Second Sunday of Easter

We all have heard the familiar story of “Doubting Thomas” and how he saw the Risen Christ and believed. It is a story for all of us as we encounter the Risen Christ in His Word and believe. Today I would like to focus on the last two verses of our text: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.” (John 20:30-31, ESV)[1] John is stating the purpose of his Gospel and really the purpose of the entire Bible.

I like collecting Bibles (I guess it must be a Pastor thing). I haven’t added to my collection lately but I do have some from my past that I would like to share with you. The first one is my Good News Bible that I received in the 3rd grade. It was the tradition my church as it is here to give a bible to children as they are ready to use it in Sunday school and the rest of their lives.

I have on my shelf is my Greek New Testament and Hebrew Old Testament. It is a requirement that all Lutheran pastors learn the original languages so that they can use it to study and prepare to teach God’s Word.

I have a parenting Bible – appropriate for the time of life my wife and I are in right now. I also have a Precious Moments Bible that came from my wife. It sits on my shelf most of the time – I guess because it is an “heirloom” edition.

I also have two Bibles that are in different languages. When I worked at Concordia University in Wisconsin in the summers there would always be special conferences. One summer there was a delegation of Chinese Bankers and a group of Russian Missionaries. Bibles were provided for them and I was able to get a copy of a Chinese bible and a Russian/English New Testament.

I also have a Bible I received for confirmation. This Bible still looks pretty new since I didn’t mark it up much. Now my Study Bible it is filled with marks and notes and I will explain about this later.

Finally I have my smallest Bible. This Bible was also a gift and it is not just a pocket New Testament but is the whole Bible. The problem is that each year it gets harder to read (or my glasses get thicker). I guess my Palm Pilot can take honors for being the smallest since it contains all these Bibles I have shown to you. But then there is still something good in having a print Bible in your hand.

Why do I share these Bibles with you – because I truly believe that this is the most unique and inspiring book on this planet. I like to collect them because it reminds me of the great value and importance the Bible has in my life as it does for most Christian. I would like to explore this unique book with you today and share with you why it is unlike any other book in the world.

First we have to start with how we view the Bible. The world treats this book like any other book and often it is picked apart and left empty and hollow by many. When I teach the basics of the Bible I like to use two phrases to illustrate this. The first phrase is “The Bible contains the Word of God.” The second is “The Bible is the Word of God.” These phrases may sound similar but there is a world of difference in them. The first phrase is a statement the world could use. The Bible is a good book that may contain some truths in it. But that leaves the question – what parts are from God? By saying the Bible only contains the Word of God limits the power of the book and leaves it up to us to pick and choose what we want to believe.

The phrase that rings true for me, and it is a matter of faith, is “The Bible is the Word of God.” By stating it this way you are leaving no doubt that the whole Bible is God’s Word. We don’t pick and choose what we like but we accept the whole thing, even the difficult parts. The Bible is God’s Word and its purpose is not to just retell stories from the past but it is the very power of God to reveal to us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and by believing in his name we will have life!

But how can we access this book? The Bible tells us how we should use it. In the Psalms there is a phrase that I like that basically says – “Hide it in Your Heart.” I like this concept because it doesn’t limit us to one way of accessing God’s Word. We can memorize parts, study it, hear it read to us, meditate on it, and use it in our daily lives. The heart is what is important. We are, by being in God’s Word regularly, trying to take head knowledge and turning it, by the power of the Spirit, into heart knowledge. The Bible is more than a history book and a book of guiding principles, it is the very heart of God revealing Himself to us.

And one of the most powerful ways to allow God’s Word to sink in is by memorization. Yes, the thing we all dreaded in confirmation is actually a powerful tool for hiding God’s Word in our hearts. I dreaded memorization too when I was in confirmation. I would learn the text for the test and then immediately forget it. But God’s Word has a unique quality to it – it can’t easily be forgotten. The Holy Spirit works through the Word in our lives to reveal the love of God to us. But it might be hidden for a while. I find it truly amazing that a passage I thought I had forgotten come back to me when I need it the most. God’s Word is living and active and will never return empty. And it doesn’t have to just be rote memory of selected passages it can be retelling a famous story to others, or learning the section headings in a book so that you can easily find something when you need it. Memorization is allowing the Spirit to take more control of our lives as we allow more of the Word to be hidden in our hearts.

Meditation can also be a good tool. Not the mediation the world talks about by getting away, chanting, etc. but thinking about God’s Word constantly. The psalmist said that we are to meditate on God’s Word day and night. Basically that means to think about the Word often and over and over again. You say you can’t meditate? Well can you worry? If you can worry you can meditate. What is worrying but constantly dwelling on a problem until you are anxious about it. Why not turn that around and constantly dwell on the Word of God, which reveals His love and mercy for us and takes away our burdens. Meditation can be a good tool.

And study can be as well. I told you before that my confirmation Bible has no marks in it at all. I held God’s Word (or maybe it was just the uniqueness of having a nice Bible) in such high esteem that I felt adding my notes or underlines would detract from it. What if a note I wrote was wrong; what if the passage I underline wasn’t helpful later in life? While it is good to hold the Bible in high esteem what I was doing was dangerous too. I held it out so high that I wasn’t using it and allowing God to work through His Word. Now my Bibles have all kinds of notes and marks in them as I study His Word I record what is going on in me. And you know this has an added benefit for the next generation. You can pass it on like family Bibles of yester-year. What a joy and treasure it would be for your children and children’s children to have a Bible that shows your walk with God. It will give them a glimpse into your faith journey and will be a neat keepsake for them to pass on.

Memorize, Meditate, Study and use – God’s Word is meant to be a part of our daily lives. Why? Because it is the power of God unto salvation, or as John says, “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” God’s Word, the Bible is more than just a history text – it is the very vehicle through which God transforms our lives. We encounter God in the pages of Scripture and He reaches out to us in His Word. John begins his Gospel differently from Matthew, Mark and Luke. Instead of the familiar nativity story of shepherds, Bethlehem and the baby Jesus John begins with the profound statement, “The Word became flesh and walked among us.” Jesus is the very Word of God comes to us. The Bible is Jesus for us. The Bible doesn’t just contain God’s Word; it is God’s Word. You say you have never heard God speak directly to you, and I say you haven’t taken God’s Word seriously. It is God coming to you. You find it hard to get into God’s Word? Then let the Holy Spirit guide you to hide His Word in your heart. God’s Word is living and active as we proclaim this Easter season, He has risen indeed, Alleluia! God’s Word is unique, unlike any other book. It isn’t something to be worshipped but it is to be used- or I should say, used by God to transform your life. Encounter Jesus in the Bible – “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.”

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[1] The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.