“From Fear to Faith, From Doubt to Life”
Sermon Preached by Virginia Shek (Formation Student) on Sunday, 12 April 2026
Second Sunday of Easter. Readings: Acts 2:14, 22-32; Ps 16; 1 Peter 1:1-12; John 20:19-31 (Gospel)
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
We come to the joy of the resurrection at Easter. It is not just a past event that we remember or celebrate once a year. It is a living truth that continues to shape who we are today and who we are becoming.
Yet, when we listen to today’s Gospel reading, we do not find the disciples celebrating; we find them hiding. The doors are locked, the room is closed, their hearts are filled not with joy but with fear. Fear of the Jewish authorities, fear of what might happen next, fear that everything they had hoped for in Jesus has come to an end.
And into that fear, Jesus comes and stands among them and says, “Peace be with you.” This is the first gift of the risen Christ: PEACE. Not as the world gives, but a deep, restoring peace that meets us in the middle of our anxiety, confusion, and uncertainty.
And then Jesus shows them His hands and His side. He does not hide His wounds. The resurrection does not erase the cross. Instead, the wounds become the very proof of His love. How deep is His love that He could endure nails going through His hands and the wound in His side; how painful it was for Jesus!
The disciples rejoice not because everything suddenly makes sense but because they see that the one who was crucified is now alive.
But one disciple is missing- Thomas the apostle. We often remember him as “doubting Thomas,” but that is not the whole story. From another angle, Thomas is honest. He speaks what others are afraid to say, “Unless I see… unless I touch… I will not believe.”
And a week later, Jesus comes again. The doors are still shut. The fear has not completely disappeared. And once again, Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” Then He turns directly to Thomas and says, “Put your finger here. See my hands. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas responds with one of the most powerful confessions of faith in all scripture, “My Lord and my God!”
What changed? It was not an argument. It was not a debate. It was an encounter.
Thomas moves from doubt to faith because he meets the risen Christ personally.
And that is the heart of today’s message- what we believe and uphold is not just about ideas or traditions, it is about encountering the living Jesus.
We see the same truth in our first reading from the Book of Acts. Peter the apostle stands up and proclaims boldly that Jesus is risen. This is the same Peter who once denied Jesus out of fear. Now he speaks with courage and clarity.
Again, what changed? What made the difference? And, again, it is the resurrection. Peter has encountered the risen Lord, and his life is transformed.
Fear has become courage. Silence has become proclamation. Failure has become mission.
And this transformation is not only for Peter or Thomas. It is for all of us.
Our second reading from the Book of First Peter reminds us that even though we do not see Jesus now, we love Him. Even though we do not see Him, we believe in Him and we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for we are receiving the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls.
This speaks directly to us today.
We are not in that locked room in Jerusalem. We do not see Jesus physically standing before us. We do not touch His wounds with our hands. And yet, we are invited into the same faith.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
These words are spoken for us.
We all have moments like Thomas- moments of doubt, moments of questioning, moments when faith feels distant or uncertain.
Perhaps we struggle to see God at work in our lives. Perhaps we wonder where God is in times of suffering or confusion. Perhaps we feel like the disciples- afraid, uncertain, and behind closed doors.
However, the good news of Easter is this- Jesus does not wait for us to have perfect faith before He comes to us.
He comes into locked rooms. He comes into fearful hearts. He comes into our doubts. And He speaks peace.
Please notice that Jesus does not reject Thomas for his doubt. He meets him in it. He gives him what he needs to believe- put your finger here, see my hands.
In the same way, Jesus meets each of us where we are.
For some, faith comes easily. For others, it is a struggle. But in every case, faith is a gift- born out of an encounter with the risen Christ.
And how do we encounter Him today?
We encounter Him in the scriptures, as God’s word speaks to us.
We encounter Him in the community of believers, gathered in His name.
We encounter Him in the breaking of bread, at the Lord’s table.
We encounter him in moments of prayer, in acts of love, in the quiet assurance of His presence.
Like the disciples, our eyes are opened gradually, and spiritually. Our fears are replaced with peace. Our doubts are transformed into faith. And our lives are given a new direction.
The resurrection is not just about what happened to Jesus. It is about what happens to us.
It means that fear does not have the final word.
It means that sin and failure do not define us.
It means that even death itself is not the end.
Instead, we are given a living hope, a hope that sustains us in the present and leads us into the future.
Today, we are invited to move- from fear to peace, from doubt to faith, and from hiding to witnessing.
Like Thomas, we are invited to confess, “My Lord and my God.”
Like Peter, we are called to proclaim the good news with courage.
And like all the disciples, we are sent out into the world to live as people of the resurrection.
May we open our hearts to the presence of the risen Christ among us. May we receive His peace. May we grow in faith, even in the midst of doubt. And may our lives bear witness to the truth that Christ is risen- today, tomorrow, and forever.
May Glory be to God. Amen.