Easter 2 – Quasimodo
Geniti (April 19, 2020)
“Fear,
Doubt, and Closed Doors Can’t Stop Jesus from Breaking In” (John 20:19-31)
Alleluia! Christ is risen! [pause]
I assume you said “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” That is the appropriate liturgical response,
but I can’t hear you through the internet.
You would have also assumed that the disciples
were full of joy and excitement that first night of the day that Jesus rose
from the dead. Instead, they were afraid,
shut up behind closed doors.
Why was this the case? The Gospel writer tells us it was “For fear
of the Jews.” They were afraid of the Jewish
leaders who had arrested and crucified Jesus.
The disciples fully expected the same thing to happen to them since they
were the well-known inner circle of disciples whom Jesus had called to follow
him and learn from him for about three years.
Do you find this fear a bit strange? Out of order?
Misplaced? They had just heard
the news that Jesus is alive. Mary
Magdalene saw him and announced to the disciples “I have seen the Lord.” Peter and “the other disciple” (probably
John) saw the empty tomb. Matthew, Mark,
and Luke record that the women who had gone to the tomb saw and heard the angels
announce the resurrection with the words, “He is not here, for he has risen, as
he said” (Matt. 28:6; cf. Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6). Matthew adds that soon after their angelic encounter,
the women saw the risen Jesus (Matt. 28:9).
Did no one believe their testimony?
When they told the disciples what they had seen, it seemed to them “an
idle tale” as Luke describes it (Luke 24:11).
In that first century world, the testimony of women was deemed
unreliable … which also gives Luke’s account more credibility since he included
this detail that women were the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. But no matter who was the first to see Jesus
alive … well, it did seem too good to be true.
I mean, Jesus had told them several times that he would rise again. They had seen him raise some people from the
dead. But for him to do it on his own? Well, that seemed incredible. So on that first Easter night, even the news
of the resurrection didn’t seem to steel the disciples yet; they were still a
bit dazed and confused … and afraid.
The following week there was a similar scene. Now there is someone there who was not around
that first night when Jesus appeared to them.
Why Thomas was not there we’re not told.
Maybe he was afraid, too, and figured that it would be better to hide
out somewhere else rather than with the rest of the gang. Whatever his reason was, it’s clear that Thomas
was full of doubt. When the other
disciples found him during the week and told him they had seen the Lord, Thomas’
reply was “I have to see it to believe it.”
Actually, it was even more than that.
Even seeing was not good enough for him.
He wanted to physically put his hands into the wounds of Jesus. If not, “I will never believe,” he said.
Thomas sounds very modern, doesn’t he? Scientific.
Needing concrete, empirical proof.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with healthy skepticism. I imagine you’ve probably given this advice
to your children, “Don’t believe everything you read or hear…especially on the
internet.” But Thomas’ doubt here is
more than just struggling and grappling with truth vs. untruth. His doubt is abject unbelief. “I will never believe.” His trusted friends with whom he had spent
three years give him their testimony of having seen the risen Jesus, and he
thinks they’re either lying or nuts.
You and I are not much different than the
disciples. We have heard the good news
that Jesus is alive. We have been fed
and nourished by his Word. We are
baptized. And yet there are still things
that make us afraid.
We have heard learned the Scriptures. We have heard the Apostolic testimony that
Jesus rose from the dead. We have been
given the testimony of the Holy Spirit working faith in our hearts. And yet there are times when we doubt. Our sinful nature, as a matter of fact, is an
absolute unbeliever. The new creation
that we are in Christ constantly fights with that Old Adam inside us who is
afraid, who refuses to forgive those who have sinned against us, and who cannot
believe “by [his] own reason or strength” or come to Jesus in faith.
And right now, we are shut up behind closed doors
(for the most part). Why? Well, for one
thing, we’ve been instructed to do so to avoid getting sick or getting others
sick. But there is a measure of fear and
anxiety that goes along with this. What’s
going to happen? How long is this going
to last? Will we ever get over
this? How will we get over this? What does this mean for our near future? For the far-off future? We’ve heard the story of the risen Christ,
but are we bold and brave in believing in his resurrection power in the face of
disease and death? Will we be afraid to
step forward in faith when the restrictions for gathering are lifted? More important than the physical
ramifications is this dilemma: Have we
locked the proverbial doors of our hearts toward someone? Have we put barriers between us and them, in
spite of the fact that God has broken down the barrier between us and him through
the death of Jesus who paid the price for our sins with his blood?
But fear, doubt, and even closed doors do not stop
Jesus from breaking into our lives with his peace. Locked doors are not enough to keep the risen
Christ away from his Church. He has
always been with the disciples. He never
left them. As God, he is present everywhere. He was with them even before he appeared to
them in the Upper Room. But then, he
graciously appears to them bodily and beyond a shadow of a doubt proves his
resurrection from the dead. He appears
to them on that first Sunday … and he shows up again a week later for Thomas’ sake. He could have left Thomas in the dark as a
punishment for his unbelief. Instead, Jesus
graciously appears again the next Sunday, because it was his will that Thomas’
faith be restored and that he, along with the rest of the apostles, give their
eyewitness testimony to the world … to us, for our sake, so that we can be
those who are blessed and believe, even though we have not seen.
Jesus is with us always … but he shows up in a
very personal way every resurrection day, every Sunday. It’s his day.
It’s the Lord’s Day, as we gather together as the Body of Christ … and
when we are able to gather together to eat and drink his true Body and Blood
together. Jesus shows up … not visibly,
but sacramentally. And he breaks into
our lives to break down the walls of fear and doubt and unbelief that would
separate us from him. We are at peace with God because of the cross. Notice how Jesus said, “Peace be with you,” and
displayed the wounds he gained, his medals of honor, the means by which he
gained peace between us and God the Father.
Today, he announces his peace to us through the Word of the Gospel and
the Word of Holy Absolution which he gave to his disciples when he breathed on
them … and without a mask! Jesus breathes
on them, speaks his Word, and the Spirit accompanies his Word … creating new
life just like the word of the prophet in the valley of dry bones. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he says, and gives
his Church the authority to forgive the sins of those who repent and to withhold
forgiveness from those who refuse to repent and remain in their unbelief.
So today – on this Sunday, this Lord’s day, this
day of resurrection – you have heard the Good News of the saving death and
resurrection of Jesus. Through his Word,
Jesus breaks into your lives to dispel all fear and doubt. Your sins of fear and doubt and unbelief are
forgiven … and the Spirit moves us to forgive those to whom we’ve closed our
doors and with whom we’ve put up walls. He
breathes his Spirit upon us and gives us new life and courage to go forth in faith,
to forgive one another, and to “confess in our life and conversation that Jesus
is Lord and God.”
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
INI
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