Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 5:29-42
Psalm 148
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.
The Easter story is very short in this lectionary year of Matthew. We only heard of the women going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body on Easter Sunday. However, a few other things happened on that first Resurrection Day. Jesus appeared before two disciples on the road to Emmaus, ate with them and as He broke the bread they recognized Him. They quickly returned to Jerusalem to share the Good News. Jesus appeared from behind locked doors as they told their story to the other disciples. He breathed the Holy Spirit upon those who were present.
Jesus was revealing Himself to His disciples so that they would know and believe that it was true. Slowly, but surely, they were really beginning to believe.
Our Gospel text for this Sunday begins on the evening of the Resurrection. Thomas was not with them then. We don’t know where he was; perhaps he scattered much further than the others and had not yet managed to return to the place where they were meeting. Perhaps he was more frightened than the others. Yet, he returned to their company and was there a week later when Jesus appeared a second time. He was skeptical about what they had told him. “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” he said. It is this statement that makes us call him “Doubting Thomas.”
Yet, that negative identification is not entirely fair. How is Thomas any different than the other disciples? They doubted, too. They questioned the word of the women. They were afraid when Jesus entered a week earlier, thinking that He was a ghost. Jesus showed them His hands and His side. Didn’t Thomas deserve the same proof that they were given? They believed when Jesus breathed upon them, how can we expect any more from Thomas until he has the same benefit?
We live a long way from the resurrection, not only in distance but in time. The eyewitnesses are long gone, only their stories remain. It is easy for us to assume that there is exaggeration in the records, that it couldn’t possibly be real. It is easier to doubt than it is to believe. So, is it any wonder that Thomas was uncertain? I don’t think Thomas’s doubt suggests a lack of trust or love for his fellow disciples, but the story they told is incredible. Jesus came, walked through a locked door, and stood among them.
Thomas was one of those guys who need to see to believe. Imagine how the other disciples must have felt. Thomas was like a brother, having traveled with them for nearly three years. He heard the same stories, he learned the same lessons. He was given the same prophecies and promises. If he did not believe them, who would? How could they possibly share their message with outsiders? I imagine they were hurt; there may have even been discord among the disciples. When Jesus appeared the second time, He spoke the words of peace again. “Peace be with you.”
The disciples needed peace amongst themselves to do the work they were called to do. How could they take the message of the Gospel out into a world if there is no reconciliation between brothers? Whatever was going on behind those closed doors during the week between the first and second appearance, Jesus pointed them in a new direction. Once Thomas was given the same experience, there was nothing to keep the disciples divided.
Jesus brought peace, and He said it twice in today’s lesson. In last week’s Gospel the women were twice told to have no fear. One word is never enough for certainty, especially if we are experiencing overwhelming emotions like grief, fear and doubt. Jesus knew that of all things, peace was the most important at this point. In peace, they could face whatever it was that waited for them outside the door to their room. They would not find peace out there, since the Jews and the Romans would eventually respond to the Christian story with violence and oppression. They needed a different kind of peace.
Real peace is not the absence of conflict but an unassailable trust in God. The world outside our door is not conducive to that feeling of peace that we long for today. As a matter of fact, we face grief, fear and doubt every day. But Christ comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” He is saying, “Trust in me and trust in my Father. His promises are true and He is faithful. Whatever you face, do so with faith, knowing that everything is already taken care of for your and for the world. Live in the forgiveness I have obtained for you and take it out the door into the world for others.”
Peace leads to the manifestation of peace: forgiveness. Or perhaps peace is the manifestation of forgiveness. They are inseparable. We can’t have peace if we are holding a grudge against someone. We can’t have peace if another is holding a grudge against us. But we can face the sin of our world with forgiveness, at peace with the reality of our brokenness and God’s forgiveness. As we dwell in His grace, we share that grace with others and we experience real peace.
Jesus wanted the disciples to see one another through the eyes of grace. Thomas may not have believed their word, but he really isn’t Doubting Thomas. There are those who prefer to call him “Confessing Thomas.” When Jesus appeared amongst them the second time, He showed Thomas His hands and side. Jesus said, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.” John does not tell us that Thomas touched Jesus; on seeing Jesus and hearing His voice, Thomas immediately proclaimed “My Lord and my God.” He witnessed the living Christ and believed.
Jesus then said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.” This reprimand was given to all the disciples, not just Thomas. They had an advantage: they saw the Risen Lord. They lived with Him and learned from Him for another miraculous forty days. But the Church would grow out of faith in the word heard, not in the flesh seen. The blessed ones would be those who would believe when they heard their testimony.
It is easy for us to get caught up in the cares of the world, even those that really have no value. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to be a disciple in those first few days after the crucifixion and resurrection? They were worried and scared, perhaps even rightly so. But Jesus came to them in the midst of that difficulty to give them peace. We can experience the same peace if we keep our hearts and minds firm in the promises of God. He calls us to obedience. That doesn’t mean that we should be like dogs. As followers of God saved by Jesus, we are called to love God so much that we trust Him completely.
I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but Peter and the other disciples grew into such deep and abiding faith, particularly after Pentecost. Time with Jesus after the Resurrection gave them a better understanding of His lessons. The Holy Spirit gave them everything they needed to go forth boldly in faith. Fear no longer held them back, uncertainty did not freeze their tongues. They taught about Jesus wherever they went.
