"The Nail Marks"

 

"The other disciples told Thomas, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hands into his side, I will not believe.' "

 

            Last week I said that at the end of his Gospel, John describes three people who feel lost after the death of Jesus: Mary Magdalene, Thomas and Peter. After the crucifixion of Jesus, Thomas lost his faith. Something profound happened in the soul of Thomas. It was as if the crucifixion drained his soul of all faith. In fact, the disciples all had difficulty believing Jesus had risen from the dead. Leon Morris writes, "The first accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus were not at first welcomed. They were resisted as idle talk, and those who had not actually seen Jesus for themselves refused point blank to accept the stories." The disciples did not believe Mary, and were locked in a room because they were afraid. But Jesus appeared to them and showed them his hands and side. Then they believed and were overjoyed.

            Thomas was not with them that first Sunday evening. He did not believe them when they told of seeing Jesus. He was more than "Doubting Thomas," he was Thomas without belief. In verse 27 Jesus says, "Stop doubting and believe." The words in Greek say it stronger. The word for "believe" is "pistos." The word translated as "doubt" is "apistos." Faith and no faith. Faith and the opposite of faith. Faith drained out, vanished, disappeared. Thomas lost his faith at the cross.

            Doubt is different than lost faith or no faith. Doubt is a strong and uneasy feeling that pushes you to investigate, to find the truth of a matter. When you hear something troubling about someone you trust or love, it raises a doubt in you and you do all you can to find out the truth.

            Sometimes people read books that attack the truth of the Bible, or claim to have discovered secret books that were left out of the Bible, and that is very troubling. These doubts push them to read and study and find answers so they can feel confident again about God's Word. Doubt can actually be part of a growing faith.

            But when people lose faith they do not study or investigate. They do not actively try to rebuild their faith. They feel lost and empty. They must be found by the Lord.

            That was Thomas. He was lost, empty of faith, and he did not try to discover the truth about the resurrection of Jesus. For a whole week he waited, apparently still with the other disciples who believed. But he stood firm that he would have no faith unless he could see Jesus and touch his wounds. The only way for him to get back to faith was to see the nail marks.

            Why did he make that the condition for faith? He did not say, "If I hear Jesus speak my name, I will believe," like Mary did. He did not say if I can see the face of Jesus or if I can talk to Jesus, like Peter on the beach with Jesus in chapter 21. He had to see the nail marks and the wounds to believe.

            Thomas was saying that he needed to see the crucifixion in the Resurrection. He needed to see the Resurrection in the crucified one or he would not believe. To see Jesus crucified had been such a powerful experience that it left him empty of belief, unable to believe. Jesus without the marks of crucifixion is not a Savior for him.

            That is why the cross remains the primary symbol of faith for us. The empty cross declares that Jesus is risen and that the risen Christ was crucified. The cross is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a symbol of our salvation.

            I have kept a small handling cross for a number of years. Steve and Linda Forbes make them out of rare woods. The cross just fits in your hand and is shaped so that it feels good to hold it. Mine was made out of a very beautiful rose-colored wood from Africa. Sometimes when I am trying to pray and my mind is wandering, I just pick it up and hold it while I pray. Sometimes when I am faced with a difficult situation and do not know quite what to do, I take it out of my desk and hold it for a while. It is just a tangible reminder that Christ died for our sins and rose again to life. It reminds me that Christ is near and that in Christ we find salvation.

            A few weeks ago I realized that Arvid Pearson was facing a very difficult time. The medical community had done all it could to help him. His life was coming to an end and what he was facing in the coming weeks looked difficult. So I gave him my cross, not knowing if he would like it. I just thought it might help when coming to the end of life he could be tangibly reminded that Christ died for his salvation and Christ rose again in a resurrection he would share in. And it became Arvid's cross in a very special way. He would often hold it through the night.

            There is an old Christian saying that is often sung: "Christ has died. Alleluia. Christ is risen. Alleluia. Christ will come again. Alleluia. Alleluia." We affirm all of that in the cross.

            Our cross in the sanctuary now has a white interior, which speaks of the resurrection. It is a reminder that we always keep our faith in Christ in balance. He was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins. He is risen. Alleluia.

            In the same way, the bread and the cup speak of both death and resurrection. The bread says that his body was broken. The cup says that his blood was shed. When we take the bread and cup we do so in humility, in repentance, in full awareness of the price of our salvation. But the cup is also the new wine of gladness, the bread a reminder of the great banquet that awaits in the kingdom of God. "Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God!" In this communion we recognize Christ.

            The death of Jesus does not take away our joy. The cross is the victory of God.

The resurrection of Jesus does not erase the reality of crucifixion or the work of Christ on the cross. The wounds remain in the resurrection body of Jesus. They are not wounds of terror, but wounds of salvation.

            When Thomas met the risen Lord Jesus, he saw the nail marks and the wound on Jesus' side and he came to faith, exclaiming, "My Lord and My God."

            This is the confession and worship of the living elders in Revelation chapter.4, who sing praise to the Lamb who sits on the throne:
            "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

            Amen.