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Free Sermons and Illustrations Using the Revised Common Lectionary
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| 2nd Sunday of Easter (Series A) |  Download Word Document |
|
| Text: | John 20: 19-31 | |
| Title: | ”No Scientific Evidence Needed” |
Prayer:
Dear Lord help us to be people of faith. Open our hearts and minds to see that the tomb that held Jesus is empty and the tombs that threaten to hold us can be rolled away by the power of the Risen Christ. Amen
Engaging the Listener...
Dr. Tom Long once told of one day listening to a woman on a Christian talk show program on his car radio. The woman’s name was Barbara. And Barbara had many problems. She had problems with her boss at work. She complained about conflict in her marriage. She was at odds with her teen-aged children. She said she had occasional struggles with depression. Barbara had problems.
As she unfolded her litany of woes, suddenly the talk show host interrupted her. “Barbara,” he said rather sternly, “I want to ask you something. Are you a believer? You know you’re never going to solve any of these problems unless you’re a believer. Are you a believer?’
“I don’t know,” said Barbara hesitantly.
“Now, Barbara,” said the host, “either you are a believer or you aren’t. If you’re a believer, you know it. You know it in your heart. Now, Barbara, tell me, are you a believer?”
“I’d like to be,” Barbara replied. “I guess I’m just more agnostic at this point in my life.”
The talk show host reacted quickly to that. “Now, Barbara, there’s a book I’ve written that I want to send to you. In this book I prove that Jesus was who he said he was and that he was raised from the dead. Now, If I send you this book and you read it, will you become a believer?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of trouble from preachers.”
“We‘re not talking about preachers,” the host said. “We’re talking about proof. I’ve got proof – irrefutable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead. Now if I send this book to you, will you become a believer?”
By this point, Barbara was becoming frustrated. “I don’t think you’re listening to me,” she said. “I’m having trouble trusting at this point in my life.”
“Barbara,” he said, “we’re not talking about trust. We’re talking about truth. I have unassailable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead. Now if I send it to you, will you become a believer?”
“I guess so,” Barbara said. “Yeah, I guess so. I’ll become a believer.”
We all wish Barbara well in her search for consolation, reconciliation and answers to her problem. We even hope she finds faith and hope in the Christ who was resurrected from the dead.
But the talk show host was way out of bounds with his claims and promises. He does not have irrefutable proof of the resurrection in any way, shape or form! The fact remains; there is no logical, scientific proof of the resurrection. We have no pictures, no seismographic information about an Easter earthquake. All we have are the stories and witnesses passed down by people of faith for centuries.
At the Heart...
It has been a struggle and challenge for some to believe in the resurrection of Jesus since the very beginning. Our gospel story today is among the first examples. “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails,” said Thomas “and place my finger in the mark of the nails and place my hand in his side I will not believe.”
Doubting Thomas. Show me the evidence!
Thomas eventually received the evidence but Jesus took issue with him.
“(Thomas), have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
“This statement is most important, for John has been concerned throughout his gospel letter to assure his readers that faith is no less a possibility for them than for the original disciples. Faith is available to all persons in all places and times with no loss of efficacy due to distance from Jesus of Nazareth.
Therefore, having recited different ways faith was generated in the earliest Christian community, the writer pronounces upon the readers the blessing of Jesus Christ. This blessing complements the prayer of Jesus in 17:20: “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word.”
Finally, in the concluding verses (30-31), is John’s strong attempt to state the purpose of his Gospel as being to generate faith.
“That believing you may have life in his name.”1
1.Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year B, Abingdon Press 1984, p. 176
Saint Paul would say, “if you want to know if the resurrection is true, look around you. Can you see the risen Christ in your own experience? Look with the eyes of faith. Can you see the risen Christ out there in the world? There are no proofs. There is only what you can see when you look with your faith.”
Landing Pad...
Fred Buechner suggests, what we really want in our deepest need is not proof that there is a God somewhere who exists or even scientific evidence that a resurrection happened some time ago in history. What we all need is a God who is right here, knee-deep in the mud and mire of human existence – a risen Christ who comes to us every day to give life and hope. That is a God who comes not in evidence but in the relationship of trust we call faith. God cannot be seen when we draw a line in the sand and say, “Give me proof or I don’t step over the line.” God can be seen only by those who already step over the line in trust. When we do, our eyes are opened, and the world is full of resurrection light. When we encounter that Christ, when we experience the power of that presence, then we know in faith that Christ is raised from the dead and our faith in not in vain.
Historians tell us that Charles DeGaulle was a World War II hero and later president of France. What the historians do not so often tell us is that Charles DeGaulle and his wife, Yvonne, were the parents of a Down Syndrome child, a little girl named Ann. Charles and Yvonne would spend time at the end of every day with their children, making sure to spend some extra time playing with this very special child, Ann. When they would put her to bed, Yvonne would sometimes say, “Oh, Charles, I have often prayed that she could have been like the other children. Why was she not like the others?”
When Ann died at a very young age, the DeGaulles had a private graveside funeral service. When the service was over, everyone left the grave except Yvonne. Grief-stricken, she could not pull herself away from Ann’s grave, but stood there sobbing. Charles went back to her and touched her arm gently. “Come Evonne,” he said. “Did you not hear the promise of the resurrection? She is now like the others.”
Do you have your own faith stories to tell? I bet you do.
Subscribe today for only $29.95 for a full year of weekly sermon helps. Plus, FREE weekly podcasts with your subscription!
