John
20:19-31 NIV
19 On the evening of that first day of
the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of
the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After
he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were
overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As
the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And
with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s
sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not
forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as
Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So
the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his
hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his
side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the
house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came
and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then
he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand
and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my
God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me,
you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other
signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this
book. 31 But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name.
The Lock
Why? Why
was my barrel barring the door from opening? I think the people on the other
side were afraid. At least that’s the sense that I picked up. As I looked in on
them, I sensed scared, fearful, broken, trembling, disciples behind the closed
door and the barrel of my lock that kept the door shut. It appeared to me, from
my vantage point, that these people were hiding behind some kind of sinfulness,
some kind of low esteem, some kind of shame for their part in what has happened
recently. These guys were pitiful chickens. But then something, even I can’t
explain, took place, on this first evening of what now is called Easter day.
Please
accept my invitation to peek through my key hole and see what you see, feel
what you may feel, observe what I observed and be filled, heart and soul, so
you to believe.
Even
though my barrel was barring the door and keeping the door firmly shut, I
discovered that this man, or this God, named Jesus, is NOT bound by me. In fact,
my bar, my lock, had no effect. Jesus is not bound by me or even by space. I
mean, think about it; the door didn’t open. So, at some point, I suppose, the
door and this man Jesus, were at ONE with one another.
I’m just
a humble lock, but this at ONE business, just may be one reason Jesus came on
this evening, to these fearful disciples, behind a locked door.
After
Jesus passed right beyond the door that I had kept locked; He greeted those
present in the room with, “Peace.” Now I had heard this greeting between men
many a time in my life as a lock, but this greeting was a bit different. This
greeting of “Peace,” was more of a greeting to some fearful, sinful, doubting,
disciples, as a greeting of peace to their minds and their hearts. And then I
saw something that I couldn’t believe!
Jesus
shows the disciples something, like a show and tell you would never believe!
Jesus puts forth his arms and shows the very marks and holes in His hands and
sides that were put there, as He was killed on a cross just a few days back! I
mean this Guy shows the disciples, how He was put to death. Yet, here He is,
standing right in front of my still locked barrels on the door that is secured!
And
then, Jesus’ breaths on them. What’s the deal with that? Well sure, I’m just a
lock, a lock that you’re peeking through, by the way, but I’m made of materials
that were made a long, long, time ago. So, I can remember a thing or too also
about my past. I’ll bet you didn’t know that I could do that, did you?
This “breathing”
thing. It keeps coming up, again and again. This first time I recall, was way
back at the beginning.
Genesis
2:7 NIV
7 Then the Lord God formed a
man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
You know, some of me is in
that dust too, but I can’t say that I got any breath that day.
It seems that this is
maybe a NEW beginning, a NEW kind of creation. A NEW kind of living being
coming into existence before me and your very eyes too, as you peek through my
keyhole.
Breathing is Life. And
through Jesus’ breathing flows not only his breath, but the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit, you know; the gift of Life.
I saw Jesus believing in
the disciples present behind my very own lock and the door that I have locked. Yea,
Jesus believes in the disciples! Seems so backward. But that’s what I saw. As
you peek through, do you see it? Jesus believes in these disciples NO MATTER
what they did, no matter how they sinned, no matter how they ran in fear and
denied and slept and cowered.
The disciples’ sins of the
past few days, it seems, to Jesus, has been shaken off. Even in the failures
and cowardice of the disciples Jesus accepts them. It’s so backwards! Jesus
chooses them! Jesus not only chooses them; He forgives them and grants them His
Grace. Jesus even trusts them. I’ve seen this Jesus guy myself. He tends to
turn the world topsy turvy somehow. But who am I? I’m just a lock, after all,
and on this evening, not a very effective one at that.
But I saw it! I hope you
can see it as well, as you peek through my keyhole.
Jesus gives His spirit.
Jesus gives God’s own Spirit to these disciples. Why? In their failures, they
received the Breath of Life. Why? To be free of the power of sin. Why? To be
bold, daring, faithful, disciples; believing in the New Life they have just
been granted. This Jesus freely gave ALL to these disciples. Yet, as I looked
on, I saw a change before your very eyes looking through my keyhole… I don’t
have eyes, you know.
These disciples came to
realize that, on their own, they can do nothing really. YET, as they live out
their lives in Christ, and feed on Jesus’ life and breath, they changed. Even I
can see this!
