Grace, Mercy, and
Peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
Have
you heard Thomas, “doubting Thomas” associated with the phrase, seeing is believing? That was true, until Thomas’ faith went
beyond seeing, receiving God’s approval.
Scripture says without faith it is impossible to please God. Yet with
faith the size of a mustard seed, we can do all things… in Christ Jesus. For a moment, let’s look at unbelief, including
Thomas’. Then we’ll look at faith.
First, what describes unbelief? Many
things can. There’s the rejection of what is seen; “I can’t believe what I just
saw!” For example…some folks in mental hospitals and philosophy departments
can’t believe their eyes; until someone with a gun demands “Give me your
wallet.” Then we see the difference
between the schizophrenic and the philosopher. Another example is shock, as in
the disciples’ reaction seeing the risen Jesus for the first time. They
couldn’t believe their eyes until Jesus said more than once, “It’s me, I’m not
a ghost. I’ll eat something in front of you.”
There’s also the unbelief of the unseen. That too has many shapes. Not many people believed in bacteria before the invention of the microscope. Hung juries can happen for that reason too, when some reject the report of reliable witnesses for prejudice, or a stubborn trust in an idea or feeling. For example, materialists say: “dead people can’t rise.” Stuck on that idea, they refuse to even consider eyewitness accounts that Jesus rose from the dead. Then we get silly explanations like, “Jesus resuscitated and walked out of the grave on his own before wandering off toIndia
There’s also the unbelief of the unseen. That too has many shapes. Not many people believed in bacteria before the invention of the microscope. Hung juries can happen for that reason too, when some reject the report of reliable witnesses for prejudice, or a stubborn trust in an idea or feeling. For example, materialists say: “dead people can’t rise.” Stuck on that idea, they refuse to even consider eyewitness accounts that Jesus rose from the dead. Then we get silly explanations like, “Jesus resuscitated and walked out of the grave on his own before wandering off to
That leads us to a third kind of
unbelief, when what’s known as true is denied. For example, the religious
chiefs paid the Roman guard to say “We fell asleep and the disciples stole the
body.” That’s a silly explanation too, given the circumstances. Both parties
knew the truth, and denied it. One for money and the other from hardness of
heart toward the religion they professed. Take note that unbelief of the seen
or unseen need not make sense. Very often it doesn’t. Likewise, at times faith
doesn’t seem to make sense, even if what it believes is true. For example, we
believe in the unseen-God, but cannot irrefutably prove His existence. Stranger yet is believing that God is made visible,
incarnate, and dying upon a cross.
Unbelief has another complication too:
Scripture says why we can’t see, namely, we were born sinners, hard wired
against faith in the Christ. That best describes the unbelief after Jesus’
resurrection. Thomas isn’t the only one who doubts. Some doubt despite their
own eyes seeing the risen Jesus. Others doubt the Apostles eyewitness accounts,
for John said, “we touched Him” (see I John 1). And some who admit Jesus rose
doubt what the resurrection means: our sins are forgiven and we are invited
into fellowship with God as Father.
That’s marvelous news; but some find a gracious God is hard to
swallow... saying “After all I’ve seen - Stalin’s purges, Hitler’s Auschwitz , the Old Testament wars.” Likewise Peter and
John saw a kangaroo court convict Jesus; then John saw Jesus after he was
beaten, whipped and crucified. He and the women watched him die and heard his
last words, powerful words… “Father forgive them, for they know not what they
do.” Then despite the promised resurrection, the women went to the tomb Easter
morning to anoint a dead body while 10 disciples trembled behind locked doors.
Did they really have reason for
unbelief? As for you, what makes faith difficult? When Scripture promises joy
and peace why do you get depressed? When Scripture
promises your Saviour’s abiding presence, why are you disheartened? When you
look around this congregation and see mostly empty pews, do you think God’s
Word can’t work? Let us confess our
unbelief, our faulty wiring, the short circuits, repent and call upon Him who
cares for you… (or so He says). Does He
care for you? Consider Thomas, and ask how did God care for him, and hence will
care for you?
The 1st evidence of care is
he heard Jesus predict his death, resurrection and ascension. 2nd,
he hears the Lord appeared to Peter and to the 10 in that room, and to Mary
Magdalene, and two followers on the way to Emmaus. They jubilantly say, “We
have seen the Lord!” It is clear these formerly grieving people were not
deceivers or mad. Yet Thomas rejects every reason to believe, resisting the
Holy Spirit, denying the promise of God announced by reliable witnesses. That
kind of unbelief ends in hell. (From this O Lord, deliver us!) Then 4th,
something changes Thomas. Something happens for His sake and for our
instruction. Something beyond facts happens, a divine work for faith. Thomas is
transformed and empowered to live by faith. Thomas who at first refused faith
now sees beyond seeing; doubting Thomas makes the deepest confession: My
Lord, and My God.