Not ready to subscribe? Try our FREE 30-Day Trial Subscription.
Dear Lord help us to be people of faith. Open our hearts and minds to see that the tomb that held Jesus is empty and the tombs that threaten to hold us can be rolled away by the power of the Risen Christ. Amen
Engaging the Listener...
Dr. Tom Long once told of one day listening to a woman on a Christian talk show program on his car radio. The woman’s name was Barbara. And Barbara had many problems. She had problems with her boss at work. She complained about conflict in her marriage. She was at odds with her teen-aged children. She said she had occasional struggles with depression. Barbara had problems.
As she unfolded her litany of woes, suddenly the talk show host interrupted her. “Barbara,” he said rather sternly, “I want to ask you something. Are you a believer? You know you’re never going to solve any of these problems unless you’re a believer. Are you a believer?’
“I don’t know,” said Barbara hesitantly.
“Now, Barbara,” said the host, “either you are a believer or you aren’t. If you’re a believer, you know it. You know it in your heart. Now, Barbara, tell me, are you a believer?”
“I’d like to be,” Barbara replied. “I guess I’m just more agnostic at this point in my life.”
The talk show host reacted quickly to that. “Now, Barbara, there’s a book I’ve written that I want to send to you. In this book I prove that Jesus was who he said he was and that he was raised from the dead. Now, If I send you this book and you read it, will you become a believer?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of trouble from preachers.”
“We‘re not talking about preachers,” the host said. “We’re talking about proof. I’ve got proof – irrefutable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead. Now if I send this book to you, will you become a believer?”
By this point, Barbara was becoming frustrated. “I don’t think you’re listening to me,” she said. “I’m having trouble trusting at this point in my life.”
“Barbara,” he said, “we’re not talking about trust. We’re talking about truth. I have unassailable proof that Jesus was raised from the dead. Now if I send it to you, will you become a believer?”
“I guess so,” Barbara said. “Yeah, I guess so. I’ll become a believer.”
We all wish Barbara well in her search for consolation, reconciliation and answers to her problem. We even hope she finds faith and hope in the Christ who was resurrected from the dead.
But the talk show host was way out of bounds with his claims and promises. He does not have irrefutable proof of the resurrection in any way, shape or form! The fact remains; there is no logical, scientific proof of the resurrection. We have no pictures, no seismographic information about an Easter earthquake. All we have are the stories and witnesses passed down by people of faith for centuries.
At the Heart...
It has been a struggle and challenge for some to believe in the resurrection of Jesus since the very beginning. Our gospel story today is among the first examples. “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails,” said Thomas “and place my finger in the mark of the nails and place my hand in his side I will not believe.”
Doubting Thomas. Show me the evidence!
Thomas eventually received the evidence but Jesus took issue with him.
“(Thomas), have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
“This statement is most important, for John has been concerned throughout his gospel letter to assure his readers that faith is no less a possibility for them than for the original disciples. Faith is available to all persons in all places and times with no loss of efficacy due to distance from Jesus of Nazareth.
Therefore, having recited different ways faith was generated in the earliest Christian community, the writer pronounces upon the readers the blessing of Jesus Christ. This blessing complements the prayer of Jesus in 17:20: “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word.”
Finally, in the concluding verses (30-31), is John’s strong attempt to state the purpose of his Gospel as being to generate faith.
“That believing you may have life in his name.”1
1.Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year B, Abingdon Press 1984, p. 176
Saint Paul would say, “if you want to know if the resurrection is true, look around you. Can you see the risen Christ in your own experience? Look with the eyes of faith. Can you see the risen Christ out there in the world? There are no proofs. There is only what you can see when you look with your faith.”
Landing Pad...
Fred Buechner suggests, what we really want in our deepest need is not proof that there is a God somewhere who exists or even scientific evidence that a resurrection happened some time ago in history. What we all need is a God who is right here, knee-deep in the mud and mire of human existence – a risen Christ who comes to us every day to give life and hope. That is a God who comes not in evidence but in the relationship of trust we call faith. God cannot be seen when we draw a line in the sand and say, “Give me proof or I don’t step over the line.” God can be seen only by those who already step over the line in trust. When we do, our eyes are opened, and the world is full of resurrection light. When we encounter that Christ, when we experience the power of that presence, then we know in faith that Christ is raised from the dead and our faith in not in vain.
Historians tell us that Charles DeGaulle was a World War II hero and later president of France. What the historians do not so often tell us is that Charles DeGaulle and his wife, Yvonne, were the parents of a Down Syndrome child, a little girl named Ann. Charles and Yvonne would spend time at the end of every day with their children, making sure to spend some extra time playing with this very special child, Ann. When they would put her to bed, Yvonne would sometimes say, “Oh, Charles, I have often prayed that she could have been like the other children. Why was she not like the others?”
When Ann died at a very young age, the DeGaulles had a private graveside funeral service. When the service was over, everyone left the grave except Yvonne. Grief-stricken, she could not pull herself away from Ann’s grave, but stood there sobbing. Charles went back to her and touched her arm gently. “Come Evonne,” he said. “Did you not hear the promise of the resurrection? She is now like the others.”
Do you have your own faith stories to tell? I bet you do.
Subscribe today for only $29.95 for a full year of weekly sermon helps. Plus, FREE weekly podcasts with your subscription!
Not ready to subscribe? Try our FREE 30-Day Trial Subscription.
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