Do you remember playing whisper down the lane in school? Sometimes, called telephone. It was where the person at the front of the line would begin with a phrase and each one would whisper it, one to the other, until at the end, you saw what it had become. Somehow, Miss Smith’s class has 6 boys would become Elephants wear clashing six pants. What had begun at the front of the line was nothing like what was being passed on at the end. From this, we get the concept of hearsay. Information received from a source that we are not completely sure can be substantiated as we heard it.
John’s gospel tells us that is how the disciples received Mary and the women as they first shared that they had seen Jesus. Once, Mary shared her good news, the others wanted to know and experience it for themselves. John’s gospel tells us that is how Thomas received the news of the ten when they first shared that they had seen Jesus. We are not told why Thomas was not present the first time. Maybe he was getting his oil changed or taking his child to the doctor. Maybe he was unsure of what had transpired and needed a little personal space to reflect on his own. Maybe he was ready to be done with this phase of his life and was looking into something else. For whatever reason, he was not present with the others as Jesus appeared in their midst and calmed their fears and kindled a swell in their hearts.
When Jesus appears to the ten with Thomas, he does not mimic or mock Thomas as he shows him his hands and sides. He knows that Thomas needs to experience him as resurrected with his wounds still intact. Jesus offers Thomas what he needs without condemnation or disregard. With grace, Jesus gave Thomas exactly what he needed for his life to be fully changed. The tradition is that then, Thomas shared God’s way prolifically throughout the subcontinent of India. Teaching the way of following of Jesus throughout area, that today, many Christians in India call themselves St. Thomas Christians, in reverence to one from whom they first heard the stories of Jesus. The influence of Jesus through Thomas has extended far beyond, even to our back yard (St. Thomas of Villanova).
Followers of the Way is what Christians were called before they were called Christians. When the disciples who had known Jesus and the apostles who had known people who knew Jesus were teaching about Jesus, they were following the way that Jesus taught them to live. In the first generation after Jesus had walked on the earth, it was easy to say, Peter walked with Jesus, he know how to follow the way of Jesus. James and Andrew had walked with Jesus, they know how to follow the way of Jesus. For some, it was enough to hear the stories of how the disciples had walked with Jesus to be able to change their lives to walk with a Jesus they had never met. But most needed more. They too, wanted to meet the Jesus that Andrew, James, and Thaddeus described. They too, wanted to put their hands in the hands of the one who lived, died, and rose again as the son of God.
As time went on, it was harder to find someone who knew someone who knew a disciple who walked with Jesus. More and more it became hear-say of what it was like to walk with Jesus. This is when the first of the New Testament began to be committed from stories told by word of mouth to written down as letters and books of the Bible. First, it was some of the letters of Paul who had known Jesus as he walked in the Judea, but had experienced Jesus on the road to Damascus: Paul’s letters to Thessaloniki and Corinth. Then it was the gospel according to Mark that was written down in order to be able to have some of the stories of what Jesus did and how he lived. So that those in the second century, the third century, the twenty-first century could follow in the way of Jesus.
We need to hear and know the stories of Jesus in order to open to the life changing power of God! In verses 30-31 we are reminded that the reason that you and I need to preach and teach and share the life of following the way is so that others may believe. The word believe in the gospel of John is a verb, an action word, not a noun. You believe, meaning that you experience relationship with Jesus. This is not the same as be able to say all the creeds without crossing your fingers behind your back. This is not the same as understand and untangle all of the seemingly conflicting parts of the Bible and put the details in orderly rows. Experiencing relationship with Jesus is knowing Jesus as more than just a debate topic that someone else talks about.
In the mainline church, we have often eschewed born-again as term that describes other people. We have associated born-again with gifts of the Holy Spirit and experiences that we cannot all point easily too. But born-again or experiencing Jesus for ourselves comes from the third chapter of John when Nicodemus come under the cover of night to see Jesus. Nicodemus has heard some of the stories of Jesus and is interested, but does not want to change from his comfortable position in life. He wants to be educated, but not changed. Jesus tells him and us as well, your life must change completely if you are going to be a Follower of the Way. It is like being born again, starting fresh and being completely shaped by the way of God. All of the assumptions you have from culture about Jesus, belief, love, and life and challenged and reshaped as a follower of the way of Jesus.
For us today, we ask the same question. Is Jesus just from the stories we have heard or have we too met Jesus and experienced him? There is no set time or scheduled way in which you and I know Jesus. There can be young children who have experienced Jesus and older folks who have not and visa versa. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was raised as a PK, pastor’s kid, knew from the earliest days that he would be a preacher, trained and preached as soon as he was able. He lamented for years that he had not known the joy of salvation. It was a May 24th, when he was 35 years old, ten years after his ordination, that his heart was strangely warmed and he experienced Jesus. His life that was already aimed towards Jesus, became changed and committed.
Have you experienced Jesus? Not only as hearsay from the lives of the disciples, not only as hearsay from the lives of John Wesley and your preacher. Have you experienced Jesus yourself? Have you put your hands in the hands of the One who lived, died, and rose for you? As you come to the Communion Table today, pause to ask Jesus to let you experience him. If you have already experienced Jesus, give thanks for how you have. If you have not, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you. This was the Gospel, the Good News for Thomas, and this is the Gospel, the Good News for you and for me.
Thanks be to God, Amen.
Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 150
Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Gospel Lesson: John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
But Thomas (who was called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Meditations For Your Week
Sunday, April 3 ~ Saturday, April 9
Sunday: “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” John 20:19. Jesus comes to us, too, in the midst of our fears. Where has Jesus shown up in the midst of your fears?
Monday: “After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’” John 20:20-21. Jesus offered peace and commission. He offered them peace as they were sent to share with others. Where are you sharing with others?
Tuesday: “But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.” John 20: 24. The body of Christ is large and not often gathered together. Thomas was not with the others. Prayerfully consider who is missing from your experiences of God and share God with them.
Wednesday: “So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’” John 20: 25. Thomas was looking for confirmation of the words of the disciples. He needed more than words; he needed experiences. Pray today for all to experience Jesus.
Thursday: “Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’” John 20:27. Jesus offered Thomas what he needed to believe. God will offer you the same. Have you asked?
Friday: “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’” John 20:29. Jesus offers blessings not only to those gathered in the first century in Jerusalem, but all of us. Receive God’s blessings as you believe.
Saturday: “But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31. The life of Jesus is recorded for us in the Bible. Prayerfully read today, so that you may believe.