In our Scripture lesson this morning we are privileged to sit at the feet of a Master Storyteller. The writer of the Gospel of John is our playwright and our narrator, and he weaves a story that will capture our imagination, move us in soul and spirit, and draw us into the drama as if we ourselves are part of the story which indeed, we are.  Unlike seeing a flick at the Fairfax Corner 14, we have no cushy stadium seating, no gigantic tubs of popcorn, no surround sound.   That’s ok because John’s purpose in inviting us into his story is not to entertain us.  It is to offer us an encounter with God, and through that encounter, an opportunity to be personally transformed.

ACT 1, Scene 1             The Prologue

It is Sunday evening, and just that very morning, Mary Magdalene and two of the disciples had discovered that the tomb was empty, and Jesus’ body was no where to be found.  Mary hardly had time to absorb this astonishing turn of events when she actually met the risen Christ outside the tomb. At Jesus’ encouragement, she returned to the disciples to tell them the wonderful news, but, here they are, a few hours later, sitting behind locked doors, fearing for their lives after what they had seen the Jews do to Jesus.  Even with Mary’s startling news, this group of Jesus’ followers is huddled together, afraid, impotent, with no understanding of what the events of the past three days really mean.  All they know is that their teacher and friend has been brutally killed.  The kingdom of God on earth which they were helping to build lay shattered.  Who would work miracles of healing now? Who would reach out with the love of God that changed people’s lives?  This band of followers had lost their friend, but also much more:  their Lord, their vocation, their passion, their future.  Barely visible in the dusky shadows, voices hardly audible in whispered conversation, their grief and hopelessness is palpable,  their faces stained with tears, disbelief and fear in their eyes, exhaustion evident in their posture and bodies.  And, there is no one to turn to; no source of comfort; no one to tell them how they are to go on from here.  They pinned all their hopes and dreams and trust in one man, Jesus of Nazareth, and they had lost everything. 

ACT 1, Scene 2

Jesus suddenly appears, stands amidst this somber gathering, and the first words they hear from the risen Christ are, “Peace be with you.”  Then he shows them the wounds from the crucifixion, the piercing in his hands and side.  After this remarkable presentation, the mood in the room completely shifts, and the party begins.  John wants us to see with our own eyes the transformation that occurs.  It isn’t hard to imagine that tears of grief dry mid-way down the cheeks, to be replaced first by shock, then incredulous stares, then timid hope, then tears again, this time of relief and joy.  There has never been an emotional rollercoaster to match this one, and perhaps this is why Jesus says to them a second time, “Peace be with you.”  Through the fog of their shock and jubilation, I doubt the disciples grasped the significance of Jesus’ greeting the first time.  But now, with the second utterance of the same words, maybe a spark of recognition dawns: hadn’t Jesus said to them before his crucifixion: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (Jn. 14:27) Whether the disciples caught it this time or not, John wants to be sure that we don’t miss it.  Jesus’ greeting of peace is a polite greeting, the “Hi, how are you doing?” of the first century, but it is so much more.  It is a supernatural gift that Jesus is offering, because he is giving the gift of himself.  And it is only after the disciples have seen his hands and side and recognized him as Lord, that they—and we—are able to receive it.

ACT 1, Scene 3

The action in the story pauses barely long enough to give the disciples time to throw a proper party for Jesus’ before hurrying our attention to the next scene.  Jesus surveys this now exuberant crowd, every mouth smiling, every eye gleaming, every heart absolutely bursting with joy, and he speaks again, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  Then, both the disciples and we watch in captivated amazement as Jesus breathes over them, and upon his breath is the gift of the Holy Spirit.  A strand of a woman’s hair moves across her face, the hem of an apron gently rustles, but these outward, visible signs don’t even begin to express the change that is taking place in the hearts of every man and woman in Jesus’ presence.  Like God breathing life into Adam in the first creation, we are witnessing the second creation, with life beginning anew for these followers of Christ.

ACT 1, Scene 4

Jesus has left the house, but his followers remain behind to talk about everything that has just happened.  Thomas, who had the severe misfortune to miss the entire reunion with Jesus returns to the group, and immediately the room is buzzing with the excited retelling of the events of the evening.  Thomas, perhaps too shocked to absorb it all, perhaps skeptical by nature, perhaps too afraid to hope that it could be true is not persuaded.  In one of the most infamous lines ever uttered, Thomas says, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

ACT 2, Scene 1

It is a week later, and the disciples are gathered once again in the same location.  This time Thomas is with them.  Jesus suddenly appears again, and speaks the same greeting, now for the third time, “Peace be with you.”  Jesus crosses the room to stand in front of Thomas, and he shows Thomas his hands and side.  Thomas is overcome, and says the only thing that can be said, “My Lord and my God!” 

EPILOGUE

When I see a riveting story enacted on the stage or the screen, one of the things I enjoy most about the event is going out afterward for dinner or an ice cream to talk with friends and process what I’ve just seen and heard.  I think it is appropriate for us to pause a moment to do the same. 

My first observation is that none of the disciples had to rely on someone else’s experience with the risen Christ.  In light of that, I think Thomas has been unfairly criticized and his reputation unjustly maligned as a result of this story.  Thomas did not ask for or receive anything that the other disciples did not receive.  Mary had told them that Jesus was alive yet they did not believe it or celebrate it until after they had seen Jesus and his hands and side for themselves.  Thomas wants the same personal encounter with the risen Jesus, and frankly, that doesn’t seem to me to be too much to ask.  And, apparently Jesus doesn’t think it is too much to ask, either, because he comes to Thomas and gives him exactly what he asked for.

Secondly, the way some have read Jesus’ response to Thomas is to hear it as a rebuke and an indictment of Thomas’ faith, or lack thereof.  “Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”  I don’t find it necessary to “rehabilitate” Thomas; I’m grateful that the story of his doubt is recorded for us as part of Holy Scripture.  I wonder about the negative interpretation, though.  Jesus knew that his time with the disciples was short.  Soon, he would be reunited with God.  There would be generation after generation who would be confronted with the good news of Jesus, without the benefit of touching flesh and blood, of reaching in to the hands and side that were bloodied and broken for our transgressions.  Thomas and the disciples were blessed to have that opportunity, and they began the great chain of faith that stretches from the early Church and reaches to us.   Our faith is built upon theirs, but all of us, whether first century or twenty-first century followers of Christ come to faith through individual and personal encounter with Jesus.

Finally, it is Good News that the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive.  It is Good News that Jesus meets us face to face, and not only that but comes to us to meet us exactly where we are.  If we are grieving, Jesus meets us, alone, before dawn, in our pain and our tears and addresses us by name.  If we are anxious and fearful, Jesus meets us behind locked doors, huddled and cowering under the covers or wherever we hide, and speaks to us the word of peace.  If we are weak and ineffective, Jesus meets us with the breath of life, empowering us with the Spirit.  If we are consumed with doubt, Jesus meets our questions head-on and offers us a relationship with him that will change our lives forever. 

Where do you need Jesus to meet you today?  What word do you need to hear him speak to your heart?  Christ offers you the gift of himself, his peace, his power, his presence, his personal friendship.  Come, today, just as you are, and meet the risen Christ face to face.  Amen.