"Blessed Are Those Who Believe" (SP)

(ESV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

GOAL: That the Hearer understand the reality of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Good Morning Sons & Daughters of St. Paul’s …May the Grace and Peace of Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ be with you all … Let Us Pray

He has Risen … He has Risen Indeed … Alleluia! Welcome to the second Sunday of Easter. We will be in the Liturgical season of Easter for the next 7

weeks where we will then transition To Pentecost on June 9th … which is also the day that we will be confirming our 5 confirmands. What a joyous celebration that will be.

Now back to the task at hand. We took this 40-day Lenten Journey … what did we learn? Well, first and foremost, I would say that we learned that the disciples just didn’t seem to understand what was happening, nor did they grasp the totality of what Jesus was trying to teach them. Jesus repeated himself many times regarding the events that occurred over those 40 days, but they just didn’t get it.

Secondly, I would say that we learned that we don’t deserve the grace that Christ showed us by covering the tab of our sin. Someone had to pay … He chose to pay that price out of obedience to His Father and out of love for all of us. Grace is just that … undeserved. Through Jesus we found righteousness. We are counted as worthy in the eyes of the Father because of the sacrifice of The Son.

Now, in our gospel text for today, we find out what happens immediately after the resurrection that we celebrated last week during our Easter celebration. Now picture this … The disciples just saw their teacher die … they saw one of their own sell-out the Savior of the world for 30 pieces of silver … They were afraid … afraid that the Jews might now come for them. The disciples were afraid that they would be arrested for supporting Jesus’ alleged conspiracy against the authority of imperial Rome. Jesus came and stood among them. After His resurrection, Jesus more fully manifested His divine attributes. Thus, though still

completely human, He did not allow physical barriers to keep Him from revealing Himself to His disciples.[1] Can you imagine what was going through the disciple’s mind? They watched Jesus die … They were told that He rose from the dead … and Bam! There He is standing among them.

“Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” I love this part of our passage for today. It’s almost as if Jesus was telling them to just calm down and listen. When they overcame their fear or anxiousness, or whatever it was that they were experiencing … they finally grasped that it truly was Jesus in the flesh, standing right there in front of them. Jesus immediately commissions them. He was saying that the father sent me … been there, done that. Now it’s Your turn to do the same. Now our study over the past many weeks has already given us a clue that the disciples would need some sort of divine assistance and understanding in keeping Christ’s gospel going after he ascended to be with Our Father in Heaven. So, it is no surprise that Jesus also knew their limitations as well. Jesus breathed on them … thus commissioning them for their work and equipped them with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that He sends them individually in the same way He Himself was sent. “Therefore, He grants no one a privilege or lordship above the rest” There is no more talk of who is the greatest among them. “[Jesus sends them] to bear testimony to the truth, to preach the word of salvation, and, by life and teaching, to show the way of blessedness to the

people” [2] Again, Jesus provided the proper tools needed for the church to grow during his absence.

I love Luke’s version of this same incident.

(ESV) says the following …

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Did you catch the key difference other than wording? The verse that helps us truly understand what was happening here is in verse 45 … “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Luke helps us to get right to the point. When he breathed on them, he opened their minds and they understood the scriptures in its entirety. Can you imagine what that would be like? To immediately understand all that the master was trying to teach them … You would think that would be the end of that story, but the enters Thomas.

To be fair, Thomas was not there with the rest of the disciples when Jesus appeared to them. When Thomas did re-join the others, they shared with him that they had seen the resurrected Christ. Just like the pattern that we had seen during our Lenten journey … He doubted their story and didn’t believe them. He could not grasp the concept of a resurrected Christ in the flesh. This doubt was present for 8 days … until the Lord again appears.

Verses 26-29 says …

“26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus appears before a skeptical Thomas, who upon seeing Jesus is moved to confess Him as Lord and God. Really Thomas? Of all of the things that you have seen Jesus accomplish while you were with Him … yet you needed proof? We talked a bit last week about that “prove it” type mentality. We are not much better … we live in a skeptical age that operates by the saying “I’ll believe it when I see it.” However, in the Word and the Sacraments, we see, and we do receive the benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Those who believe receive God’s divine favor, for whoever believes has everlasting life.[1] It doesn’t get much simpler than that does it? Believe in Jesus and you will be saved. As I contemplated this situation, I believe that it all occurred as Jesus had planned.

What I mean is this … Jesus knew there was rampant skepticism surrounding Him and His ministry. Thomas was used as a teaching moment for all of the rest

of us who followed. We all have the information that Thomas witnessed the miracles that Jesus performed. But he still struggled. Because, if we are being honest with ourselves … before we can truly believe, we must wrestle with disbelief and doubt. I say this because we experience the doubt that it is of the world before we realize that our faith is the key. Faith that tells us that Jesus Died for our sins. Faith that tells us because of Christ’s sacrifice we are to be counted as worthy through His righteousness … and ONLY through His righteousness.

