Did Thomas expect Jesus to be there?

     Christ is risen!  Alleluia!  We have made it through the through the journey of Lent, have been renewed and refreshed in the death and resurrection of Christ, and now we celebrate!  Our gospel lesson for Sunday is from John 20.19-31 and also takes place a week after the resurrection.  But instead of finding Jesus' disciples jubilant and celebratory in the triumph of Jesus Christ, we find a group of men (and maybe women) huddled together in a locked room because they were afraid.  We have the benefit of 2000 years of history and story to rely on, and for us there is no physical danger of celebrating the risen Lord Jesus.  It was not so for those early disciples, as Jesus' resurrection was a scandal to the utmost for both the Jewish leaders and the Roman empire.  After all, ten of Jesus' disciples were killed for their belief in his resurrection.
     So it is no surprise to find our disciples huddled together out of fear in a room.  What is surprising, however, is that Jesus came and stood among them.  It doesn't say he knocked on the door, it doesn't say he climbed through a window, it simply says, "Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'"  Now, again, after 2000 years of stories about our risen Lord, it isn't really that surprising.  After all, doesn't Jesus always come to meet us where we need him most?  In our own locked rooms hiding in fear or anxiety of something?  So after the disciples saw the Lord, it says they rejoiced.  Except not all the disciples were present.
     When the disciples began to spread the news that they had seen the risen Lord, Thomas, who for whatever reason wasn't in the room that day, didn't believe.  Yet, despite his unbelief, he still hung around with the other disciples.  Perhaps because they were his only friends (after living a rather nomadic life for 3 years it wouldn't have been surprising) or perhaps because he wanted to believe that they had seen Jesus.  We don't really know why, but a week later the disciples were again gathered together.  And again Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.'  Now, there are three things to notice here.  First, the disciples have already started their weekly meetings around which our Christian worship is fashioned.  Second, it gives no indication that the disciples expected or thought Jesus would show up again, but he did.  Third, it gives no indication that Jesus thought Thomas would be there, but Jesus showed up anyway.
     This is good news in so many ways.  When we doubt or when we don't believe, Jesus shows up anyway.  Thanks be to God and alleluia!  Perhaps that is why the story was so powerful those first few centuries.  Perhaps people were still surprised by Jesus' presence in their midst.  When was the last time you were surprised?  Or have we become so familiar with the story that we simply expect Jesus to show up?  Or, is it rather, that we have been disappointed so many times over the years that we have stopped expecting Jesus to show up altogether?  Perhaps while we know the story we think of it as just that: a story.  We know what amazing things God does when we're not expecting it, so what could God do when we do expect something?  Even though Jesus shows up regardless, the mystery remains: Did Thomas expect Jesus to be there??