Jesus showed his work. - John 20:19-31

Math was never really my strong suit. People used to joke with me that thankfully I had found a profession where my lacking math skills wouldn’t complicate life too much. But if I’m honest, my real struggle wasn’t really math itself, it was my disdain for showing my work. I was bored slowing down to go step by step. I much preferred rushing through the problems, skipping the steps I thought were obvious or easy enough to do in my head so that I could get on to more fun things in life. Unfortunately, my teachers didn’t share that same opinion, and it often cost me points on the homework and tests. 

And then I got to geometry class. And my teacher didn't even really care much about the answer, he just wanted to see the right work. Every single step written down and explained. They were called proofs. Sure, you could memorize the facts that the sum of all the interior angles of a triangle always add up to 180o. Or how to properly use sine, cosine and tangent. Or even the quadratic formula. But none of that knowledge earned credit without the work, because an answer without proof only raises more questions. How did you come to that conclusion? Did you randomly guess? Did you ‘borrow’ your friends' homework? Certainty didn’t come from the answer I scribbled down and circled at the bottom, it came from seeing the work.

Isn’t that really what people want when it comes to faith, you included? You don’t want religious guesswork or wishful thinking, you want to definitively know, does Jesus' resurrection really give me peace? You want to see the evidence that supports this answer. Well, you wouldn’t be the only ones because that’s exactly how the disciples felt on Easter evening. That's how Thomas felt still one week later. They had heard Jesus was alive, but they were still seeking proof. This morning we see that Jesus shows us his work so that we would find peace in his proof and prove his peace to others.

We have waited one week to continue our Easter story, but this account takes place that very same day. John sets the scene saying “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders.” The disciples' fear was a very real thing. The threat of the Jewish leaders was not imaginary, it was practically tangible. They had just seen full-fledged hatred for Jesus as the Jewish leaders incited a whole city to cry out for Jesus' blood to be on their own hands. They could easily be next in line. Last Sunday, Pastor reminded us how Easter joy releases believers even from such extreme external fears as bodily harm because we have the sure promise of a glorious resurrection to heaven. But this was not the only fear that the disciples were grappling with. Today we focus on another fear, an internal one. The inner doubts that left them afraid and confused. 

It had been a rollercoaster kinda day. It all started before sunrise with the women arriving early at the empty tomb and seeing the stone rolled away and angels. It continued as Mary Magdalene mistakes Jesus for the gardener who moved his body. It grew more chaotic with a footrace between Peter and John to see the empty tomb themselves. Sometime in all this, Luke tells us that Jesus appears directly to Peter. Then there's the two disciples who see him on the road to Emmaus as they rush back to tell the others. You can almost picture the chaos of that room. Voices overlapping, stories colliding as they try to piece it all together. There was an abundance of proof and yet something still just wasn’t adding up.

I can only imagine what that sounded like but more important than what they say, is what Jesus does, because just then we are told, “Jesus came and stood among them.” And there’s still a little hesitation. A little confusion, maybe even a little awkward silence. All the highs and the lows of this past week left them unsure what to believe anymore. The miraculous Jesus who had left the tomb without need of opening the door here too just appears with his disciples. That would be mildly surprising. But then that voice that they knew so well, speaks, “Peace be with you.” But knowing the kind of slow and skeptical hearts that we have, Jesus gives them proof as “he showed them his hands and side.” And there it was, step by step proof that this was Jesus. Because hard as you may try, you can’t just appear in a locked room. You can’t put a bit of makeup on to imitate nail pierced hands or replicate a spear puncture. This was evidence they can see, hear and touch that undeniably confirmed that the person standing before them was none their crucified and risen Lord. At this discovery, John tells us "the disciples were overjoyed.”

And of course they were. Jesus didn’t just pass them the answer via a cryptic message that they had to decipher, no Jesus personally showed them his work. Those nail pierced hands, the wound in his side, they were proof of his identity, but they were so much more. They were proof of his love. Proof of his sacrifice for them. Proof that he endured the cross for real. Proof that their sin had truly been paid for, and proof that their guilt before their God had been taken away. They had true and lasting peace. It wasn’t their best guess given the circumstances, it was undeniable proof that peace was theirs because their Savior lived again.

