URC Daily Devotion 2nd December 2017

Jesus’ Easter evening appearance to his disciples is in a room with the door locked ‘for fear of the Jews’ ie the Jewish authorities. This beleaguered company already know that Jesus’ tomb is empty.  Do they also fear meeting up with their risen Lord will bring severe recriminations for their desertion? They seem traumatised and uncertain about the future. Mary Magdalene’s news hasn’t radically transformed the disciples’ outlook on life.
In the midst of their discomfort they find Jesus standing amongst them: recognisably the same as he has always been, but bearing the scars of his crucifixion. There are no recriminations, only a confrontation of the best and most reassuring kind. His familiar ‘shalom’ bids them relax and accept his presence is for their benefit. As his disciples gather round him looking at his wounded body, their pent up emotions burst out into unconfined joy. Their relationship with Jesus has been re-established.

But this is not just a social call Jesus is making, no matter how welcome. His second ‘shalom’ to them is a commissioning one.  He hands over the torch of his mission to his disciples. Earlier in John’s gospel there have been hints about this: but this is now happening.  In his ‘breathing’ on them the Spirit of God who gives life to human beings and all living things (cf Genesis creation passages)., they are given power to bear witness to Jesus by their lives and conduct. The meaning of Jesus’ saying ‘If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ has been, and still is, a subject of debate. How are we to understand this? The context of the saying is the handing over and empowering of the disciples to undertake Jesus’ mission. Since John’s gospel treats ‘sin’ not as a moral category, but as ‘unbelief’, the saying is related to the disciples’ mission of bearing witness, not primarily a power vested in an individual or group. As people come to know and abide in Jesus, they will be “released” from their sins. If, however, those sent by Jesus fail to bear witness, people will remain stuck in their unbelief; their sins will be “retained” or “held on to” Seen in this light the stakes of mission are very high: for the disciples, and us.

We’re not told why Thomas was absent, missing this first Sunday evening encounter with the risen Jesus. We characterise him as “doubting Thomas,” though he asks for nothing more than the others have already received: to see Jesus with his wounds. Our faith is more akin to Thomas’ than we’re usually prepared to admit.

One week later Jesus’ visit provides exactly what Thomas needs, and he responds with the highest confession of anyone in the Gospel. This is not simply a doctrinal confession, but a statement of trust and relationship: “My Lord and my God!” Thomas reminds us of our need for our faith to be personal – creeds and statements of belief have their place, but the presence of Christ in our midst surpasses all of these, and all arguments.

Is Jesus’ response to Thomas a rebuke?  It can be read like that – but more positively as blessing on all those who will come to believe without the benefit of a flesh-and-blood encounter with Jesus. Indeed, John goes on to declare that this is the purpose of his gospel, speaking to all of us who have not seen, but have heard his testimony: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name”.