Strathalbyn Church of Christ

We are living in days when we may be fearful or disturbed or unsettled, because of the coronavirus, and how it is changing or upsetting our lives in many ways.

In the bible reading for today from John 20verses 19-31, we hear how the first disciples of Jesus were fearful and disturbed and in their case it was because their Master had just been crucified. Their world had been unexpectedly turned upside down as it were; life wasn’t the same. The disciples were behind shut doors, isolated, so to speak, “for fear of the Jews”. But…their fear ended with faith.

Doors might keep the Jewish authorities out, but they couldn’t keep Jesus out! And his presence, and our faith in him can quieten our fears too. His first words were “Peace be with you."

Before he had gone to the cross he had told his disciples “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."

There’s an old poem that goes like this:

“In the centre of the whirlpool while the waters rush around, there’s a space of perfect stillness, though with turmoil it is bound; all is calm and all is quiet, scarcely e’en a sense of sound, so with us - despite the conflict, - when in Christ His peace is found.”

Jesus came and stood among them and said to them “Peace be with you." He had died on the cross so we could have peace - peace with God and the peace of God - through faith in him.

He still offers this peace. Are you afraid, do you have inner turmoil, is your world shaken? Because Jesus is alive, we can have peace - “Peace be with you”. Our true source of peace is Jesus and his peace - “my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."

I imagine that these disciples may well have felt not only fearful, but failures, - feeling they had let Jesus down, having deserted him on the night of his arrest. Peter had declared to Jesus, “Though they all fall away because of you,I will never fall away,” and “even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples."

Maybe you too feel you have failed Jesus in some way, that you have fallen away. Take heart, the risen Lord still offers peace to those who are fearful and feeling failures, feeling guilty. “When he had said this he showed them his hands and his side, and said to them again, “Peace be with you."

He was not an hallucination, but he really was the Jesus who had been crucified, and now had risen! He went through the crucifixion and was raised that we might have peace. This had been prophesied hundreds of years before through the prophet Isaiah. “the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Our peace is based on the facts of his death for our sins, followed by his resurrection.

Then Jesus tells them, “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And so the risen Lord sends his disciples out to continue his work, his mission. And in that mission we have a pattern to follow, a power to receive, and a proclamation to make.

We have a pattern to follow. “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." We are sent with the authority of the risen Jesus. The church, Christ’s people, don’t go in their own name, but in his name. This is not something we have decided to take up, it is something our Lord has given us to do. The initiative comes from him.

In Jesus’ own mission both words and works went together. He is the pattern of mission. And so for us mission involves communicating and caring, telling and doing.

Jesus entered our world, identifying with us. Christian mission, whether at home or abroad, seeks to do that too.

I came across a story I’d like to share.

Jim, an elder at a church, was to oversee the evangelism of new people who moved into the district.

Sun Lee and family were Vietnamese refugees who had recently moved into the area. They had little possessions, knew no one, needed help in lots of ways.

Jim began by helping them to get food and then spent much time in helping to find Sun Lee a job. Jim wanted so much to tell Sun Lee about Jesus Christ, but he didn’t know Vietnamese, and the refugee knew very little English. Both men sought to learn the other’s language so that they could become better friends.

One day Jim felt that he knew enough now to tell Sun Lee about Jesus. Jim began to explain about God and Jesus to Sun Lee, but the more he talked, the more confusing it seemed to get. Sun Lee would repeat in Vietnamese a little of what Jim said in English. Finally, Jim was so frustrated that he decided to give up trying to communicate until he had learned more Vietnamese. Sun Lee at this point blurted out, “Is your God like you? If he is, I want to know him.”

Jim explained that Jesus Christ was greater than he was, far greater. Sun Lee wanted to know more about Jesus Christ if he was like Jim!

Jim had thought for al these months that he was not communicating the gospel. But he was - with the example of a life filled with Jesus.

His life had prepared the way for his lips to tell.

Yes, we have a pattern to follow. And we have a power to receive.

“And when Jesus had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit."

And so, just as the Father sent Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit, so now Jesus sends his disciples out empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus still gives life, guidance, power and understanding to his people so they may further his mission.

There’s a story of how a pastor Dr A. J. Gordon, visited the World’s Fair in Chicago. In the distance he saw a man robed in bright, gaudy, Oriental clothes, who appeared to be laboriously turning the crank of a pump and thereby making a mighty flow of water. Gordon was impressed with the man’s energy, his smooth motions, and his obvious physical conditioning. He was pumping a tremendous amount of water.

Drawing closer, Gordon was surprised to discover that the man was actually made of wood. Instead of him turning the crank and making the water flow, the flow of water was actually turning the crank and thereby making him go!

Thus it is with those in the Lord’s work. It isn’ our efforts for him that achieve the results, The flowing river of the Holy Spirit channelled through our lives and lips, keeps us going and yields results through our ministries.

Whoever said that the work of God’s kingdom was going to be done in the strength and power of man?

It was always God’s plan to give his people his Spirit to do his work. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6.

And so , brothers and sisters, we are not alone. His Spirit is with us, and the Spirit can still open up hearts and change lives!

That brings us onto: We have a proclamation to make. Jesus told them: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any they are retained."

The forgiveness of sins is still the great human need. Forgiveness of sins is essential if we are to enjoy the right personal relationship with God for which we were made. How is the forgiveness of my sins, your sins, possible? In short, because of the cross - that is, because Jesus the Son of God died, gave up his life, shed his blood, for the forgiveness of our sins.

That is God’s way.

