The Second Sunday of Easter
\nApril 3, 2016
\nJohn 20:19-31<\/p>\n
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.\u00a0 The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the LORD.\u00a0 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!\u00a0 As the Father has sent me, I am sending you\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Now Thomas (called Didymus) one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.\u00a0 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the LORD!”\u00a0 But he said\u00a0 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.”\u00a0 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.\u00a0 Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands.\u00a0 Reach out your hand and put it into my side.\u00a0 Stop doubting and believe.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Thomas said to him, “My LORD and my God!”\u00a0 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 (NIV1984)<\/p>\n Dear fellow worshipers of our living Lord and Savior,<\/p>\n He is risen!\u00a0 He is risen indeed!<\/p>\n I have three scars on my body.\u00a0 One scar is on my chin.\u00a0 It is what might be called my \u201cchild\u2019s play\u201d scar.\u00a0 When I was very young I was playing with my toy truck\u2014 pushing it as fast as I could down the sidewalk.\u00a0 Suddenly the wheels of my truck got stuck in a crack in the sidewalk.\u00a0 It stopped.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Now I have a scar on my chin.\u00a0 I have another scar on my finger.\u00a0 It is what might be called my \u201cfoolishness scar.\u201d\u00a0 When I was a child I found a bottle and wanted to see if I could get it to shatter against a huge boulder.\u00a0 When it didn\u2019t shatter the way I wanted it to I picked it up to try again.\u00a0 That was foolish.\u00a0 Now I have a scar.\u00a0 The third scar is on my shoulder.\u00a0 It\u2019s from a vaccine I received as a child.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember much about it.<\/p>\n Do any of you have a scar?\u00a0 If you have ever had surgery you probably have a scar.\u00a0 If you have ever been injured you may also have a scar.\u00a0 If you do have a scar then it will be easy for you to relate to how I would like us to study this very familiar portion of the Easter account.\u00a0 Whenever we see a scar that we may have we remember how we received that scar, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 For example, even if I wanted to I would not be able to forget how foolish I was when I got this scar on my finger.<\/p>\n The portion of Scripture that we have before us today, my friends, is very often studied from the perspective of focusing on \u201cDoubting Thomas.\u201d\u00a0 This morning, however, I would like us to focus on the stigmata<\/em>\u2014 the \u201cscars of crucifixion\u201d that are still present in Jesus\u2019 resurrected body.\u00a0 With that perspective in mind let\u2019s study our text under the theme:\u00a0 Wounds that Heal.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 There are two things we want to see today.\u00a0 First let\u2019s see how the stigmata<\/em> assure us that our relationship with our God has been healed.\u00a0 Then let\u2019s see how the stigmata<\/em> have the power to heal our relationships with others.<\/p>\n The setting of our text is quite familiar to us.\u00a0 It is the evening of that first Easter Sunday.\u00a0 The Lord\u2019s disciples had locked themselves in a room \u201cfor fear of the Jews\u201d<\/em> as John says here in our text.\u00a0 After seeing how the religious leaders of Jerusalem convinced the people of Jerusalem to have Barabbas released and Jesus executed, the disciples were understandably afraid that they were next on \u201cthe list.\u201d\u00a0 That fear was completely swept away when as John says in our text, \u201cJesus came and stood among them and said, \u2018Peace be with you!\u2019\u00a0 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.\u00a0 The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPeace be with you!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Since those were the very first words that the risen Christ chose to speak to His fear-filled disciples on that first Easter evening we can anticipate that this was far more than just the typical Jewish greeting of Shalom.<\/em>\u00a0 This anticipation is then confirmed when we see how<\/em><\/strong> Jesus substantiated the \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> He proclaimed!\u00a0 \u201cHe showed them his hands and side.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> of Easter, the \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> of the risen Christ is a \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> that is based upon the stigmata\u2014 the scars left behind by Jesus\u2019 crucifixion.<\/p>\n These scars, my friends, prove two tremendous truths beyond a shadow of a doubt.\u00a0 First, the stigmata proved to the disciples that the Jesus who was now physically standing among them was the very same Jesus who was nailed to the cross on Calvary\u2019s hill.\u00a0 This was the very same Jesus who had His side pierced by the spear of the Roman soldier.\u00a0 This was not a hallucination!\u00a0 This was not a hoax!\u00a0 This was a miracle\u2014 the miracle we now call Easter!<\/p>\n Secondly, the stigmata prove to Jesus\u2019 disciples\u2014 both then and now\u2014 exactly<\/strong> what Jesus meant when He victoriously proclaimed from the cross, \u201cIt is finished!\u201d<\/em> (John 19:30).\u00a0 Think about it.\u00a0 Sin had totally and completely ruined our relationship with God.\u00a0 Sin had totally and completely made us the enemies of the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. (Romans 8:7)\u00a0 Sin had made us totally and completely deserving of eternal punishment in hell.\u00a0 But the stigmata\u2014 the scars of crucifixion\u2014 now proclaim to us that our sins are totally and completely paid for!\u00a0 Our relationship with the God of heaven has been \u201chealed\u201d because of the wounds that Jesus willingly endured for us!\u00a0 This is precisely what Isaiah foresaw when he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, \u201cBut he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed\u201d<\/em> (Isaiah 53:5).\u00a0 This is also what the apostle Paul points us to when he says, \u201cTherefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ\u201d<\/em> (Romans 5:1).<\/p>\n \u201cPeace be with you!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 That is the very same message that your risen Lord and Savior proclaims to you today, my dear friends.\u00a0 Whenever Satan tries to convince you that your<\/strong> sins are too<\/strong> numerous or too <\/strong>horrendous to be forgiven, whenever Satan tries to rob you of the \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> of Easter by pointing out the sins of your past, whenever your own conscience clouds your heart with fear and doubt, your risen Lord and Savior sweeps all of that away with His glorious victorious proclamation of, \u201cPeace be with you!