Thomas, or as he is more notably known as “Doubting Thomas”… also had not been breathed on by Jesus and been given the gift of understanding through the Holy Spirit that Jesus had blessed the other 10 disciples with. Here in lies the teaching point that I believe Jesus wants us to get. He says to Thomas in verse 29 … “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Bam … there it is. Belief because of empirical proof is not considered equal to those who believe without that empirical proof. That “Faith” is the greater belief and the lesson Jesus is focusing on here with Thomas. It’s like Jesus is saying to Thomas… “I’m glad you finally believe Thomas, but why was this so hard to believe when you have witnessed my many miraculous works?”

Now … we make an example of Thomas and we single him out … but we must not forget that the other 10 disciples didn’t believe Mary’s story of the resurrected Christ in Luke’s account of the resurrection from our gospel reading last week. They doubted her and only believed AFTER they saw the Lord in the flesh. Thomas gets unfairly singled for something all 11 of the remaining disciples were guilty of. None of them were without doubt regarding the fact that Christ had overcome death … even though he told them He would several times in his time with them. They just didn’t get it! So yes Jesus … “Blessed are those who have not seen … but yet believe.” My beloved, that would include all of us gathered here today.

Our scripture reading closes out with what is sub-titled the “purpose of this book.” Well … John not only states the purpose of his book, but he clearly states its purpose and summarizes its central message. People commonly and mistakenly think that biblical books were written mainly to provide rules for godly living. Speaking through John, God announces the Good News that Jesus is His Son and that by faith in His name, we have life and salvation—the core message of the entirety of Scripture.

during our Lenten journey … He doubted their story and didn’t believe them. He could not grasp the concept of a resurrected Christ in the flesh.

My beloved … I would be remiss if I did not address Thomas’ successes as well as what we all have defined as his glaring failure. His legacy, even after this act of disbelief, was one that any apostle could be proud of. Despite his doubt, Thomas had his distinct role in that world-changing mission of spreading Christ’s gospel to all the corners of the earth. The scriptures do not specify the details of Thomas’ role … but, Hippolytus, a second and third century theologian and historian … in his credible account of the areas where each apostle worked … wrote “Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians, and was finally thrust through in the four members of his body with pine spears at Calamene, a city in India, and was buried there.” Assuming Hippolytus’ account to be factual … Thomas led souls to saving faith in Jesus Christ in an area stretching from today’s northeastern Iran through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India – an area approximately the size of the easternmost 25 states in the U.S.

Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India – an area approximately the size of the easternmost 25 states in the U.S.

Is there a lesson in this for us? Certainly, we have no room to scold Thomas for doubting unless our faith has never wavered, and we too are ready to be martyred for Christ. But the lesson goes beyond unbecoming words or actions from one’s worst hour in defining any one person. If requiring evidence is a sin, Thomas overcame it in a grand manner and along with the rest of the apostles who … all initially doubted … and were then commissioned duties and became incredibly successful ambassadors for Christ. Thomas deserves our respect and admiration, and his life is worthy of emulation. I mention this as proof that we all can struggle … we can even doubt … but when Christ uses us to further His Gospel, we can do great things despite of where we started. Its where we finish that’s the most important and defining act of our lives.

who … all initially doubted … and were then commissioned duties and became incredibly successful ambassadors for Christ. Thomas deserves our respect and admiration, and his life is worthy of emulation. I mention this as proof that we all can struggle … we can even doubt … but when Christ uses us to further His Gospel, we can do great things despite of where we started. Its where we finish that’s the most important and defining act of our lives.

The question then is this … Will we act as Jesus does, looking to the potentially great life that lies beyond any moment of weakness? The Apostle Paul urges us to “accept one another as Christ has accepted us.” That leaves a huge margin for error … does it not … if we take a deep look into our own lives? Let us not be like the world and have to stand before the Judge someday … having mocked and ridiculed one that the Lord may approve. We are not the judge, nor the jury! Let our faith not need continual evidence to flourish. Let us believe because that is what the word of God says we should be doing. Let us be better than the world. Thomas wasn’t defined for his one weak moment … I pray to Our father in heaven that we won’t be either. Amen?

Let Us Pray … Father, if we are being honest with ourselves, we too have doubted and have had our faith tested many times in the course of our lives. Please do not define us by that struggle. Continue to give us the grace that we don’t deserve but crave so desperately. Father count us worthy only because of the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus Christ. His righteousness covers us and protects us from the depths of hell. We ask all these things in the name of Your Son and Our Savior Jesus Christ! AMEN

[1] Engelbrecht, E. A. (2009). The Lutheran Study Bible (p. 1825). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.

[2] Ibid, 1825