Loving God, you revealed your Son, Jesus, to his followers in such a way that they knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he had been raised from the dead.  In the midst of our faith and doubts, may we be counted among those who are blessed because we have come to believe; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    So... am I good enough to get into heaven?  What do you think? (No matter the answer - How do you know?)  I’ll give you my answer, but I want to know what you think, first. ... My answer? - Absolutely not!  I will never, ever be good enough to get into heaven – but I still expect to be there.  How come?  Why would I be allowed in if I’m not good enough?... Because I have put my faith in Jesus Christ.

    I’m not good enough to get in, but Jesus is.  Some might even say that’s the whole point of his life, death and resurrection.  He became what we are – except for the sinfulness – in order that we might become what he is – the result being that we are counted children of God and inheritors of eternal life.  This is a gift that God bestows on us when we put our faith in Jesus.  Salvation - eternal life - the kingdom of heaven - these things are given to us through our faith in Jesus Christ.

    Then, of course, the question becomes, “What does it mean to believe in Jesus?”  Does it mean that you intellectually say “yes” to certain propositions & believe all of the correct things about Jesus?  Does it mean simply believing that there was a man named Jesus who taught some stuff and was crucified?  Does it mean accepting the 4 spiritual laws and asking Jesus into your heart?  Or does it mean entering whole-heartedly into the new life that Jesus came to bring?

    We do get at least a few clues from Thomas’ response in today’s gospel.  Once Thomas has seen Jesus and has seen the scars left by the nails and the spear in Jesus’ hands and side, Thomas comes out with a wonderful expression of faith.  One can almost picture him kneeling down before Jesus and exclaiming, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn. 20:28).  Now this is a confession of faith!

    Were any of us to say with Thomas, “Jesus, you are my Lord,” what are we really saying?  (Putting ourselves under Jesus’ direction - making ourselves servants of Jesus - committing to obedience) In fact, “Jesus is Lord,” was one of the earliest confessions of faith, which implies all of those other things with it.

    However, Thomas also says, in effect, “Jesus, you are my God.”  So what else is Thomas saying about Jesus?  (Divine - Son of God - worthy of worship)  Thomas’ response to Jesus says, in effect, “I will follow you.  I will worship you.  I will honour you.  I will obey you.  I will give thanks to God for you.”  It is not simply a confession of faith like a creed, but a faith that leads to living in a particular way.  In fact, the rest of Thomas’ life is devoted to loving as Jesus loved and sharing with others the new life that is to be found through faith in Jesus Christ.

    Our gospel today also ends with a statement about what it means to believe in Jesus.  We read in John:

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 (Jn. 20:30-31).

This last verse echoes the fish symbol that early Christians used to identify themselves.  The letters in the Greek word for fish (ichthus) stood for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour.”

    And so, once again, what is such a statement saying about Jesus?  Certainly, the Christ or the Messiah is the anointed king who would come to rule and to save God’s people.  The Saviour is the one who brings salvation, which also means wholeness or healing or oneness with God.  And Son of God affirms once again Jesus’ divinity and his status as “God in the flesh” - God Incarnate.

    Before we return to the outcome of faith in Jesus, there is more to be said about what it means to believe in him.  If I believe in Jesus, will I ignore the needs of the poor and say that it’s their own fault anyways for being so lazy?  (No - how come? - food to the hungry & clothes to the naked=service to Jesus - Mt. 25) If I believe in Jesus, will I fudge my taxes and keep as much as I can for myself?  (How come? - render to Caesar and to God; don’t store up treasures on earth - Mt. 6:19; 22:21) If I believe in Jesus, will I retaliate against those who have hurt me – an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?  (How come? - Jesus taught love for enemies - Mt. 5:44; 38-42)

    When we believe in Jesus, it transforms not only our mind and our heart, but also the way in which we live (Rom 12:2).  In fact, the gospel of John has some of the clearest statements about believing in Jesus.  In John 14, Jesus says, “the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do” (v. 12).  The same chapter talks about those who love Jesus keeping his commandments (v. 21).  It is impossible to believe in Jesus while doing our own thing and ignoring those central commands to love God and love one another as Jesus loved.

    Now, as for doing these things perfectly? - It is highly unlikely on this side of eternity.  However, that’s why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit.  When we open ourselves to God’s Spirit and allow God to direct our lives, people are able to see Christ in us - however imperfectly.  Those who believe in Jesus will make mistakes, and will sin – but never on purpose.  And others will know that we are Christians by our love.

    At the same time, those who believe in Jesus are given a long list of promises, not the least of which is eternal life.  Those who believe in Jesus can expect salvation, life in all its fulness, rivers of living water flowing out of their hearts, persecution, the peace that passes understanding, and God’s blessing – just to name a few things.  The abundant life of which the gospel speaks comes from within, and comes from a heart and soul and mind that are tuned into God and engaged in a life-giving relationship with God.  This happens through faith in Jesus Christ.

    So... am I good enough to get into heaven?  Absolutely not, but Jesus is.  Through believing in him, we will “have life in his name” (Jn. 20:31).  Amen.

Easter 2(A)                                    John 20:19-31
May 1, 2011                                    1 Peter 1:3-9
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2011 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved