Easter 2 Quasimodogeniti – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. John 20:19-31 “My Lord and My God”
April 7, 2024 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You, that of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the holy Gospel, and have instituted the holy Sacraments, that through these we may have comfort and forgiveness of sin: We beseech You, grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word; and through the holy Sacraments day by day establish our faith, until we at last obtain eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 155)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 20th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, 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 in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 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; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, 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 believed.”
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who brings you strength and comfort as He reveals to you in His death and glorious resurrection that He is “your lord and God,” dear fellow redeemed:
It has been a wild ride. The day is almost over. As the disciples are in an upper room, they are going over everything that has happened for the day and the weekend. Their Lord and Teacher was executed. After dying, He was taken down from the cross and put into the tomb. After all of this sadness, now things have taken a turn on the third day. The women went to the tomb and found an angel, who told them that Jesus had risen, and then they saw Him! Then some disciples on the road to Emmaus also saw Him. What are they to make of this all? For the disciples, the Word of their Teacher had indeed come true. He told them that He would rise from the dead and that is exactly what He did. Everything Jesus told them is starting to make sense. As Jesus fulfills Scripture, we can join Thomas as He exclaims, “My Lord and my God.”
Before this confession takes place, the disciples of Jesus are worried about more attacks from the religious leaders. They do not have the courage that comes from the Holy Spirit. For now, they are worried about their protection. Their last memories are of the leaders arresting Jesus and they fled into the night. As they were in the upper room, it is at this moment that everything changes for them. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. All of the horror from Friday and in an instant it all disappears. They see the holes from the nails and the spear. This isn’t a dream, it is their Lord and their God, alive and in the flesh.
With this first meeting, Jesus is already teaching. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” And 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 withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” This is the same command that He had given to Peter and then to the church. He gives it now to His disciples for a specific reason. The disciples are being reinstated as leaders. Jesus knew that these men were going to mess up. Scripture itself had spoken that they would scatter and leave Jesus. Their risen Savior is bringing them forgiveness of sins. He is telling them that they will lead. He breathes on them the Holy Spirit and He tells them that the Holy Spirit will come again to them after His ascension. They will continue Jesus’ mission to bring the message of the Gospel to all people.
As we see the disciples being brought back into the fold by the shepherd, our text reveals to us not all of the disciples were there. Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, 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 in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.” This is another instant where it can be easy to throw Thomas under the bus. Can we blame him? How good are we when it comes to handling loss? Where would you disappear to? Jesus is our remedy, and Scripture reveals the answers to what Thomas is looking for.
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weeps bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10). Thomas mourned for the One who was pierced for him and the only way he would believe that Jesus was truly alive is if he saw His wounds. If he doesn’t see His wounds then as far as Thomas is concerned, Jesus is dead. Like Thomas we know how hard this is. We know that it is our sins that crucified the Lord of Glory. The Son of God died our death. In our mourning, we can demand proof. Is God even out there? Where are your wounds? How can we see them? At our lowest points, to exclaim, “My Lord and my God,” are far from our lips. Like Thomas, our faith can easily dwindle.
Since Thomas was not there that first Easter day, it is only fitting that the Lord, “who loved them to the end,” (John 13:1b) would come back to see Thomas and assure Him that what the others were saying was in fact true. “Eight days later, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, 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; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” This is the glorious joy that all of His disciples can share. It is like the first time they met Him and knew how special He was. Jesus is their Lord and God who is alive again.
Their Lord and God could not only die for them, but rise in a glorious resurrection. They were able to witness His great miracles and here in the upper room was the greatest one of all. Jesus is alive, proving to them that His Words are true. He died for the sins of the world. Their comfort in His death now stands in front of them as death itself could not hold Him. Jesus is their Lord and God.
How great it is for you to hear those words of Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” It is only in this confession that you know you will be able to carry on. It is so hard when it comes to dealing with loss, and your Savior knows that. He felt your loss with the death of His friend Lazarus. He experienced your loss when His heavenly Father turned His back on Him as He hung from the cross. Jesus felt your loss as you stare at Him hanging on the tree because of your sins. Yet He hung there to pay for your sins. He took on your loss and suffered through it unto death so that you would be spared. You look to the cross for your comfort and strength because it is there Jesus is bearing your sins and eternal pain and in His glorious resurrection you have proof of your sweet relief.
Your Lord and God is not found in the tomb. All that Christ has done for you, you see it here and now. As the disciples find the empty tomb and see Jesus in the flesh, what they have heard and seen you hear in His holy Word. The marks that Jesus received on the cross point you to the work that He has done for you. How can He leave you when He has marked His flesh for you. These signs of His death and resurrection are then found here in worship. You hear this great news every week from your pastor who you have called to serve you as an under shepherd to the great shepherd. As St. Paul writes, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). It is through the Means of Grace that you see your victory. Victory over sin, death, and hell won for you by Christ.
You can have the same confession as Thomas had, because it is in this text where Jesus talks directly to you. Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. Here is your Lord and God. You are blessed as you hear this great message that is for you. It has been nearly two thousand years and you can be as certain as the disciples were that Jesus Christ died for your sins and is rose from the dead. This can only happen if He is your Lord and God who out of great love and mercy did it all for you. The hardships of life and the pains of loss will try to target you, they want you to demand proof. Your protection is found in the cross and empty tomb of this message which is brought to you through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus breathed on His disciples the Holy Spirit who would help them believe this great message. Their eyes were not playing tricks on them. Jesus was with them. And as He provides them with strength, comfort, and forgiveness for what they have done, they see in His resurrection the victory He has won for them. Their bodies will rise again as well. It is this message that allowed them to go and reach to the ends of the earth until their final day. The work that they did is brought to you by your pastor. He gives you comfort and strength by preaching, teaching, and administering to you the Means of Grace. He prepares you for your end. So, when it is time for you to be called home and you see your Savior, you can confidently say, “My Lord and my God.” Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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