Changing Doubt into Worship

24Now Thomas (also known as Didymus^a ), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20)

Thoughts: Thomas would be a good modern non- believer.  He would not believe.  He saw Christ's death.  He knew of the nail marks and the piercing of His side.  He was devastated by the death of Jesus and did not want to be disappointed with wishful thinking.  Many today would rather doubt and be wrong than believe and be disappointed.  This is wrong-headed thinking.  Not only is Thomas steeling himself against hope.  He is also not allowing himself to find truth.
      It is no accident that Jesus came right through the locked door to a group of people who all saw Him at once.  It made His appearance not only amazing but miraculous.  The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest miracle.
      Jesus commanded them to have peace, and commanded Thomas to do things so that he would believe.  Unbelievers should also seek peace by trying to put themselves in a position to believe.  What would they have to lose?
          Thomas's response was, "My Lord and my God!"  He worshiped Jesus.
          Jesus rightly said, it is more blessed to believe without seeing than make seeing a criteria for belief.  Most today will not see all the evidence for Christ.  Some will never look- having made their mind up that the skeptics are right- and miracles just don't happen.  Faith and sight are not the same thing.  If faith is caused by sight then that is okay.  But faith without sight is strong.  Paul reminds us, "we walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). This means we don't have to touch the wounds, see the risen Christ, or audibly hear His voice to believe.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to have your peace.  Help me to recognize you not by sight but by faith. 

Listening to a Woman on the Resurrection

11Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). (John 20)

Thoughts: Jesus appeared first to women.  For some that made the story unreal.  In the ancient world women were not respected.  One of the early opponents of Christianity, a man named Cleopas, said that Christianity couldn't be true because who would listen to the testimony of women?  Today, many feel that because Jesus first appeared to women alive, it made the story that much more believable.  For who would design or make up a story where women were the chief first witnesses?   In some sense, Jesus lifted up women as the first to experience and convey the good news- the best news- of the resurrection and thus our own hope of life beyond the grave.  Jesus knew Mary.  Instead of arguing with her about her gardener theory, or her theory that someone had stolen the body, He simply said her name.  Mary Magdalene had been saved once from demons and mental illness.  She would not forget the voice of peace.  We should remember that the risen Christ knows our name and cares about our misconceptions and unbelief.  But He cares more that we be comforted with the truth of His resurrection. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you know me by name.  May my life always point to your resurrected life.  

4/6/15 Peace be with you

19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20)

Thoughts: The disciples understandably were afraid of persecution by Roman and Jewish authorities.  The doors were locked, but it was no fortress.  Jesus came through their locks and through their fears to give them peace.  His first words were words of peace  and His second words were as well.  Then Jesus gave them the Spirit of Peace- the Comforter, and gave them the power to offer forgiveness- which also brings peace.  Jesus' main concern is to give His worried, discouraged, and upset followers a sense of His Peace and His control.    

Prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace by first filling me with your peace.  May your living presence flood my soul with your peace that passes all understanding.  

Thomas- My Lord and my God- 4-20-14

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20)

Thoughts:  There is so much skepticism in our world.  But skepticism is not an option.  I can remember my two year old girl once telling me she didn't want to eat her supper.  When I asked her if she would eat anything she said, "No!" If I asked her if I could do anything or take her anywhere to make her happy she said, "No! No!  No!"  Skepticism is saying no, but it doesn't really give us any meaning, any hope, any reason love is better than hate.  Skepticism is the attitude that "You have to prove it to me... I won't believe it if I don't see it." 
This was Thomas's problem.  Thomas earlier had inquired of Jesus to tell them the way.  He had said he would go to Jerusalem to die with Jesus.  Thomas eventually here worshiped Christ as his Lord and God- and Christ accepted his worship.  Then he said blessed are those who do not see but believe anyway. 
    We are called to believe more than we can see.  We know there is more out there than what we can see.  Before we discovered microscopes we did not know about germs and bacteria.  Before we discovered telescopes we did not know about other planets and stars that we could not see.  There is simply more over the horizon than we can see.  As Augustine said, "i BELIEVE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND."  Christians do not walk by sight alone- but by faith. 

Prayer: My Lord, and My God!  Help me to give myself to you in worship and praise. 

4/19/14- The Prince Of Peace Appears

19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 

(John 20:19-23)

Thoughts:  Jesus not only rose from the dead on Sunday, but He also appeared to His disciples on this day.  So the disciples changed the name of the day to "The Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10).  

Jesus replied three times in this chapter "Peace be with you."  It is the words of Gabriel to Mary when the angel announced Jesus' coming.  It is the words of the angels to the shepherds- "Peace on earth goodwill toward those on whom His favor rests." In His resurrection, Jesus offers us peace.  Peace about death; Peace in the face of the fear and crosses we face; Jesus offers us peace with God; peace with others and peace within ourselves.  He said the night he was arrested: "Peace I give you.  Not as the world gives give I to you.  Let not your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid...trust in me."  Jesus's resurrection is our peace and proves He is the Prince of Peace.  

Prayer: Prince of Peace, let your peace flow into and through me.  

4/18/14- Mary and Jesus

11Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20:11-18)

Thoughts: This is the first recorded appearance of Jesus.  It is to a woman.  The women were the first to go to the disciples to spread the news that the tomb was empty.  But here it is also clear the women saw Jesus first.  Let us explore this a bit.
     Mary was brave and caring to come to the tomb at all.  She saw the stone rolled away and then saw two angels at the tomb with the body of Jesus gone.  She was convinced someone had stolen the body.  When Jesus approached her, she did not recognize Him. 

Maybe she did not recognize Him because of his flogging and wounds.  While Jesus was healed the scars in his hands, side, and marks on his face were still there.  Maybe her tears blinded her.  Maybe she was not expecting Jesus to be there so she did not recognize Him.  

When Jesus called her name, she recognized His voice, His call, His love and responded.  Mary who anointed Jesus' feet with oil, now hugged Jesus with all her might.  Jesus wanted her to know he would not stay on earth forever, but would ascend to heaven.  So holding on to Him would not keep Him here.
     Mary's response was to tell the disciples boldly.  She was not worried that they might think she had lost her mind.  Instead she was concerned that they hear the good news.  Our attitude should be the same.  We need to tell others the good news no matter what they might think of us- the messengers.  

Prayer: Help me to speak forth your hope and good news, O Lord.