Happily After Easter: Wounded Messiah

Welcome/Prayer/ Intro

Welcome! Happy Mothter’s Day! Today I am going honor mothers by not preaching about them and simply say thank you

Today we are continuing our series called, “Happily After Easter”. Studying the events after Easter and why they are so important to us!

Last week we looked at the first words that Jesus said to the disciples, Does anyone remember what they where?

Today we will be looking at Thomas. We will be looking at vulnerability and faith.

Prayer- Before we dive in would you pray with me?

Intro- One thing that most of us have is a scar from an accident, injury, or surgery. With every scar there is a story

My Scars

Left Arm- Pencil

Knuckles - longboard in California

Thumb- Chisels

Scars reveal vulnerability in many ways, where skin was damaged, where your body experienced some form of trauma.

Yet, somethimes we also carry scars that people cant see. Emotional scars, where we have been hurt, rejected, turned down, accused

Those are the scars that we arent so quick to talk about it, scars we keep to ourselves

Those are areas of vulnerability we dont want to talk about.

Transition: In today’s scripture text it is Jesus’ scars and vulnerability that bring Thomas to believe.

I think there is a key here to unlock the way of sharing Jesus with others

A way to invite others into our church family.

The Key lies in wounded people following a wounded Messiah, that was willing to show his scars and be vulnerable.

Walking throught the Text:

Please turn in your Bibles to John 20:24-31. There are three things I want to point out from our text this morning.

First, Thomas lacked faith, but still had it. He just had a different way of experiencing faith.

look at Jn 20:24-25

John 20:24–25 NIV

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.”

The other disciples heard the news and believed, but when Thomas heard, he said I wont believe unless I see it.

I believe that Thomas had faith, it was just a different kind of faith

In Chapter 11, when Lazarus dies its, Thomas that says lets go die with him

In Chapter 14, its Thomas who says, How will we know where you are going unless we know the way.

Thomas had a physical faith, He was someone that needed to be present to feel and touch

This is not a strong faith, but its still faith. Because we wont always have physical things to put our faith into

Transition: I think that this little blip teaches us about the diversity of faith. We each experience it differenttly

Different Faith Experiences/Expressions

Intellectual - logic

Mystic- through prayer and meditiation

Physical- being in creation

Servant- working with your hands

If you are in a season where you are like Thomas, you believe in Him, you are a follower, but you just need more.

Maybe you need to seek out a different expression of faith!

Maybe you have like Thomas limited your faith to just one area.

Do some reading

Meditiate over Psalm for a week

Go for a walk and talk to God

Go out and serve someone.

Challenge: Go try out a different expression of faith and see where God shows up

Second point for this Morning: Jesus’ vulnerability leads to Thomas’ belief!

Look at what happens next in John 20:26-28

John 20:26–28 NIV

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!”

Jesus shows up and what does he say? Peace be with you! I dont know about you, but peace seems to be really important to Jesus!

Jesus meets Thomas where He’s at in showing him the scars. Thomas say, I need to see it for myself. Jesus says touch here and here

Jesus then says stop doubting and believe!

Dont limit yourself Thomas, Doubt limits belief. Just questioning will never get answers if you dont grow.

Jesus meets Thomas where hes at, but doesnt allow Him to stay here. The greek word here is an ongoing active word

Pistis= alligence

What this means for us is that even if we do like Thomas connect with God particular way, that doesnt mean we can just seek out that way, no Jesus says, beleive! Keep growing!

Thomas Responds in Faith

Jesus’ scars on his hands and feet tell the story of when God was most vulnerable, most wounded on the cross.

Hebrews 12 Talks about Jesus despising the shame of the cross.

The vulnerability of God lies in Jesus

Picture of God’s vulnerability

Have you been hurt by people?

They rejected Jesus

Have you been hurt by the church?

They demanded Jesus be crucified.

Have you been publically humiliated?

Jesus hung half naked on a tree

Have you been torn, down ripped apart, and just plain hurt

Jesus was too.

Thats the story of Jesus’ scars, Jesus keeps those scars so we might see them and believe

believe that we arent the only ones who have been hurt by people, the church, or wounded.

Jesus gives us an example to follow here: Our vulnerability can lead to others faith

Church Criticism: they look all together, but if you read the news their more messed up.

Vulnerability is the key.

In my own life, Vulnerability has strengthen my relationship with others.

What if we met people where they are at like Jesus did Thomas?

What we started conversations about faith with the same vulnerability Jesus did.

Have you been hurt? I have too

Good News is: The Jesus that I follow is a wounded Messiah

He was hurt, rejected, pierced, and wounded too

Challenge: Be vulnerable with someone this week. Share your scars and your wounds.

Vulnerablility is hard. Jesus wasnt alway accepted.

Jesus’ response to Thomas is John 20:29-31

John 20:29–31 NIV

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.

The Third Point for this morning is: There is blessing to belief

What would you do if you go out to eat and before you pay the check someone asks, “Can I bless you?”

Jesus’ response is blessed are those who have not seen and yet, believe, Johns book is written so people may believe and have life in his name!

Guess what: We part get to be part of helping people Beleive in Jesus and helping them find life in his name! Jesus gives us an example of how with Thomas, Vulernerability is Key

We can meet people where their at!

In relationship with people we will be able to not only see where their at, but we may even be able to see their spiritual need

Share our scars and vulnerability

This happened to me in the past few weeks where people were vulnerable and it revealed wow they are just like me!

Point others to Jesus, we can say hey you are wounded, Im wounded, the Jesus I follow was wounded.

But by his wounds we are healed.

He was broken so we can be made whole

He was poured out so we could be filled.

Challenge for Point 3: Same as last week, and the next, and every week until eternity: Share Jesus with someone, be vulnerable, share your hurt, its okay we have a wounded messiah who heals all kinda wounds AMEN?

Would you pray with me?

Sending: Scars video

Benediction:

May the Christ who walks on wounded feet walk with you on the road. May the Christ who serves with wounded hands stretch out your hands to serve. May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart open your hearts to love. May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet, and may everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you.