John 20:19-31
Rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ.
The gospel reading from John shares two of the times Jesus appeared to His followers. Both of these accounts are centered on the disciples hiding behind locked doors in the room where the Last Supper occurred. He appears first to ten of the remaining eleven and then to all eleven eight days later. As we know Thomas was the one missing the first time Jesus came to them in the upper room. We have no record of why Thomas was missing that evening but as in all things God used his absence to make a point.
Thomas is unfortunately much maligned for his part in the second appearance of Jesus. We have all heard someone called a Doubting Thomas at one time or another. Its unfortunate that Thomas is most often associated with this one event.
Thomas didn't fixate on his doubts, in other places we read that when proof is presented to him his doubts were allayed. He moved on, the issue was resolved. From what we know of Thomas we might say that he had a pessimistic outlook and struggled to remain faithful.
I think we can all empathize with Thomas to some degree. We all have questions. There is nothing wrong with having questions. Doubt is questioning while keeping an open mind to learning and new knowledge. Doubt is not stubborn rejection or a permanent stand against the possibility of some truth. Doubt helps us sharpen our minds. Doubt encourages us dig for more knowledge more understanding. Its not dug in heals but a lifted foot ready to take the next step.
The flip side of Thomas was rock solid belief. When he was provided the proof he needed to resolve his doubt there was no shaking his belief. We can see that vividly if we go back to John 11:16. At that point it was evident to all that returning to Bethany when Lazarus died would put Jesus' life in peril. Thomas boldly proclaimed "Let us all go that we may die with Him." Those words did not come from the mouth of a man in doubt. It's clear he believed Jesus was the Messiah and He was in danger because the Jewish authorities feared His teachings. Thomas was fully onboard with those teachings.
We should take heart that Jesus didn't reject Thomas for his doubts. Thomas' doubts were constructive and aimed at increasing his faith. Thomas is not alone though; no one who seeks Jesus is rejected. He uses our questions to build a solid foundation of faith.
In truth the first time Jesus appeared they all were doubters looking for guidance. All questioned what was coming next. They were hiding behind closed doors in fear. And before that all except John were in hiding during the crucifixion.
As they huddled behind locked doors Jesus came to them. Not a ghost, not an apparition, a real person. In Luke's account Jesus showed them His wounds, had them touch Him, and ate with them.
The locked doors may have given the disciples some measure of safety from the Jewish authorities, but the locked doors couldn't keep Jesus away. What a comforting thought that a barrier could not keep Him away from them. In fact, if He has chosen you no barrier can keep Him away. He is going to gather you into His arms regardless of your questions.
For us as individuals Thomas shows us what a joyful reassurance we have as we walk through this world. Chosen through baptism despite our questions He draws us closer to Him just as He did with Thomas and the others.
If we choose to go our own way we should have fear, we are playing into the hands of death. Going our own way is not doubting, its deliberate rejection of our Lord. I think everyone of us has had doubts about our faith and about His plans for us, for this congregation, if not the whole church. I'm sure many of us have gone our own way at times. How comforting to know His unconditional love keeps drawing us back to Him.
Let me share with you some things I have no doubt about. Facts that can't be disputed if someone takes the time to learn and gain understanding.
Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus was raised from the dead.
Jesus was the last sacrifice in order to purchase everyone for all time from death and to be resurrected with Him.
One man so vehemently opposed to the teaching of Christ was converted by Christ to become the greatest evangelist that ever lived. That man was Paul.
Paul started churches in hostile places at his own personal risk to share the message of grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
If all of those things are true we can do the same as Paul. All we need to do is follow Paul's formula. Pray for guidance always. Have a mission. Share the burden. Let our actions speak louder than our words.
If you are not already doing so, ask God each day for guidance so that you can be His ambassador in our community. Pray that your interactions with others reflect the love of Jesus. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Our mission is the same as Paul's to share the gospel with everyone. As a congregation we need to think hard about how we want to spread the message and put that statement in words. That statement will help guide us as new opportunities arise and make us good stewards of our resources.
The church is a body with many parts. The parts share the burden of reaching the community. No one person is going to be able to bring growth to this congregation. Only by the efforts of all can we become a beautiful rose bush again.
Service to the community is a great way for our actions to speak louder than our words. As an example of something simple we can do to reach out, organize a date night for parents of small children. We have a school and surrounding homes with parents that would like a break once in a while. I'm sure you may have ideas of your own. We don't need to spend a lot of money just share some time and talents the Lord has blessed us with.
The Lord has brought us together for a purpose. Perhaps he is providing us some of the answers we are seeking. Doubts about our path may be beginning to fade as His Spirit works in us.
We can have doubts that's okay as long as it's constructive questioning, seeking guidance to accomplish His will. Along the way I know we are going to experience some discomfort but we can learn from that and improve.
Each of us here today needs to prayfully consider what God's plan is for each of us and for this congregation. What is our mission here? Can we put it into words? Can our actions clearly demonstrate the mission God has guided us to do?
Can we be like Thomas, converted from doubt into solid belief? Yes, we can with the help of the Holy Spirit.
In the name of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
