April 11 Easter Day, Part 2
Christianity’s foundational belief is
that Jesus is the Son of God, who died and rose again as an atoning sacrifice
for the sins of a fallen world. You all
know that. But guess who did not know it
on that day of resurrection long ago?
Those closest to Jesus, His disciples, who, when told of the empty tomb
by the women who followed Jesus, were perplexed – Could it be true? What did it mean?
Last Sunday, the risen Christ appeared to
Mary Magdalene at the tomb. Mary had
stayed there and waited – and she was rewarded with a vision of the risen
Lord. Jesus sent her to his disciples
with a message: “He is risen.”
Today’s gospel picks up the story later
on the first Easter day. The disciples
who had heard her message were confused and unbelieving. They are hunkered down behind locked doors –
fearful that the same authorities who crucified Jesus were now out looking for
His followers. But perhaps they had another fear. What if Mary Magdalene was right? What if Christ had had called her by name and
had appeared to her? What if he was
back?
They feared because the Jesus they loved
was the Jesus they had betrayed. Now
what? Would he say to them, “I had a
fairly good view from the cross on Friday.
I saw the soldiers – I saw my mother and some of the other women, but I
didn’t see you guys. What happened to
all that ‘Jesus, we’ll stick with you to the end’?”
But when the risen Christ appears among
the frightened, disheartened disciples, he simply says “Peace be with you.” Christ implicitly forgives his disciples for
their failure to be faithful. Then he
re-commissions them for His service:
As the Father has sent
me, so I send you. John 20:21
He’s pushing them out into mission. They are not meant to stand still. They will continue His ministry. He empowers
them for their work in His name:
Jesus breathed on them
and said: Receive the Holy Spirit 22
As God had breathed life into Adam at the
time of creation, Jesus now breathes life back into the faith of the disciples
by imparting the gift of the Holy Spirit - the power to do what we could not do
on our own. He breathes his Holy Spirit upon them, commissions them for
ministry, but not before he pronounces “Peace” upon them, forgiving them –
because forgiveness makes possible a new start in their relationship with him –
a new beginning. And that’s true for us
too. Forgiveness makes a new beginning
possible.
Notice that Jesus pronounces peace and
forgiveness upon His disciples before any of them ask for it. His first words to them on Easter evening are at odds with the way we
usually think of forgiveness. For us, if
we forgive at all, it is a secondary word; “First let him say that he is sorry
– truly sorry – that he’ll never do it again – then maybe I can forgive.”
But that night, none of the disciples
asked to be forgiven. Nobody said “I
guess we really let you down by fleeing in the darkness – not showing up at
Before they said anything, Jesus
forgave. Jesus can’t resume the
conversation – make that new beginning – without forgiveness – without putting
their past behind them.
In our relationship with the Lord – and
our relationships with others, we cannot move forward – we can’t have a new
beginning, without the opportunity to look honestly at ourselves, admit where
we were wrong, ask for forgiveness and then begin again.
So when Jesus sent them out in His name
He said:
If you forgive the sins
of any, they are forgiven… 23
Forgiveness is at the heart of what it
means to be a Christian. Forgiveness is
the normal habit of the Christian life.
When someone really hurts you, it’s hard
to forgive - maybe it seems impossible.
Perhaps all you can say at the time is, “No I cannot forgive now, but as
a follower of Christ, I know I should.”
That’s the direction Jesus challenged the
disciples to travel – toward forgiveness, toward reconciliation, toward even
loving our enemies.
When he appeared to them, Jesus forgave
them for not faithfully following Him.
But they also needed his forgiveness for something else – their doubts,
their lack of faith.
Was Thomas the only disciple with doubts?
In different ways, each of the gospels
mention the disciples’ lack of faith.
Matthew reports: When they saw him,
they worshipped him, but some doubted. Mt 28:17
Mark says, He upbraided them for their
unbelief. Mark 16:14
Luke quotes Jesus: Why are you
troubled and why do questionings arise in your hearts… Yet they still
disbelieved for joy, and wondered. Luke 24: 37, 41
While the other gospels mention in a
general way the doubts and even unbelief of some disciples, John introduces us
to one doubting disciple so we can hear what he said – and how he overcame his
doubts. The remarkably honest story of Thomas may be representative of the mood
of the whole, rather than that of a lone holdout. That note of hesitancy and doubtfulness
strikes a resonating cord among believers – then and now.
