John 20:20
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord.”
What does John 20:20 mean?
After Jesus speaks peace to his frightened disciples, he shows them the marks of the crucifixion, the very wounds that prove he really died and has now truly risen. Seeing those scars, which could have been signs of defeat or tragedy, becomes instead the evidence that transforms their fear into joy. There's something profound happening here: the disciples recognize Jesus not by erasing what happened to him, but by witnessing it directly. Their gladness comes from knowing that death couldn't hold him, and that the one they loved and lost is alive again in ways they can actually see and touch.