Second Sunday of Easter

Seeking Jesus

by Dave Pecot

Jn 20:19-31

One of the most popular television shows today is "Who wants to be a Millionaire". You know the show, once you qualify to be on the show, there is another qualifying question for you and the other 9 players. If you are the fastest to correctly answer that question, you become the person who plays for a million dollars. In order to win the million dollars, you must answer 15 multiple-choice questions in a row or you may quit at any point and take your winnings to that point. The questions become increasingly difficult as the dollar value increases. Along the way you have the ability to get with answers by using lifelines. There are three lifelines - call a friend, the audience and 50/50. You could use one or all of them on one question or as most people do, try to use them only when you are uncertain of the answer. The problem is that on most of these questions have answers which is not something you may have learned but instead they are obscure things that you pick up over the years of living.

So let's play "who wants to be a millionaire". Let me set up the scene for you. You are three questions away from the million dollars. From last week's Easter gospel, we know that the risen Jesus has appeared to the women. We also know that Peter and John went to the tomb and "chose to believe even though they did not understand the what it meant to rise from the dead." We know that in today's gospel the disciples, minus Thomas, are in the upper room on the evening of that same day. Here is your question for $250,000: Where was Thomas on that evening? Was he:

So it's time to decide: what do you think Thomas was doing? Now it is your turn to be in the spotlight and have the television audience watch and listen to you reason out the answer. So let us think out loud as the contestants do and try to come up with the correct answer without using one of our lifelines. Well, we have no way of knowing where Thomas was since scripture only tells us he was absent. But it is likely that Thomas was out looking for Jesus. Why? Because Thomas was the disciple who did not hesitate to say "let us go along to die with him" when Jesus had told his disciples that he was going to Judea after Lazarus had been raised from the dead. So we can speculate that Thomas was not afraid. So when he heard the message from the women that Christ had risen, he went out looking for Jesus. Perhaps to seek forgiveness for abandoning Jesus during the trial and crucifixion.

So our final answer is "C' out looking for Jesus.

Now that we have the correct answer what do we do? Do we continue or quit with our winnings? We too have heard the message that Jesus has risen, are we willing to put aside our fears and eagerly seek the risen Christ? We know from scripture that he did not find Jesus, and on returning to the upper room, he was told by the disciples that Jesus had appeared to them. Not only had Jesus appeared, but also something else had happened that evening. They received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them. They would have been very energized when Thomas returned because they would have been eager to share with Thomas what they had experienced and seen. Yet after listening to their story and after seeing the difference in them, Thomas still had questions and doubts. He says that he will not believe unless……

So here is your question for $250,000: How did you come to believe in Jesus? Was it:

Again let us reason together out loud. This scripture story tells us that a week later when Jesus does appear again Thomas was there. Again we do not know why they were all together this time but it is fun to speculate. I believe that they were there because of the experience of that initial encounter with Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit. They would have been motivated to pray constantly. They would not be concerned with anything but being in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit, we know from scripture, is the force behind understanding the scriptures; it is the force behind our ability to pray as we should; it is the force that moves us to witness to our faith. The Holy Spirit except for Thomas would have motivated all of them in that room. I believe he saw a difference in the disciples and wanted what they had. He was there hoping that it would happen to him either in person or it would rub off on him. He would have spent that week listening to them explain the scriptures. He would be listening to them speak about how their hearts are burning within them as the scriptures come alive for them. But his heart was not burning and he wanted to believe as they did.

The disciples on their part were tolerant of Thomas and his doubts. They would now understand that there are different paths in coming to believe in Christ. They knew that others would have the same doubts and fears, as did Thomas. They knew that many like Thomas would have trouble with believing without seeing a miracle or by having an encounter with Jesus. They knew that the questions of Thomas would be the questions of thousands of others. They would know it is not the doubt that would be the problem, but doubt without seeking to satisfy those doubts would be a problem. Thomas sought to satisfy the doubt.

So in the end there needs to be (a) an experience of Jesus for each of us personally. You and I, all of us need our own encounter. Others can make us desire this experience, like the disciples did for Thomas; or our faith can lead us to this experience. But in the end it becomes a personal conversion flowing from our desire to seek and understand Jesus.

We have six weeks to Pentecost. We are in the position of Thomas where we have the chance to ask our questions and express our doubts. The resurrection of Christ should not just be something that others witness and then talked about so we can believe. The resurrection of Christ is to be experienced by each of us. The Holy Spirit is to be just as real to us today as it was to the disciples in that upper room.

So here is your $1,000,000 question.

Can you find your way to the upper room and wait in prayer for the presence of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit?

You still have three lifelines left. You have the community to help you; you have a friend in Jesus, and you have the Holy Spirit who will lead you to the correct answer by eliminating the wrong ones. It is your question and your choice. Do you continue to reason out and answer or are you satisfied with the winnings you have?

(Comments to Deacon Dave at dna@stratos.net.)