Scars. Wounds. Behind every scar there is often a story isn't there? And often it's not a good one. Scars tell us that a person has a past. They speak of a hidden shame. Scars of the heart.
Speaking of deep wrongs done by us or to us. So we cover them up. We like smooth skin. We like smooth life. To look and feel squeaky clean.
As we open up John's Gospel near the end here in chapter 20 we're given an account of the first couple of weeks after the death of Jesus Christ.
Where his scars take a prominent place. John includes this passage here where Thomas won't believe until he sees the scars and the wounds.
The message? We don't just see a resurrected man that first Easter Sunday but a scarred resurrected man.
Because scarred people like you and like me don't just need a living Jesus but a living and wounded Jesus.
In this famous appearance of Jesus from the dead he meets Thomas. Doubting Thomas you may have heard of him.
I want to show you three aspects briefly of this meeting today.
First of all Thomas' disbelief. Thomas' disbelief.
Jesus says to Thomas in verse 27.
Thomas don't disbelieve but believe.
Now just for context.
This moment, this meeting comes as the second of three appearances of the risen Jesus Christ.
And John tells us that it's eight days after the first one, doesn't he?
When Jesus appeared to Mary and some of the other disciples.
If you were here last week we heard about that.
The only thing is that at the first appearance Thomas wasn't there.
He's one of Jesus' closest followers and yet at this moment he's an outsider.
As far as the resurrection of Jesus goes, he's out of the loop.
He's missed out.
He's not seen or felt the risen Jesus Christ.
And he says, I'm not going to believe until I do.
It's quite strong what he says in verse 25, isn't it?
I will never believe until I do.
And maybe you can see yourself in him.
And we don't blame him, do we?
He's not had the advantage of being there the first time.
And we kind of feel for him.
We understand.
But the issue with Thomas' disbelief is actually he already has everything he needs to believe.
John tells us, if you look down at verse 25 there, that Thomas now appears with the other disciples.
And the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord.
Just eight days, just a week after the first appearance of the once dead, now living Jesus Christ,
Thomas hears the testimony of a body of witnesses.
Far more than would have been needed in a legal law court testimony.
Seeing might be believing, but hearing should be believing here.
The other disciples told him.
They told him that they'd seen Jesus Christ come back from the dead.
They'd seen him, they'd been with him.
People that he knew well, people he's been travelling with and following with Jesus with for months now.
And they are telling him categorically and plainly, seriously Thomas.
We have seen him.
Those closest to Jesus and those closest to the events themselves.
Those closest to Jesus.
Hearing should be believing.
But Thomas disbelieves.
If you look down to the end of the passage in John there, Jesus gives us this promise, doesn't he?
In verse 29.
Blessed are those who have not seen and believe.
And what Jesus shows us there is that what Thomas is asking for is not necessary.
It is not a lack of evidence that is the issue.
It is not the lack of evidence that is the real issue for you.
Because Thomas has been told.
He has the disciples' testimony.
A testimony of people who have already seen and been with Jesus.
And this moment, doesn't it, teaches us that at the heart of disbelief is not a lack of evidence.
But our rejection of the evidence.
Our rejection of a message.
Of a testimony.
And our dismissal of it.
Chuck Colson was implicated in the Watergate scandal under Nixon in the 70s.
And he wrote afterwards.
I know the resurrection is a fact.
And Watergate proved it to me.
How?
Because 12 men testified that they'd seen Jesus raised from the dead.
Then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years.
Never once denying it.
Every one of them was beaten, tortured, stoned, put in prison.
And many of them were killed.
They would not have endured that if it weren't true.
Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world.
And they couldn't keep that lie for 12 weeks.
For 3 weeks actually.
You're telling me 12 apostles could keep that lie for 40 years?
Let me say that if this is the first time you've heard any of this.
Maybe this is the first time you've been to a meeting like this.
You're so welcome.
We're so glad you're here.
And you might be wondering that, well, is there enough evidence for the resurrection?
And you can see yourself in Thomas.
But you need to realise that you've been told, just as Thomas has been.
You've been told by people who were there.
Who actually saw him.
You've got their testimony.
And you've got to ask, why would they lie?
Why would they suffer and die and be persecuted for what they knew to be a lie?
Why would centuries, millennia's of years of Christians die and be persecuted for what they knew to be a lie?
I want to say that if you're looking for evidence of the resurrection, it's not a bad thing to look for.
But actually, all that you need is what you've got in your hands right now.
Jesus says, that is enough.
You have been told.
You've been told by people who were there.
It's more than enough.
More than enough to convince you to stop disbelieving and to believe.
You don't need to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or take up a PhD on ancient manuscripts.
You just need to grapple with the message that is before you.
To hear them out.
And you're blessed if you do, says Jesus.
Thomas.
Thomas' disbelief.
But secondly, we see Thomas' discovery here, don't we?
We see Thomas' discovery.
Thomas is pretty well known for his disbelief.
For his doubting.
Doubting Thomas, they call him.
And he has enough to believe here.
But I want to be more generous to doubting Thomas than we usually are.
Because I think the Gospel writer, John, is.
In the end, we see here that Thomas does believe.
And the nickname is not fair.
I think John includes his story because there is something unique and climactic about his belief.
As well as his doubt.
In the end, Thomas gives the clearest and most explicit statement in the whole of the Gospel of John.
Of Jesus' identity.
My Lord and my God.
He maybe sees more clearly than anyone else the true identity of Jesus Christ.
And he worshipped him.
So what else was really holding him back?
He doesn't accept what he's heard.
And that should be enough.
But there is something else.
Looking more deeply at the passage.
It is because Thomas has not seen the scars.
It's a really funny request.
If you think about it.
I won't believe until I see the wounds.
Until I see the marks of the nails.
The scars in his hands.
And in his side where he's pierced on the cross.
You'd have thought.
If I was Thomas.
I'd just ask.
I want to see him.
I just want him to be in the room.
I just want to see him alive.
But he's quite specific here, isn't he?
It's the one thing that he kind of hones in on.
That the others have had.
That he requests.
I want to see his scars.
Jesus appears in this miraculous way.
It's really odd, isn't it?
As we read about it.
John tells us the room was locked.
And Jesus comes and he stands in the room and says,
Peace be with you.
We can't explain that.
He was dead and now he's alive again.
And he has a real body and yet it's been changed, hasn't it?
He can walk through walls.
He's not held by the old restrictions and the weaknesses of a human body.
He's got a glorified human body.
And so why, if he's got this perfect body, is it still punctured with wounds?
You'd have thought the scars would have been wiped away, wouldn't you?
In the resurrection.
Cleaned up.
Removed.
But perhaps Thomas knows.
He knows that he doesn't just need a living Lord Jesus, who is squeaky clean.
He needs a living and wounded Lord Jesus.
And Jesus shows them all his scars.
And we wonder, does this drive to the heart of Thomas' request?
That somehow he knows that a living Jesus without scars is not worth believing in.
John is the only gospel writer who tells us that Jesus was pierced in his side.
He gives us that detail.
He gives us other details about nails hammered into his wrists and feet.
A week before Jesus appears to Thomas,
John tells us in a passage earlier that Jesus appears from the dead to his disciples
in a similar situation behind locked doors.
And what's the first thing he does?
He shows them his wounds and his scars.
It is as if Jesus is saying, isn't there,
there will be no point in me living for you
and rising from the dead for you
on Easter Sunday
if I have not been wounded and scarred
and died for you
on Good Friday.
My resurrection life means something to you
because of my Easter Friday death for you.
Every scar tells a story.
The young boy, Estor Taylor, had been given a new pair of roller skates.
It took a while to learn to use them
but eventually he ventured out.
But in his clumsiness, Estor Taylor lost balance
and skidded towards a stove in the kitchen.
At that moment his father dived in
between Taylor and the stove
but the momentum pushed his father against the oven
severely burning him
when he pulled away.
Sorry, it's graphic
but some skin was left behind.
Taylor Senior was scarred for life.
Some scars speak of shame, don't they?
Scars we have.
But that kind of scarring speaks of sacrificial love.
And the scars on Jesus' body
speak of his suffering
for the sake of his people.
He is scarred for life.
For your life
and for my life.
To take the scars
that are due
in this world
of wrongs done by us
and wrongs done to us.
And we see the ugliness
of that wrong, don't we?
