4-27-25 -- by the Rev. Maxine Gray

Gospel: John 20:19-31

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked 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.”
  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.” 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.”
  30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Jesus does many signs and wonders in our presence, so give us Lord the sight we need to recognize them and be blessed.

The tomb had been found to be open and empty, the women had told of their experience, yet that was not enough. We read that the disciples had locked themselves inside, they continued to harbor fear, maybe more than ever. When the Jewish leaders heard rumors of the empty tomb, they would certainly be looking for those very men, more arrests and trouble seemed eminent. Then Jesus arrives in their midst bringing them a message of peace. Peace? Is that possible?  They have had a very confusing few days! The trial, the humiliation of their teacher, his torture and crucifixion, and then the women’s tale of an empty tomb and Jesus alive?! Now Jesus appears to them, walking from one to the other, displaying his wounds. What do you know? Jesus is risen!  [ ]

Those disciples have Jesus with them again and he repeats his word of peace; it is a gift offered to them that comes with an assignment. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. They are being sent out with a very specific task which they can accomplish with a Spirit-filled heart. This directive to those disciples is the same one given to all who believe and follow Jesus, each of us is sent out. You are not to lock yourself away, contemplating your individual spirituality, holding it only within, as if it is something that is yours alone. The peace you find within, because of your faith, will emerge by the inspiration of the Spirit. As Jesus told them: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.  You have forgiveness to share and it is necessary to give it away, to share it. It is clear, that when we withhold that gift, the influence of those sins, the continuing effect of those sins, are retained – they continue to fester and infect, to weigh down the sinner. The peace that you have from Jesus is what enables you to pass along such forgiveness and that forgiveness strengthens the peace that you experience and from which you then can take action. You have been forgiven, so if you forgive – those sins of theirs are forgiven! You are sent with a powerful and gracious task, one that changes relationships and lives. This crucial message may get lost from this account because we have this provocative narrative about Thomas. 

Poor Thomas was not present in the house that evening when Jesus was there. We aren’t told if he was out picking up take out for a late supper or if he had walked Mary to where she was staying. We only know that when he returned, he found out he had missed a most significant event. He could not share in the excitement of the others; for he had seemingly been overlooked, that’s how it felt. Hearing the news from the others was just not the same as seeing Jesus! 

Notice Thomas did not pack up and go home, however. A week later he was there, when Jesus came again, bringing the same greeting and gift of peace. He invites Thomas to see and to touch his wounds, to lay aside his doubts. It turned out Thomas didn’t need as much contact as he thought, once he saw Jesus, his faith emerged with the strongest declaration we have heard. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas had recognized Jesus not only has his teacher, the leader he had admired and followed but he knew him now as the Lord who saves and his God, to whom worship and allegiance is due.

The gospel of John shares this story for our sake, who have not seen, but through this testimony may come to believe, like Thomas, that Jesus is the Messiah. Then we may know the life that comes in His name. For Jesus is risen?  [ ]

There are many people for us to reach, for us to touch with the message of peace that Jesus brings. Faith, a real trust in Christ is not as common as we may think or hope that it is. Such unswerving commitment has never been without detractors. A moving story I may have shared before comes from Kenn Stright of Nova Scotia.

There is a story told of a speech that was given in 1930 in Kyiv, Ukraine, by the Russian communist leader, Nicolai Ivanovich Bukharin. He was the editor of the Soviet journal PRAVDA at that time, a very powerful man. The topic of his speech that day was atheism, which is a core tenet of Marxism.  For more than an hour, addressing a huge assembly, he reenforced his hardest hitting arguments against Christianity. Rational proofs and insults put down the faith of the Ukrainian people. When he had finished, he looked out over what he assumed to be the smoldering ash heap of the crowd’s faith and asked if there were any questions.

Only silence.        Then, one man came down to the front, and stood next to the famous speaker. He looked over the audience, to the left and to the right. Then he shouted the Easter greeting of the Orthodox Church. “Khrystos voskres! (Christ is risen!) And the people in their thousands, got to their feet and shouted back, “Voistynu voskres! (He is risen indeed!)

What Nicolai could not understand was that faith is more than its tenets of belief. These people had placed their trust in the Lord, who had forgiven their sin and given his life for them. He was present with them even at the moment, offering peace, the peace only Jesus can give. Easter brings God’s compassion that takes us through the threats and wounds that get inflicted and provides unwavering hope from God’s unlimited grace. Jesus is our Lord and God and He sends His very own Spirit to fill us with life, now and forever. That faith can be subject to doubt at times but Jesus still comes offering peace, loosening death’s hold, and freeing us for life. You are sent out to share that forgiveness and the news that Jesus is risen! [  ]