is true and deep. But to the experienced dog trainer this outward show is not enough. The true test of real love takes place when the dog has got the opportunity to go out on its own as soon as the door is left open by mistake and it goes off and often doesn’t return home for hours. That dog loves only its home comforts and the attention it gets from its family; it doesn’t truly love the master or mistress as they fondly think. True love in dogs is apparent when a door is left open and the dog still stays happily within earshot of its owner. For the owner must be the be-all and end-all of a dog’s life.”
This is the kind of obedience that Jesus wants from us. We aren’t dogs to a master, but we love Him truly when we stand firm with Him even though we are given the freedom to wander. Some would like to think that we are able to do whatever we want because Christ forgives our waywardness. While it is true that we are forgiven, we are not given new life in Christ to run rampant around our neighborhood like the dog who has taken advantage of his master’s grace. What kind of disciple was Thomas? He was not there with the disciples in the Upper Room when Jesus came to stand among them. Did he really love Jesus? Did any of them?
The first time Jesus appeared, the disciples were sad, grieving, confused, doubtful, and afraid. After Jesus appeared, their attitude must have changed. Their tears turned to laughter. But can you imagine walking into a room full of laughing disciples when all you can think of is your dead Master? Thomas must have thought they were crazy. “How can you be laughing at a time like this?” They were laughing because they were in on the joke. Jesus beat the devil.
The story of Thomas is one of my favorites, and it is probably one of the most familiar stories of the New Testament because we hear it every year in our lectionary for the Second Sunday of Easter. We pick on Thomas, but can we really blame him? After all, we would probably have felt the same way if we had been out of the loop. We would have had difficulty believing the testimonies of those who were those first witnesses. After all, did the disciples believe Mary and the women at first?
We live a long way from the resurrection, not only in distance but in time. The eyewitnesses are long gone, only their stories remain. It is easy for us to assume that there is exaggeration in the records, that it couldn’t possibly be real. It is easier to doubt than it is to believe. So, is it any wonder that Thomas was uncertain? Thomas was not among the disciples at that first meeting according to John. Where was he? Did he even hear that Jesus had been raised? I don’t think Thomas’s doubt suggests a lack of trust or love, but the story they told was impossible. It was ridiculous!
The disciples were not able to believe in Jesus without the power He gave them to believe. The breath He breaths into all believers is the Holy Spirit, and it is by the power of that Spirit that they have faith. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to deny His power, to reject Him.
In that first appearance, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit!” This was like a down payment of what was to come: the Holy Spirit that would anoint them at Pentecost. In the days between His resurrection and ascension, Jesus taught the disciples everything they needed to know, but even then, it would not be enough. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit could the disciples ever believe and do the work God was calling them to do.
Many will reject the word we speak. They will not believe us. Some believe their sin is too great for even God to forgive. They can’t accept that there is mercy that can overcome. Others do not think we are credible witnesses, like the women who were ignored on that first resurrection day. What have we seen that we can really report? There are others who do not believe they need to be forgiven. The worst reason the Word is rejected is that we do not reveal our own need for forgiveness. We wear a mask that tells the world that we are good Christians, and they see our calls for repentance as judgment and condemnation. Or they see us as hypocrites because we say one thing, but they see our flaws too clearly. They do not believe that we speak the Gospel because we know we are sinners in need of a Savior. They think we see ourselves as their savior. There are yet others who simply need to see something tangible to believe, no words will ever be enough.
Thomas was one of those who needed to see to believe. Eight days after the first appearance, the disciples were still hiding behind the closed doors. This time Thomas was with them, unwilling to believe their word. Imagine how they must have felt about his rejection. Thomas was like a brother, having traveled with them for nearly three years. He heard the same stories; he learned the same lessons. He was given the same prophecies and promises. If he did not believe them, who would? How could they possibly share their message with outsiders? I imagine they were hurt; there may have even been discord among them. When Jesus appeared the second time, He spoke the words of peace again. “Peace be with you.”
In this greeting, Jesus touched on the greatest problem within the Church even today. If the disciples were going to do the work they were called to do, they needed peace among them. How could they take the message of the Gospel out into a world if there was no reconciliation between brothers? Whatever was going on behind those closed doors during the week between the first and second appearance, Jesus pointed them in a new direction. Once Thomas was given the same experience, there was nothing to keep the disciples divided.
Continuing Jesus’ ministry was a most extraordinary thing for the disciples to do. Jesus’ death should have put an end to any movement of faith around His name. And yet the stories in the book of Acts tell us that the people believed in extraordinary numbers. Three thousand were baptized on Pentecost, and people were being added to their numbers daily. The movement of the followers of Christ was called The Way; it was growing. The new Christians believed by the word of those apostles: they told stories and the Holy Spirit instilled faith. God was always in control, and there was no way the council could stop the growth of The Way, even if they killed all the apostles. The Good News spread rapidly. The people who had witnessed the Pentecost miracle were traveling to the four corners of the earth with stories about Jesus.
In today’s lesson from the Book of Acts, Peter and the apostles had been arrested for preaching about Jesus in the temple. They had been warned, but answered the Sanhedrin, “We must obey God rather than men.” This made the Jews nervous and jealous. The temple leaders persecuted the disciples, having them arrested, beaten, and threatened with death. But God was with them. He gave them strength, peace, and hope in the midst of their troubles. God even sent angels to help them at times and gave them opportunities to share the Gospel through their persecution. Nothing was going to stop them because they loved their Lord with their whole being and they were willing to be obedient, standing for Him no matter what happened. The disciples didn’t mince words which made Sanhedrin so angry they wanted to kill them.
There was one Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was a peacemaker that brought calm to the situation. He told his fellow councilmen to be patient and let God take care of the situation. “Now I tell you, withdraw from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!” This was wise advice, although I’m certain many in the Sanhedrin would have preferred a much different outcome.
Gamaliel may have had a concealed motive for speaking those wise words. He was a Jewish scholar and teacher of the Law. His most famous student was Saul of Tarsus, otherwise known as Paul. Tradition holds that Simeon, the old man in the Temple who recognized Baby Jesus as the Messiah, was Gamaliel’s father. If this is true, he most likely told his son about Jesus. Did Gamaliel know that the men standing before the Sanhedrin were followers of that baby from so long ago? It is believed that Gamaliel did become a Christian and was baptized by Peter and John, but that he kept his Christianity a secret until his death so that he could remain in the Sanhedrin and offer aid to the Christians who were being persecuted. The Jewish account of his life maintains that he remained a Pharisee until he died. But his speech at the trial of the apostles gives some credence to the possibility that he had faith.
It is easy to see the obedience of Peter and the apostles in this story as they stood up for their faith even against such a great risk. What about Gamaliel? Gamaliel was risking his own power, position, and reputation for a bunch of misfit prophets. It didn’t matter if he was a believer or not; Gamaliel was willing to trust God in this situation, and he convinced the others to trust Him, too.
In his letter, Peter wrote about the hope we have in Christ. The promise of eternal life in Him is not dependent on anything we can do, it is founded in God’s grace and love for His people. We have been given His eternal kingdom; the promise is real, and the King is faithful. We may experience hardship and trials, but through those difficulties our faith will grow and mature. Our joy rests not on the blessings we will see in the here and now, but in faith that God has assured our salvation and that we’ll share in His glory.
Visitors to the Castle of Edinburgh, Scotland, can see the royal jewels of the nation. There are crowns, scepters, and swords. There is also a rock, given a place of great honor. This sandstone rock measures 26” by 16” by 10.5” and is surrounded by history and myth. It is the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone. Its history goes back to ancient times, thought even to be the stone on which Jacob laid his head when he dreamed of the ladder. According to tradition, the stone then became a stand for the Ark of the Covenant. It moved through Syria, Egypt, Spain and Ireland before finally arriving in Scotland.
The stone was first used for the coronations of early tribal kings of Scotland but eventually became the symbol of authority for national leaders throughout Britain. There is nothing special about this rock. It has a few long-eroded engravings and some iron rings embedded for transport. Throughout history, the rock was stolen, broken, and hidden. This casts doubt about the stone that is on display at Edinburgh. The stories, myths, are ridiculous. Could Jacob’s stone really have found its way through such an incredible journey to end up housed in a glass case and honored by a nation as a symbol of their identity?
Our faith is built on a rock, but it isn’t 26” by 16” by 10.5”. Our rock is Jesus Christ, who lived and died and rose again for our sake. Those who believe in the Stone of Scone might dwell in an earthly kingdom ruled by those who sit on it, but we have something better. We have been promised life in an eternal kingdom we receive by resting on the true rock of our faith. The promise is real and the King is faithful. We may experience hardship and trials, but through those difficulties our faith will grow and mature. Our joy rests not on the treasures of our earthly lives, but in faith that God has assured our salvation.
We worship an incredible God who did not consider Himself above His creation. He sent His Son to dwell among us. Everything about the incarnation is absolutely ridiculous if we think about it in human terms, especially the death and resurrection of Jesus. We can’t believe, and many people still don’t. However, God does not think the way we do. His ways are higher and He was always in control, even when we did not understand what He was doing.
That’s why the devil didn’t see the joke coming. It was outrageous and preposterous. It was unexpected. The Second Sunday of Easter is sometimes called Holy Humor Sunday. It is a time for us to laugh at ourselves, as perhaps Peter and Thomas and all the disciples must have laughed after they realized what had really happened with Jesus. We aren’t like the disciples, having seen Him, but through our own fears, doubts, and uncertainties, we have been blessed by faith to believe. We can laugh in the joy of God’s forgiveness, trusting in His mercy, and sharing His grace through laughter. We can be glad and rejoice because what God has done is really a great joke that has brought salvation to the world.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276.