You Want Proof? (Apr 16, 2023) John 20.19-31

Christos Anesti!! (Christ is Risen!!!) Alithos Anesti (He is Risen Indeed!!!). I open with the words that I used last week because today, for our Orthodox siblings, is Easter. While we in the Western Church celebrated Easter last week, they were celebrating Palm Sunday. And today, they proclaim the risen Lord while we have what is known as Easter 2.

You see, the Easter season is not just the build up to Easter during Holy Week. It is the 7 Sundays following Easter until Pentecost. It is a time of reflection and rejoicing in the resurrection of the savior. Yet, one would be hard pressed to understand the season of Easter. After Easter Sunday, the world goes back to normal: the lilies are gone from the churches, the attendance in many churches drops, in some churches the pastor may take off the Sunday after, and in the stores all Easter candy and decorations are on sale 50% or more. Life is seen as going back to normal and the joy that was exuded that one Sunday morning seems to fade into the distance.

But the Easter season is a season that tells us to be joyful for the Sundays after Easter. The Sundays after tell the story of just what happened after the good news of the resurrection. They tell us the good tidings and the instruction that Jesus had to give to those who were his followers. It all continues the story of the glorious news of the resurrection until the season comes to an end with the Day of Pentecost. In short, the Easter season tells us that the joy of Easter is not to be contained to just one day, but to be spread throughout every day and every Sunday in particular.

Today’s text is one that is familiar, an oldie but a goodie. The story of the disciples and Jesus on the evening of Easter. The disciples are in a room with the doors locked, what I like to call the original social distancing, because they are afraid of the Jewish authorities (not the “Jews”. This has been a misunderstanding for centuries. The authorities are the ones whom John is against, not the Jewish people.) The Jewish authorities who have connived and helped to carry out the crucifixion of their teacher and friend, Jesus. But there is something ironic about them hiding on this day. Early in the day, Mary Magdalene and others had brought to them the news that the tomb was empty and Mary had even spoken to the Lord himself! What wonderful news! Yet, here they were on the evening of the same day, hiding in fear.

While they are wondering what is going to happen to them, starting at every squeak and creak they hear, wondering if they will be hearing boots coming up the stairs, Jesus is there among them. His words to them are, “Peace be with you” or “Shalom aleichem” in Hebrew.

If they were anything like me, I believe they would not have felt too much peace. There were, I’m sure, stunned looks, mouths open and probably a few whimpers of fear. But the words spoken to them are a greeting which would be meant to put them at ease. The greeting Jesus uses here is totally unexpected. This was a group who ran when he needed them the most. They were expecting him to be looking for vengeance or at least shaming them for their cowardice. Instead, he is wishes them peace and extends grace to those who did not deserve it.

And even when he shows up and after they have heard the good news from Mary, they remain skeptical. They do not believe. Not until they are shown the prints from the nails and the place in his side where he was pierced do they believe. Then they welcome him with great joy.

But Jesus is not done. He once again says “Shalom aleichem” (peace be yours). This time the statement is not a greeting. It is a statement of life and life giving. We know that shalom means “peace” but it means so much more than that. Matthew Schlimm in 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know,tells us that shalom means peace of the body, mind, spirit, and relationship; it is a feeling of being complete and whole; it is peace from foreign and inner demons.[1] The peace that Jesus is wishing upon the disciples is cover their entire life, to give them peace in knowing that they can do anything now that Jesus has been raised from the dead.

Jesus then breathes upon them. The disciples are told, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” This is John’s version of the Great Commission. God’s breath is the beginning of all life. “Without God’s Spirit, God’s mission cannot be accomplished. A special infilling of the Holy Spirit is still the primary requirement for effective ministry.”[2]Jesus is telling them that the Father sent him into the world to do the Father’s work and tell the message of salvation and reconciliation. And now, the disciples are charged with the same thing. The forgiving and retaining of sins is not something that they will do. That is strictly for God to do. Robert Mounce says that “It has never been the role of the minister or priest to forgive sins; they can only announce the fact that sins have been forgiven. When the message is accepted, forgiveness is granted; when it is refused, forgiveness is withheld.”[3] What they are to do is to go and tell the message of redemption, salvation, and reconciliation to the world outside of the room where they are in huddled in fear.

