You are much value. So much so, that the LORD, He will
stop at nothing. To prove His love for you. St. Paul reminds us, “In all things God works for the good of
those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
The will of God is always best
And shall be done forever.
And they who trust in Him are blest.
He will forsake them never. (LSB 758:1)
Preachers and Bible teachers refer to this as “the benevolence of God”. An old concept.
With relevant meaning for our day. Peter declares, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but
is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should
reach repentance.” -2 Peter 3:9
Today we consider the goodness of God –
1. Christ
reinforces faith. “On the evening of that day, the first day of
the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” -V.19
By the Savior’s appearance. Only Christ
Himself could satisfy the deep longing of the disciples. At such a time of
confusion and sorrow. Jesus appears to His disciples to assure them that He is
indeed risen from the dead.
He confers the Office of the Keys. For the ongoing
forgiveness of sins.
He sends His disciples on the primary mission for
which He was sent into the world. Jesus
said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am
sending you.” V.21
He equips His disciples. He trains and prepares them
with the power of the Holy Spirit. Only as the LORD gives the power of His Spirit,
are you able to share this word of forgiveness.
2. Christ
rekindles faith. Thomas expresses his
doubt. Now Thomas, one of the twelve,
called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen
the Lord.” But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the
nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into
his side, I will never believe’.” Vv.24-25
And why such doubt?
Tomas was not with them when Jesus came. There is indeed danger involved in
absence from corporate worship. The Sacrament of the Altar. With its
reassurance of forgiveness. The Office of the Keys. With this declaration of
God’s grace. The fellowship of believers. With it’s sharing of the Gospel
promises. Need to be experienced personally.
As Jesus came to Thomas He comes to you. Revealing
Himself. And He says to you, ‘Do not
become faithless, but believing!’ Very often. The process of ‘becoming faithless’ is virtually
unnoticeable unrecognizable, almost camouflaged to the person involved. Questions
of doubt mixed with fear can creep in gradually. But it is just as devastating.
But upon witnessing Jesus, the doubter is convinced.
Thomas makes a bold profound confession of faith – ‘My Lord, and my God!’ You
have made this same confession. Jesus is Lord. Jesus is God. And for you who
wish that you could have lived in the times of the apostles and have seen
Christ working miracles, meditate on these words - Jesus speaks to Thomas about
you, ‘because you have seen you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe.’
3. John wises
to share this faith. “Now Jesus did many other signs in the
presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are
written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that by believing you may have life in his name.“ Vv.30-31
Many other signs could have been
mentioned. But they were not. Many words of the Savior could have been
recorded. But they were not. But the things Jesus said. And the things Jesus
did. John places them into his record for a divine purpose. These signs are
recorded so that you might believe. The Word is give so that you might be
brought to faith. It is the power of the Word that creates faith in the human
heart.
Luther put it this way, ‘I believe that I cannot by my own reason or
strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit
has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept
me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and
sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ
in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives
all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and
all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. ‘
Likewise, through the power of the Word people are
able to have the assurance of eternal life through “His Name.” Not one name
among many. Not any name; a specific name. Jesus. Jesus, Name among all names.
“This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders
rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation exists in no one else, for there is
no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12
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The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, c. 1601–1602 copyright © Wikipedia
Passive Sentences –7%
Readability –81.3%
Reading Level –4.6
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