Now if you don’t know God’s forgiveness, you will try to justify yourself and think my good deeds will cancel my bad deeds; or I’m not in need of forgiveness; or I’m better than so and so. But these human ways don’t work. Only God’s way works - and his way is the giving up of his Son to bear our sins and their judgement.

Evangelist Billy Graham once wrote “Once while crossing the North Atlantic in a ship, I looked out of my porthole when I got up in the morning and saw one of the blackest clouds I had ever seen. I was certain that we were in for a terrible storm. I ordered my breakfast sent to my room and spoke to the steward about the storm. He said, “Oh, we’ve already come through that storm. It’s behind us.”

And Billy Graham adds, “If we are believers in Jesus Christ, we have already come through the storm of judgement. It happened at the cross. Don’t be bound by your guilt or your fears any longer, but realise that sin’s penalty has already been paid by Christ, God’s Son, - completely and fully.”

And so, friends, we have a pattern to follow, a power to rely on, and a proclamation to make.

And now, in todays’s reading we come to a disciple called Thomas, and we read how he went from doubt to declaration.

What was Thomas’ doubt? The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord”. But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe." There is a skeptical saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” And that was Thomas’ outlook; but actually he went further than that - for he added “I’ll believe it when I feel it”! “unless I place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

But do you have to see to believe? Let Jesus answer that:

Jesus appeared again a week later and told Thomas “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”.

And so you don’t have to see to believe.

Thomas should have believed his fellow disciples since he knew they were honest and sober witnesses.

Do you think this story of Thomas’ doubts comes across as authentic or made-up?

If it wasn’t true, it didn’t happen, why include it in the gospel account? No, it comes over as authentic - I think we can relate to it if we ourselves have had or have doubts. In fact Thomas wasn’t the only doubter!

All the men at first were. Luke tells us that when the women told the apostles what had happened when they went to the tomb, the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.

Thomas was a doubter, but became a declarer - he said to Jesus “My Lord and my God”.

Notice the little words “my”? “My Lord and my God."

You can read about Jesus in the Bible, but until you accept the truth of what you read, until you trust in him, he remains a person in a book but not a person in your life.

Thomas was the first person to say to Jesus, “My God”.

Have you said to Jesus “My Lord and my God”? If you have you have joined the millions who have.

If you haven’t or don’t today call Jesus your Lord and your God, you haven’t yet arrived at the point where he wants you to arrive. You might say Jesus is a good man, a great teacher, a prophet, but that’s not enough. Thomas would have said as much- until he saw the risen Lord who showed he knew what Thomas had said to the disciples a week earlier - “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."

When Jesus appeared he invited Thomas to do just that, and added the words “do not be faithless, but believing”.

Is there anyone listening to this message to whom Jesus is saying right now “do not be faithless, but believing”?

And listen to Jesus go onto say “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."

If Jesus pronounces you “blessed” then you are! You are blessed if you come to believe by accepting the testimony of these reliable witnesses - the apostles and first disciples of Jesus. One day you will see and be happier because you believed before you saw.

Now Thomas who wasn’t there when Jesus came the first time missed out on seeing the risen Lord. I guess he felt pretty miserable in the week that followed. It’s good that he rejoined the rest a week later and met Jesus for himself.

What do you do when you feel miserable and down? The Christian fellowship can give you loving support and encourage your faith.

Now today’s reading from John ends with these words: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name."

John is telling us that he wrote about certain things Jesus did, and that he did this for a particular purpose. He had an aim in mind, he had an objective, a goal. And what was that?

In short that we may believe and that we may have life.

That we may believe - that we may believe what?

That there is a God? No

That there is a higher power? No.

It is a specific belief. The Christian good news deals with specifics, not generalisations. So, belief in what? “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is…”

Is what? a great philosopher? a great prophet? A revolutionary? No - “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”

“The Christ” - the anointed King, God’s anointed King. The King of kings, the King of God’s kingdom; the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given! The fulfilment of the Jewish hopes of thousands of years.

Is Jesus your King? And not only King, but the Son of God - God’s one and only divine Son.

John wrote what Jesus did in his account so that you, the reader or hearer, may believe this about Jesus, “and that believing you may have life in his name”, “life” . Who doesn’t want “life” ?

We hang onto life and seek to safeguard it. But John is not talking about physical life, so we keep on breathing, but about spiritual life - life in relationship with God the Father and his Son Jesus. That’s real life, that’s eternal life, that’s a life of everlasting quality that you don’t get through any other way than believing in Jesus who is the Christ and Son of God.

Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

And John the apostle, writing many years later, says this in his letter. “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Eternal life. Eternal life means life of a new quality and life of a new quantity - both. Quality, and it will go on forever, so that even death won’t take it away.

“This life is in his Son” - you can’t have eternal life without Jesus the Son of God. Eternal life is in him.

The two go together. And John finishes his words here saying “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God has not life."

That is telling us, isn’t it, how important it is to “have”, and go on having, the Son of God! It is a matter of life - eternal life. No wonder John wrote his gospel so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name”. !

Friends, the reality is that this is God’s way of salvation - this Jesus, his Son, who died for our sins and was buried and raised on the 3rd day. This is the Person through whom we are saved. There is salvation in no other name but there is salvation in this name - “Jesus”.

Do you know Jesus as your Saviour? If not, I appeal, to you to “be reconciled to God”, take Jesus into your life! “Now is the day of salvation”.

And if you do know Jesus as your Saviour then you can be someone through whom he can reach out to others with his grace and mercy and peace.

He says, “And I have other sheep.. I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd."

“Almighty and eternal God, the strength of those who believe and the hope of those who doubt: may we, who have not seen, have faith and receive the fullness of Christ’s blessing; who is alive and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

Series: John

Topics: #John , #Easter