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An Easter Blessing

John 20:10-31

April 23, 2006

Rev. Rodgers Spencer

Beginning of John’s gospel we read– "the word became flesh and dwelt among us –full of grace and truth and we have beheld his glory."

That prologue to John is a great beginning for the gospel. It sets the stage by taking the Word back not to Bethlehem but to the beginning of time… "in the beginning was the Word".

Now at the end of the Gospel we have "my Lord and My God" great ending.

Between these two pillars the evangelist proclaims the story of Jesus. – the life of Christ.

In the telling the evangelist applies many different names to Jesus: Rabbi, Son of Man, Lamb of God, Messiah, Son of God, and a prophet, Savior of the world, but the highest and greatest name or title he saves for the very end. "My Lord and My God".

It is right for that to come to the climax at the end. It would have been out of place to have used this title earlier. So the fact that he saves this title to the very end should be no surprise. But what is surprising is who it is that gives this title to Jesus.

Since you heard the gospel reading for this morning you know the answer. But supposed at the beginning of the service I have given you a multiple choice question - who said,

"My Lord and My God" was it - [a] Peter [b] John [c] Andrew [d] none of the above. If you had selected [d] you are right. But could you also have said who it was? Would you have picked Thomas? Who? Yes, that’s right Thomas. Thomas who said in John said "Unless I see with my own eyes I won’t believe." Thomas who would not believe the words of the other disciples.

In Matthew Thomas appears only in the list of disciples. In Matthew, Mark and Luke Thomas plays no significant roll. Only mention of him is in the list of the disciples. Only in John does Thomas come to life and then not till the very end. Thomas is like us. Or we are like Thomas. Very ordinary.

When was the last time the Tulsa World called you for a quote? When was the last time Channel 6 interviewed you? When did Mike Wallace schedule you for 60 minutes?

I guess most of us are pretty ordinary. Just the run of the will, garden variety, ordinary Christians. Ordinary followers of Jesus. Yet John the evangelist has an ordinary follower of Jesus making the most extra-ordinary claim about Jesus.

Could Thomas be a model for us? Could that ordinary disciple making extra-ordinary claims, play a roll in the unfolding of God’s drama help us also to play a role?

Thomas does play a role and in so doing received the Easter Beatitude. "Blessed are you…" Some translate makarios as "Happy," but "happy" sounds frivolous -- like a visit to the mall. I prefer the word "blessed," because a blessing is something that we receive as a gift. When Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have NOT seen, and yet have come to believe," he is talking about a gift -- a blessing -- that God gives.

Two things about this

[1] Those who were living that week and who saw and experienced the risen Christ are not more blessed than were others. This important not just when John written and important for us today.

[2] Those who are blessed are expected to be a blessing for others. Blessedness is not like brownie points which you can collect. Blessings are for giving and not for keeping.

I am glad that Jesus said that ‘blesses are those who believe but have not seen. Because it means that we have the same access to God's blessings as those who were closest to him while he was here on the earth. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have NOT see, and yet have come to believe." I have not seen. You have not seen. But I believe and you believed, and so we are blessed.

"Blessed are those who have NOT seen, and yet have come to believe." A blessed life is a happy life, yes -- but it is more -- more substantial than the kind of happiness bestowed by a trip to the mall or a new car. A blessed life is a "together" kind of life -- a life built on a foundation of rock rather than sand -- secure even in the face of the storms of life.

We need to keep our eyes open so that we will see the blessings when they come. Oprah Winfrey has some good advice about recognizing blessings. I have read that she once said:

"Keep a grateful journal.

Every night, list five things that happened this day

that you are grateful for.

What it will begin to do

is changing your perspective of your day and your life.

If you can learn to focus on what you have,

you will always see that the universe is abundant;

you will have more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have,

You will never have enough."

Years ago St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) said:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

Where there is hate, may I bring love?

Where there is injury, may I bring pardon?

Where there is discord, union;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy;

Make me not to so crave to be loved as to love.

Help me to learn that in giving I may receive;

In forgetting self, I may find life eternal.

Jesus said to Thomas and to the disciples, "peace be with you." We have received his peace, we have received his blessing.

We are now to go forth sharing that peace and those blessings. To be bearers of faith, of hope, of light, of joy, of love.

Easter is not the message of an empty tomb; it is the blessing of new life.

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