All this change stuff, and
this life stuff and this Jesus leading stuff, draws me back to a past time. It’s
like this Jesus is the Pillar of Fire that leads ALL mankind, out of the
darkness, of evil, the darkness of Gethsemane, the darkness of those few hours
on the cross, when Jesus died, to a NEW LIFE in and through Jesus.
Even though I’m just a
lock on a door, that really can’t keep that door shut, or whatever, I see
something NEW here. Do you see it too?
I hear, hey! I don’t have
ears to hear either, but I heard it anyway. I heard a voice of forgiveness from
Jesus. Yet, it’s not in the man to forgive sins of man but from God. BUT, with
what Jesus has done, MAN can pronounce this same forgiveness to mankind.
Just look at another
source…
In Jesus own words…
Matthew
18:18 NIV
18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind
on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be loosed in heaven.
This one got me to
thinking… I’ll bet you didn’t know that a lock could think either.
Anyway, I got to
thinking about this Binding and Loosing stuff. That’s kind of like something
Forbidden or Permitted. Yet, the way it seems to me, it was more like… Have
been forgiven, or Have been retained… OR… something that has already been
decided, in God’s judgment. You see, that puts God’s action and love behind the
words that we use when we grant God’s forgiveness to one another. Yep, that’s
another gift God gives!
Well, that was just
round one of many rounds of Jesus making a fool of my abilities to lock doors.
About a week later, it all happens again! So, I invite you back to peek through
my keyhole once again. Pay attention this time. This time there’s something for
you. There was something for you the last time, but if you weren’t there like
Thomas wasn’t there the first time, then shame on you. I mean, after all, even
I can attend these gatherings each time! Come on!
In fact, listen to
me, even if I don’t have a mouth or tongue to speak; listen to me! When you peekers
miss a gathering at church, you miss something vital! So, go to church, as much
as you possibly can. Go to church and be with God’s people. People, just like
you peekers and see Jesus’ presence in the Word, the Water, the Bread and the
Wine. Come on, peekers! Jesus appears! Even through the locked doors of pitiful
locks like me. If you can go, then go. Don’t cop out on a computer or TV. If
you are able, then GO! Sure, if you can’t physically go, then watch on your
computer or TV, or read, but if you are able GO! And don’t wait for next
Christmas to role around before you GO. Even a lock like me will be there, and
who knows? Maybe you will pass through a locked door, giving me more low self-esteem.
OK, enough of that.
I’ll bet you’ve never had a lock preach to you before…
When I saw Thomas, he
reminded me of a skeptic. But even skeptics can be led to faith. Look or listen
to this…
This is some of that
NEW LIFE stuff we saw earlier… in John’s words…
1
John 5:4-5 NIV
4 for everyone born of
God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the
world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes
the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Looking
through the keyhole, you will see that Jesus shows Thomas, and all skeptics as
well that may be peeking in, sympathy for their misgivings. Jesus is calm, not
defensive. Jesus shows skeptics what they come to see. Jesus shows His own signs
of death. Yet, Jesus lives! Jesus came to so many people after His
resurrection, more than 500! More than five hundred witnesses, with proof!
And how
does Thomas and all Christians respond? Thomas response was clear belief in
Jesus. Thomas responds with a Gospel Creed, simple and direct. “My Lord and my God!”
This is ALL the Creed our life ever needs!
OK, I
know I’m just an ineffective lock, but permit me to preach to you peekers a
bit.
What was
Jesus’ mission? That mankind may have LIFE! The works of Jesus creates the faith
that leads you to LIFE. Jesus was visible history for some 30 years or so on earth.
Yes, Jesus IS the Word made flesh. Yet, Jesus’ history still continues from
eternity and into eternity. This IS salvation’s history. You folks have eyes that
see and a spirit the sees as well. And, through the gift of the Holy Spirit,
you are freely given faith and belief. Gifts from God through God in Flesh and
in Spirit. Don’t turn away! God has come to you. Run to Him. God in Jesus,
passes right through your door of sins, fear, cowardice, to grant and give to
you His Breath of Life, ALL for you. All there for you!
Thomas
may have started slow, but LOOK! He proclaimed the Gospel loud and bold and clear,
and to the point, “My Lord and my God!”
Do you peekers
believe? There are no longer any locked and shut doors. It’s time to stop peeking
through my keyhole and proclaim what God has done for you and for all the world…
today… tomorrow… and forever!
I invite you to watch and listen... through my keyhole to these believers...
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