Jesus appears to All the Disciples, Except Thomas...then Thomas...the World's Best Known Doubter

 To You Who Are Beloved of our Lord Jesus Christ,                                

 This Sunday, we share Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance to his disciples from the gospel of John.  John 20: 19-31: 

  ¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² 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 them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 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 have come to believe.”

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

          I did it again.  In reading over this passage, I spend so much time on the story of Doubting Thomas (D.T.), I found myself blowing past the larger context.  Jesus appears to all the disciples (except D.T.) first time out and there is a post-Resurrection, pre-Pentecost event located here.  Jesus puffs on the disciples to grant first access to the Holy Spirit.

          And he leaves them great power and responsibility.  “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”  At first glance, does that look like Jesus has granted them permission to turn on and turn off the free gift of salvation that Jesus gave his life for us to receive?  There are ‘power brokers’ today in the church who presume that is exactly the authority they have.

          How terrifying is that?  That the Holy Spirit, the very presence of Jesus within us, can make we who are Jesus’ disciples wise enough and authoritative enough to know a person’s heart?

          But maybe, just maybe the story of Doubting Thomas is to illustrate what this great power and responsibility look like?  Thomas is like “No Way” to Jesus’ resurrection.  The disciples are like “Way…”  Then Thomas spouts off about putting his fingers in the wounds before he will believe.  Which is exactly how Jesus calls him out. 

          Imagine Jesus holding up his holed hands and wiggling his fingers, pulling up his shirt to reveal the previously wounded side.

          Now, what if that is what Jesus means to ‘forgive’ and ‘retain’ sins.  That this measure is made in the demonstration of the truth of Jesus to the people the disciples will come to?  Thomas believed and was forgiven.  But what if he walked away?  He would have retained his sin of doubt and disbelief.

          But note what Jesus did.  I played with the image, Jesus holding up his wounded hands.  But what Jesus did was to come to Thomas in love.  Come and see.  Here is the truth of the matter.  “Do not doubt but believe.”  And Thomas believed.    

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”, Jesus goes on to say.  Therein is the power of sins forgiven.  Therein is the centerpiece of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples.  Therein is the work we are called to do in Jesus’ Name.

 

Pastor Pete