Saturday, April 10, 2021

Easter 2

 John 20:19-31
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God. Risen Savior, bless Thy Word, that we might trust in Thee.

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 hymn writer puts it this way:     
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

_____________

 The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio, c. 1601–1602 copyright © Wikipedia 

                Words –970
                Passive Sentences –7%
               Readability –81.3%
                Reading Level –4.6

No comments: