This morning, our scriptural focus will be on events that happened on the first Easter day and the week that followed Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus’ first resurrection appearance was to Mary Magadalene. After she spoke with the resurrected Jesus, she rushed to tell the other disciples that Jesus was alive – he wasn’t in his tomb because he was alive again. That evening, Jesus made his second resurrection appearance.
Listen to how the story unfolds as we turn to John, chapter 20, verses nineteen through thirty-one:
Scripture John 20:19-31
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.”
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.”
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.
Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Let us pray…
Message Thomas Doubts
I feel sorry for Thomas. He was the only Disciple brave enough to leave the hiding place the Disciples were holed up in after Jesus’ death. Perhaps he bravely left to get necessary provisions for the group–bread or water or wine or whatever. And, then when he returned to the hiding place, the other Disciples told him they had seen the risen Christ. It was like going to an action movie and missing the climax of the film because you went to the concession stand at the wrong time. Thomas was probably very disappointed….but he also struggled to believe what they told him…how could Jesus be alive?
Throughout the New Testament, Thomas was described as a concrete thinker. When Jesus wanted to return to Bethany after Lazarus died, despite being warned the Temple leaders were plotting to kill him, Thomas said they should all go and die along-side Jesus. He was ready and willing to support Jesus….to support Jesus until the end. But, he was a concrete thinker: he processed information literally, and he depended on tangible, observable facts and immediate experience, not abstract concepts. If Jesus was resurrected, Thomas wanted to see him himself – he wanted to see and touch his wounds to know the truth of the resurrection, not just hear about it.
After Jesus died, all of the disciples were freaked out. They had dedicated their lives to serving Jesus, and he died. He died a horrible and gruesome and sad death. This was shocking for his friends. This was terrifying for his friends. They had given their lives to serving Jesus, and now he was dead.
On the first Easter, Mary found the tomb empty. After she went for help, Simon Peter and the beloved disciple came with her to the cemetery and saw the empty tomb for herself. The men eventually returned home, but Mary stayed in the cemetery. And, then Jesus made an appearance – he revealed himself to Mary and said he was resurrected. After she talked to Jesus, Mary rushed back to tell the other disciples. Despite this good news, they kept the doors locked to the room they were hiding in. They had heard about the resurrection, but they were still afraid.
Then Jesus appeared to the 10 disciples who were locked in the room – Thomas wasn’t there and Judas was dead. So, the disciples in the room had an encounter with the risen Jesus. They saw him with their own eyes. They saw and believed.
A week later, Jesus reappeared and Thomas was there to see him too. Over the 40 days that followed Easter, they had many opportunities to see the resurrected Jesus. Jesus gave them further instructions. And, Jesus told them the Holy Spirit was coming to earth to guide them in his place after he ascended to Heaven. So, even after Jesus wasn’t with them, he made sure they had the support of the Holy Spirit.
Thomas is criticized for doubting. But, to doubt is to be human. We all have doubts – we question things we see on tv; we question things we learned in school; we question things we read on the internet. It is important that we don’t blindly believe everything people say or we read or we hear. And, it is natural and normal to have doubts about our faith. As members of the United Church of Christ, we value asking questions about our faith…we emphasize that faith is formed over time in community, through asking questions, dialogue and shared experience.
Our church doesn’t expect our members’ understanding of their faith to stay static – as we age and mature, we expect our faith to develop and mature. Sometimes, we have doubts – and those doubts compel us to learn more about a theological concept or a Biblical story or the history of how Christianity developed certain ideas.
Thomas doubted, and that’s ok. It is normal and natural and expected that we would have a doubt or two. But, when we find ourselves struggling with doubts, it is our opportunity to do more research – to ask questions, to talk to one of our trusted brothers or sisters in Christ, to read our Bibles, to turn to the works of trusted theologians, to pray and ask God to guide us, to invite the Holy Spirit to help us understand.
Thomas had the opportunity to see Jesus and believe – we are the blessed ones who have not seen Jesus and still believe. Let us work together as a congregation to wrestle with our doubts, ask important questions, and encourage each other in our journeys of faith.
May it be so today and all days. Amen
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