Not Doubting, But Believing

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The women had come and declared to the apostles what they saw and heard from the angels at the empty tomb, but they wrote it off as fairy tales, as the prattle of grief-wracked women. Peter and John had gone running to the tomb, and they saw nothing inside. They believed that Jesus was gone. But what did that mean? And so they huddled in the locked room, fearing the Jews and waiting for something to happen.

And that evening, while they were locked in their little cell, Jesus came and stood among them, in the flesh. And the Lord spoke to His disciples: “Peace be with you.” That is, Look, I am with you. I have come to you again, and I bring you My peace.

For where the risen Christ is present with His people, He gives peace. For where Christ is, there is forgiveness of sins, and where there is forgiveness of sins, peace, life, and salvation necessarily flow freely forth. When the Lord pronounces His peace upon them, it is no mere pious wish, but an actual bestowing of the gift of peace upon their troubled hearts. They who feared the Jews were gladdened and strengthened by their risen Lord!

Likewise, where the Lord is present among His people even today, there He gives His peace. When the man of God, the mouthpiece of the Lord declares to you “The peace of the Lord be with you always!”, it is no holy howdy. The minister of Christ is breathing the peace of the Lord upon you, by virtue of the Lord Himself who stands before you in His Body and Blood.

And of what consequence is it that our Lord should pass into a locked room while in the flesh? It is the same Lord and God who took up flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, not by the way of the world or the will of man, but by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. If He could thus enter the body of His mother, how is it a mystery that He should appear to His disciples in a locked room?

But the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Their hearts were cheered by the blessed visitation of Jesus in their midst, because the veil of doubt and grief was lifted from their eyes, and they saw the consummation of their hopes. They knew now that what the Lord had said to them, what had been foretold in Holy Writ from of old, had come true! The Lord was risen from the dead! Jesus is not dead. His body has not been stolen away and hidden somewhere. He is living, and is in the midst of the living ones.

Our Lord then speaks again to them “Peace be with you.” He repeats His gift-giving, by way of confirmation. This is yet another glimpse at our Lord's never-ending grace and mercy. He does not simply content Himself to give His gifts in one way or confine His grace to one means. Rather, He offers Himself to His people over and over again, in several ways, that all who would believe may come to faith, and lay hold of the promised blessings which the Lord is present with His people to give.

“As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” In this way Jesus prepares the apostles for the mission which lies ahead of them. Jesus was sent to preach the Gospel of repentance into the forgiveness of sins. He preached the present reign of God wherever He went, because the kingdom of God is wherever God is. And in this same way, the sent ones of Christ go forth. And where they preach Christ Crucified, there He is present, with the forgiveness of sins for all who believe and are repentant.

Then Jesus breathed out upon them the Holy Spirit, and thereby gave them the command and authority to forgive the sins of the penitent, and to bind the sins of the unrepentant to him. The one, therefore, who stands in the stead and speaks by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ delivers to you the forgiveness of your sins, just as surely as if Christ were standing before you Himself. But to the one who is not repentant, who has not been struck down by the Law, the binding key turns upon his heart.

Be not mistaken, however. This is not an act of judgment on the part of the pastor. The binding key simply puts a seal on the doubt and unbelief running rampant in a person's heart. God is faithful and just and merciful and loving, but He is not a bully. He will not make you love Him, nor will He force you to repent of your sins. If you like your sins, then fine. So be it. Keep what is yours, and God will keep what is His. You can keep your sins, but do not think to blame God when you end up where your evil desires lead you.

On the other hand, to all who are penitent, to all who are broken-hearted and contrite in spirit, to all who hunger and thirst for a righteousness not available in this world, Christ our Lord breathes out His Spirit and bestows the forgiveness, life, and salvation which He has earned for you who could earn nothing but death.

He speaks peace to the troubled and afraid. He speaks healing to the sick and wounded. He speaks joy to the depressed and oppressed. He speaks wholeness to the broken. He speaks freedom to the captives. He speaks forgiveness to the sinners. He speaks life to the dead.

The same Jesus who died on the cross is now the same Lord who is raised from the dead. That same Jesus is now the same one who stands in the midst of the throne of God, who stands at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us poor sinners and reconciling us to God by the blood of His cross. And He is the same Jesus who stands before you, offering the same Body.

“Do not disbelieve, but believe.” The Lord Jesus, whom you crucified, God has raised from the dead and presented to you, that you may believe that He is truly the Christ, the very Son of God given for your salvation. He is here now, present for you and for the forgiveness of your sins. He offers to you in this Divine Service the same grace, mercy, and peace that He offered to to Thomas and to the others. Do not doubt, but believe. Handle His body and blood. Taste the food of heaven poured out for you. See the mystery laid out before you. Take, eat, and drink, and take hold of the gift of forgiveness given here.

Join, then, with Thomas in crying out, “My Lord and my God!” Gaze in wonder not upon the wounds of the flesh of Christ, but upon that same flesh given for you and elevated high for your adoration. Then take and eat, and feast upon the heavenly food which restores your soul to communion with God and man. Fix your eyes not upon the river flowing from the foot of the cross, but upon the cup of blessing, the cup of salvation which is filled with the blood of the Lord, the wine of immortal gladness. For with this Blood, He has redeemed His people.

Now “To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5b-6).

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!