Seeing is Believing and Becoming

John 20:19-29

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 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 retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Jesus and Thomas 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin) one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt 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 come to believe.”

HOMILY:

One of the main characters of our gospel lesson has a nickname. He is known as “Thomas the Twin”; probably because he had a twin brother or a twin sister. But down through church history Thomas has been given another nick name that is not so nice. He has become known as “Thomas the Doubter”. This seems reasonable based on the response he gives when he hears that Jesus is alive. He says and I quote: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my f inger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Was Thomas really a doubter? Or was he a truth seeker? Is it possible that he didn’t want a second hand faith; that he wanted to encounter the risen Christ for himself? According to the conclusion of our gospel reading, Thomas did in fact encounter the risen Lord. possible that he didn’t want a second hand faith; that he wanted to encounter the risen Christ for himself? According to the conclusion of our gospel reading, Thomas did in fact encounter the risen Lord. He sees Christ face to face. He sees His wounds. He hears His voice. And as he does, his confession becomes one of the strongest in all of Scripture: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas saw—and Thomas believed. But then Jesus turns, almost as if looking beyond Thomas, beyond that room in which they were standing, beyond that moment in ancient history—and He speaks directly to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That is you and me. We have not stood in that upper room. We have not see the Lord face to face. We have not placed our hands in His wounds. And yet—we believe. Then Peter, writing to the early church, shows us the sure foundation of why we believe. He says we have been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead—and then he gives us this remarkable assurance: We have an inheritance—incorruptible, undefiled, and that NEVER fades away—reserved in heaven for us. Do you hear the certainty in Peter’s words? Not a wish. Not a possibility. Not a fragile promise. But an inheritance that never never perishes.The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only an event to be celebrated—it is a guarantee to be trusted. It is the solid ground on which we stand when unexpected things begin to shake our lives to the very core. And so Peter can say: “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” So there you have it. Peter makes it perfectly clear. Our faith, our joy, is grounded in something that can never be taken away. But Peter is also honest. He tells us that for a little while we may suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These trials, he says, test the genuineness of our faith—like gold refined by fire. So here is the tension: We have an imperishable inheritance —and yet we walk through perishable trials. We stand on something eternal—while living through things that feel uncertain and fragile. John the Baptist once said that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit—and with fire. We welcome the Spirit. But the f ire?… well, we often resist that, don’t we? We want the Spirit, but not the FIRE. Yet it is the FIRE that reveals what is real. It is the FIRE that proves our faith is genuine. Gold is not destroyed in the fire—it is purified. So it is with faith. Faith is not destroyed by the tests and trails of life. It is strengthened so it can endure. Gold is not destroyed in the fire—it is purified. So it is with faith. Faith is not destroyed by the tests and trails of life. It is strengthened so it can endure. And why can we endure that refining process? Because what God has given us cannot be BURNED away. What is promised to us can never be LOST. What is kept for us in heaven can never PERISH. Feelings often conflict; but God’s promise is FOREVER. Last week, we stood with the two Marys at the empty tomb —holding both fear and great joy at the same time. And that is still where we live. Joy—because Christ is risen. Fear—because life is still uncertain. Joy—because the tomb is empty. Fear—because the road ahead is unknown. But now, in light of Peter’s words, we can say something even more: Our joy is not fragile—because it is rooted in an inheritance that cannot fade. Our hope is not temporary— because it is secured by the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus, Christ. So even when fear lingers, it does not have the final word. So yes—faith is a process. It grows. It stretches. It is refined. But sometimes that process can feel discouraging, can’t it? Sometimes we aren’t really sure that we have faith at all. Sometimes because of the ambivalence of our faith, we become somewhat like Thomas. We are tempted to say, unless I see with my eyes and touch with my hands, I will not believe. And when we feel and think like that, maybe we need a better picture of what faith is all about. Last Sunday, our only granddaughter, Reagan was with us in the worship service. When she was very young we often took care of her; and we had the privilege of seeing her take her very first steps. I still remember when that happened. I still have a video of that moment. She stood there—hesitant at first—then took a step… and then another… and then she fell. But here’s what mattered: when she fell, she didn’t fall onto the ground alone—she fell into the arms of Jackie. And because she was held… she was not afraid to try again. So she got back up. And she stepped again. And she fell again. But each time, she fell into loving arms. And she didn’t give up. She kept trying and trying again. Step by step… fall by fall… something began to happen. And you know the result. She learned to walk. And now 16 years later, not only is she still walking. She is running and playing for her high school basketball team. And that is how faith works. We take a step—and sometimes we fall. We trust—and sometimes fear returns. We believe— and yet we still wrestle. But here is the difference: We do not fall into emptiness. We fall into the arms of grace. And because of that, we rise again. And over time, something begins to happen. A faith that once said, “Lord, I’m not sure…” Becomes a faith that declares with Saint Thomas, “My Lord and my God.”But here is the difference: We do not fall into emptiness. We fall into the arms of grace. And because of that, we rise again. And over time, something begins to happen. A faith that once said, “Lord, I’m not sure…” Becomes a faith that declares with Saint Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” Thomas saw—and believed. We have not seen—and yet we believe. And our belief is not wishful thinking. It is anchored in the resurrection—and secured by an inheritance that can never perish. So now, hear this as we conclude our message for today: Faith is not about never falling. It is about always being held. Faith is not about seeing everything clearly. It is about trusting the One who holds us securely. And because of the resurrection—because of that inheritance that can never perish—every step we take…every stumble we make…is leading us to a very secure place. So let us take that next step of faith. Even if that step feels uncertain, let us take it anyway. Even if fear walks beside our joy, let us keep on walking. Let us keep on walking without seeing, because the arms of grace are already there. The promise is already secure. The inheritance is already waiting. And the Christ we have not yet seen…is holding us every step of the way. And that…my dear friends is enough. Enough for you and enough for me. And to God be the glory now and forevermore. Amen.