MONDAY 5 April 2021 “Thomas”

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Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

Easter 2021 was yesterday, today life resumes some normalcy all around the world, doesn’t it? We rush from one experience to another, from one information download to another. In fact in 2021, our reality is we each have available to us everyday more information than we could possibly process. So, what was it like the Monday after that Passover/Easter with Jesus?

Matthew tells us a frantic, resurrection cover-up plan was spreading through Jerusalem in the days and weeks following Easter Sunday. Those who had passionately called for Jesus’ death, were determined to make sure Jesus remained dead, even if they no longer had the proof… His dead body!

Matthew reports: “When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, ‘you are to say ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble’ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story had been widely circulated among the Jews to this day.” (Matt. 28:12-15)

Wow, that sounds like the type of thing happening all around our world, in almost every society, when leadership want to change or hide the truth, doesn’t it?

We have seen how misinformation or intentional truth distortion or cover-ups or media blackouts or medic censorship can create chaos, haven’t we? I doubt we can imagine how stirred up and confused Jerusalem was the Monday after that Easter Sunday! Many of the close friends of Jesus had actually SEEN and spoken with the resurrected Jesus through the day and evening of Easter Sunday. They were absolutely convinced, no doubt about it, the resurrection of Jesus was real and true!

But one of them, Thomas, had somehow been away from the others all that Sunday, and therefore Thomas had not seen Jesus. John writes “So the disciples told Thomas, ‘we have seen the Lord!’ But Thomas said to them, ‘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.” (John 20:24,25)

Hurray for Thomas! I salute Thomas’ courage, how about you? While history has called him “doubting Thomas” and some have maligned him for his unwillingness to believe without proof… I’m grateful for Thomas! None of the Gospel writers give us any indication the resurrected Jesus was seen by anyone at any time during the days immediately following Easter Sunday. Where was Jesus? We don’t know. What we do know is this:

* The tomb where Jesus’ dead body had been placed on Friday afternoon was empty, except for the burial wrappings which had been left behind when He was resurrected.

I wonder, did more people visit the tomb through that week to see for themselves? Did some of the Pharisees and other maybe religious leaders come to the tomb?

* The guards who had experienced the Easter Sunday earthquake, had both seen and heard the angel explain the empty tomb.

These guards were experiencing what today we call PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) They knew what they had experienced, but they were being forced to tell a lie, a coverup and they were trying to stay away from those who might ask the hard questions.

* The religious leaders, who had worked so hard to silence Jesus were frightened, confused, maybe even terrified. They had no dead body, or anything else with which to prove that Jesus was still dead.

Undoubtedly they had heard the rumors, even the story from the guards. I’m sure they wondered, if there was any truth to the resurrection rumor, what might this resurrected Jesus be planning now… for them?

What does retaliation for murder look like if the executed is alive again? They knew of His miraculous powers. Oh my, can you imagine the fear the Pharisees and the other religious leaders must have been living the days after Easter Sunday?

* The friends of Jesus were amazed and overjoyed, but also confused. What now?

The Passover festival was complete. In past years, normally they would be returning home after Passover, re-engaging with their normal lives. But for these 11 men and the several women who had often walked with Jesus, life had been anything but normal for the past several months. What would you have done my friends, if you had been among them?

I’m glad the Scriptures are silent on these first few days after Easter Sunday. John tells us the following Sunday they were all together again and this time Thomas was with them. John reports: “Though the doors and windows were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you!” (John 20:26)

We need to remember these were good Jewish men and women. Saturday was their Sabbath, their day of rest and worship. I have no doubt they had done that, wherever they spent that Sabbath.

Sunday was the equivalent of our Monday. It was a back to normal life work day for everyone. I wonder if the close friends of Jesus gathered that Sunday one week later, early in the morning or perhaps later in the evening, to remember? To remember what had happened that Passover/Easter weekend one week ago? Did they share their stories, their perspectives now that they’d had a week to ruminate on all they had experienced and what they knew about Jesus? Were they sharing a meal together again? Did Jesus stand in a corner for a while, unnoticed, just listening and watching His friends?

When Jesus finally moved from the shadows into the crowded room, can you imagine how quickly a hush filled that room? They were in awe! It was Jesus… their resurrected friend Jesus was again with them! None of them could explain it or fully understand it, but they knew it was Him!

Perhaps Thomas was talking with another of the disciples and had his back to the corner from which Jesus had come? Was it perhaps a tap on Thomas’ shoulder which interrupted his conversation and as Thomas turned around can you imagine the look on his face when he saw Jesus? “Shalom (peace be with you) Thomas, put your finger here, see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:27)

Do you hear the compassion in Jesus’ voice, do you see the tender love in His eyes? There is no rebuke, no stern accusation, no judgment, no condemnation. Jesus knows what an outrageous, unbelievable thing resurrection is! It’s not natural. It’s outside of our normal human experience. We can’t explain it much less really understand it.

In Jesus’ resurrection, not only did life return to His body, but all the horrific damage done through the beatings and the crucifixion was healed! When Jesus extended His hands to Thomas, there were nail scars and a deep scar in His side where the spear had been thrust into Jesus by the soldier. It was the proof Thomas needed. Perhaps you have one or more scars on your body. They remind you of something traumatic that happened to your body in the past, right? But it also reminds you of the healing work of God in your body, right? Do you thank Jesus when you look at your scars?

Thomas was overwhelmed “My Lord and my God!” Oh my what a declaration! Thomas was affirming that while he couldn’t fully comprehend it, this was undoubtedly his friend Jesus, whom he had followed these many months. But more…Thomas was declaring that he now believed this Jesus was the Son of God! God incarnate. God the Son was there in that room in Jerusalem!

Listen, Jesus is speaking… “Because you have seen Me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed!” (John 20:29) Already, in only one week since that resurrection Sunday, as the disciples and the women had shared their Easter stories with people they knew, or even those they didn’t know well but who came and asked them about the rumors. . . people were believing the remarkable, amazing truth. They hadn’t seen Jesus, but when they put together what they knew of Him, what they had heard Him say, the miracles they had seen Him do… with now the confident stories of His disciples… they believed! The resurrection of Jesus was true!

But Jesus meant more than that, didn’t He my friends? Jesus was talking to Thomas about the people Thomas would tell, there in Jerusalem and in the Galilee. Many would believe when Thomas told his story! And history tells us Thomas eventually went east, all the way into India, and told his story and thousands of people believed and experienced new life as the risen Jesus Christ brought to them the life change that He promised, by the power of His Holy Spirit! Even today, 2000 years later, millions of boys born in India are named Thomas, in honor of this disciple.

John concludes this remarkable resurrection chapter 20 with this very powerful declaration: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name!“ (John 20:30,31) Do you? Do you have life in the name of the resurrected Jesus Christ? Oh I hope so, and if I can be of help to you, please write me!

As the miraculous story of the resurrection of Jesus traveled from Jerusalem all around the world, books, poems and songs have been written reflecting how Jesus has impacted people in every place. Here’s a song from Johannesburg, South Africa called “I Believe” which may have grown out of the story of Thomas! I wonder what your story is, my friend? We each have a unique life story, don’t we?

Let’s enjoy the worship from South Africa!

Today’s Scripture is John 20.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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