"Do Not Be Unbelieving, But Believing"
John 20:19-31
Easter 1, April 19, 2009
Pastor Aaron A. Koch
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church
Greenfield, Wisconsin

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

We like to say that Thomas was a doubter. But that's really sugar-coating it, isn't it. Thomas wasn't just a doubter; he was an unbeliever. He himself said so, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails . . . and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." Which meant that presently, He did not believe. Ever since Jesus' death, Thomas had fallen away from the faith. Thomas was a realist. He saw how things had gone on Good Friday. That was the end of the story. Game over. Time to face reality. No use hanging around with the rest of the disciples wallowing. Time to move on with life. He didn't gather together with them when Jesus supposedly appeared among them. He didn't believe that it was true.

Many of you have family and friends and neighbors that didn't show up for any of the services of Holy Week, not even for church on Easter Sunday, even though they were physically able to and could have made the time. The temptation for us is to sugar-coat that and say, "Yeah, but they're good people. They've just got their doubts and their troubles; they've just got other priorities in life right now. They still believe." At least, that's what you try to convince yourself of. I would suggest that it's time to entertain the possibility–just the possibility–that like Thomas, they've fallen away from the faith into unbelief. Their hearts have turned to other things. How can somebody be a Christian who doesn't worship Christ, who doesn't hear His preaching or receive His Supper as a regular part of their life? That's like saying you're a Brewers fan without watching the games or knowing who the players are or checking the news to see whether they won or lost. You just believe that the Brewers exist.

When you don't gather together with the other disciples, you miss out on the gifts that the risen Jesus gives. You might say that Thomas stopped coming to church. He could pray all he wanted to at home, but he wasn't there with the other disciples to receive Jesus' blessing, the only blessing that gives real peace and forgiveness and life.

On that first Easter evening, the disciples were gathered together in fear. The doors were locked out of fear that the Jewish leaders might come and arrest them next, just as they had done to Jesus. The disciples were confused. They knew Jesus had died; no doubt about that. But now there were these strange rumors from the women about angels and a resurrection. And to top it all off, they were feeling incredibly guilty, guilty about how badly they had failed Jesus, how disloyal they had turned out to be when it came to be crunch time, how useless they were in the Garden of Gethsemane.

We who are gathered here for church have our own fears and confusion and guilt, too, don't we. We also hole ourselves up and hide ourselves away from the things and the people we don't want to face in life, from the responsibilities we want to avoid. We anesthetize ourselves in front of the television or the computer screen or in the liquor bottle or the comfort food so that we don't have to think about reality. We fear losing a job or a paycheck; or we fear not finding a job and having no paycheck at all. We're afraid of what's happening to our health or the health of a loved one. We're uncertain about the future of a family member who has made some poor choices and what that means for us. And like the disciples we know that, at times, we've just plain messed things up. We had all these great expectations and intentions. But suddenly, time has passed us by, and things didn't work out exactly the way we planned.

However, into the midst of this motley bunch of disciples, both in the Gospel reading, and in this place, comes the risen Jesus. And the first words that Jesus says to them are not words of judgment but words of comfort. "Peace be with you," He says. Those are His words of absolution and forgiveness to them. They might have been afraid that Jesus would come to chastise them for their failings. But it is written, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." In effect Jesus is telling them, "I have payed for all your sins by my suffering and death; they died with me. And now I am alive to bring you mercy forevermore. Don't be afraid. I am stronger than whatever is making you fearful. I have made all things right for you. Peace be with you."

Jesus spoke the same thing to you. Pastors speaking with His authority and with His voice say, "I forgive you all your sins; be at peace." Through the words of Scripture and the preaching of it, Jesus continues to say to you, "Don't be afraid. Things may seem to be a mess right now and uncertain for you. But let not your hearts be troubled. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. I will provide for you. I have gone all the way to death and back for you. Do you think I will forsake you now? All things are reconciled and made right through Me. Trust in Me. I will pull you through. Peace be with you."

After Jesus spoke to the disciples, He showed them the wounds in His hands and side. Of course, He didn't have to keep these wounds; they could've been undone in His resurrection like the rest of His glorified body. But He chooses to let them remain. For these are His glory; these are the signs and the reminders of His sacrificial love for us. These are the precious treasure of the church for all eternity. For by His wounds we are healed and saved. When Jesus shows the disciples His wounds, then their fear is turned to gladness. Jesus is known by His scars. This is no impostor. It's the same Jesus who died and who is now alive again in the flesh. Jesus is with them; and so there is nothing to fear. Nothing can be done to us that hasn't already been done to Jesus. And He has done it all to death on the cross for us and triumphed.

Our Lord still shows His wounds to us in this place. He does that in the Sacrament of the Altar, where He presents to us His true body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. This isn't fake; it's the real body and blood of Jesus that we receive. He's really here, alive and among us, showing and giving Himself to bring us the peace of the forgiveness of sins. Right after the bread and wine are consecrated, in the liturgy the pastor turns and holds up the body and blood of Christ before the people and says, "The peace of the Lord be with you always." You should think of that as being the same as what happened here, when Jesus showed the disciples His hands and His side.

For, you see, the resurrection appearances haven't stopped; they still continue in divine service. You'll notice that in the Gospel, both of Jesus' appearances occur on a Sunday–the first on Easter, the second on the 8th day, that is, 7 days later. It is for this reason that the church came to call Sunday the Lord's day, and they considered every divine service to be another occasion when the risen Jesus came among them to give His gifts of peace and life. That is so still to this day, whatever day of the week divine service takes place on. Jesus is still coming among His disciples in the flesh, speaking His words and presenting His wounds to calm our troubled hearts and to bring us gladness.

Finally, there is this business with Thomas to deal with. The other disciples do a bit of evangelism. Nothing fancy, they just go and tell him "We have seen the Lord." They speak of what they know and believe, and I imagine they did a bit of arm-twisting to make sure that Thomas was with them when they were gathered together next time around. That's also what the Lord calls you to do as well with the Thomases in your life. There's no need for fancy evangelism techniques. Just tell them what you know and believe of Jesus. And then do what you can to get them to be where the risen Jesus is present speaking His words and presenting His wounds. Only He can change the heart and restore and re-enliven faith. Only when Thomas came face to face with Jesus did He fall to His knees and confess, "My Lord and my God!" Invite people to church and to Adult Instruction class. The job of converting is not yours, or mine. That is the work of the Spirit of Christ alone as He works through His Word.

Thomas was received back gladly. He was invited to touch Jesus' hands and side. So also, as we gladly receive back those who once strayed from the faith but now embrace it again, we too are invited to touch Jesus' hands and side today at His Supper. After all, is it not His nail-marked body that you receive? Is it not the blood that poured forth from His side that you drink? Our Lord holds you in the palm of His hands. His blood cleanses you of all sin. He is here for you. God grant each of you to confess with Thomas that the risen Jesus is your Lord and your God. For blessed indeed are all of you who have not seen and yet have believed.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit