Looking into the lectionary - The cross isn't just about guilt and shame

John 20:19-31 Second Sunday of Easter  April 12, 2026 In his book Wishful Thinking, Frederick Buechner says, “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don't have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” According to his famous moniker, Doubting Thomas must have had a faith that kept him antsy, awake and moving. However, there is one major problem. Nowhere in this story is Thomas said to be “doubting.” The only two occurrences in the New Testament of the verb meaning to doubt (distazō) are found in Matthew. When Peter was afraid, began to sink in the water, and cried out for Jesus to save him, Jesus reached out, caught him, and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Most interesting in relation to John’s story is the Great Commission in Matthew 28, where we are told “when they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Instead of talking to Thomas about doubt, Jesus speaks in terms of belief/unbelief, an important theme throughout John’s Gospel. Immediately after Thomas’s confession of faith in John 20:28 (“My Lord and my God!”) and Jesus’s expansion on that realization in John 20:29 (“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”), John reveals the purpose of his Gospel. ... Thank you to this week's writer, Philip Gladden Read the rest of the commentary at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for April 5, 2026? You can find them here.

Order of worship — April 12, 2026 by Philip Gladden   Reflecting on Jesus’ last words and unspoken truths by Ronald Byars Who ordains ruling elders — and why is the PC(USA) revisiting it now? by Christian Dominic Boyd The cross isn’t just about our guilt and shame by Elana Keppel Levy

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