But that is not all. “When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” The breath of Jesus confers the Holy Spirit. In a few weeks we will celebrate Pentecost and read the Acts version of this event. Interestingly, this text is the Gospel lesson for that day. In this text, Jesus is telling them that the Advocate, the Helper earlier promised to them, was now given to them in the breath that he had breathed upon them. The breathing upon them is not just a blowing on the disciples and telling them that they now have the Holy Spirit. Rather, this is symbolic of God in Genesis 2:7 breathing the breath of life in to Adam in the creation story as well as Ezekiel 37 where the Spirit is breathed into the dry bones in the valley and giving them life. This breath, this giving of the Holy Spirit, is letting them know that there is a new, second creation occurring. That the reconciliation of humanity and the creation is beginning with the resurrection of Jesus and his giving them the Holy Spirit.

But there is more. Thomas was not among them when Jesus came to them. When the others told him about what happened, he too was skeptical. He says that he will not believe unless he sees the prints and puts his hand in Jesus’ side. For this we call him Doubting Thomas, a name that puts him lower in the hierarchy of the disciples.

A week later he gets that chance. Jesus appears once again and offers to Thomas what he said he wanted. Thomas’ response is one of the most heartfelt and energetic declarations of Jesus’ divinity: “My Lord and my God!” Jesus’ answer to him is this: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”[4] These words are speaking to those who are listening in the believing community and they speak to us today as we have never seen Jesus but we believe.

Now, I am going to go in what may seem like a completely different track. You should have received a letter on stewardship and a pledge card. This is a message on stewardship. “How can that be?” you may ask. “There has been no mention of money or anything else.” True. But there are stewardship elements in this text.

Being a steward of God does not only mean giving money. It is giving of time and talents. It is working in the church when there are things to be done. It is serving meals. It is working with Pilot Outreach. It is filling the Blessing Box and bringing in supplies for the box. It is singing in the choir. It is filling and sending out cards to the members of the church. It is doing the will of God.

God sent the Holy Spirit on that resurrection Sunday and God sent the Spirit to us as well. The Spirit tells us to go and do the things of God in the world, to bring hope and reconciliation to the world. To go and tell about the renewing of creation that began when Jesus was raised. We are called to do the same things that the disciples were called to do.

And, yes, this does involve money as well. You can give to the church to help fulfill the mission of the Church. Our church does some mission projects and is involved with Pilot Outreach, one reason why I bring up Pilot Outreach each week. But there is so much more that we can do. We have sent chickens and goats to those in other parts of the world who can use those animals to put food on the table in the form of eggs, milk, and cheese. We work with other groups to help the surrounding schools. There are so many other things we can do as well. But it does take money to do those things and it takes money to keep the doors open as well. So there, the money issue is spoken and out in the open.

We may be like the disciples who are skeptical. Where does our money go? What it is being used for? Those are good questions and if you ask, we will be happy to answer them. But there is a certain amount of trust that needs to be seen here. We do our best to make sure that the money is used in the best possible way.

But what about those who stand on the corners asking for money? Or how do we know that the food in the Blessing Box is being used in the “correct” way? Aren’t we in danger of being scammed by people who are just looking for a handout? Sometimes we are. But overall, we must trust that God is in control and that our use of our resources will bring about the good things that God wants.

You want proof that stewardship is worth doing? Look around you and see the people gathered here today. All of them were told the story sometime and someone invited them to this church. Look at the Blessing Box sometime. Someone is using it. We must set our skepticism aside and have faith that God is doing what God wants done. The Spirit is among us. Do you feel it? Like Thomas let us put aside our unbelief and say “My Lord and my God!” Let us go and be stewards who are on fire for the one who gave us everything and proved that in the life, death, and appearance of Jesus in our lives. Amen.

[1]Schlimm, Matthew. 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. 120-121 [2]Mounce, Robert H. “John.” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition). Ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland. Vol. 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007. 649. Print. [3]Mounce, Robert H. “John.” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition). Ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland. Vol. 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007. 649. Print. [4] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989. Print.