Image from agnusday.org
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. (John 20:19-31)
"I do not feel happy sad Easter." The message from our six year-old as she and her family drove back home to Mission, Texas. Eliana, we learned, knows how to message us on Messenger, the FaceBook-related message service. And she knows how to share her feelings. She and her sister, Adabelle, 3, do not like to leave grandma and grandpa's house. Ada doesn't hide that she wants to stay with us. It makes us sad too. This weekend was wonderful for us in that all our family was with us, and while we were absent from our church, we worshiped together at First Presbyterian Church where I celebrated Communion for our brothers and sisters there. A couple of lines below that, she wrote, "Waaaaaaaaaaaa. Not happy Easter sad Easter."
I wonder what Thomas might have texted or messaged had that been available during those days. "Crew stayed in the UR. Me? Had to get out and clear my head. Whoa! Dudes are saying that Jesus showed up while I was out! Bummer. Have to admit, I don't believe it. And I said so. Won't believe it unless I see and touch the marks on Him." Later, his texts or posts might have reflected what happened while he was back and Jesus showed up. "SMH! Still can't believe J is alive! Man showed me the wounds! Sick! But I have to confess I believe now! I even blurted out My Lord and my God. Thought I'd get razzed for that, but no. J is God!"
Easter is all about Resurrection. It is life in the midst of death. It was Jesus showing us the power of His words in John 10:10, "I have come that they might have life and that to the fullest." A person who knows the power of new life knows life in abundance. Nothing else will do. Thomas came to that knowledge after admitting he was a bit skeptical about the entire event of that first Easter Sunday. And it does serve to encourage us even during our times of doubt and despair. Jesus comes to the place where we are and offers to lead us upward and onward. Touch your places of doubt but leave away convinced of His truth. The disciples who were there on Jesus' first visit were blessed to have experienced all of the amazing, unbelievable things Jesus did - enter a locked room in bodily form, seen the wounds of death on Him, and to have Jesus breathe on them with the words, "Receive the Holy Spirit," and with that the authority over sins, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." Their mission was now clearer. They weren't sure of even staying alive for fear of the Jews, now they are sure they will be alive and that they had work to do; lots of it. To preach and spread the message of God's love and mercy to all who would hear it.
Easter is about everyday life. You and I are Easter people; called to believe in the power of life in Jesus Christ when everyone else may be merely existing. Come to life in Jesus Christ like never before. Do not let doubt have any space in your life, but even when you do, face it and defeat it. May Easter continue in you, dear Friend!
PRAYER: Loving God, bring life to us as we pray this prayer. And Lord, while we were celebrating Your resurrection brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka died for their faith. Comfort those affected by this and bring victory to those taken by hatred and hostilities. Help us to be strong about our faith as we seek to share love even to those who hate. Be glorified in us, dear Father, in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a Resurrection person today!
Eradio Valverde
