Present the reading & Talk together
John 20.19-31 - Two ways to tell the story, followed by ideas for discussion time
The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, but Thomas isn’t with them. Thomas at first doubts, then believes, when he sees Jesus for himself.
Choose from these two ways of telling the story:
Seeing is believing
Today’s story is about Thomas, the disciple who said he wouldn’t believe that Jesus was alive unless he saw him in the flesh. Read the story, and when you say believe for the first time, invite the children to shut their eyes and cover their faces with their hands. When you say believe again, they can uncover their faces and open their eyes again.
Stand up, sit down
Beforehand, make some cards with the following names written on them: Jesus; Thomas; Disciple (you will need enough of this card for everyone else) and hand them out. As you read the story, invite the children to stand up every time they hear their name mentioned, then sit down again.
The return of Jesus from the dead was all the disciples could talk about. Every one of them was so excited about it. Well, not exactly every one of them. Thomas wasn’t excited, because Thomas had missed it. ‘Unless I see the marks the nails made in his hands, I won’t believe he’s alive,’ Thomas said.
A week earlier, Jesus had appeared to ten of the disciples. They were gathered together, hiding because they were afraid they would be killed next. Although they were in a locked room, Jesus appeared and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ As the disciples rejoiced, Jesus said, ‘As God the Father sent me, now I send you.’ Then he breathed on them, saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. When you forgive people their sins, they are forgiven. When you find people guilty, they are guilty.’
Thomas was with the others in the house now. ‘I’ll only believe if I put my finger in the marks and my hand in his side,’ he said. The doors were closed, just as they had been before, but again, Jesus appeared. He said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Look at my hands and put your finger in the holes. Put your hand in the wound on my side. Do not doubt, but believe.’ Thomas was suddenly as excited as the rest of the disciples. ‘My Lord and my God!’ he cried.
Jesus asked Thomas, ‘Have you only believed because you have seen me? God blesses all those who believe even though they haven’t seen me.’ This is why the story of Jesus was written down; so that people may believe that he is the Messiah, the Son of God. All who believe in Jesus will have life through him.
Glossary
sins the bad things that people do, that go against what God wants;
Messiah the ‘anointed one’, someone chosen by God to save the Jewish people, also a title used for Jesus.
Talk together
- Have you ever been told something that you didn’t believe but which turned out to
be true?
- Why do you think Thomas didn’t believe what his friends said?
- I wonder how Thomas felt when he saw Jesus for himself.