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And while you and I may not have the privilege of seeing or touching the scars of crucifixion on Jesus\u2019 resurrected body we do have the privilege of receiving His true body and His true blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion as visible tangible proof that our sins are<\/strong> forgiven, as visible tangible proof that we are<\/strong> at \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> with the God of heaven, as visible tangible proof that we are<\/strong> the dearly beloved, saved and adopted children of our heavenly Father!<\/p>\n Wounds that Heal.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Praise God that the scars on Jesus\u2019 resurrected body assure us that He has indeed accomplished all that was necessary to heal our relationship with the Lord God of heaven and earth.\u00a0 Praise God that no matter what happens to us as we journey through this world, no matter what difficulties or disappointments, no matter what hardships or headaches or heartaches we encounter there is nothing<\/strong>, absolutely nothing <\/strong>that can rob us of the peace that Easter guarantees to us, the peace that is proven to us by the stigmata.<\/em><\/p>\n Once we understand that our personal relationship with God has been healed through the wounds that Jesus endured for us on the cross then we will also be able to see how His wounds also have the power to heal our relationships with others.\u00a0 Here is where we can use the example of Thomas.\u00a0 Thomas was not there in that locked room when Jesus came and brought the \u201cpeace\u201d<\/em> of Easter to His fearful disciples.\u00a0 And, of course, you all know how Thomas reacted when the other disciples came to him and said, \u201cWe have seen the Lord!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 John tells us in our text, \u201cBut he <\/em>(Thomas) said to them, \u2018Unless 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.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Have you ever stopped to consider how Thomas\u2019 doubts affected his relationship with the other disciples?\u00a0 For an entire week Thomas was an unbeliever!\u00a0 For an entire week Thomas considered his friends to either be foolish or at least na\u00efve.\u00a0 For an entire week Thomas\u2019 sin separated him not only from God but also from the other disciples.\u00a0 Then Jesus appeared to His disciples again.\u00a0 This time Thomas was present.\u00a0 Jesus once again pointed to the stigmata and said to Thomas, \u201cStop doubting and believe!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 And once again Jesus\u2019 wounds not only healed Thomas\u2019 relationship with his God, but Jesus\u2019 wounds also healed Thomas\u2019 relationship his fellow believers.<\/p>\n Sadly, Satan is very adept at destroying our relationships with each other as Christians.\u00a0 Even more sadly, our own sins give Satan ample opportunity and ample ammunition to try and divide and conquer us.\u00a0 That is when our Savior\u2019s scars can play a powerful role in healing us\u2014 His family of believers.<\/p>\n When one of God\u2019s children falls into the trap of sin that sin not only hurts that individual\u2019s relationship with the Lord but that sin also hurts that individual\u2019s relationship with the members of the Lord\u2019s church.\u00a0 At the very least sin puts a strain on our relationships with each other.\u00a0 At its worst sin separates us from the family of believers.\u00a0 That\u2019s why the Lord so clearly tells us that when one of our brothers or sisters falls a trap that Satan has set for them we need to do everything we can to help them by calling them to repentance.\u00a0 We can not lose sight of the fact that the wounds of our Savior have the power to heal, my friends\u2014 whether it is healing that person\u2019s relationship with their Lord by reminding them of what their God has done to save them from sin or healing that person\u2019s relationship with the members of the Lord\u2019s church by reminding us that what the Lord has freely done for us He has also done for them.<\/p>\n That very same truth can also be applied to our relationships with people outside the family of believers.\u00a0 There is so much bitterness and so much distrust and so much hatred in the world around us that sometimes we might feel like retreating to our own little corner of the world, throwing in the towel and simply isolating ourselves in our own little protective cocoon\u2014 and many people do just that.\u00a0 They don\u2019t know their neighbors.\u00a0 They barely know their co-workers.\u00a0 They don\u2019t get involved in their community.\u00a0 They may even avoid getting involved in the political process.\u00a0 They remain silent as the vocal minority\u2014 and I for one pray that it is the minority\u2014 as the vocal minority continues to make the evening news.\u00a0 What Easter encourages us to do, my friends, what Easter empowers us to do is to take our risen Savior\u2019s message of \u201cPeace be with you!\u201d<\/em> and share it!\u00a0 Share it with as many people as we can!\u00a0 Share it however we can!\u00a0 The stigmata, the wounds that heal, remind us that Jesus not only died to pay for our <\/strong>sins, but He died to pay for all <\/strong>the sins of all <\/strong>mankind.\u00a0 Sharing that glorious message of Easter peace with others is how we strive to overcome the bitterness and the distrust and the hatred that we see in the world around us.\u00a0 Sharing that glorious message of Easter peace with others is how we take the closing words of our text for today and make them relevant to our lives and our world.\u00a0 John tells us, \u201cJesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.\u00a0 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Scars. \u00a0Often times the scars that you and I bear on our bodies are a reminder of something foolish that we have done something tragic that has happened to us.\u00a0 Thankfully, the scars of crucifixion that our risen Lord and Savior bears in His resurrected body are scars that He bears proudly.\u00a0 The wounds in His hands, the wounds in His feet, the wound in His side are indeed wounds that heal.\u00a0 They are the wounds that have the power to assure us that our relationship with God has been healed.\u00a0 They are the wounds that have the power to heal our relationships with each other.\u00a0 They are the wounds that have the power to heal the world.\u00a0 They are the wounds that empower us to say with sincerity:\u00a0 \u201cPeace be with you!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n To God be the glory!<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Second Sunday of Easter April 3, 2016 John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!\u201d\u00a0 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.\u00a0 The disciples were 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