Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter

2nd Sunday of Easter
John 20:19-31
"Does Easter make A Difference?"

19 ¶ On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors
being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then
the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, even so I send you."

22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain
the sins of any, they are retained."

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them
when Jesus came.

25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he
said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and
place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his
side, I will not believe."

26 ¶ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and
Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood
among them, and said, "Peace be with you."

27 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 be faithless,
but believing."

28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples,
which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his
name.RSV

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Saviour, Jesus who is the
risen Christ.

A pastor tells the following in the Augsburg Sermon Book for the year
1985: "I've never seen such a crowd in church, the woman exclaimed'.
I didn't know her, but apparently she was impressed by the number of
people here for Easter worship. Then, as she was shaking my hand an-'
moving toward the front door, she added, "Do you suppose it will make
any difference?"

I held on to her hand so she couldn't get away, "What do you mean?" I
said ''Will what make a difference?"

"Easter," she shot back. "Will Easter make any difference for all
these people, or will life tomorrow be the same as it was yesterday?"

That lady's question is truly a profound question. "Will Easter make
any difference for all these people, or will life tomorrow be the
same as it was yesterday Will Easter make any difference in your
life? Has this week been guy different for you because of the Easter
event last Sunday?

Easter is truly a religious holiday. Oh, sure we have the Easter
bunny and the tradition of buying new clothes, but in the final
analysis Easter has not been commercialized, it is truly a religious
event and has this religious event made any difference in your life?

One person who found that Easter does make a difference is the
brother of Thomas, his twin.

Listen:


Dear Thomas,

After so many years, I am glad that I can finally write this letter
to you. I was not sure that it would be possible. I am more skeptical
than even you, and I was not sure how I would ever be able to believe
in this Jesus of Nazareth you followed. He was crucified and that was
the end of it as far as I was concerned. Yes, you had some
hallucination I thought. Hanging around with those twelve, it was no
wonder you'd begin to lose your mind. But it was clear that you at
least were serious about it when you left for India. I pray that this
letter will reach you so that you can share my joy. Your dedication
to proclaiming Jesus was always inspiring to me, even if I thought it
was wrong-headed and unbelievable.

But let me tell you what happened to me.

As I'd written you, we had to leave Galilee to live in Jerusalem.
There was no more living for us there, so we left to find a better
circumstance in the city. Here in Jerusalem a tailor can make more
money, but expenses are greater. Whether we will come out ahead, I am
not yet sure. We found some rooms to rent, Naomi and me and the
children. Of course, we were very nervous, even frightened, about
leaving our homes and families to live in this crowded, busy place.
We did have contact with cousin Micah, but he lived some distance
away from our new home in the city.

As it turned out, our neighbors are wonderful people. Stephanus and
Miriam welcomed us warmly when we arrived and made sure that we were
provided for even the very first day we moved in. Naomi was sick
within the week of our arrival and Miriam made extra trips to the
well for our water. I could well expect our friends to treat us so,
but we were strangers to these people. We were afraid that we'd left
this neighborliness behind in Galilee.

Not long after this we received word that Naomi's mother died, and so
we had to go back to Galilee to take care of some business and to
visit and mourn with her family. We did not look forward to the long
trip, and our donkey had a sore hoof and was unable to make the
journey. When Stephanus learned of our situation he immediately
offered us the use of his donkey and cart, so that the children could
ride and we could make better time. This generosity was difficult to
accept, but I could tell his sincerity in the peaceful look in his
eyes as he encouraged me to make use of his donkey and cart.

Although Miriam and Stephanus are always busy, they never seem
hurried. They always have time to listen and to talk, or to lend a
hand. So over the course of a month or so we became quite friendly. I
finally had to ask Stephanus how it was that he is so peaceful and
joyful. I don't mean that he's a joker or unfeeling. I was touched by
the way he carried himself, the way he responded to situations with a
clear sense of fairness and confidence. He was sober, but not boring.
He had a genuine interest in me. At first, of course, that is simply
flattering, but then I began to appreciate that he cared for me
simply for who I am, not who I might become or what I might do for
him. As you know, Thomas, that is rare.

So I asked him what was behind his way in the world. He did not
answer me right away, but he went deep into himself. Then he said to
me, "You have asked the most serious question. I cannot give you the
answer all at once in a way that will make much sense to you. But it
was not always this way with me. I was run out of my hometown because
of the evil things I did. I was truly a lost soul. You might say that
I was dead, but now, thank God, I am alive. I was introduced to a
group of people whom I would like you to meet. We get together each
week after the sabbath is over and we pray together, perhaps you
would like to join us, and bring your family, the women pray with us
as well."

