Introduction
Today is the day. Today is the day we celebrate and remember the final and permanent victory over death that Jesus secured for each of us. Today is the day that we mark the victory complete, as Jesus rose from the dead. This year, as a means of preparation, we have used the season of Lent to look at those people who interacted with Jesus just prior to his death and just after his resurrection. We have looked to our role in this drama as Scripture tells us Christ was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5); we looked at Pontius Pilate as we pondered the question of what shall we do with Jesus, “crown him or crucify him”; we looked at Simon Peter and the great hope that is ours through God's wonderful gift of redemption even in the midst of our failures; we looked at the onlookers, friends and enemies alike, as we saw the importance of love and community; we looked at Simon of Cyrene and how apathy can affect us in our lives; and we looked at Judas, as we examined not only the things he did do, but also the actions that he did not do as well. Today we shift to Thomas, aka Doubting Thomas, as we seek to understand what true faith looks like.
Miracles Anyone?
How many of you believe in miracles? You know, those results that occur with no reasonable explanation as to how they came to pass. Now growing up I was exposed to all types of miracles. From the miracle of my friend remembering all the names of all the girls he was dating at the same time, to the miracles of how some of my class mates could remember to breathe much less graduate high school.
But those are not the miracles I am talking about today. Today we are talking about the miracle that is part of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Today, we are talking about a person that was dead and then alive.
Oh, Thomas!?!
Now before we get to the climax of this Greatest Story, I want us to spend just a minute or two looking at a particular player in this drama that often gets a bad rap, and unfairly too I might add. Thomas, Doubting Thomas to most of us today.
Thomas was one of the twelve disciples and Scripture also refers to him by the name Twin, or Didymus in Greek. Thomas is largely thought of to have been a very loyal and outspoken individual, deeply attached to Jesus. Some scholars feel Thomas was given the moniker “doubting” simply because he said what he thought, and more than likely was saying what other people thought as well. Thomas was a deep seeker of truth. He would believe anything, as long as he had reason too. Including miracles. His doubt was more than likely his way of responding to new information, processing new material, and not a way of life.
All of this doubt comes because Thomas is being told about an encounter that some of the apostles had with Jesus after his resurrection. For whatever reason, Thomas was not present for it. I suspect, if Thomas was there for this first encounter, was able to see Jesus, and hear his words, this entire story of doubt might never have been written. This one instance, this one situation, where Thomas is struggling to digest what is being explained to him, where he expresses some doubt, has been used to brand him.
So let us put ourselves in Thomas' shoes. You have spent significant time with Jesus. You have followed him, listened to him, lived with him. You are intimately aware of the message that he has been teaching and of the ministry that he has been performing. You have witnessed the miracles he has performed first hand. You have had behind the scene access for the better part of three years. He has even told you that he would be crucified, defeat death, and would come back after his death and meet with you and the apostles.
But yet when it all happens, and for whatever reason he is not there, Thomas expresses doubt as to what he is told. But remember Thomas loved Jesus, was probably still grieving the death of Jesus, and may have been having a hard time not only processing this information, but just listening to words. I do not believe Thomas was saying that he would not believe because he was being hard-headed. I think Thomas was struggling because he was mourning. I believe Thomas was sad. I believe Thomas was confused. I believe Thomas was struggling just to think about normal things logically and coherently, much less something like a miracle. Something like a person coming back from the dead.
But He Did!
And Thomas was not alone in this struggle. Our first Scripture lesson shows the reactions of a few other of Jesus apostles and followers. Listen again, “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
He saw and believed. Sight prompted his belief. Mary's reaction at finding Jesus' body gone was not, “Oh yeah, he told us about this.” She was worried, she was scared. She ran back to tell the others. The others did not respond with an air of calmness either. They ran back to the tomb wanting to see this for themselves. Thomas was not the only one that had doubts. They all did. After all, it was not everyday that a person comes back from the dead.
Hello Thomas
But as believers in the one true, living God, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to live a life of faith. I have a piece of Scripture on the wall in my office, II Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Jesus will no longer come back and allow us to place our fingers on his wounds the way Thomas did. We cannot just sit back and say, prove it to me. We have to be willing to walk out on the branch and stand strong. To do things that may not make sense or may not be comfortable. And at times, go against the cultural norms of our society and follow Christ, rather than humanity. Thomas was not some horrible, cynical, pessimistic man. He is me. He is you. He is searching for truth. He is searching for peace. He is searching for reassurances.
Conclusion
This Greatest Story Ever Told, this Easter message, is not some neat and tidy story, with easy to follow story lines and a “live happily ever after” at the end. This is radical. This is life changing. Folks, this is exciting. Jesus' victory over sin and death, this unmerited and unconditional act of grace and love that is given to all of God's creation, is massive. And it takes great faith to believe in it so that it shows not only in our words, but permeates throughout every thing we are and everything we do.
If you hear nothing else this morning, please hear this. You are loved. God created you specifically. Jesus loves you unconditionally. He wants you to believe that with all that you are and never to doubt that for one second. But here is the great thing. When you do feel doubt, when you do feel disconnected, when you do feel all alone, he will help you. Go to God, come into this community, share those feelings with a trusted friend, with me, or directly with God through prayer and ask God for help and strength. Not only does he not want you to doubt or have to bear that burden, he will help you when you do!
Do not let doubt build a wall between you and Christ. Jesus went to great lengths to show us his love, so I encourage you to help him out. When we are strong, share your strength. When we are given new learnings, share your knowledge. When we have felt the power and movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, share our experience. Let us be the beacons of faith for those that doubt in this world. Let us be the light that erases the darkness in the midst of uncertainty. Let us celebrate today and every day the fact that we are all saved by grace through faith.
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