Easter 2A- April 23^rd

John 20:19-31

            The movie adaptation of Lee Strobel’s book The Case for Christ is currently in theaters; but I doubt that I’ll see it or recommend it to anyone. The basic tenet of both the book & the movie is that the resurrection of Jesus is a provable historic fact. However, Stobel’s supposed “proof” is far from it, for 1 significant reason—there is no historical proof that Jesus was raised from the dead!

            All we have are Biblical, eyewitness testimony—which I believe; but this is not concrete historical proof. Just look at how Jesus’ first followers reacted to the initial eyewitness accounts. When the women told the disciples what they’d seen on Easter morning, Mark & Luke report that “the disciples did not believe them.” In our Gospel reading today, Thomas refuses to believe the other 10 disciples when they tell him that Jesus is alive & appeared to them.

            And next Sunday we’ll hear the story of 2 other followers of Jesus who are on their way home to Emmaus from Jerusalem. They’ve heard the stories of a resurrection; but they, too, fail to believe until the risen Christ opens their eyes in the breaking of the bread.

            Folks, there is no legitimate, historical evidence for the resurrection, save one thing—you…if you believe it. Belief, faith is all the evidence we have. And faith, we are told in Scripture, is “the assurance of things HOPED FOR, the conviction of things NOT seen.” If we have historical proof, then faith is unnecessary.

            So, how have billions of people down through the ages come to believe that Jesus did, indeed, rise from the dead? Of course, we have the written eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ 1^st century followers; but is that enough? I think not—at least not enough to keep convincing folks many centuries afterward. No, I think there’s more; & I think that something more is in this room this morning.

            You see, I think we witness the risen Christ in one another—in those who have allowed the Son of God into their lives in the way that the disciples finally did in the days after the first Easter. When Jesus showed up in that locked room, he gave the disciples 3 things—3 things that you & I have also received from Him.

            1^st, Peace, or Shalom. This is a peace that is completeness, a state that everything is as it should be. It is the assurance that even though one’s life may be troubled, your life is in God’s loving hands. This peace is a most mysterious thing because it isn’t tied to, nor dependent upon, external circumstances; it’s not linked to how well you’re doing in your job or how well you’re getting along with your family or how much money you have in the bank. It is a peace that descends upon our hearts & spirits as a gift from God.

            After Jesus comforted the disciples, he gave the disciples a misson: “As the father has sent me, even so I send you.” Jesus came to this disheartened & directionless group & gave them a reason for living. He defined for them a purpose, laid out for them their future, put in front of them their mission. We have received this same mission. We are called to serve the world, to live for the world, to die for the world if necessary, because that’s what Jesus did.

            And finally, Jesus gave them the best gift of all. He breathed on them & said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” God provides what is needed to fulfill God’s purposes. That’s not the same thing as saying God gives us power. God works through our sometimes feeble efforts to accomplish God’s will in the world. This is shown to us in Christ on the cross, which was not an exercise of power, but a demonstration of humility & obedience & faith. God’s promise is to fill us with the Holy Spirit, to provide for us that which we need to do what we are called to do.

            We, who have witnessed Christ’s peace, mission, & Spirit through others & have come to believe are now the signs of the resurrection for others. If the world is to come to faith in Jesus, it is not historical evidence that will convince them; it is you & me allowing the risen Christ to live through us so that they can see God’s love for them shining through. Amen.