Title: The Faith Fall-Out of Easter
Text: John 20:19-31
Thesis: Circumstances that create fear, doubt and faithlessness give way to peace in Christ’s presence.
Introduction
We understand the concept of fallout or aftermath:
• After a nuclear explosion radioactive particles fall through the atmosphere.
• When there are fires in the mountains ash will fill the atmosphere and settle on our cars.
• When we receive a foot of rain in the mountains there will be a disastrous flood.
• When a politician makes an unpopular decision that decision may result in a recall election.
• If the top aides of the Governor of New Jersey create traffic jams on a major bridge between New Jersey and New York to punish the Mayor of a given city, there may be political fallout.
• When a really loud rock band plays Red Rocks the neighbors will complain about the racket.
• When Nebraskans hear Colorado has legalized marijuana they vow to drive around Colorado rather than risk being in an accident caused by a driver under the influence of marijuana… even though the accident rate involving drivers under the influence in Nebraska is five times greater than in Colorado; three times greater in Wyoming than Colorado and two times more likely in New Mexico than in Colorado. (As you can see, fall-out is not necessarily rational.)
It is a rarity for a significant event to not result in some kind of fallout or aftermath. The crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is no exception. There was fallout.
Those who opposed Jesus, the Roman government and the Jewish religious leaders, tried to mitigate the fallout by putting guards at Jesus’ tomb to make sure he stayed in there. And those who loved Jesus simply faded into the woodwork. They just disappeared from the public eye.
One aspect of the fallout from Jesus’ death was fear and as to his resurrection, doubt.
I. Doubt and fear can permeate any critical circumstance
The disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. John 20:19-23
The bible says that Mary Magdalene had found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18) However, despite that good news we find them cowering in fear in behind locked doors.
Two things are apparent:
1. They were afraid that the authorities would do the same thing to them they had done to Jesus.
2. They were less than convinced that Jesus had actually risen from the dead.
Why would they not be fearful and why would they not be doubtful? Was there any real reason for them to think and feel otherwise? The religious leaders were on a rampage and when was the last time you heard of someone actually being resurrected from the dead?
ABC News reported on February 28 a 78 year-old man from Mississippi died in hospice care. He was removed to the mortuary where just as they were preparing for embalming he woke up and started kicking inside the body bag. Despite the fact that he did indeed die two weeks later… that coming back from the dead story was exciting enough to make national news. But that event does not compare to the outrageous nature of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I don’t think fear and doubt are all that uncommon in the aftermath of a crisis. What is going to happen to me and those I love if we lose our house or I lose my job or…? Why didn’t God do something to prevent this from happening and now that it has, why doesn’t God intervene in some miraculous way to deliver me from this circumstance?
In our first church where I served as a youth pastor a nice young couple began attending our church. They had three little girls… the youngest was a new born. The lady had severe and crippling arthritis that left her hands very twisted. She asked us to anoint her with oil and pray for her healing so we did… instantly and miraculously she was healed. Her fingers and hands were absolutely as they should be. It was a wonderful and God glorifying experience. The next morning she called Paul and me at the office and told us the arthritis was back and her hands were as distorted as ever. She asked us to come over…
It was a horrible experience. Linda had been able to hold her baby as a mother wants to hold her baby. She and Jim could hold hands as couples love to hold hands. She could caress and hold her other daughter’s faces in her hands. She could do dishes. And now she could not.
What does a pastor say to a woman whose healing has been revoked? Why would God allow such a horrible disease in the first place and why would God do such a thing to a young mother and her family? There was a ton of disappointment and doubt going through our minds…
When we rang the door bell Linda answered the door and her face was absolutely radiant. We sat with them in their family room and she spoke of her joy the night before and her disappointment upon waking that morning… but then she told us that she was absolutely at peace with her circumstances… She said, and I quote, “God spoke to me and said, ‘I want you to know that I can heal you but I also want you to know that my grace will sustain you in your illness.” She said that she was so grateful for the experience and so grateful to know that God has the power to heal and to know that God’s grace was sufficient for every circumstance.
Jesus speaks peace into our fearsome circumstances.
A. Jesus comes to us and speaks peace into our circumstances.
“Suddenly Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. John 20:19
There in that room where the disciples were cowering in fear for their lives the risen Jesus shows up and speaks a word invoking God’s best blessing into their situation.
Peace is rarely our first response but it is in those alarming moments we must come to our senses and remind ourselves that Jesus is alive and well and present with us in those circumstances. Jesus comes into our brokenness, our loss, our disappointments, our grief, our failure, our injustices, our frustrations and our fears… and speaks a blessing, “Peace be with you.”
Earlier in this Gospel of John Jesus spoke to his disciples and said, “I am leaving your with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27
But that word of peace is not the end of it…
B. Jesus’ blessing extends to and includes a sending.
Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” And he breathed on then and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22
This second expressed blessing expands to include a sending. Not only does Jesus speak peace into their present circumstances, he tells them to get up and take that peace into the world. Fearful circumstances make for a springboard into the lives of others…
There were a couple of times this past winter that I wished for a real snow storm… one of those “you can’t get out of your front door” storms. I wanted God to send one of those “just go back to bed, cover up your head and sleep” storms. When I am up against it I will likely make an attempt to escape and hole-up behind closed doors… just like the disciples did.
