It is a wonder that the second Sunday in the Easter season is known for doubt. We started our Easter journey at the empty tomb with Mary as she found Jesus through her tears. The second Sunday of Easter may be a little disappointing at first glance. Why were the disciples behind locked doors? Two of those disciples were INSIDE the empty tomb and saw the folded grave clothes. All of them heard Mary’s testimony. All of them heard the testimony of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. On that first Easter evening Jesus appeared to them to give them peace.
One of the disciples was absent at that first Easter worship service when Jesus presented himself to that group. That disciple was Thomas. He gets a bad rap in my opinion. His behavior was no different than the other disciples. Before I focus on the faults of another, I have to spend some time focusing on my own. It can be the height of folly to say, “I will never doubt my God!” It is at that time Satan will throw us a temptation or hardship that we could never imagine that might shake us to our core.
We don’t need to be afraid of doubts. The only thing to do when questions come to mind is go back to the empty tomb. Jesus came and appeared to Thomas. He didn’t have to. There were plenty of eye witness accounts. Jesus reached out in love to Thomas and he does that same thing for us. I don’t mean that he’ll appear to us on a Sunday evening when our doors are locked tight. I mean he sends us his Spirit. He gathers us together in churches – groups of believers that exist to encourage one another. Until Jesus comes again in glory on the Last Day, we won’t see him in the flesh. But we don’t need to. Christians in 2017 are the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Just how much did Jesus love Thomas? …does Jesus love you? Watch the second portion of our Easter Journey taken from John 20.
Topic(s): EasterBook(s): John
Series: Easter Journey
Tag(s): Doubts, Easter
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg