This Easter I preached about people meeting Jesus, after he was raised from the dead.
It’s quite clear that the individuals weren’t expecting this to happen. Rather, their
conviction that Jesus had risen was forced upon them by facts.
So, Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb but automatically assumed that Jesus’ corpse had been moved; even when Jesus appeared to her, she didn’t immediately recognise him.
Similarly, Peter and John saw the empty tomb and were puzzled.
It wasn’t until the disciples were gathered in a locked room, and Jesus stood among them, showing them his wounds, that they believed.
Famously, doubting Thomas wasn’t there. When his friends told him what happened, he said: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails… and place my hand into his side, I will never believe”.
Some sceptics commend Thomas’ for his doubts. They have dubbed Thomas the patron saint of scientists.
Thomas is exemplary because he won’t believe on the basis of hearsay, but only on the basis of evidence. Rather than taking the “leap of faith”, he demands proof.
Well, eight days later, Jesus appeared to Thomas with the other disciples and told Thomas to touch his wounds.
Jesus invited Thomas to perform a medical examination of his body! As a result, even doubting Thomas believed.
Interestingly, Jesus says to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed”.
Jesus is talking there about people like you and me; we’ve not seen the risen Jesus and yet are expected to believe.
Perhaps you think that’s a raw deal.
Why are you expected to take the leap of faith, without any evidence?
But Jesus isn’t asking anyone to believe in the absence of evidence, but on the basis of a different kind of evidence.
You and I can’t eyeball him, like Thomas did, because now Jesus has ascended to heaven. We simply missed his resurrection by 2000 years.
Asking Jesus to prove his resurrection by personally appearing to you is like refusing to believe William won the Battle of Hastings, until you see the photo. It’s a category error.
Rather, Jesus is inviting us to believe on the basis of the eyewitness testimony of others, which has been faithfully written down in Scripture.
Jesus isn’t asking anyone to take a flying leap of faith, but rather to follow the facts, safely and securely into his care.
- Simon Arscott is the minister at All Saints Church, Ilford.
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