As we look at the cross
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The wrong in our lives.
We see that with the scars
inflicted upon Jesus
in a brutal, shameful,
wrathful death
in an unimaginable
physical and spiritual moment
of suffering.
Speaks of what we deserve.
Peter says
in that passage
on your sheets
that Christ suffered once
for sins
the righteous
for the unrighteous.
Scars that speak to us
of his sacrifice
of love.
Scarred
for life.
And perhaps Thomas knew
that without those scars
our wounds
will never heal.
and we can never
be forgiven.
We can never be
clean
in God's sight.
Wrongs can never
be put right.
And the peace
that Jesus offers
in this room
cannot arrive
without seeing
the scars
of the end
of the war.
The disbelief,
the discovery,
and thirdly
and lastly
the demand.
The demand.
Thomas makes
a demand
here doesn't he?
I've got to see
the scars.
And Christ
graciously answers
and he makes
that prayer
a reality.
He shows him
the scars
but then he
makes a demand
of Thomas too
doesn't he?
In return.
Stop disbelieving
and believe.
And I think
we need to pay
attention to both.
We need
in a way
to make
the same demand
that Thomas
does.
To never
accept
a cross
less
Christ.
To never
accept a cross
less
Christianity.
And if there
are no wounds
on your Christ
and no wounds
in your Christianity
it is not
the real thing.
The legend
goes of
St. Teresa
of Avila
who one day
saw a vision
of the devil
who appeared
to her
in the form
of Christ.
But Teresa
wasn't fooled
for a second.
She immediately
dismissed him
and before leaving
the devil asked her
how did you know?
How did you know
I wasn't the Christ?
Her answer
no wounds.
The appearance
of Jesus
to Thomas
gives us
something unique
doesn't it?
It teaches us
to look for
healing
only in the
one with
wounds.
To recognise
healing and
forgiveness
in him
alone.
We do
not
accept
a Christ
who promises
health and
wealth in
this life.
And if you've
been told about
him
then be a
doubting
Thomas.
We like
Thomas
don't need
a God
who has
coasted
through this
life
with ease
and who
promises us
the same.
We don't
need a God
who's never
suffered.
We need
a living
God
a God
who is
involved
a wounded
God.
We need
a God
who's
truly
suffered
and exhausted
all of the
hurt
and all of
the wrong
and all of
the scars
that we
deserve
and we
receive
so that
true healing
might come
for body
and for
soul.
We don't
need a
God
who is
merely
tattooed
with
suffering.
I was
reading an
article by
a guy
called
Brett
McKay
this week
who
writes
a blog
for men
really
modern
men
and he
talks about
our interest
in tattoos.
It's really
interesting.
Sorry if
you've got
a tattoo
guys
today.
This isn't
me getting
at you
but he
says that
modern men
love tattoos
because in
our culture
we've never
crawled under
barbed wire
but we've
got it
wrapped around
our bicep.
We've never
seen a tiger
but we've
got one on
our back.
We're not
part of any
tribe but we've
got tribal
symbols on
our chest.
For the
modern man
without battles
and dangerous
adventures to
mark our
skin with
wounds
showing where
we've been
and what
we've done
we paint on
symbols of
what we'd
like to
have done
and how
we'd like
to see
ourselves.
While scars
used to
identify us
to others
we now
use tattoos
to identify
ourselves
to ourselves.
But Jesus
is not
merely a
scarred man
merely a
tattooed man
is he?
Jesus is
no pretender
he is no
poser
he is no
smooth skinned
tattooed
god
this is no
stolen
valour
he's the
real deal
and his
scars speak
of real
real sacrifice
and maybe
you're like
Thomas in
this way
that you'll
never trust
a man who's
never suffered
and you'll
never trust
the god
whose feet
have never
touched the
ground of
this earth
and you
shouldn't
you shouldn't
but the
living and
wounded lord
is here
and so he
makes a demand
of us in
return
stop believing
stop disbelieving
and believe
to come to
the wounded
saviour
whose scars
speak to
you of
his love
scarred for
life
he's scarred
for your
new life
for true
healing
for forgiveness
wrongs put
right between
you and
god and of
cleansing
so come to
the wounded
one
come to
the living
and wounded
lord jesus
christ
this easter
let's pray
together
you