Thomas was absent from that Sunday
gathering of disciples, and therefore, missed the resurrection appearance. I
think that John is suggesting to us that Christ appears most often within the
community of believers that we call the church, and when we absent ourselves
from church, we take a chance on missing his unique presence.
Absent at the moment of Jesus’ appearance,
Thomas missed out not only the joy of the resurrected Christ, but also the
personal commissioning and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Think how that must of made Thomas feel. His friends are not only celebrating rather
than mourning. They’re also talking
about the authority and power Jesus bestowed on them. Now he’s a second class disciple – an
outsider.
But despite that, he doesn’t give up on
the group – he stayed. He trusts them enough to express his deep seated doubts,
while remaining a part of the faith community.
The other disciples don’t toss Thomas out because of his
skepticism. They try to convince him
while keeping him in their midst.
So doubters are to be kept full members
within the family of faith.
Even Jesus doesn’t discount Thomas’
doubt, but deals with it honestly and straight forwardly saying “Go ahead,
touch me.” Thus affirming his doubt, but also inviting him to move beyond it: Do
not doubt, but believe. 27
If doubt is challenging you and you do
not act, your doubts will grow.
Challenge the doubts with action, like Thomas, and you will grow.
Thomas’ doubt had a purpose – he wanted
to know the truth. He expressed his
doubts and had them answered. Then he confessed his faith, saying: My Lord
and my God.
Some people need to doubt before they
believe. Sometimes doubt can sharpen the
mind – it encourages rethinking. If doubt leads to questions and questions lead
to answers, then doubt has done a good work.
On the other hand, sometimes doubt becomes stubbornness – and simply represents
a closed mind.
Better to doubt out loud with an open
mind than to disbelieve in silence. Thomas didn’t stay in doubt, but allowed
Jesus to bring him to belief.
Have you believed
because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have come to believe.
29
Faith requires a willing suspension of
disbelief. But that does not mean a
suspension of reason and critical intelligence.
An unexamined faith is not very strong –
and maybe not that valuable. Uncritical
certitude entails the rejection of one of the great human gifts: the liberty to
make up our own minds based on evidence and tradition and reason. Thinking it through – attempting to answer
your questions – will make your faith grow in breath and depth.
The faith is a perpetual conversation
about meaning and reality – who we are, how we shall live, where are we
going. So it is complicated and
challenging.
The point is if you care enough to wonder and to question,
you are on the path to authentic faith.
Because doubt may be a step on the road to faith.
Doubts and questions should not drive you away from the
Christian fellowship but to it, for here the Risen Lord awaits you and will lead you to answers. Faith is a journey in which we are guided by
the Spirit of Christ. Eventually your questions will be
answered, so simply trust in the Lord.
Blessed are those who
have not seen
and yet have
believed.
You haven’t seen Jesus, but
you have heard the evidence.
You haven’t seen Jesus, but
you can trust Him.
You don’t have to have all
your questions answered and all your doubts cleared to make a thoughtful decision and believe in
Jesus Christ, our risen Savior.
Skeptical
disciples like Thomas
became bold witnesses to
Christ’s resurrection
Based on their witness, we can say Alleluia. Christ is risen.
There is only one place to go when you
can’t make any sense out of your life, when everything is falling apart, and
you keep asking “Why, Lord?”
There is only one place to go – to
+
On the cross the Lord Jesus stretched out
His arms in love, inviting us into His saving embrace.
He offers forgiveness of what is past,
and invites us to new
life.
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We
can turn to Jesus because He knows what we feel and
experience...
and therefore we can trust Him to
be compassionate,
and call on Him no matter what our
circumstance
When you feel weak and beaten down,
look to the cross. The crucified
was beaten, but the victorious Christ can be your strength.... for
His divine power is made perfect in human weakness.
When you are afraid - face trials and
troubles, look to the cross. He was afraid, but the victorious
Christ can give you courage... for you are not alone and He is
at your side.
When your heart is almost breaking,
and your head is bowed in sorrow, look at the cross and know
Christ suffers with you and will help you make it through.
Look at the cross, and see the love of
Christ that can sustain you in every dark and disastrous day, turn burdens into
a blessings, and see you through every trial and storm.