Sermon for March 30, 2008

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name!”

       A few years ago my family went to the circus as a part of  my daughter Michelle’s birthday celebration.  As I watched the Circus Acts perform that day, one phrase kept coming to my mind- THAT’S PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE- EXCEPT THAT I SAW IT FOR MYSELF!  I watched as Jugglers juggle 8-10 different items at the same time and not drop them; I saw elephants roll over and then stand up and line up in a row of 20 elephants with their legs on each other’s back and dance and kick.  I watched the gymnasts do triple somersaults on the trapeze and not fall.  I saw a woman do twists and turns while hanging from her hair on the trapeze.  I saw workers change the stage very quickly with just a pull of a rope here or a tug of a cable there!
       I saw them put up the circus tent in about 3 hours using the elephants to pull the tent poles into place.  I also watched them take down the tent and get ready to leave for the next city in about 30 minutes after the show loaded onto semi- trucks and trailers.  You may find this all “PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE” but I saw it myself with my own 2 eyes and my family were also witnesses as well- even if they don’t remember all of the details!
       As I look back on the Easter Celebration last Sunday- IT WAS PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE!  It was exciting to have so many people in church worshiping together, needing to set up chairs because the church was so full!(I was tempted to be optimistic and tell the ushers last Sunday to leave the chairs- we’ll need them for next Sunday- after all, so many people heard the greatest Good News- JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA -We haven’t forgotten the response yet have we.  I figured that there will be even more people here this Sunday who have invited family and friends who do not know Jesus as their Savior!)  There was the special music, the organ, the trumpet, clarinets, saxophone, bassoon, the baritone,  the choir and the banners!  It all made for a special and memorable day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave- to worship our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
       If you look back at the events of the First Holy Week as recorded in God’s Word in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John- the phrase- THAT’S PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE” could summarize the thoughts and moods and experiences of the disciples and followers of Jesus Christ!  In fact, THOMAS,  also known as DOUBTING THOMAS of our text, expresses the thoughts of the disciples and events of the First Holy Week in words that we can relate with today!
       Thomas was SKEPTICAL and wanted proof in order for him to believe everything he had heard- like many people want today as well!  The disciples came to Thomas with the exciting news- important and life-changing news: JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE!  HE HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!  THEY HAD SEEN JESUS FOR THEMSELVES! 
       An EVENT, no matter how earth-shaking it may be, doesn’t have the power to change people’s lives.  In order for an event TO AFFECT a person, IT MUST BECOME AN EXPERIENCE FOR THAT PERSON.  Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave was an event, BUT IT WASN’T REAL to the disciples until they EXPERIENCED THE RESURRECTED CHRIST THAT THEIR LIVES WERE CHANGED.  Thomas knew of the event of Jesus’ resurrection, but until HE EXPERIENCED THE RISEN CHRIST THAT HIS LIFE WAS CHANGED.
       What was Thomas’ initial reaction to this Great News- I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT; in essence saying, “THAT’S PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE”.  Thomas responded with 20th century coolness and skepticism of today as people say today- PROVE IT TO ME!
       I read about a survey that said, “FAITH IN GOD DECREASED BY 10% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, WHILE FAITH IN THE DEVIL INCREASED BY 10% IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.  A survey in the Magazine Psychology Today said that 61% of 40,000 people surveyed asked, “DOES GOD REALLY EXIST?”  THAT SEEMS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT THE CHALLENGE TO GOD’S PRESENCE AND FAITH IN HIM IS ALL AROUND US!
       I read an example of this that happened at a Christian college once and came to mind as I was watching the movie, “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” last Sunday.  A speaker  told the students that “YOU CAN’T TAKE THE BIBLE LITERALLY.  “For example”, he said, take the Old Testament.  The Hebrew for “RED” and “REED” is the same word.  When it talks about Moses leading the Children of Israel through the Red Sea with the Egyptian army in pursuit, it really means that it was a REED SEA.  That was no great miracle.  There were only about 2 inches of water in that Reed Sea.  It was more like a Marsh.  A wind came along, blew the water aside, and the Children of Israel were able to slip on through!
