Sermon from 2nd Sunday of Easter: On Faith

On Sunday, April 27, time was short for giving full treatment to the second part of our Gospel reading, so as promised, I have provided thoughts for your devotional use as you ponder these verses. The question at hand is this: How are we to understand what it means to have faith?

John 20: 24-29:
²⁴Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So 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.”
²⁶Eight 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.” ²⁷Then 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.” ²⁸Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Yet again, Jesus appears inside the locked room, and he bids the disciples—this time including Thomas—not to fear him. “Peace be with you.” And then he obliges Thomas who said he would not believe that Christ has risen from the dead without physical evidence. Upon seeing the marks of Christ’s suffering, Thomas confesses, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus is again doing the work of building His church when he teaches Thomas—and us—not to rely only on “head knowledge” as the core of our belief in Christ. Yes, Jesus does indeed provide physical proof to the disciples and to many others during the time between His resurrection and ascension. The evidence is overwhelming that He did rise from the dead. Believing perhaps can begin there, but Jesus wants to give us more: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have yet believed.” To believe means to have faith.

But what exactly is faith? Think of it in two ways; we can have “head knowledge,” even about Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. We would refer to this kind of faith as “knowledge of history.” We can look at the evidence and see that something is true. The eyewitness record, the testimony of Christ’s resurrection is documented as an historical event beyond most, if not all other events from ancient history. But this is not “justifying” faith; it’s not saving faith. Faith that justifies (makes us right with God) is not only a “head knowledge,” it is to trust the promise of God in which forgiveness of sins is given freely to us on account of Christ. We don’t work for this faith; we don’t strive for it or somehow “muster up” the faith that receives God’s promises. Not at all! The Holy Spirit sparks this faith in us through the Word. By the Word we are called to repentance and by faith in the promise, we receive that promise of forgiveness of sins. We don’t offer up to God our love, our devotion, our service to others, or any such thing. Those hold no merit for saving us. Instead, this faith is the true knowledge of Christ. And that, dear friends, is what Jesus says is blessed.

So, our faith is not without evidence. We have an object on which our faith is placed, and He is Christ. But faith is also the true knowledge of God. For to believe not having seen is to have faith in the Word of Christ.  And Jesus calls this kind of faith blessed. By His Word and Spirit, may God grant and sustain in us all this saving faith.

Vicar Darrell Becker