What Thomas saw (Easter 2)

 In the first part of the service, we are hearing the Godly Play story "the Faces of Easter" you can watch a version  here

 John 20: 19-31 is then the reading.

 The reflection follows 

   

Today’s gospel reading is from the gospel of John. John himself tells us he is not writing ‘everything Jesus did’, but telling us about the signs – helping us all to understand who Jesus is.

 

Thomas gets labelled ‘doubting’ because of this moment, in the week after Easter Sunday.

He was not there when the other disciples first see the risen Jesus. But he had seen and heard so many of the signs of who Jesus way. And in then end that helped him to make sense of the fact that the risen Jesus was now standing in front of him, on this first Sunday after Easter.

 

We have heard the Godly Play story “Faces of Easter” reminding us of the whole of Jesus’ life:

 

Birth – his family. Thomas would have known Mary, Jesus’ mother, as she was often with the disciples.

  

Mary might have told the disciples the story of finding Jesus in the temple.

 

Andrew, who was once a disciple of John the Baptist, might have told Thomas the story of Jesus’ baptism.

 

The story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert is one that only Jesus himself could have told… did Thomas hear it?

 

The disciples were with Jesus as he began his ministry, healing & teaching. They saw the blind see again, they heard stories of the kingdom of God.

 

And then, as conflict began to swirl around Jesus, he shared bread and wine at the Last Supper with all his disciples and told them ‘this is my body…this is my blood’.

Then Jesus was taken from his friends by the Roman soldiers.

From a distance, Thomas and the other men saw Jesus questioned, tormented, nailed to the cross. They helped get his body down and placed it in the tomb.

 

But on Easter Sunday we know Jesus was seen alive – first by the women and he came to his disciples in the upper room.

 

Thomas missed this last moment with Jesus – but he had all the other moments to think about.

 

And when Jesus came a second time and spoke to Thomas, all the signs of who Jesus is fell into place for Thomas and he declares “My Lord and my God”.

 

It was not just a realisation that Jesus was actually alive as the others had said – Thomas sees that Jesus has been raised by God the Father – that everything he ever was and said and did, was true.

 

He is the God born as a baby.

The one who grew in wisdom and grace.

Who was baptised by John.

Who was tempted in the wilderness – but resisted all evil.

The one who healed all who came to him – and taught all who listened to him.

Jesus shared bread and wine with his followers so that they might begin to understand he would always be with them

He was crucified and buried

Yet was raised to life – and is alive forever.

 

This Jesus is the one Thomas calls, rightly, “my Lord and my God”.

 

This Jesus is alive with us today – in bread and wine – in the reading of God’s word – and in each other.

With Thomas, believe this. Jesus is here.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

 

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