John 20:19-31
Life in His Name!
Are we called to have a blind faith? Does Jesus ask us to believe without any evidence whatsoever? Is it reasonable to believe someone else at their word and simply assume they’re telling you the truth? I would hope that we all know the answer to these simple questions, but just for clarity’s sake, the answer is no. Christ doesn’t call us to believe without any extra help or aid. Even though we may talk about things that must be understood by faith alone, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any evidence behind it. This gets into the theological practice of apologetics, or the defense of the faith. No, we don’t apologize, as in saying we’re sorry. Apologetics means we clearly and concretely lay out the evidence that points us to the only real answer. We often see these things pitted against one another, faith and science. Faith is assumed to be some ethereal thing, as if it’s meant to stand against everything else concrete in our world. Yet, faith is concerned with truth. We care what is true and what is false. This is why such a teaching as objective truth is essential, not just for society, but for the very core of our faith. If there were no such thing as objective truth, then all faith would be nonsense. Yes, our faith is grounded on evidence. It cares about truth. And conversely, this is why doubts are common with us. For we doubt when we either aren’t informed enough to defend our faith or believe that some evidence points us away from faith. Thus, we study God’s word above all, of course, but we do well to understand the evidence behind it too.
Today, in our Gospel reading, we meet again our risen Lord who comes among us with his peace. Yet, as Thomas doubts the other disciples’ words, Jesus returns again to put these doubts to rest. So, among our doubts, let us understand:
MAY WE REJOICE WHEREVER AND WHENEVER JESUS COMES AMONG US!
I.
It’s the evening of that first day, Sunday still. It was the day that Jesus was raised from the dead. It’s already been quite a full day for the disciples as the women ran to the tomb early, only to find the angels sitting there. After they return, they tell all the disciples about the great news which they have seen. Even while many of the disciples question the women’s witness, Peter and another disciple go to the tomb to see for themselves. We join them in the evening, likely before the sun has fully set, but as night is rapidly approaching. As we read, “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,” John 20:19. Yes, even after all these disciples have seen this day, they still huddle together in fear. Fear for their own life. Fear that they might be next. Fear that even though Jesus is proclaimed to be risen, somehow nothing has actually changed. Yes, isn’t this our fear too. We who sit here and are able to look back at all our Lord has done, yet we have fear that his victory means nothing in our world today.
Yet, what could be a happier sight to these disciples than their own Lord risen from the dead? Jesus in his resurrected power, supersedes even the laws of nature by entering a room that is locked. As we read, “When [Jesus] had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord,” John 20:20. All the evidence these disciples needed was to see Jesus for themselves, to see his hands and his side. For our Lord, even risen from the dead, bears the marks of his passion. Jesus shall eternally be the crucified and risen one. Here, we also have the institution of the ministry of the Word. “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you… Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld,” John 20:21-23. Yes, this sending forth of the disciples is the pattern that God himself has instituted. By this, Jesus means to show us that he’s ever-present in his Word. For here, the Holy Spirit is given to the disciples that He may be the seal of Jesus’s Word.
II.
There’s no doubt that the Word is enough for us, for this exact reason. Yet, this is where we must talk about dear doubting Thomas. While the ten disciples were in that upper room, Thomas alone was missing. Now, we’re never told why he wasn’t present, only that he was missing. Just as Jesus sends the disciples forth in this new ministry, the first one to whom they proclaim this great word is Thomas! Only Thomas wouldn’t be so easily convinced, as he says, “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,” John 20:25. Now, of course, Thomas is found to be doubting… which is why we call him… Doubting Thomas. But there’s far more to it than just this. For Thomas is the preview of how this world would respond to such a message. Many will seek after greater evidence, further proof than God would give through his word. For so, our world regularly tosses this out as the prime reason for unbelief. How can I believe if I haven’t seen for myself?
But I want you to understand that Thomas was no different than any of the other disciples. They all doubted until they saw the Lord. Even the ten on that first night had to be shown Jesus’ hands and side to dislodge fear from their hearts. But hear what our Lord did specifically for Thomas, as we read, “Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe,” John 20:26-27. Jesus directly addresses Thomas’s doubts, personally. This is to say that faith isn’t without a foundation. Faith isn’t blind, but is grounded upon the truth of God’s Word. So, even today, we can study science, psychology, archeology, and many other practices and see the truth of God’s word for ourselves. God corroborates his Word through his own work. That is Jesus, even God, has tied himself to his word so that whatever he has spoken to us, that shall he do! It’s the witness of these disciples, the fact that they were able to see, to touch, to hear Jesus with their own eyes, hands, and ears that we can believe without seeing, or rather, that we see Jesus now by faith in his Word, in the Sacrament, in his Church.
How great is God’s word that through it, he may instill in us a faith which forgives, strengthens, and gives life?! Even as John writes, “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,” John 20:31. Everything Jesus did, he did before witnesses so that by their word, by them sharing Jesus’ Word with us, we may so see and believe unto eternal life! In Jesus’ name! Amen!