Title: ABSENCE, PRESENCE, AND RESURRECTION FAITH
Focus: Resurrection faith calls for practicing the presence of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Function: To move the people to be present and to practice the presence of Christ in the gathering of the church
Text: John 20:19-31
His real name was Nicholas Herman, but he’s known throughout the Christian world as “Brother Lawrence.” Brother Lawrence lived in the late 17th century as a lay-brother or monk in a Carmelite monastery in Paris. He served in the kitchen of the monastery for at least 15 years. Brother Lawrence has become known for his devotional insights expressed in letters to some friends. Those insights all center on practicing the presence of Christ in our lives.
You see, Brother Lawrence taught that walking with Jesus or remaining in him and he in us calls for living with an awareness that Jesus is present—not only in the prayer closet, or in the church sanctuary, or when we read the Bible, but also when we go about our daily business. We show such awareness by constantly acknowledging Jesus’ presence, and by conversing with him, and by offering our work and play and ourselves to Jesus throughout each day.
I wonder if Brother Lawrence drew insights from today’s Scripture reading. For in John 20:19-31 we learn that resurrection faith calls for practicing the presence of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. Today the Lord comes to each one of us and calls us to live by faith, not by sight, and to practice his very presence. (vs.29) “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
As we explore the gospel reading from John 20, we notice first of all
How disappointed and disillusioned and bewildered they are about what happened these last few days: their leader is crucified, buried, and now even his body is gone. All their hopes and dreams for a future with Jesus as their Savior King in Israel are shattered. Even some of the women disciples seem to be out of touch with reality, because they talk about having seen Jesus raised from the dead. How silly can you get? Jesus is absent! Gone! Period!—so is Thomas, also called “Didymus,” or “the Twin.”
Vs. 24-29 provide us with the
second scene. It’s a week later. The disciples are together. But now Thomas,
the Twin, is with them. They are far more energized than a week ago, because
the disciples have seen Jesus, although it was only for a very short time.
Thomas, however, had not seen Jesus. And that’s what this scene a week later is
all about: it’s about Thomas encountering the risen Lord Jesus Christ. For in
this scene, the risen, absent Son of God confronts Thomas—and us, his twin—with
this particular truth: resurrection faith calls for practicing the presence
of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
And that leads us to consider this passage and
However, on that resurrection Sunday evening the disciples get the surprise of their lives: Jesus is alive! Risen from the dead! For there he is! In the flesh! The same Jesus as before, yet different, in that now he appears to them while the doors are locked. The same Jesus is back again, present. There he stands before them in his glorified, resurrection body. “Peace be with you!” he says. All of a sudden, the disciples find themselves in a whole new “ballgame,” a whole new situation of peace, of shalom. Clearly, the spotlight of attention is now on the crucified, absent Jesus, who it turns out, is risen and present, in their midst. Imagine their joy!
But then, a week later, the spotlight of attention turns to the second scene. Now we zero in on Jesus and Thomas. When Jesus was absent--buried in a grave, and a few days later gone from the grave--Thomas was absent from his fellow disciples. A disillusioned Thomas withdrew from his friends. He grieved and sulked alone; his faith in Jesus was shattered; the crucifixion left no doubt in Thomas’ mind that Jesus was finished, gone, absent forever.
Thomas said so to the disciples when he was told that Jesus was raised from the dead and present among the disciples on that resurrection Sunday evening. Thomas said: “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
They call him “Didymus.” That’s Greek for “twin.” Thomas has a twin brother or sister. We don’t know who that might be. But in the context of the story, it might be you or me, the listeners to the story. I, for one, can relate to Thomas’ doubts about resurrection stories. Dead is dead. Dust is dust. To be buried means to be absent, to be gone! Don’t be too hard on Didymus! Thomas could be our twin brother.