But God does not want us give us his peace so we can curl up under a nice comforter and sleep. Jesus gave them peace so they could get up and get out of that upper room and do some good in the world.
It is important that we note the parallel sendings: “As the Father has me, so I am sending you.” God sent the Son and the Son sends us.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1-2
Isaiah 58:6-7 and Matthew 25:31ff roll it out in practical terms: “Free those who are wrongfully imprisoned, lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”
In other words… there are a lot of people in this world who do not have the peace of Christ in their lives and so we get up and go so they too may also know the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
But Thomas was missing. He did not get in on that initial blast of hope.
II. Doubt can demand evidence
Thomas replied, “I won’t believe unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” John 20:24-27
The resurrection is a defensible historical fact! But at the time Thomas did not have the benefit of the historical record. He was the kind of the guy who was in the margins… he was not there when Jesus made his first appearance. Sure… ten of his friends said they had seen him but Thomas had not.
I’ve always been a sucker for books (I love books). When I was in grade school we received The Weekly Reader… I loved the Weekly Reader. And sometimes we could order books. I remember ordering a copy of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Robert Ripley was born on Christmas Day in 1893 in Santa Rosa, CA and began his career as a sports cartoonist when he was 16. Later as a reporter of the odd and unusual he traveled the world compiling a list of things that were so far out that you just had to actually see it to believe it. Every time you looked at one of his pictures and read the story you were forced to ask yourself the question, “Do I believe this or not?” Is there really a Fiji Mermaid? Is the Chinese shrunken head the size of a lemon really a shrunken head?
You either believe it or you do not believe it or you are willing to believe it if you see it for yourself.
If you Google Cliven Bundy his name will pop-up as Cliven Bundy; Cliven Bundy Racist; Cliven Bundy BLM; or Cliven Bundy Ranch. When I heard Clive Bundy, the Nevada rancher who has enjoyed grazing his cattle at the expense of the American taxpayers since 1993 thought the government had overreached in attempting to get him to cough up his back lease money suggested the United States Government should be disarmed was lauded as an American patriot… I questioned his reasoning. But then when I heard he actually said that he had seen some “Negros” hanging around on a front porch with nothing to do and believed the “Negros” would be better off if they were still slaves… I did not believe it. I thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I went online to get the straight skinny because I had to see it for myself if I was going to believe it.
Sometimes things are just so outrageous you need to see or hear for yourself. Thomas was one of those guys who needed to see in order to believe. In fact he said, “Unless I see the nail wounds in his hands and put my hand into the wound in his side, I will not believe!” (John 20:25)
In the 1600’s an Italian painter by the name of Caravaggio painted a famous painting: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas. In the painting we see Jesus holding the side of his garment open… there are three scruffy looking men (disciples) in the painting with him. Two are to the side but the third is stooping and looking in closely as he places his fingers into the gaping wound in Jesus’ side. Think of it. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas actually needing to see and place his fingers into the open wounds before he would believe.
I like to think Jesus understood Thomas’ need to see for himself. We all need to see and hear and touch… Mary Magdalene had seen and heard and touched. The other disciples had benefited from seeing and hearing and touching – why not Thomas?
The faith fall out of the resurrection may have initially been fear and doubt but now the fear is transformed into joy and the doubt is transformed into belief. Jesus said, “Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. John 20:27-28
Conclusion:
For many of us, having grown up in the faith, the Authority of Scripture as the Word of God, Divine Creation, Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale, the exploits of Samson, the Virgin Birth, Turning the Water into Wine, Feeding the 5,000, the Resurrection and Ascension, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Hope of the Second Coming and the Resurrection of the Dead unto Eternal Life and the Realities of Heaven and Hell are not troubling. We weren’t there. We did not see any of it. We have yet to see much of it. We believe God’s Word to be God’s Word.
We believe. We do not get all ruffled when someone finds an ancient scrap in a clay jar in some cave in Egypt that says Jesus had a wife. As Rich Wickman put it, “There are a lot of people named Jesus.” And even at that, so what if he did? Does that change anything?
We may puzzle over what seems to be an exacting God in the Old Testament and a gracious and loving God in the New Testament but then we remind ourselves that God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts… the way God is and the way we are is worlds apart. But at the heart of is all is a God who never changes and a God who loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us that we might be made right with him… nothing in the heart of God changes. He always loves us. It is we who are changed in the face of his mercy and love.
We have heard what Jesus had to say to the disciples and to Thomas… now hear what Jesus has to say to us: “Blest are those who believe without seeing me.” These things are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son o God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. John 20:29-31
There may have been a faith fallout of Easter but now we know that the fallout of Easter is faith.