What Thomas found is our answer to
unbelief too. What Thomas received goes beyond philosophical inquiry or the
illusions of schizophrenia. It goes beyond. Thomas not only assents to the
words and promises of Jesus, he trusts that Jesus is God’s Son, he trust in Jesus. That change is everything for Thomas,
as it is for us. And Thomas, called to
be an apostle, by faith left his familiar world, and eventually left His
earthly life; for Thomas was martyred in India
You might say, oh pastor, I’m not like
that, except perhaps after a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast and a pay
raise. I’m fearful, doubting, troubled, worried. I wonder if God really cares.
I wonder if I have to believe everything in the Bible. My faith is small, like
a mustard seed. Consider Thomas. Are your doubts bigger than his were? More
importantly, is your God smaller than his is? When Jesus appeared did He say
“it’s all up to you to find faith.” Contrary to almost every Disney movie and
feel-good flick, Christian faith does not originate with your inner resolve.
What happened? Jesus appeared and said “Peace be with you.” Did He give that peace or not? Of course He
did, even if the disciples didn’t always feel it. Our present, Living Lord says exactly the
same to you, “Peace be with you.” And it is yours, even when spoken by a pastor’s
mouth it is His living word. Without your help, He conquered death and the
grave. Without your assistance, He paid for your sins. Without your arm, He delivered you from the devil and
declares peace with God. So He took
Thomas to task for unbelief. “Touch my wounds, thrust your hand in my side…”
And “be not without faith, but faithful.” For Thomas is given more than just
reason for faith. Jesus assures Thomas of His presence, and gives what the
other disciples just received, the Holy Spirit.
Yes, faith can be resisted.
But faith is God’s gift. As in Eph. 2:8, For
by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it
is the gift of God… As in James 1:17 ,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no
variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the
word of truth… (1:7, 8a) As in Hebrews 12: 2, …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to
Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…(12:1b, 2) As in I Peter 1:3 …he has caused us to be born again to a
living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for
you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith… (1:3b-5a)
When Jesus spoke to Thomas, He spoke
for faith. Therefore Thomas replied “my Lord and my God!” And that faith is a
gift from our Lord Jesus Christ to you; for like Thomas, Jesus persistently
seeks us. He finds us, saves and sustains us. He died for you. He rose for you.
He comes to you. We have reason for faith. More than that, He is present for
faith.
Have we reason for faith? He provided
faithful witnesses, as John says, these
(things) 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. Is that writing reliable? For one example, when you
read Plato or Aristotle, or that Caesar crossed the Rubicon, did your professor
say, “probably not… after all, our
earliest manuscripts about those things date about 1,000 years after the
events. Who really wrote Plato’s Dialogues? They must be made up stories.” I’ll bet you’ve never heard that, even if
that is the typical approach taught in our universities about the New Testament
text. Yet, of the New Testament there are scads of manuscripts within 200 years
of the events, others within 100 years of the events, and even a little
fragment from about 60 AD, in the years of the events. We have the eyewitness
accounts. We could say more, like the writings conform to the character of
eyewitness testimony, and are vindicated by archeological finds. We could point
out that the events of the NT were common knowledge in their day, so that the
Apostle Paul, testifying in court before Herod Agrippa, said “these things were
not done in a corner.” Jesus walked with
the people doing miracles. He died and rose from the dead as He said, and over
40 days after the resurrection appeared to many, including Thomas. There is reason for faith.
There is also His presence for faith.
By that presence, Jesus overcomes our short circuits. He creates faith in those
He calls, as in His disciples after the resurrection, including Thomas. He creates faith that we are justified,
declaring and distributing peace with God as Father. Jesus gives peace to you,
healing and restoring you to fellowship with God. This gift is stuffed into
your hands with the words, “for you.”
For example, Jesus not only showed the fact of the resurrection, He
loved them to the end. He gave traitorous Peter absolution; He recreated Mary
Magdalene’s faith; He ended Thomas’ doubts. Today He speaks to you in the same
words. He is spiritually present in His Word. And He comes to you today in His
bodily presence, in body and blood hidden under bread and wine. There He
promises to apply forgiveness of sins. And where there is forgiveness there is
life and salvation.
That’s what Jesus Christ, your risen
Lord and God, does for the sake of faith, your faith. He has done it all, including rise from the
dead. He supplies faith in what is seen and unseen, then calls us to a life of
faith, the Holy Spirit working it in us by announcing His promises to us. Thank God, this faith goes far beyond seeing!
It carries us to heaven itself. Thank God
this faith is His gift to you through Christ crucified and risen. He died for
you. He rose for you. He comes to you.
The peace of God which
passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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