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Dear Easter People,
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!
There’s an old saying we’ve all heard, “Seeing is believing” or it’s cousin, “You’ve got to see it to believe it!” But there are lots of things we’ve never seen, yet still believe. Why? Because people we trust have told us about them.
The disciples had heard stories about Jesus’ resurrection, but still couldn’t believe He was alive. It didn’t make any sense to them – until Jesus showed up at dinner on that first night of the week. They saw Jesus and believed in His resurrection. But Thomas wasn’t there that night. He still didn’t believe … and wouldn’t “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.” (John 20:25) So, Jesus showed up the following week … to show Thomas His hands and side … Thomas believed. Then Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
We believe today, not because we’ve literally heeded the old saying, “You’ve got to see it to believe it” but because our Father has given us eyes of faith through the Holy Spirit in our baptisms. Seeing with eyes of faith we believe the word of the many witnesses recorded in God’s word. To use the lyric from one of my favorite music groups, U2, which flips the saying on its head and explains how we see Jesus each day and one day will see Him in His kingdom, “You're packing a suitcase for a place none of us has been, A place that has to be believed to be seen.” (Walk On, U2) We believe … and so we see. And seeing through faith, Jesus tells us to go into the world and help others to see Him through our words and deeds of love in response to His love for us.
ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!
In the Love of our Risen Savior,
Pastor Jim