I should have known when he said they gather after the sabbath has
ended that they were your people, Thomas, but luckily I didn't put it
together; there are so many sects and religious fanatics around these
days. So, the next week we went together with them.

How shall I describe it to you?

It was so ordinary, and yet so remarkable. There were about a dozen
adults there and many children scurrying about, playing. We met at
the home of one of the members. I recognized a few whom I'd seen at
the market. There was quite a mixture of people. Some who were
wealthy and others who were certainly poor. But they did not hold
these distinctions between them. Instead each greeted each warmly. We
were welcomed immediately and felt right at home. Their hospitality
was remarkable, and their joy was clear.

We shared together a meal of bread and porridge. We sang psalms
together and joined in prayer. Then we heard lessons from the law and
the prophets and different persons shared from their lives how these
affirmed that Jesus was the Christ, and that he was risen from the
dead. As soon as I realized these were your people, Thomas, I became
very uncomfortable. Yet I was still drawn to them. The oddness of
their belief in a crucified man rising from the dead and being the
son of God seemed insignificant beside the joy and love and peace
that radiated from this group.

After the readings and reflections on the Scriptures were completed
we sang again. Then there was silence and going around the room those
who were present began to share their needs. They shared where they
had gone wrong in the previous week, they confessed their sins to one
another and prayed for each others' deliverance. I was moved by the
trust and tenderness that was shown in this time. They also shared
their victories and how God had been active in healing them. Truly,
forgiveness and acceptance and healing were present in that fellowship.

Finally, I felt that I must speak. I told them I was your brother,
but explained that you had been unable to convince me that Jesus was
the Christ and Lord. I told them that I was still not sure. Certainly
there was a spirit about them, they had surely experienced something
real to them and I had experienced something of it as well.

Stephanus answered me. "Your heart has given you a testimony. We are
glad that we have been a part of it. Your head needs time to catch up
with what the Spirit has told you. I am confident that the God who
raised Christ from the dead is at work in you. I do not fear the
outcome of God's hand in your life. It is hard for us to accept
things from our families sometimes, perhaps there is a message that
Thomas could not communicate to you."

I thanked him for his words and became quiet.

A loaf of bread and a cup of wine was brought forth and one of the
fellowship offered a prayer in remembrance of Christ, crucified and
risen. He said that the bread was a sign of his broken body, and the
wine a sign of the blood he shed on behalf of sinners like us. And as
he broke the bread and all of us ate from it, I came to know in the
love of these people for me and my family the love that God showed
for us on that cross at Calvary. I began to know that I was not alone
in a cruel and meaningless world, but that God shares in this world
with me and recreated the world when he overcame even death by
raising Christ from the dead.

And then the cup was offered, the cup of a new covenant, a new
reconciliation with God, a new beginning. God's forgiveness that
overcomes the past was made clear to me in this group of strangers
who were joined into a community of witnesses to that forgiveness. As
we shared together from the cup, the power of that community revealed
to me what had been revealed to you: the reality of Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen. No longer did I need to be convinced, only
directed and led to a deeper fellowship with these believers and a
closer walk with him who leads them. Like you, I needed more than
words. I needed to know the risen Christ.

Now I know. I'm sorry I couldn't just take your word for it. There is
so much more I have to tell you, and even more that I need to learn
from you, for you were with him! I do not know when we may meet
again, for now so many miles lie between us. But today I can honestly
write that I feel closer to you than I did when we lived in the same
village, and I know that we will be together when he comes again to
take us home. God bless you, my brother. I pray that your work in
India is going well, that you are able to introduce many to hope in
the Lord. Our community will begin to send you some support to ease
your burdens. Peace be with you. 1

Another came to realize that Jesus was Lord and God.

As Thomas proclaimed in our gospel lesson, Thomas answered him, "My
Lord and my God!" can we proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour?
Sure we have doubts, Thomas and his twin did, but those doubts can be
overcome by faith. Faith is a belief that Jesus died and rose for our
salvation.

Does Easter make a difference, yes it does.

Amen



Written by Pastor Tim Zingale
You may freely use this as is or in parts. Please somehow give
credit if possible, thanks! Not for commercial use.


1 Found in a sermon by John W. McNeill


"You can't always beat what is difficult in your life. Sometimes you
have to let it win and shout hallelujah anyhow."
Bebe More Campbell



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