John 20:19-20 NIV
[19] “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” [20] After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”

If the presence of Jesus convinced Mary, what would convince the disciples that Jesus was alive? What would change the skepticism of Thomas into an outburst of faith?
What if He walked through a locked door? What if they met Him face to face, heard His voice? What if they saw Him eating a piece of fish? Would they believe?

John 20:24-29 NIV
[24] “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” [26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” [27] Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” [28] Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” [29] Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

One thing above all else stood out to Thomas, convinced him that that it was really Jesus standing there…the wounds!

Thomas had seen the damage the Romans had inflicted on Him. He and his fellow disciples had seen His blood dripping from His hands and feet, the gush of blood and water from His pierced side! They had witnessed His final cry, His head hanging limply as the sound of His final rasping breath died away. They had watched as the soldiers lowered His pale, limp body to the ground and handed His remains over to Joseph of Arimathea for burial. They knew what real death was when they saw it.

Matthew Bridges’ hymn encapsulates the resurrection event in glorious poetry…

1. Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

2. Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

3. Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
RICH WOUNDS, YET VISIBLE ABOVE,
IN BEAUTY GLORIFIED;
no angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends their burning eye
at mysteries so bright.

4. Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

(Author: Matthew Bridges –
Source: https://hymnary.org)

Jesus took the wounds the disciples saw that day to glory, ever to remind His eternal family of the price He paid for our salvation.

Revelation 5:6 NIV
[6] “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

Finally convinced, the disciples could relax. They clung to the hope, knowing that their MASTER was alive, that He  would always be with them…or would He?

Only after Pentecost would everything He taught them about the Holy Spirit fall into place. His real, physical presence with them would be replaced by the Holy Spirit in them…His “other self”, He had said, one exactly like Him who would be in them forever.

Unlike the occasional appearance of the Holy Spirit in the Old Covenant, who came upon people to empower them for a specific purpose, Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled in an event that restored the Spirit, lost through Adam, to all who believe in Jesus.

Joel 2:28-29 NIV
[28] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on ALL PEOPLE. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. [29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”

No longer would the Spirit be lent to select people for a specific task, for a season. He would come in a deluge of power on all people, regardless of artificial distinctions, to finish Jesus’ work of salvation. He would replace Jesus’ physical presence with His indwelling presence, to guide and mold all His disciples into His image. He would convince His people of righteousness, that one requirement for fellowship with the Father that Jesus gave us, witnessed by His wounds.

It’s the wounds that are the concrete and absolute proof that every child of God is righteous and fully acceptable to God. So, finally, the disciples knew, were convinced and believed, because the wounds told the story… “He is who He said He is and He did what He said He would do!”

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV
[21] “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”