Scripture/Sermon of the Day. April 27, 2025
John 20:19-31
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors
were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he
showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they
saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father
has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them
and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are
retained.”
Jesus and Thomas
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with
them when Jesus came. 25 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.”
26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 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.”
The Purpose of This Book
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are
not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue
to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
believing you may have life in his name.
Reflection/Sermon:
I. Last week there were a few readings in the lectionary from the Book
of Samuel, chapter 17. Samuel 17 is the story of David and Goliath. It’s
interesting that this reading was chosen for the week just after Jesus was
resurrected. The church is told to read the story of David and Goliath on
the week following Easter. Why? If candy-makers paid more attention to the
lectionary, we’d have chocolate images of horrified women standing before
strange, angelic creatures. Or of the boy David holding a giant sword in
one hand and the head of Goliath in the other. Or delicious marshmallow
candies of Goliath’s decapitated body lying on the ground, all yellow and
sugary, with black gummy crows picking at it. Lectionary-themed Easter
candies!
II. But back to the real puzzle — why is David and Goliath an Easter
story?
According to the Bible, Goliath was 9 feet and 9 inches tall. The armor
that protected his chest weighed 125 pounds. He also wore a bronze helmet
and plates that protected his legs. The point of his spear was iron and
weighed 15 pounds.
Why do we need to know this? David had three older brothers who were
soldiers in King Saul’s army. They were larger and stronger than David.
They were professional military men, trained in the use of weapons and armed
combat. David was a shepherd. He protected sheep from predators, but he had
no combat training.
III. Every morning Goliath came out to the field of battle and challenged
the soldiers of the army of Israel. When theys heard him, “THEY ALL FLED IN
GREAT FEAR.” To give his soldiers incentive to fight Goliath, King Saul
offered two great rewards — his daughter to marry and exemption from paying
taxes. And as attractive as that offer was, there were no takers — because
no one could win that fight.
FEAR AND TERROR is what connects this story to Jesus’ resurrection. THAT’S
WHAT THE FIRST PEOPLE, THE WOMEN, FELT AT JESUS’ TOMB.
The earliest account of the resurrection is the Gospel of Mark. The
original ending of that book is chapter 16, verse 8. Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb with spices. Inside the
tomb was a young man in a white robe who told them Jesus was raised and to
tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. But instead, “THEY
ALL FLED IN GREAT FEAR — and they said nothing to anyone.”
JUST LIKE THE SOLDIERS OF SAUL’S ARMY WHEN THEY HEARD GOLIATH’S CHALLENGE
EACH DAY.
IV. Other than fear, what connects these two stories — David and Goliath
and Easter — is BELIEF, which is faith or trust in God. David had that and
— after they saw Jesus — the disciples did too. When King Saul told David
that he could not defeat Goliath, David said:
“THE LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear
WILL RESCUE ME from the hand of this Philistine.”
The writer of the Gospel of John said he told the story of Jesus so that we
would BELIEVE that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through
believing … have life in his name.”
There are many thing out there we can believe. There are conspiracy
theories.
WE CAN BELIEVE the small country of Ukraine attacked Russia. This is a
story coming out of Washington and millions of people believe it.
WE CAN BELIEVE global warming and climate change is a hoax and burning coal
is better for the environment than wind mills and solar power.
WE CAN BELIEVE “God helps those who help themselves.”
WE CAN BELIEVE sexual orientation is a choice — and that all people are born
heterosexual.
We can believe anything.
My father wanted me to believe “it’s a dog eat dog world.”
But the writer of the Gospel of John wants us to believe that Jesus is the
Messiah — the Son of God. That means believing that God loves every one of
us, and we must love every one as God loves us. That was Jesus one command.
Do we love people who are progressive and woke? Yes
Do we love people who wear MAGA hats? Yes
Do we love Ivy League intellectuals? Yes
Do we love farmers and coal miners? Yes
Do we love both Palestinians and Israelis? Yes
Do we love both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump? Yes
WHY? BECAUSE whether we see him or not,
WE BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD