Community Church Sermons

The Second Sunday of Easter, Year C – April 22, 2001

"There Was Something About The Hands!”

John 20:19-31

The Bible invites us to linger here at Easter. To pause, and take some time. To take a broad look at the resurrection experience of the young Christian church.

I find it interesting that there is not just one Easter story in the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all have their own way of telling it. This is because there was not just one encounter between the disciples and the risen Christ, but rather, there were many. Dozens. Perhaps hundreds. In the book of Acts, Luke writes, “After his suffering, (Jesus) presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

Forty days! Easter went on for forty days! For forty days people had firsthand encounters with the risen Christ! But wait. That’s not all. Listen to St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:

“For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to (Peter), then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me…”

Multiple experiences of the resurrection! Some to one person. Some to small groups of people. Even one to a large gathering of five-hundred! Jesus appeared to his own brother James. And to all the apostles at once. And last of all, Jesus appeared to Saul who became Paul as a result of the experience. And get this: Paul’s experience of the risen Christ did not occur until many, many months – perhaps even years - after Easter!

Easter is so much more than a day! It is an ongoing experience! So linger with me, if you will, here among the many resurrection appearances.

The one we are examining today is a good one! It demonstrates that not everyone among the followers of Jesus was quick to believe the good news about his resurrection. This story is about Thomas, who was a doubter.

Thomas was not present when Jesus came to the disciples hiding in the room in Jerusalem. Only when he returned to the place did he hear about what happened. The other disciples were ecstatic with joy! They had seen the risen Christ!

But Thomas was skeptical. “Unless I see for myself the mark of the nails in his hands and put my own finger in the mark of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

It may surprise you to hear this, but one of the reasons John included this story in his Gospel was because there were many in the early Christian community who wrestled with doubt. In fact, among the many divisions in that famously cantankerous church in the city of Corinth was one that doubted the resurrection! Paul devotes the whole 15^th chapter of his first letter to addressing this group of Christian folks who thought the resurrection was just so much bad theology.

And what I think is important about this is the fact that the early Christians did not disregard the legitimacy of doubt. In fact, active doubt seems to be a key ingredient that enables people ultimately to come to faith!

Yes, there were some who simply believed it all because someone else reported it. And John tells us they are very blessed people. But there were many others in the early church who couldn’t just take someone else’s word. They had to find out for themselves the reality of the resurrection. And so John includes this story which we might subtitle, “How Even Doubters Can Find The Risen Christ!”

Now I suspect there may be a doubter or two in our congregation today. You love the Christian message of redeeming love, and the beauty of Easter music, and the warmth of the gathered congregation, but you’re just not really sure what to believe about Jesus and the resurrection. Your wife – or your husband – or your parents – or your children – are worried about you. They pray for you every day because they are uncomfortable with your doubt, and are convinced you’re headed straight to hell. And you doubters know who you are! And this sermon is for you because even John recognized that Easter is for doubters as well as believers.

And so he gives us this story about a man nicknamed Doubting Thomas. And in the story, John teaches us something wonderful - how to use our doubt to find faith!

When you look at the story of Doubting Thomas, it becomes clear that the hands play a key role in moving from doubt to faith. Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails…I will not believe!

There’s something about the hands!

Not that many years ago, archaeologists unearthed the remains of a young man who lived during Jesus’ time. His skeleton lay in an affluent cemetery just outside Jerusalem at Givat ha-Mivtar. A seven-inch nail still protruded through his heel. This unknown man – like Jesus - suffered crucifixion, a humiliation in which hands and feet are pinned to a wooden cross, causing the full weight of the victim to fall upon his diaphragm, resulting in a slow and agonizing suffocation. Crucifixion was reserved for society’s worst offenders.

Now, one of the things our doubt must do is cause us to ask the question, “Why was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? Why was it necessary for his hands to be pierced?”

The pat answer we Christians give is that Jesus was crucified “for our sins” – and that is true in a broad theological sense. But practically speaking, it doesn’t really get to the historic reality of what happened on Good Friday long ago.

Perhaps it would be better to phrase it like this: why did the authorities kill Jesus?

Well, the Romans certainly did not do it so they could have their sins forgiven. They did not do it so they could go to heaven when they die. They did not do it so they could be born anew.

So why? Why did they kill Jesus? Why did they pierce Jesus’ hands?

Well, they killed Jesus for what he did! He lovingly touched the wrong people. He freely healed people on the wrong day - the Sabbath. He angrily overturned the wrong tables of injustice – the tables in the temple. He passionately welcomed those who were outcast. He fervently prayed as if God was his own Father. He graciously forgave peoples’ sins

Why did they kill Jesus?

Because of what he did with his hands!

According to the Chicago Tribune, at least thirteen people in the Philippines were crucified this past Good Friday. Trying to connect with the pain Jesus must have suffered, these folks allowed four-inch nails to be driven through their hands. Then they were hung on crosses for several minutes at a time.

I don’t know about you, but I for one am not drawn to these people. There is nothing about their self-mutilation that moves me to admire them or feel anything other than indifference toward them. And I think I know why. They are having their hands pierced to benefit themselves spiritually.

But Jesus’ hands were pierced for another reason. Because of how he used his hands for others!

Do you remember how his hands touched the eyes of a blind man one Sabbath? Do you remember how his hands reached out to the little children who came to him? Do you remember how he took in his hands a few fishes and loaves, and fed five thousand people? Do you remember how he reached across society’s divide to touch and heal the leper? Do you remember how the religious leaders complained that there was too much touching going on between Jesus and the tax collectors and sinners? Do you remember how Jesus took bread in his hands, and blessed, and broke it…and gave it to us saying, “Take and eat. This is my body broken for you…”?

There was something about his hands!

And that’s what Thomas wanted to see. He wanted to see those beautiful, life-giving, love-working hands that had been pierced by nails because of all the good they had done. And you know how the story goes. A week later the disciples and Thomas are gathered in that same locked room. And Jesus comes and stands among them. And he looks straight at Thomas. Then he extends his hands toward the Doubter. And Jesus says, Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand…Stop doubting and believe.”

And right there is the secret of how you can use your doubt to move toward faith. Do you see it?

This story is not so much about the hands of Jesus as it is about the hands of Thomas! Jesus invites Thomas to reach out his own hands, and touch the life-giving hands of the Lord! Thomas is invited to join his hands to the remarkable hands of Jesus!

How can a person move from doubt toward faith? By letting your hands become like the hands of Jesus – reaching out to the people in your life with redemptive love! By reaching out and welcoming in accepting love the wrong kind of people! By going ahead and loving those who nobody else will dare to love! By going and overturning the tables of injustice wherever they are found! By going and praying for the good of others as if God is your own Father! By going and touching those who are alienated from God with grace and forgiveness!

Go and use your hands like Jesus used His!

James Howell tells the story of a wealthy American woman who once visited the late Mother Teresa in Calcutta. She was very interested in the extraordinarily compassionate work of the Sisters of Charity, and wanted to put her money to work through their hands. And this woman had a lot of money.

During her visit with Mother Teresa, the woman took out her checkbook, and started to write in it. But Mother Teresa stopped her. “I won’t take your money,” Mother Teresa said. The woman insisted, reminding the tiny wisp of a saint that she had great resources to donate. But Mother still said, “I don’t want your money.”

Exasperated, the woman stammered, “Well what CAN I do?”

Mother said, “Come and see.” She took the woman by the hand, and led her down into a dreadfully impoverished barrio. There she found a desperately dirty, and hungry child. She asked the woman to simply take care of the little one. Her pocketbook being of no avail, the woman found a cloth and a water basin, and gently bathed the child. Then she spooned cereal into the child’s mouth.

And we don’t know the details of what happened after that, but the woman later reported that the experience changed her life. In loving this helpless child with her own hands, God – and the power of Christ’s love – became real to her.

How can you find the risen Christ even in the midst of doubt? By putting your hands on Christ’s hands, and using your hands as Jesus used His!

For when you do, it will not be long before you – like Thomas – and like the woman with Mother Teresa - discover the reality of the risen Jesus. And like them and millions of others who have dared to let their hands become Jesus’ hands, you will one day find yourself falling on your knees, and crying, “My Lord, and my God!”