"'Unless!' With the Spirit, a Powerful Word!'"
On St John 20.19-31
the Sermon Preached at St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church—UAC
for the Festival of St. Thomas, Apostle
by the Rev. Frederick E. Davison, Pastor
December 21, 2008
+ + +
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ
our Lord, [Amen.]
Today's sermon speaks from the Gospel appointed, according to John
chapter 20th with particular focus on these words:
"Unless I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and, put my
finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side,
I will never believe."
Thus far our text. Please be sit.
In the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Ghost. [Amen.]
Thomas says, "I will never believe!" So then, away with all talk of
a "Doubting Thomas." For in these words all doubt is gone. Far from
doubting, John tells us true: with this confession, Thomas is
*outside* the Church—anything *but* Saint Thomas, the confession of
his mouth is that He will *never* believe; and apart from Faith, even
Disciples will be condemned—as Judas desecrated body to this day
portends.
In the strongest way he can say it, the Holy Spirit records Thomas to
say not, "I *will* not believe!" or "I *cannot* believe" no "Lord I
believe, help Thou my unbelief" but rather, "I will *never* believe!"
Beyond questioning, "Could all this I've heard about Jesus really be
true?" Thomas has come to his conclusion as to the facts of the
Gospel. When he says: "I'll never believe!" Thomas rejects even the
possibility that the testimony of his fellow Disciples has a
snowballs' chance in hell of being true!
At the words, "I will never believe!" Thomas' rank stank and stark
unbelief stands in clear opposition to the lively childlike hope of
the "watching-their-flocks-by-nite" shepherds. Thomas' words are
diabolically displayed against the "where-have-you-laid-Him" loving
care of the women who confess excitedly, "We have seen the Lord."
Thomas' "I'll never believe. . ." is not merely, "I'm having a hard
time believing you!" Thomas' reaction to such news is how *all*
people react to such news. They'd all seen Jesus' dying, and so
Thomas is not only "doubting" but wholly rejecting Him Who alone saves
him. No "I'll follow you Jesus. . ." because all talk of a Jesus who
was living was to him, just so much nonsense, *unless* he himself
would see Him, unless he himself touch Him, unless he could reach in
and grasp his beating heart, Thomas would "never"—yes, He said it,
"never," "Unless . . . yes, unless. . . I will never believe!"
You'd like to say in yourself, "How can he say that?" Truth told, his
reaction is quite normal. It's what we all *ought* really expect. To
us, it's a way we know this Gospel is true. Were it all fake, they'd
make the Apostles men of superhuman faith, not doubters, much less,
rejectors of God's work and God's will.
But Thomas had first-hand facts—here the father of modern search for
the "historic Jesus." He died and He saw it. He saw the High
priest's soldiers take Him away. Fresh was the mental picture of
their "every-man-for-himself-dash" from the soldiers of Rome, some
running this way, some running that, even one, the original
"streaker"—ST Mark who ran clean out of his clothing. Jesus was taken
and they're left to themselves. Facts. These were the facts, and
based on *those* facts, "I will never believe."
So, too, were the doors, the
"having-been-locked-on-account-of-the-fear-of-the-Jews" and so enough
of their testimony, that Jesus had come there. What he knew as facts
could neither be erased nor forgotten, they were etched indelibly on
his flesh and blood brain. Seared in his psyche was the lifeless
Lord's Body, that had dropped when "It is finished."
Facts are facts and the facts as he knew them were that the
Patriarch's Promise, the hope his Nation hasting in wasting "where the
carcass is hanging the Eagles will gather." So don't judge him too
harshly if his mind wouldn't permit it. The facts frozen like a movie
stuck on a frame that'd go no further, fast forward and rewind no
longer working, Jesus end was the ending, he could suffer no talk of a
Jesus who rose up from the dead. To the mortal mind of the Disciple
called Thomas, Israel's "Consolation" once vibrant and living, was
lifeless and lonely, once calm, cool, collected, lay cold, stiff, and
lifeless and was laying till Doomsday in rich, Joseph's new tomb.
