John 20: 26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Thomas wanted to see and touch Jesus.
We ought allow ourselves to be rebuked Jesus today as we can all be like Thomas.
Do not disbelieve, but believe.
Thomas should have believed based on hearing in faith.
When everybody else said, “We have seen the Lord!” He should have said, “of course you. That’s just what my Lord and my God said would happen.”
And Jesus could have come to Thomas and stood in the midst of all the disciples and Thomas and said,
Blessed are you, Thomas, who have not seen and yet believe.
And blessed are you, indeed, from our Lord. You have not seen, and yet believe.
Jesus does stand in your midst today to bless you, to strengthen your faith today through His Word,
These things are written that you may believe.
This is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith!
Jesus is here to bless you, “peace be with you,” “receive the Holy Spirit,” “the disciples rejoiced,”
But we also need rebuked by Him for our unbelief and doubts and fear, Do not disbelieve, but believe.
Thomas puts a condition of his faith on seeing, “Unless I touch Him, unless I see Him, I will never believe!,” and we know that’s not right.
But we can be pretty conditional. We know our fears and unbelief are stronger in certain conditions than others.
Come ride the roller coaster of “my faith,” and you will feel sick afterwards.
We know Thomas was wrong is saying, “Unless I touch Him, unless I see Him, I will never believe,” but
But we can’t say Thomas’ desires were not right.
They were.
Thomas wanted to see and touch Jesus. And that’s a good desire.
We know what we’re doing right now is not ultimately the way it should it be. We are meant to be in communion, fellowship with each other and with our Lord.
It’s good that we’re hearing our Lord’s Word, and from our text, we’re reminded Jesus certainly knows how to enter into locked rooms where His people are gathered to give them His peace and Spirit and forgiveness and joy.
But we know our Lord hasn’t made us ultimately to be looking at a computer screen or listening on a phone. Our Lord wants us to see His house, and His pastors, and His people. Our Lord wants us to touch each other with greeting of His peace, and our lips to touch His body and blood so we can depart in peace.
Our Lord has made us sensible creatures, that we can begin to understand what is real with sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
But even when we get back in church, we know our full desires will not yet be met.
It will be better, more how our Lord has made us to receive His gifts, but it will not yet be perfect.
I think this time away should increase our desire to be with each other, to sing together and pray together and to be touched by God’s healing Word and Sacrament together, but it should also greatly increase our desire for us to be together to really see and really touch Jesus fully.
And even, to really see each other, as God has made and redeemed us to be, without sin. Not mortal, but immortal. Not perishable, but imperishable.
That is, this resurrection season should increase our desire for the resurrection of the flesh and of the life of the world to come.
Things are not as they should be, here and now, but neither were they as they should be 3 months ago before all this began, and they won’t be as they should be when others are saying, “things are almost back to normal.”
Thomas wanted to see and touch Jesus and we want to as well. Then, things will be right, fully right with God, fully right in yourself and fully right with each other.
And you will. You will touch Him, you will see Him, and you will be fully healed.
He is a touchable and seeable God because He chose to become touchable and seeable.
To touch and see God with our sinful flesh would have meant death, not life. It would have meant wrath and not peace.
But the Word became flesh to dwell among us with His grace and truth.
The Word became flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior.
His hands touched nail and cross, his side was touched by spear, all so that His touch would be healing and forgiveness.
Lord, we want to see Jesus.
That is our ultimate goal.
But the resurrected Jesus was once grasped onto by Mary Magdele and Jesus said, “Do not cling to me. I have not yet ascended to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
So we can’t grab onto Him as He was once grabbed onto or as we soon will.
For now, we wait in faith and not by sight. We grab onto His Word’s and His promises by which He touches our ears and heart today.
Jesus is here, right now. In our midst. With His peace. Breathing on us His Spirit. Forgiving our sins.
Unlike Thomas, we respond in faith, “not saying unless I touch and see Him,” we say, “Lord strengthen me in faith until I touch and see you.”
And He responds with Spirit filled Words that are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you have life in His name.