       As he told the students that, he expected a response and sure enough a student in the back of the room jumped up and shouted, “HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD!  ANOTHER MIRACLE.  The speaker lost his composure and asked, “WHAT DID YOU SAY?”  The student replied, “HALLELUJAH! ANOTHER MIRACLE!”  JUST IMAGINE.  GOD DROWNED ALL THOSE EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS IN 2 INCHES OF WATER!
       Some people have difficulty dealing with miracles and Thomas – “MR. I DOUBT IT” was no exception!  Thomas had been with the others while they watched Jesus die on the cross.  He had seen the soldier thrust a spear into Jesus’ side and watched Jesus as he died.  There was no doubt in Thomas’ mind that JESUS WAS PHYSICALLY DEAD- HE HAD SEEN IT FOR HIMSELF!  He had been with the disciples on Saturday with all the depression and gloom and doom of the day!
       All of us have DOUBTS at one time or another in our lives.  I don’t know about you, but I can relate to Thomas and his thoughts and feelings.  I often wonder about God and His love, especially when there are problems and things don’t seem to be working out like I had planned.  God provides proof and reassurance of His love and care when we read God’s Word and remember our Baptism and receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion!
       Where Thomas was on that first Easter Sunday, we don’t know.  Maybe Thomas was as far away as he could be from the place where Jesus had died.  At any rate Thomas doesn’t seem to have experienced the view of the EMPTY TOMB first hand and the resulting joyous news that spread throughout Jerusalem that week that JESUS HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD!
       Thomas was NOT THERE when the disciples had gathered in fear and in secret behind closed and locked doors to plan what they were going to do next and to discuss the events that had just happened.  When they told Thomas later that Jesus had appeared to them PERSONALLY AND VISIBLY, he responded by saying, “UNLESS I SEE AND TOUCH THE PRINTS OF THE NAILS AND PLACE MY HAND IN JESUS’ SIDE- I WILL NOT BELIEVE!
       And now our Gospel lesson continues with the Disciples gathered together once again the next week and NOW THOMAS WAS WITH THEM.  Jesus appeared to them with the greeting, “PEACE BE WITH YOU!”  Then Jesus personally invited Thomas to touch Him and to PROVE TO him that Jesus Christ had in fact risen from the Dead- just as the disciples had said!  All Thomas could do was fall down on his knees and say, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!”  The whole experience was TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE- PRETTY HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT NOW THOMAS BELIEVED AND KNEW FOR HIMSELF!
       Jesus spoke special words that were meant for Thomas, but also apply to you and for people of all ages when He said, “THOMAS, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN, YOU HAVE BELIEVED!  BUT BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED- THAT IS YOU AND ME!
       Thomas arrived at the special time in his life in his PERSONAL FAITH RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST- that complete trust and faith in Jesus Christ!  Thomas’ original idea, like so many people have about God and the Christian faith, is that Faith must always MAKE SENSE IN OUR HUMAN MINDS AND WAY OF THINKING.  We like to have faith which always “ADDS UP” and makes sense all of the time!
       It is important to have a well-grounded and well thought out religion and faith, but the HEART AND FOUNDATION OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH IS NOT SOME LOGICAL FORMULA like 2+2=4, BUT A PERSON!  Saving Faith and forgiveness and eternal life in heaven is based upon Jesus Christ, His life, death and resurrection, and not upon anything we can always figure out!  It is a moving BEYOND THE CERTAINTY OF FACTS which we learn and know about from God’s Word to the CERTAINTY OF GOD’S LOVE that God shows to us in Jesus Christ!  Looking at the wounds of Jesus Christ- Thomas learned that TRUE FAITH IS SEEN IN LOVE- THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST AS SHOWN ON CALVARY’S CROSS AND BY HIS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD!
       It can be difficult to understand and explain all that God has done for us and continues to do for us- but that is what the Christian faith is all about- SIMPLY TRUSTING IN GOD AND IN HIS LOVE! GOD HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL AND GOD WILL PROVIDE WHAT IS NECESSARY AND NEEDED FOR OUR LIVES AS HIS CHILDREN!  THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CAN BELIEVE!