Late on the first Easter Sunday, after the Lord had risen from the sepulcher, ten of the disciples gathered for the evening in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem (John 20). They were afraid and probably confused. Since their leader had been crucified by the Roman power, as organized by their own Jewish leaders, they feared that now his followers might also be hunted down and punished. They closed and locked the doors. Were any of the women there? The story does not say, but Peter and John were, who saw and talked with the angels that morning, and the stories of the women were known. Some time must have been spent wondering and perhaps arguing - was He really alive? How could they know it was really Him? This kind of thing, coming back to life after you’re dead, this doesn’t happen in this real world, there must be some mistake!

Then two of the followers, not of the twelve, but the two that had gone to the village of Emmaus, came in, excited and bursting with their news. They had seen Him! They had walked with Him for seven miles and He had told them wondrous things! They had only recognized Him when He broke bread and ate with them. "Don’t doubt us, it really was Jesus!"

And then as they all talked and argued, there He was, standing with them in the room. "Peace be unto you," He said, and He showed them His hands and feet and His side, where he was wounded. He calmed them, and told them that just as he had come down to mankind, so they must go out and teach to all people all the true things that He had taught in the years He was with them.

It was these truths about how to live one’s life that were saving, not the disciples themselves. These saving truths have the power to remit or retain sins, because they were from the Lord, the disciples only transmitted them from the Lord to those who would listen and take them to heart. Then He breathed on them - representing His holy spirit - so that they would not only want to pass these truths on to people, but would also be given the words to say whenever the times came. And then He was gone again.

Thomas was not there that night. We don’t know why. And Thomas, when he heard the story, just could not swallow it. "Except I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe", he said. (John 20:25.)

The next verse tells us that the next Sunday they gathered again, and that Thomas was present this time. As before, the Lord was suddenly there, saying again, "Peace be unto you", and then directly to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger… and reach hither thy hand… and be not faithless but believing". Now Thomas's response was, "my Lord and my God". It seems as if the Lord came this time just to convince Thomas, because it was Thomas who needed Him.

I think He does work this way. I am reminded of another story, from the gospel of Mark (Mark 9:17-27) where a father comes to Jesus with a young son who is possessed by a devil, and asks Jesus to cure him, and is asked in turn: "Do you believe I can do this?" In Mark 9:24 the father responds. Crying out, he said with tears, "I believe, help thou my unbelief."

I think many people have this conflict between lingering doubts and a desire to have the doubts taken away. If we carry on and make our decisions in life as if the doubts were indeed gone, then indeed they will lose their strength and actually will be gone.

These are the only details given of these two meetings in Jerusalem. Chronologically the next post-Easter stories are the ones that take place in Galilee.

John does go on to say at the end of his gospel "...many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God...." (John 20:30-31). Perhaps there were more post-Easter stories that weren't written down, but the ones we do have are strong. For the disciples who were involved, there was an unstoppable impact from the life and teachings of the Lord, and His crucifixion, and physical death, and now - in these stories - His resurrection. Hearing the Lord's charges to them, these Galilean fishermen and their colleagues launch out into the wide world, and work to achieve the Great Commission, enduring hardships and persecution, and succeeding - probably beyond their wildest dreams!

81. "'And have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.'" This symbolizes their effort and work in acquiring for themselves and also teaching the constituents of religion and its accompanying doctrine.

The name of Jehovah or the Lord in the Word does not mean His name, but everything by which He is worshiped. And because He is worshiped in accordance with doctrine in the church, His name means everything pertaining to doctrine, and in the broadest sense, everything pertaining to religion.

These are the meanings of the name of Jehovah, and the reason is that in heaven the only names found are ones that reflect a person's character, and God's character includes everything by which He is worshiped.

One who is not aware of this symbolic meaning of a name in the Word can understand it only as a name; and in this alone there is nothing pertaining to worship and religion.

[2] Someone who keeps in mind, therefore, this symbolic meaning of "the name of Jehovah" when it is mentioned in the Word, will of himself understand its symbolic meaning in the following passages:

In that day you will say: "Confess to Jehovah, call upon His name." (Isaiah 12:4)

...O Jehovah, we have waited for You; the desire of our soul is for Your name... ...by You we make mention of Your name. (Isaiah 26:8, 13)

From the rising of the sun My name shall be called on. (Isaiah 41:25)

...from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered to My name...; for My name shall be great among the nations... ...you profane (My name) when you say, "The table of Jehovah is defiled...." But you sneer at (My name)..., when you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick. (Malachi 1:11-13)

...all peoples walk in the name of their god, but we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God... (Micah 4:5)

Everyone who is called by My name, for My glory I have created him, I have formed him... (Isaiah 43:7)

You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain; ...Jehovah will not hold him innocent who takes His name in vain. (Deuteronomy 5:11)

They were to worship Jehovah in one place, where He should put His name (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11, 13-14, 18; 16:2, 6, 11, 15-16). And so on in many other places. Who does not see that the name in them does not mean simply a name?

[3] It is the same with the name of the Lord in the New Testament, as in the following places:

(Jesus said,) "You will be hated by all because of My name. (Matthew 10:22; cf. 24:9-10)

...where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)

Everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters... for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and... eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)

As many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)

...many believed in His name... (John 2:23)

He who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:17-18)

...believing (they will) have life in His name. (John 20:31)

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! (Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Luke 13:35, cf. 19:38)

[4] In respect to His humanity the Lord is the name of the Father, as witness the following:

Father, glorify Your name. (John 12:28)

Hallowed be Your name (and) Your kingdom come. (Matthew 6:9-10)

See also Exodus 23:20-21. ³

"Name" in the case of other people refers to a quality of worship, as in the following:

(A shepherd) calls his own sheep by (their) name... (John 10:3)

You have a few names in Sardis... (Revelation 3:4)

I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem..., and My new name. (Revelation 3:12)

And the like elsewhere.

It can be seen from this now that the statement, "You have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary," symbolizes their effort and work in acquiring for themselves and also teaching the constituents of religion and its accompanying doctrine.