The bone-chilling confession, "I will never believe!" confessed a
religion that was fruitless, a Jesus Christ crucified to reason and
logic meant Jesus life was over and it was then, time to get on with
theirs. We must do as best can. Move on! Move over! Get on with
our business. He's said it, "I will never believe. . ." yes, indeed,
"never," that is, "*unless*" There is that small word, "unless. . ."
And when faithless, unbelieving teachers leave you hopeless—he said,
"I will never believe!"—when the faithless leave you hopeless, God's
calling all the more loudly, "Listen and believe!" And with a single,
solitary word, "unless. . ." the God who fills the whole Heavens and
Earth and under with His Glory, He grants stony hard hearts, true and
living Faith. It comes with a Flesh and Blood Jesus raised by
Infinite Power and Might, Who gives men signs of His Presence, signs
of His Being, of His Grace, of His Mercy. And to what end? To convert
the unbelieving, that old Judas, who lived dying in St. Thomas, but
who lives and dies in you and in me. God Himself says it. There is
in us, a dead, old man still mad at God who shakes fist at the heavens
"I will never believe!"
that old nature, will never!!! Can't ever, born dead in sin and
trespass, cannot ever believe!
So to make unbelieving, believing, needs a miracle, God's acting to
get it done. So to Thomas, He says, "Thrust in your fingers, here.
Feel My hands and My feet, and thrust here in My wounding, a holy
Heart that yet beats. Christ holds forth to unbelievers miraculous
signs that convert the dead and dying and makes dead men to live.
And so much the more He connects the giving of His Spirit with these
signposts, "Breath and receive. . ." Here He foreshadows and
prefigures, how now, we who hear the same Promise, "whosever sins ye
forgive are forgiven" we likewise are converted, and dead hearts get
His Spirit and the valley of dry bones stand up walking by the Signs
of His Life.
He blesses water, saying, "Be born again . . ." And the unbelieving
say "How?" Yet His Apostles, teach this is a "washing of renewal and
regeneration of the Holy Spirit" and by this "He doth now save us"
These are signs of His coming, of His converting dead men to life.
And the greatest appears least, to simple Bread and Fruit of the
Vine, His "Let there be light creating Word" says, "This is my Blood"
"This is My Body" "given and shed for many for the forgiveness of
sins.
Facts are facts and Faith's Facts are endlessly reliable, we never
ought doubt for in that He commands these requires our believing and
when God says "Let there be. . ." What was becomes as He wills it.
It's as if Christ was here today saying, "Signs, Signs, everywhere
[are] My Signs, My hands and My feet were for Thomas and the Rest, in
their place I've left the best: For there's not a single one baptized,
I didn't want saved, not a one who's heard "I forgive you." for whom I
didn't die to forgive. And more, nor one eater of my Body or drinker
of this Cup, who, from your earth unto My Heaven my Supper cannot
bring up. And so "blessed are they that have not seen Me, and yet
still have faith, believing."
And you, who don't see Him, yet know Him; who can't touch but are
touched *by* Him. Blessed are Ye, indeed, blessed, [who] can't see
His mouth but hear Him, saying, "Peace be with you! My peace I leave
with you, not as the world giveth, let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid." "Blessed are they that have not seen . .
.yet believe."
"Receive ye, the Spirit" by His "Body broken" Blood "poured out" "for
you" for Jesus' most holy passion's sake, Amen.
In the Name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Ghost. [Amen.]
The peace that passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
in Christ Jesus, [Amen.]
--
the Rev. Frederick E Davison, Pastor
St Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church--UAC
the Pastor's E Mail: [email protected]
the Pastor's Cell: 608-475-0860
Box 230 23357 CR AA
Richland Center, WI 53581
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"For the question is not (to borrow words from Cyprian) what someone
before us has done but what He who is before all both did before and
commanded us to do." Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of
Trent, vol. II, p. 250.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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