Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

In Chapel this week, I told the kids that if I were Thomas, I probably wouldn’t have believed either. Seeing your friend die and then hearing He’s alive again? That’s hard to accept. But Jesus did say He’d rise. He even raised others from the dead. Still, when it’s you who dies—that feels final. But here’s the thing: death wasn’t part of God’s original plan. Jesus came to fix that, to take away sin—and with it, death. That’s what Easter is about. When Jesus appeared to His disciples, the first thing He said was, “Peace be with you.” Not judgment. Not disappointment. Peace. Forgiveness. Then He showed His wounds. That order matters. Forgiveness first. Then resurrection. And now, we’re sent to bring that same peace to others. In a world that’s anything but okay, Jesus makes everything right.