THE PULPIT: Seeing Is Believing
True or False, “seeing is believing”?
I know I tend to be a “seeing is believing” kind of guy. This is true of me especially if it is something highly unlikely. David Blaine was on TV the other night. He was trying to hold his breath underwater for 9 minutes. If you would have told me someone was trying to hold their breath that long underwater, strapped to the bottom of a giant goldfish bowl, I would think they are silly for trying, and you are silly for believing them. What if I told you people have gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survived uninjured? What if I told you someone has gotten on a motorcycle and ramped across the Grand Canyon? Most likely, none of us would believe it if we had not seen it.
John 20 (NLT)
24One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin[c]), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."
26Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. He said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"
28"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.
29Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."
The setting is the same as it was last week, only one week later. The same group is gathered, only this week Thomas has joined them. Between last week and this, they had been talking with Thomas. They told him of the Lord. They told him about the resurrection, but Thomas did not believe. “There is no way I’m going to fall for that! Unless I see and touch the wounds, I don’t believe you.” Thus, the scene is set, they are all together in a room, with the doors shut and locked.
Out of nowhere, Jesus appears! It was just like last time. He greets them all with the Peace, and then turns directly to Thomas. “See my hand? Take your finger and put it in my hand. See my side? Take your hand and put it in my side.” But Thomas does not need to all that. He knows his Lord, because his Lord knows him. Thomas is a hero, right?
Jesus response is a little surprising. We are not sure exactly how to take it. Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who believe without seeing. Does this mean that Thomas is not blessed? Is his skepticism is a problem? I sometimes think that Thomas gets a bum rap. He had to see in order to believe. Mary had to see to believe. The others in last weeks story had to see to believe. If anything, it seems to me that Thomas believed more easily than he thought he would. He said he would have to see and touch, but just the sight of Christ and hearing His words was enough.
Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, yet believed” even though his closest disciples saw and believed. This story is not about our failure though, it is about the grace of God! In the ideal world we would all believe without seeing, but unfortunately this does not happen often. Jesus’ closest friends needed to see to believe. Jesus was willing to do whatever it took to help them to believe.
I believe this story shows us how others will come to believe. First, they will see His body. Sure, Jesus is not present with us physically. He has ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. However, He has left His church. There is a very long tradition of understanding that the church is Christ’s body. The tradition goes all the way back to St. Paul. The church is the presence of Christ in this world, and through it, others can and will see Him. Second, they will hear His Word. Sure, Jesus is not present with us physically, but He has left us the Bible, the written Word of God to reveal God to the world.
So we have our answer…through the church, the world is able to see Christ. Through the Bible, the world is able to hear the word of God. Through the church’s faithful proclamation of the Word, the world is able to believe.
Where do you fit in to this whole thing? Let’s explore the nature of the church. The church is those gathered and sent by God who share their common belief. John tells us that Christ is the Word. So while the church is to faithfully proclaim the word of God corporately in its worship, if you are one of the believers that makes up the church, then you are to be faithful proclaiming Christ in all you do. Others will believe if they see Christ in you. The question really is, what are you faithfully proclaiming: selfishness or love, Christ or yourself. What message are you proclaiming?
I know I tend to be a “seeing is believing” kind of guy. This is true of me especially if it is something highly unlikely. David Blaine was on TV the other night. He was trying to hold his breath underwater for 9 minutes. If you would have told me someone was trying to hold their breath that long underwater, strapped to the bottom of a giant goldfish bowl, I would think they are silly for trying, and you are silly for believing them. What if I told you people have gone over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survived uninjured? What if I told you someone has gotten on a motorcycle and ramped across the Grand Canyon? Most likely, none of us would believe it if we had not seen it.
John 20 (NLT)
24One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin[c]), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25They told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side."
26Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. He said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"
28"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.
29Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."
The setting is the same as it was last week, only one week later. The same group is gathered, only this week Thomas has joined them. Between last week and this, they had been talking with Thomas. They told him of the Lord. They told him about the resurrection, but Thomas did not believe. “There is no way I’m going to fall for that! Unless I see and touch the wounds, I don’t believe you.” Thus, the scene is set, they are all together in a room, with the doors shut and locked.
Out of nowhere, Jesus appears! It was just like last time. He greets them all with the Peace, and then turns directly to Thomas. “See my hand? Take your finger and put it in my hand. See my side? Take your hand and put it in my side.” But Thomas does not need to all that. He knows his Lord, because his Lord knows him. Thomas is a hero, right?
Jesus response is a little surprising. We are not sure exactly how to take it. Jesus pronounces a blessing on those who believe without seeing. Does this mean that Thomas is not blessed? Is his skepticism is a problem? I sometimes think that Thomas gets a bum rap. He had to see in order to believe. Mary had to see to believe. The others in last weeks story had to see to believe. If anything, it seems to me that Thomas believed more easily than he thought he would. He said he would have to see and touch, but just the sight of Christ and hearing His words was enough.
Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, yet believed” even though his closest disciples saw and believed. This story is not about our failure though, it is about the grace of God! In the ideal world we would all believe without seeing, but unfortunately this does not happen often. Jesus’ closest friends needed to see to believe. Jesus was willing to do whatever it took to help them to believe.
I believe this story shows us how others will come to believe. First, they will see His body. Sure, Jesus is not present with us physically. He has ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father. However, He has left His church. There is a very long tradition of understanding that the church is Christ’s body. The tradition goes all the way back to St. Paul. The church is the presence of Christ in this world, and through it, others can and will see Him. Second, they will hear His Word. Sure, Jesus is not present with us physically, but He has left us the Bible, the written Word of God to reveal God to the world.
So we have our answer…through the church, the world is able to see Christ. Through the Bible, the world is able to hear the word of God. Through the church’s faithful proclamation of the Word, the world is able to believe.
Where do you fit in to this whole thing? Let’s explore the nature of the church. The church is those gathered and sent by God who share their common belief. John tells us that Christ is the Word. So while the church is to faithfully proclaim the word of God corporately in its worship, if you are one of the believers that makes up the church, then you are to be faithful proclaiming Christ in all you do. Others will believe if they see Christ in you. The question really is, what are you faithfully proclaiming: selfishness or love, Christ or yourself. What message are you proclaiming?
posted by EF + at 9:41 AM
1 Comments:
This message was good the first time you performed it but it was still very good to rereadit to be reminded.Sometimes I doze off during the lesson so now I can catch up on things I may have missed while staring off into space.
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