The leaders disliked what they were doing as much as they disliked Jesus. They thought being rid of the leader then followers would scatter. It had happened to other movements. It still happens today. They ordered the disciples to stop preaching in Jesus’ name. Their preaching had as much power as Jesus’ had. People were being converted in large numbers. They were doing incredible signs and wonders. Their preaching was as harsh against the self-righteous religion of the Jewish leaders; they laid the blame of Jesus’ death on the shoulders of those who sought to silence them, too.
Peter answered their demands of silence, “We must obey God rather than men.”
The Jewish leaders became extremely angry and they wanted to kill the disciples. There was one Pharisee, a well respected teacher of the Law, who brought calm to the situation. He told his fellow councilmen to be patient and let God take care of the situation. This was wise advice, although I’m certain the council was hoping it would turn out much differently. Gamaliel gave examples of other movements that had failed after the leader had fallen. Then he said, “Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!”
Now Gamaliel may have had a concealed motive for speaking such wise words. We know that this Pharisee was a Jewish scholar and teacher of the Law. His most famous student was Saul of Tarsus, otherwise known as Paul. Tradition holds that Simeon, the old man in the Temple who recognized Baby Jesus as the Messiah, was Gamaliel’s father. If this is true, he most likely told his son about Jesus. Did Gamaliel know that the men standing before the Sanhedrin were followers of that baby in the Temple? It is believed that Gamaliel did become a Christian and was baptized by Peter and John, but that he kept his Christianity a secret until his death so that he could remain in the Sanhedrin and offer aid to the Christians who were being persecuted. The Jewish account of his life maintains that he remained a Pharisee until he died. But his speech at the trial of the apostles gives some credence to the possibility that he had faith.
It is easy to see the obedience of Peter and the apostles in this story as they stood firm even against such a great risk. What about Gamaliel? Gamaliel was risking his power, position and reputation for a bunch of misfit prophets. It didn’t matter if he was a believer or not; Gamaliel was willing to trust God in this situation, and he convinced the others to trust Him, too.
This was a most extraordinary thing that they were doing. Jesus died and you would think that His death would have put an end to any movement of faith that would follow His name. And yet the stories in the book of Acts tell us that the people believed in extraordinary numbers. Three thousand were baptized on Pentecost, and the scriptures tell us that people were being added to their numbers daily. These were people who believed by the word of those apostles: they told the stories and the Holy Spirit instilled faith. There is no way that the council would be able to stop the growth of faith in Jesus Christ, even if they killed all the apostles. By the time they had been arrested, others were already spreading the Good News. The people who had witnessed the Pentecost miracle were traveling to the four corners of the earth with stories about Jesus.
The disciples trusted God and though most of the original twelve were martyred, they lived long enough to take the Gospel to the four corners of the world. In his first letter, Peter spoke to those about whom Jesus spoke that did not see Him and yet still believed. “Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ - whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory - receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” We may not have seen Jesus, but we believed the words spoken about Him and thus we have received the forgiveness which He gives.
Peter talks about the hope we have in Christ. Our faith is built on a rock. Our rock is Jesus Christ, who lived and died and rose again for our sake. The promise of eternal life is not dependent on anything human or created, it is founded in God’s grace and love for His people. We have been given the eternal kingdom by resting on the True rock of our faith. The promise is real and the King is faithful. We may experience hardship and trials, but through those difficulties our faith will grow and mature. Our joy rests not on the blessings we will see in the here and now, but in faith that God has assured our salvation and that we’ll share in His glory.
Peter talks about joy. We rejoice even in our trials because by faith we know that God done what He has promised and that we have been reborn into a new life that is eternal. And now we live in hope, not for something that cannot be, but something that is assured. We are certain, not because we have experienced it for ourselves, but because God is faithful.
We don’t have to do it alone. Thomas continued to grieve, fear and doubt because he had left the company of the other disciples. He missed what they had experienced together. Yet, when he returned to the gathering place, he joined their joy and peace. He joined them in praising God.
We are called and gathered by the Holy Spirit to join with the entire creation to sing praises to God our Father. He hears our praise wherever we are, because everything He has made sings along with us. Yet, there is something very special when Christians raise their voices together to glorify God in the here and now. When you consider the entire creation it is easy to see the greatness of God. It is also easy to see that we are not much in the entire scheme of things. It is humbling to realize our place in this world. Yet, He has created us to be the crown of His creation. Should we not want to glorify Him together with one voice of praise? He has given us the heavens and the earth. He has given us the sun and the wind and the rain. He has made the animals, birds, plants and trees for us. And He has given the care and love of one another.
Thomas disappeared when he really needed to be with the other disciples. He was caught up in the cares of the world rather being in the company of those who best understood his grief, fear and doubt. Our God is gracious and revealed Himself to Thomas who immediately believed, confessed his faith in Jesus and joined in the joy of the other disciples. The joy and faith that came to them by the power of the Holy Spirit made it impossible for them to remain quiet. No matter how often we are threatened by the world, God will be faithful to fulfill His promises.
We will never see Jesus the way those first disciples saw Him, but we have their witness and the Holy Spirit to help us believe. We will face our own grief, fear and doubt, but we can trust God as much as they did. Our little troubles are really insignificant when we consider the amazing things God has done. He created the entire world and everything in it. He redeemed all of mankind by the blood of Christ. He brought salvation to our lives, ordained His people to service and promised to do even greater things through His Church. We might suffer for a moment. We might have difficult work to do in this world. But no matter what we face, Jesus has promised us His peace so that we can trust in God our Father. We can live in His forgiveness and never stop teaching and preaching Jesus, the Christ.
A WORD FOR TODAY
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