1. The event of Easter

The last Sunday we celebrated Easter, the commemoration day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Though it is very difficult to believe in the Resurrection because we can not prove it historically and objectively. But without that belief, there will be no vision beyond our death and our life should finish in void. Therefore whether we believe in it or not is a crucial question to our existence. Besides it determines our way of living. From the latest lecture we have learned that disciples, even tough they found the empty tomb, couldn’t understand that Jesus had been resurrected. To those disciples resurrected Jesus showed himself. Today we continue reflecting on the same theme by reading the second portion of John chapter 20.

In the morning of the very Sunday disciples visited and found the tomb empty (see John 20:1-9). After that Jesus appeared before Mary and she reported it to others;- Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.(John 20:18)

But despite Mary’s witness they couldn’t understand the fact and remain filled with fear and remorse because they had abandoned Jesus at the scene of arrest by Jewish authorities;- On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews,(John 20:19)

To those disciples Jesus came back ;-Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19)

They must be astonished, as Luke reported ;- They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.(Luke 24:37)

They thought it was a ghost not living Jesus. Therefore Jesus showed to them the nail marks in his hands and the place where the nails were. This way they recognized that Jesus, once dead on the Cross, was resurrected. Naturally they were filled with joy, “Jesus overcame the death !” ;- The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.(John 20:20)

In that circumstance ;- he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.(John 20:22)

“The Holy Spirit” is ” נְשִׁימָה” in Hebrew, which means also “breath”. And the word also alludes to the breath of life;- the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7)

We might say disciples had been spiritually death till they met resurrected Jesus. Then they were revived by the breath of life, the holly Spirit. John notes ;- Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."(John 20:21)

Jesus blessed and gave them a new life without blaming them for faithless and cowardly conducts. Thanks to such a profound love they were revived spiritually.

2. Occurrence of the following Sunday

Though other disciples met resurrected Jesus ;- Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!"(John 20:24-25)

Because he also should be saved. “See the Lord” is the key expression which was also said by Mary as “I have seen the Lord!” However I lead you to pay attention to two different subjects of phrases, of “I” in Mary’s words and “We” in disciples’. The modification reveals that, whereas Mary saw Jesus as a personal experience, disciples witnessed together the happening. It suggests the future foundation of the church, which should be realized by inviting others to believe in the Resurrection.

Still yet, despite others’ words, Thomas remained skeptical ;- 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 hand into his side, I will not believe it."(John 20:25)

That Thomas appears 2 times previously in the Gospel. The first one is at the time when Jesus was willingly going back to Jerusalem, the most dangerous place for him. Thomas was profoundly moved by such a determination of Jesus ;- Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him."(John 11:16)

The second time is at the table of the last supper ;- Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Both of two accounts show his skeptical character. He accepts and believes only what he can rationally understand.
Even though Thomas had been ready to die for Jesus, by attending the scene of Jesus’ arrest, he was grasped by fear and run away. His might be strongly disappointed by the incident so that he wanted to be alone in despair. He loved Jesus so much. So he was not with other disciples when Jesus came and missed the first chance to meet resurrected Jesus.

However other disciples sought and gat him back to the flock. Gospel writer John gave him a special role afterwards. Jesus came back for the second time to show him traces of crucifixion.;- Then he (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."(John 20:27)

Impact of Jesus’ words was so strong that Thomas kneeled before him and, without touching Jesus, inclined to confess the faith ;- Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

That confession declared by the most skeptical of the disciples must be the core of faith of Christian church.
Like others Thomas was revived from spiritual death through Jesus’ love.
;-Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."(John 20;29)
Humans, including even the Twelve, could and can not believe in the Resurrection before meeting Jesus authentically. Therefore Jesus came back to them and will do the same for us too.

A psychological syndrome is spreading in today’s Japanese society. We find numbers of persons who can not conduct themselves toward outside people. They stay almost all day in their home or room without seeing anyone. Psychiatrists gives diverse reasons, failure of entrance competition of university, harsh disagreements inside the family, for example. They are mentally hurt so strongly that they feel powerless and unable to face surrounding realities. To some extent similar to disciples who were stay in the locked house. But to them Jesus came and spiritually empowered. We might be able to take approach to those persons and try to get them out of shelter by inviting to the church. Then they could meet Jesus here. That should be a real act of preaching.

3. Remain in the church

Todya’s invocation verse is John 10:16;- I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

Thomas could meet resurrected Jesus thanks to other disciples who had sought to inform him. We must work like those disciples towards longtime absent members of this church. We fixed new bylaws and guide lines at the end or of the last church year and clarified the definition of “reserving parishioner.” The term indicates now one who was absent from our Sunday service during 12 months and in that case such a person will be deprived of member ship and voting right to congregational decisions. As the result 7 names were officially removed from the list of 37.

Indeed it is very sad because they received here baptism or confirmed the faith to become our parishioners.

But, though we continued sending our weekly bulletins during their absence, they didn’t come back. I won’t blame their choice if only they keep the faith in Christ and observe Sunday worship in some other churches . Because it shows they remain in Jesus. However the majority of them seem leaving the church itself because they didn’t ask me to carry the procedure to change congregations. What make me sad is the fact that they don’t remain in the faith. Some might say they can be faithful by reading the Bible by themselves. It could be. But, as we learned today from Thomas’ example, most generally we need each other to maintain stable faith.

The disciples sought stray Thomas, a stray sheep. Thanks to their conducts he met Jesus and arrived to believe in the Resurrection. Once Jesus forgave disciples’ awkwardness, betrayal and skepticism without blaming and condemning them. And Such a great love led them to the real faith. In other words, Jesus’ love revived them as anew born humans. Therefore no judgement and condemnation must be done in the authentic church. Nevertheless it is true the cases happened in earthy churches. So much so we must keep in our mind the church is the place to receive forgiveness from our Lord, through purification during the worship service. Jesus said “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.” Now what we should do is clear. We must set off to seek such sheep. There should be many of God’s people in this Shinozaki areas. It is possible that some of them are latent believers who had quitted the church. It is our task given by God that we make effort to find them and invite to the church by saying ” Our Lord is alive now to forgives us !”