But not everyone felt peace by Jesus’ proof, because not everyone was there to see Jesus show his work. John tells us that one of the disciples, Thomas, was not with them when Jesus appeared in that locked room. So “the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas wasn’t overjoyed. He didn’t celebrate. Instead, he denied the proof. People that he knew. People that he trusted he outright denied in doubt. ‘No Mary, it just isn’t possible. No Peter, the tomb couldn’t be empty. You all must’ve seen some ghost or hallucination. I don’t believe you and I won’t because’ “unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

And don’t let hindsight blind you, this is dangerous. Sure, we read on, and you know what’s coming, but don't be fooled, there’s nothing safe about Thomas’ doubt. This is faith off the rails. Bold denial of the proof in spite of ancient prophecy, of Jesus’ own promises, and of eye-witness testimony. What a week of agony for those who loved him. What a week of agony for Thomas. But sometimes, I see a little Thomas in each of us because I see some of his very same doubts creeping in in my life, and I’m sure you can relate. Are all my sins really paid for? Does Jesus really live to take away my guilt? Doubts that say, I think you need more proof here? You haven’t seen Jesus face to face are you sure this isn’t some false peace? We too want our own real step by step proof.

Well, Thomas found his proof one week later. This time he was with the other disciples behind locked doors when “Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” And then the cherry on top Jesus speaks directly to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Jesus knew exactly what his doubting friend needed and as he held up his hands, Jesus showed Thomas his work. Not to crush him for his doubt but to bring him peace through proof. Thomas responds with one of the greatest confessions of faith in all of Scripture, “my Lord and my God.” Jesus showed his work and Thomas found peace in the proof.

But you weren’t in that room. You haven’t seen those hands. You haven’t touched that side. But that doesn’t mean that you are left without proof. For one, you and I have the first hand reports of those who did touch and see. We have their proof recorded for us in Scripture and we see evidence of some pretty drastic changes in their lives. Afterall, what gives to cause a group of Jesus’ disciples once cowering in a locked room, to go out and be the leaders of Christ church. What gives that Peter would stand up on Pentecost only 50 days later to preach to thousands of people saying you knew Jesus your Savior and you killed him, but God raised him to life according to his plan for your salvation. What gives to watch as Stephen is stoned to death for his faith as others like him are beaten and imprisoned and executed the very same. You and I see historical proof of the peace that Jesus gave others as demonstrated by those who went before us. But that’s not all you have.

You may not have physically seen and touched his hands and side, but you have benefits that Thomas never did. You can compare ancient prophecies side by side to their perfect fulfillment down to the very details in Jesus. Isaiah 7, “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,” Matthew 1, Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Micah 5, he will be born in Bethlehem, Luke 2, Jesus is born in Bethlehem. Jeremiah 23, Jesus is foretold as a righteous branch from David’s line, Luke 1, Jesus is from the line of King David. Zechariah 9, “the King comes humble, riding on a donkey,” and Matthew 21, Jesus enters on Palm Sunday riding a donkey. Zechariah 11 foretells the shepherd is valued at 30 pieces of silver, Matthew 26, Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Before crucifixion even existed, David writes in Psalm 22, “they pierce my hands and my feet,” exactly what crucifixion was. Psalm 34, “not one of his bones will be broken,” and John 19, the soldiers, seeing Jesus was already dead decided not to break his legs. Isaiah 53, “he was assigned a grave with the rich,” and Matthew 27, Jesus was buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Psalm 16, “you will not let your Holy One see decay,” Jesus doesn’t decay but rises triumphant on the third day. I know that was obnoxious but that is just scratching the surface of some of the work that your God has shown to you in his Word.

John reminds us that all of Scripture was “written that you may believe, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Each time we read His Word, your God shows you your Savior's work again and again so that you find peace in what he’s done for you. Because Jesus commends faith like that saying, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

So what about our man Thomas? This account tends to leave Thomas with a pretty bad rap. Thomas was a sinner who doubted, but he’s also a sinner who beautifully and clearly professed his faith as yet another eyewitness proof for Jesus. Long standing church tradition says Thomas went as a missionary to the lands of Persia and India where it’s said he died a martyr's death. While Scripture doesn’t tell us the specific end to Thomas’ story, we can be confident that he went forth proving the peace he had found in Jesus to those he met.

And the equation doesn’t stop with you. Jesus doesn’t just show you his work so that you can keep your peace all to yourself. He sends you to show that peace to others. He commissioned all believers saying, “as the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” He’s not sending you to share your opinions. He’s not sending you to share your best guess, but to show others Jesus work for them. 

We live in a world chalk full of opinions. Philosophers, politicians, medical professionals, even spiritual gurus all offer their professional opinion of how to unlock true peace. Dear Christian, your faith is not based on your best guess. It’s not based on your opinions or feelings. You know true peace because Jesus has shown you his work. Hold onto that proof. Return to it each day. Be strengthened by it and then follow the disciples' example and share that proof of peace with others. You can live at peace knowing that Jesus has lived for you, he’s died for you and he’s risen victorious for you because he’s shown you his work. Amen.