Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” John 30:29. is our text.
That's us. That's we who believe. We are blessed.
We
long for the beatific vision of Christ, to see him face to face to touch his
hands to be in his presence face to face. We confess that. We will say in the
Creed that we look forward to the resurrection of the body and the life of the
world to come, but Jesus says we're blessed when we don't yet see and yet
believe.
It’s as if Jesus says to us “Just
wait.” You'll see me soon enough. In the meantime, believe. Believe that I am
risen from the dead. Believe what I say when I say you who are in me have that
resurrection and that life -- life eternal. Believe what I say. And for this
meantime I will give you the things to help you believe.
Jesus says “I want you to
believe. Don't regret that you weren't one of the witnesses of my resurrection,
that you weren't there to see me on that first Easter. There were over 500
people who saw me alive risen from the dead. And they told about it. Don't
believe the lies that some have put forward.”
Some of the enemies of Christ’s
gospel made up this story, that the disciples stole the body from the tomb and
then went around spreading the story that Jesus rose from the dead. It's
impossible to get 500 people to keep a lie going for 2000 years. Couldn’t be. The
Apostles and Mary Magdalene and many others told what they saw and touched and
it’s reliable, well attested and documented.
There have been other rumors
and lies spread about the resurrection of Jesus. You might have heard them repeated
even to this day. One theory told most notably by the false prophet Mohammed,
is that Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, he just passed out and later, in
the tomb, came to his senses, and walked out of the tomb and went around meeting
up with His friends. That would have been physically and biologically impossible
given the kind of beating he took at the hands of the Roman soldiers; the
flogging they gave Jesus was so severe that he couldn’t stand up under the weight
of the cross; and then there was the bitter, excruciating crucifixion. If any
man could have survived that, it would be impossible to believe He could then
walk through locked doors and hold a blessed conversation with His disciples.
Really it’s easier to simply believe what God has said. “He was delivered up
for our sins, and rose again for our justification.” John wrote in our Epistle
reading today: If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is
greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.
(1 John 5:9).
The Lord gives you the
testimony, so hear it and believe.
The Lord gave old Thomas His
body, so Thomas could see it, touch it and believe. But then He says, “Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet believe.”
The Lord gives you
things, so you can believe what you can’t see. That’s how He wants you to
believe. Get what He gives, and then believe in what is unseen.
Here’s an example of
that, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit” (John 20:22). The Holy Spirit is unseen. Jesus breath, was noticeable.
When He breathed on them, they could see it and feel it. But then He told them,
believe in what is unseen, the Holy Spirit. Believe that He is with you, at
work in you, and doing His work on you, namely, “If you forgive the sins of
anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is
withheld” (John 20:23).
Now you have the Church
and the minister of the church so you can believe in what is unseen. You hear
the Gospel preached in the Church, from the mouth of the pastor and you believe
in what is unseen, in heaven your sins are forgiven.
The Lord gives you
His word, written back then and proclaimed today. With the Holy Spirit that
word has power for you to believe even what is unseen.
Here’s how it goes:
God’s word reveals things unseen. Faith is believing what is unseen, what’s
beyond our senses and experiences, even what’s beyond our ability to imagine.
It’s understandable that rebellious thinkers would try to find ways to explain
that Jesus was not truly risen. Such a thing never happens. People die and that’s
it. God’s word says otherwise. Jesus who was dead, now lives, and speaks and
blesses and saves.
So likewise the sacrament,
under the visible bread and wine, the Lord gives you the unseen body and blood.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe”.
We continue to do
what the Lord does. Like Jesus breathing to show the unseen Spirit. By our
actions in the Divine Service, we are showing the unseen that we believe. By
our standing out of respect in the presence of our unseen Savior, we are acting
as if we believe in what is unseen.
That’s what you do on
Sunday morning -- so also in the other days of the week. Think, talk, and act
as if you believe in what is unseen going on around you.
·
Bow your
head in prayer, because you believe that the unseen Lord is there listening to
you.
·
Go
about the tasks you have to do, working diligently, because you believe that
the service you are doing is for the visible world, but also and more
importantly for the unseen Lord who gives you your work to do.
·
Look at
the people you are with this way, even the most difficult and annoying person
you have to deal with. Keep in mind what is unseen about them. Although it doesn’t
look like it, remember that this person is God’s creation, valued by God, so
precious to God that He gave His Son up for this person. Then when you talk to
that person, interact with that person, do so with the respect and honor bestowed
on him or her from our unseen Lord.
·
Live
all your days not in the worry and suffering of the world of your sight and
experience, but with the peace and joy of what you believe.
How blest
are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia! Amen.