In this second scene, the risen but absent Lord Jesus comes to the disciples and to Thomas. And this time, Jesus speaks to Thomas and to anyone of us who may have doubts about resurrection stories, saying: “Peace be with you! Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jesus’ sudden presence in that room filled with disciples, shocks Thomas to the core of his being. And that leads us to consider this passage and
Thomas’ response is loaded with significance. It’s a confession, not of doubt, but faith. Here we find Thomas embracing Jesus as his Lord and his God. Thomas’ cry is a declaration of Jesus’ divinity and of Jesus’ authority. Jesus is truly the Son of God, the Lord of all of life. Thomas’ climactic response is also a surrender by Thomas. “My Lord and my God” are words that come from the lips of a servant bowing before his Master. Thomas surrenders himself to Jesus and bows before him in worship and adoration.
And thus we
observe this passage’s awesome scenes, stirring spotlight, and exhilarating
climax. And through this passage, we begin to hear this truth loudly and
clearly: Resurrection faith calls for practicing the presence of the risen
and ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I invite you to become a gold digger; together we shall dig up gold nuggets of insights in this passage. These insights will help us to live out of the resurrection faith by practicing the presence of the risen (and ascended) Lord Jesus Christ.
Gold Nugget No. 1:
Jesus wants us to live by faith. We live in the time between Jesus’
resurrection from the dead and Jesus’ final coming in glory. In this time, we
must relate to Jesus by faith, not by sight. We must live by the Word of God
and the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and gift of eternal life: “Blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Gold Nugget No. 2: Jesus wants us to expand our vision and include the spiritual realm of God in our daily conscious awareness and walk with God. There is more to this world than the naked eye can see. There is the visible, earthly, created realm, and then there is the invisible, created, heavenly realm. Both are real. Jesus’ encounter with Thomas and the disciples is a strong reminder NOT to let the physical senses hinder us from accepting the invisible, spiritual realities that come to us by faith. Reason and logic must learn to dance with faith and trust in the living God who reveals himself in both, the visible and invisible created world.
Those of us who struggle with doubt and consider Thomas a brother must remember this: a doubter stops at the threshold of the invisible, irrational. A person with resurrection faith, however, crosses the threshold of earthly things and enacts upon the spiritual realities of the heavens surrounding us.
Gold Nugget No. 3: In his wondrous encounter with Thomas and the disciples, the resurrected Lord Jesus demonstrates that though he seemed absent, he was present. This is the astonishing truth and insight in the story: while Thomas expresses doubt because he did not see Jesus, Jesus hears and knows exactly what Thomas is saying and thinking and feeling. Physically, with the naked eye, the disciples cannot see Jesus in the room. He is absent. Yet, Jesus is present. He hears us, sees us, knows us as no one will ever know us.
These are the insights that give rise to this very truth: resurrection faith calls for practicing the presence of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, the Lord Jesus reveals himself through his Word and Spirit and the sacrament: We see the Son of God at work as we hear the Word of God preached; we experience the presence of the risen Christ when we break the bread and drink the cup. And we encounter the ascended Lord Jesus every time when we assemble for worship as the body or church of Jesus.
Those of us who do not think much of coming together for public worship in church, listen up! Those of us who seek the fellowship of the church sporadically and think you can do without the community of faith, learn from Thomas. Doubt pestered Thomas when he withdrew from the company of disciples.
Hiding Thomas missed out on the
resurrection appearance of Jesus. Sulking Thomas put his foot of doubt in his
mouth, only to take it out when the risen Lord Jesus lovingly, gently, and
firmly rebuked him saying: “Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Are you Thomas’ twin brother or sister? Are you one of those who think you can do without the believing community called the church? Think again: It is only when Thomas huddled with the disciples that he encountered the risen Lord Jesus Christ. It is only when you seek the company of Christians called the church, that you will encounter Jesus in the Word preached, the sacraments administered, and the fellowship enjoyed. Contrary to what the world says and thinks: the truth is this: Jesus reveals himself in the midst of his people. There, of all places and communities, there, the people with resurrection faith will practice the presence of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.