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

If you have traveled to the western United States, and certainly if you have lived there, it’s very likely that you have seen the pine tree forests that are common in that part of the country. The lodgepole pine tree, native to North America and especially well adapted, is often used, as the name implies, for construction.

One unique and interesting characteristic of the lodgepole pine is that its pinecones remain sealed with a thick resin, often for many years, until the heat from a wildfire melts the resin, allowing the seeds to be released, typically into nutrient-rich soil after a fire. The seeds can quickly reforest a burned area. For the lodgepole pine tree, rebirth only occurs after a fire.

Perhaps there are exceptions, but this seems to be the way of the world. In athletics, success can rarely be achieved without hard, often painful physical training and practice. In academics, there may be some who can ace the test without studying, but to maximize one’s potential, studying will be the price to pay. We can say that almost always, at least for things worthwhile in our world, we must endure suffering first, then the glory comes.

In the ninth chapter of Gospel of Luke, the writer recounts the events of the Transfiguration of our Lord, which at first does not seem to teach us about suffering. In fact, the imagery provided by Luke paints a heavenly picture of the glory of God in Christ Jesus in the brief moments when Jesus’ face shown and his clothes were dazzling white. However, a close reading of the text reveals that, while we catch a glimpse of the glory that will again be His after His resurrection, the Transfiguration’s message is this: The order of the kingdom is suffering first, then glory.

This account in the life of Christ is quite remarkable.

Luke 9:29 says: “And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.” In Matthew’s account, he says Jesus’ face “shone like the sun.” Even the clothes touching Jesus became dazzling white. What Christ touches is transformed! We remember that Christ always had this glory. This was his glory as the Eternal Son with the Father from all eternity, but here, for just a moment, He gives three disciples (and us) a glimpse of that glory, the glory of the King in His Kingdom.

And verse 30: “And behold, two men were taking with Him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” These are the two great prophets, Moses and Elijah, who also were appearing in glorified bodies. They were talking about his departure—more literally—his exodus, which he was about to accomplish. We can’t miss this clear connection to the rescue of Israel from Egypt, which was only a shadow of the ultimate redemption of all people in Jesus sacrificial suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Only a few verses before this account, when Peter confesses Jesus as “The Christ of God,” Jesus strongly warned them not to tell anyone, saying that “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

This, dear Christians, IS the exodus Jesus was discussing with Moses and Elijah up on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Old Testament “Exodus” was God’s plan for redeeming his chosen people. God pulls his people out of slavery, out of bondage in Egypt. This saving work wrought by God served as a foreshadowing of the perfect and complete salvation to be brought about by this “Exodus” of Jesus at Jerusalem.

The “Exodus” of Jesus, will include his suffering, death, and burial no doubt, and HIS exodus is also the resurrection, ascension, and exaltation as Jesus returns from where he came: the right hand of the Father. As Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land, so Jesus will lead us to eternal glory. The Transfiguration gives us a glimpse of what the future holds for the Christian while it also serves as a vision of the glory of Jesus at his second coming.

And so the pinecone is sealed, rebirth cannot occur, until first the fire of Christ’s passion. And when the fires of suffering come—the trials of this world which will inevitably come upon us—we know that rebirth is coming. Suffering first, then glory. The pinecone opens, and the blessings of salvation pour forth.

May God grant us perseverance, strengthened by his Word, while we wait for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Vicar Darrell Becker

My wife Tammy and I make a habit of setting aside time at the beginning of each year to reflect, to plan, and to set goals for the new year in various areas of our lives. As we look back at the year 2024, we are profoundly grateful to the members of Immanuel for their support and encouragement as I began the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program.  The financial investment that the church is making to form and train me as a pastor is both humbling and inspiring. Thank you!

The first course in my SMP studies was an Introduction to the Lutheran Confessions. My professor, Rev. Dr. Ken Schurb, possesses encyclopedic knowledge of the Confessions and of the Reformation, making the course both challenging and interesting. I spent a week last September in Fort Wayne, Indiana at Concordia Theological Seminary learning under Dr. Schurb and also getting to know the other men in my SMP cohort. Pastor Grayson and Tammy traveled with me, and it was a great experience to be on the campus with the full-time seminary students and to hear from some of the other professors and to worship together in chapel each day.  

Presently, I am almost to the midpoint of my second course: Pastoral and Missional Theology in Luke and Acts. Aside from the biblical texts, we are using the two-volume Concordia Commentary on Luke by Dr. Arthur Just, Jr. The readings are challenging, and the learning is deep. Several of the assignments for this course require me to practice writing sermons, devotions, or short meditations. Perhaps these first efforts will make it into print or into the pulpit someday!

In addition to my SMP studies, my work in 2025 as a vicar will include continuing to assist Pastor Grayson with worship services, preaching, visiting members in times of need, contacting visitors to our worship services, shut-in visits, creating content for the website and the Temple Telegram Pastor’s Corner,  teaching confirmation, and continuing to organize Theology on Tap for men, among other duties as assigned by Pastor Grayson. While I cannot yet keep regular office hours at the church, I can always be reached by phone or by email, and I encourage you to contact me.

Vicar Darrell Becker