A Matter of Life and Death
“A Matter of Life and Death” by Pastor Rosanna McFadden
Good morning, and Happy Easter! As you probably know, in the Christian year, Easter is not simply a Sunday, it is a season. Happily for us in this part of the world, this season usually coincides with a lovely time of year when days are warming, trees are budding and blossoming, flowers are blooming, and our all friends are finally home from Florida. It is a season, at least for me, which is synonymous with new life — and hard work. Both of those things are valid to read into our text from John which Tim read for us this morning.
For those of you who haven’t already devoured every word of the May Connection which came out a few days ago, I’ll re-iterate a bit of what I said on the Pastor’s Page: each of the four gospels chronicles Jesus appearing to followers after his resurrection. None of those accounts tells the same stories. Mark, the earliest gospel, has the vaguest accounts, which were almost certainly later additions to the original text. In John, the last gospel to be written, Mary Magdalene actually sees Jesus outside of the empty tomb, and John describes more appearances in more detail than the other gospels. There is an implication, especially in John, that Jesus did a whole lot of other stuff which is not written down, but all the post-resurrection appearances we have recorded are to small groups of followers. Notice I said followers, not believers: those categories have always been a little tricky when it comes to Jesus, especially after his resurrection, and particularly because of the text we are considering today.
This story of Jesus appearing to his disciples in a locked room happens on Resurrection Day — Sunday, the first day of the Jewish week. There certainly weren’t any crowds gathered to see him or hear his teaching that day. They were still in shock and grief over his death; Jesus had been executed as a criminal in a very public and very humiliating way just a few days before. Dead rabbis or teachers can still have followers and people who believe in their teachings, but I doubt if any of these disciples were expecting anything out of the ordinary that evening — if anything about the past few days had been ordinary. They might have been expecting a knock on the door from the Jewish Temple guard; the disciples were afraid for their own safety because of their association with Jesus. Jewish leaders had been instrumental in forcing Roman officials to condemn Jesus to death — maybe that bloodshed was not done yet. Although the disciples had deserted their rabbi at the time of his trial and crucifixion, it was entirely possible that Jewish leaders knew who they were and would be coming after them next. The doors were bolted on what must have been an anxious and grieving gathering of ten disciples. One of their group had taken his own life, one had denied Jesus three times but was back with them, and who knows where Thomas had gotten to.
And suddenly, in the middle of this grieving and anxiety stands . . . Jesus. It had to have been a shock, to say the least. And what is the first thing that Jesus says to his friends? Peace be with you. Peace be with you. I imagine it was not only the words themselves which were reassuring, but to hear their Lord say them, as they had heard him say them many times before. It is Jesus; he has risen from the dead, just as he promised. And look, as proof there are wounds in his hands and his side — evidence that a physical body still carries a sign of what he endured. This is not an imposter, it is proof that Jesus was fatally wounded but is now somehow now alive. This is a lot to take in, this matter of life and death, and how it contradicts everything we thought we knew. Jesus again says Peace be with you — receive the Holy Spirit, and then some things about the disciples forgiving sins, and then Jesus leaves — somehow — maybe back out through the locked door? The whole evening had to be both exhilarating and bewildering for those who were there.
No wonder Thomas is skeptical when he sees the other disciples and they say, “We have seen the Lord!” Really? Thomas may still have been a follower, but he was not a believer in the risen Christ. At least not until a week later when Jesus appears to them again, same house, same locked door. But this time Thomas is there. Jesus says Peace be with you, and Jesus shows Thomas the physical evidence of his death by crucifixion, and Thomas responds My Lord and my God. Thomas is now a believer.
This text has caused me to wonder about the difference between believers and followers. Can you be a believer but not a follower? The answer is Yes. There are plenty of people who claim to believe in Jesus, but it doesn’t affect their actions in any way — how they spend their time, how they spend their money, how they treat other people, how they treat themselves. They may say, Jesus is Lord! and feel like that statement is all that needs to happen for them to secure their place in heaven. It’s a good start, for sure, but I don’t think that’s where it ends. Can you be a follower and not a believer? That is a trickier question, and a place where I think the story of Thomas is helpful. I can’t speak for Thomas, but I can say that for myself there have been times and situations when I have been trying my best to follow Jesus without knowing for sure if I was going in the right direction. I’m willing to believe in Jesus, but I’m not sure I believe in myself. What role does doubt play in our faith?
Contemporary writer Anne LaMott, has this to say:
“The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Certainty is missing the point entirely. Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns. Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
I think these are great words for those who strive to be followers of Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection did not take away the mess, emptiness, or the discomfort of his followers’ lives. In fact, their lives were about to get messier and more uncomfortable once they realized that Jesus’ work was up to them, and they were going to be the ones, with the peace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, making the decisions from now on. Claiming certainty in those situations is not only bold, it may not be the best way to honor and continue to listen to the Holy Spirit. Faith is what holds believing and following together: the trust that Jesus walks with us, even in our doubt and uncertainty. Especially in our doubt and uncertainty. If we had no uncertainty, we would have no need for faith.
Faith is a matter of life and death. Here’s what I mean by that: what we believe about Jesus’ life and death changes our lives. It is great to be a believer in Jesus Christ and to accept that he was crucified and died and rose again on the third day. That is the beginning and the bedrock of our faith. But what we need and what the world needs is for us to be both believers and followers of Jesus. We follow not out of certainty but out of faith. Faith that even when we do not know the answers and are not sure of the way and things are messy and uncomfortable and uncertain, as they were for the disciples locked up in a room that Sunday evening, that Jesus is with us, and that we are offered peace and can receive the Holy Spirit. Faith is what allows us to keep walking when we cannot see the path ahead. We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. That is the promise of Easter, and that is why we are followers of Jesus Christ: because he lives. Alleluia! Amen.