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Second Sunday of Easter –
March 30, 2008 Preached at by Pastor Dennis R. King) "Resurrection Doubt
and Faith!" (John 20:19-31) The Grace and Mercy of our Risen Lord, Jesus
Christ, be with you today and always. Amen! "He has risen!" "He is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!" The Easter message echoes
loud and clear! "He is Risen! Alleluia!"
From one person to another person, from one generation to another, the
thrilling message continues to resound in the hearts, minds, and voices of
His disciples. Why is this message so thrilling and so important
to share? It is so thrilling and important because the rising of Jesus
reveals to us a new hope like a new garden in an old field. "For just as
all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be
raised to life because of their union with Christ." (1Corinthians15:22)
Jesus rising from the dead opens a door for us. In fact, He becomes the door
for us. Jesus says of Himself, "I am the
door." All who surrender to Him and take Him as Savior can say they have
passed through the door into the new world. This new world is a world of
love, hope, joy, happiness, peace, contentment, obedience and salvation. Wait a minute. Do we really believe that and live
it? Or is the "good news" of Easter hidden, forgotten, or lost by
the "bad news" of the day. For Thomas, the brokenhearted disciple,
it was hard to believe that Jesus had risen. Thomas reacted to the report
that Jesus had risen like the mother whose son is reported safe after being
missing in action. When she is told that her son is returning home, suddenly
she says, "I simply cannot believe it until I hold him in my arms."
Her doubt needed to be overcome before she really could believe. Thomas was
just like this mother. His doubt had to be overcome. His doubt eventually was
not only overcome but his faith that was such an important part of his life
was reaffirmed. Yet, he had to struggle. If we are honest with ourselves, we
see that we are no different from Thomas. Both doubt and faith exist in our
lives. In every person
the struggle between doubt and faith continues. We hear the
voice of the apostle saying, "He is risen."
Yet, we can measure death. We can see it. We know its finality. Each moment
of our life teeters on the brink of death. Death seems so sure, so real. If
only, we could believe more surely in the Resurrection! If only, we could
touch Him too. We want more proof. Thomas wanted more proof.
Maybe God could do that for us and prove the resurrection to us. Maybe if
someone could find the real tomb, and we could see that it was empty. Maybe
if scientists could prove that the shroud of When we confront Him in His Word, we do not simply
encounter teachings by which we can prove His Resurrection and do away with
all doubt. Instead we confront Jesus Himself. He says "Lo, I am with you
always." We are not alone. He is in this very place, now, just because
we are gathered here. He says "For where two or three are gathered in My
name, there I am in the midst of them." In the battle for understanding between doubt and
faith, one of the greatest things we have learned from Thomas is that it is
more difficult to find answers if we are alone. We learn here that we can
find the answers of faith easier in fellowship. Thomas sought to be alone
rather than with the others, and because he was not there with his fellow
Christians, he missed the coming of Jesus. We miss a great deal when we
separate ourselves from Christian fellowship. Things can happen to us within
the fellowship of Christ's church that could never happen to us when we are
alone. When Jesus spoke to that fellowship of disciples
and breathed the Holy Spirit on them, it gave them the power to forgive sins
and to find forgiveness in each other's lives. It gave them an understanding
of what it meant to be together as fellow Christians, to seek, to console, to
grieve and to rejoice with one another. On this Second Sunday of Easter, the question will
arise "Where are all the people who were here on Easter?" Why would
people come to proclaim the Lord's resurrection with all of its power, and
the confession of faith that He lives and rules in every life and then the
Sunday after not be here? At least when Thomas
missed the Lord the first time, he discovered that he could not find him if
he stayed home and felt sorry for himself. He would not discover the meaning
of his faith if he sat alone. The second time Jesus appeared Thomas found himself among the other believers. He found himself in
relationship to others who were looking, waiting, and praying for the Lord,
and so he did discover Jesus. Doubts often breed doubts. If someone has doubts
whether a concert or baseball game will be good, they probably will not go
nor will their friends. But faith breeds faith. The fellowship of believers
means that we come together with those who confess and believe "Jesus is
Lord." So that we can share an understanding of what God is trying to
say to us. So that we can share one another's concerns, burdens, sorrows and
questions. This does not mean that there is no room for doubt. It means
exactly the opposite. It means that this is the place in which we can voice
our doubts. This is the place in which we can ask questions that relate to our
faith. Here is where we gain understanding of what God's Word says to and for
each of us. Remember there were other people
of faith who had doubts, Abraham, Gideon, John the Baptist, Martha and other
early Christians along with Thomas. Doubting can be good when it leads to
growth in faith. It was the doubt of Thomas that caused him to separate from
his peers in the faith. It was also the doubt of Thomas that led him to seek
the right answers. It was his doubt that led him back to make his great
confession of faith as he gave himself to Jesus Christ again. "My Lord
and my God!" Our doubts too should drive us to seek the answers of
faith! Our doubts should drive us to a deeper commitment, to Jesus Christ
again, just as they did for Thomas. Handling our doubts can be like weight lifting.
You may walk up to a set of barbells and see that there are two hundred
pounds on them and say "I can never lift that much weight."
However, if you take that same set of barbells and put on twenty-five pounds,
then fifty, then a hundred, and then a hundred and fifty, you may eventually
lift those two hundred pounds. Ultimately you would be strengthened by the
doubts that you originally had and by the struggles that were a part of your
life and your existence. This is what the Christian faith is all about. The
doubts do come, and yet, we find answers in Christ Jesus,
and in relationship to His Word and His people. Then we move out to lift
those weights and to help other people lift weights. We lose ourselves in
giving ourselves to other people. Close to us is a chain of five |