It is the second Sunday of Easter. The title of today’s cantata is “Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats” (On the evening, however, of the same Sabbath).

Today’s Gospel reading — pay close attention, NPR reporters! — reminds us that Jesus walked the Earth for 40 days after his resurrection. John 3:14-21:

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

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!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 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.”

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!” 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.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The cantata was composed by Bach for the first Sunday after Easter. The text of today’s cantata is available here. The opening chorus comes straight from the Gospel passage:

On the evening, however, of the same Sabbath, when the disciples had gathered and the door was locked out of fear of the Judeans [persecution], Jesus came and walked among them.

As always, it’s my hope that the expression of the words in music will heighten your appreciation of the Gospel passage, and ideally make it even more meaningful to you.

Happy listening!