Trusting and Believing is Seeing : Easter 2. John 20

 The Second Sunday of Easter Acts 5:12a, 17-22, 25-29 or Job 42:1-6 Ps 111 Rev 1:(1-8)9-19 ;John 20:  (10-18 -I have added this)19-31

"Trusting and Believing is Seeing"

"It was Saturday, the day before Easter, and Joanne Hinch of Woodland Hills, California was sitting at the kitchen table coloring eggs with her three-year-old son Dan and her two-year-old daughter Debbie. She told her kids about the meaning of Easter and taught them the traditional Easter morning greeting and response, "He is risen...He is risen indeed!" The children planned to surprise their Dad, a Presbyterian minister, with that greeting as soon as he awoke the next morning. Easter arrived, little Danheard his father stirring about in his bedroom, so the boy got up quickly, dashed down the hall and shouted the good news: "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, God's back!"  sermons@sermons.com

1.  Mary Magdalene 

The Lord had cast out of her seven demons. Luke 8:1-3" the twelve were with him,

2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."

She is mentioned more than most of the Apostles , over 12 times.

What was her healing from?  Psychological , mental, or perhaps just as it says, demons were cast out from her. There is no reference to her having moral problems.  

She was at the tomb, the Cross when all of the disciples left Him.  John came back however. She left to get spices to annoint His body. 

Her devotion to Him was evident.  She saw Him thinking Him to be the gardener.Jn 10:18-" Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples,' I have seen the Lord; and that he had said these things unto her.' "

"....in looking at Mary of Magdala we are looking at a great soul, but we are seeing that her Lord was greater. He is still able to cast out every evil thing that holds and masters and blasts and ruins human life, and to introduce such as are thus set free from evil into the power of His own risen and glorified life by the Holy Spirit." The Great Physician,  G Campbell Morgan

We may summarize much of the above by quoting John Stott, " The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be."

2. Next, we see Thomas.

He was not with the them when Jesus came. "19When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them,' Peace be unto you.' 20And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord.

Thomas was big on seeing . Most of us fall into that camp.  When difficulties come, we ask, " Is this for real?"  or " Why, God?" 

Jesus commends those who believe without seeing.  "Jesus saith unto him,' Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. "

3.  Thomas gets it.  "Then saith he to Thomas,' Reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. '28Thomas answered and said unto him, 'My Lord and my God.' "

That is why John wrote his Gospel .  We too need to hear what John wrote, " Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: 31but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name."

For Easter 2 we are reminded of the presence and purposes of God.  We too need His grace to believe for without it we will not.  I called this message , " Trusting and Believing is Seeing" for that is true.  Our lives are in His hands no matter how we age, or how we feel.  

Seeing comes, after we experience His mercy and love in our own lives in this Eastertide. 

Do we get it?  Do we see?

" O Almighty God, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus; We acknowledge that we are unworthy of Thy redeeming grace.  We have not believed Thy promises; Nor trusted in our living Lord. Through worldliness of spirit; Our eyes have been holden that we have not discerned His presence with us. Through disappointment of mind and dejection of spirit; Our hearts have not burned within us as we have heard His Word.  We have not trusted in His redeeming power. And have been overcome of evil. We have forgotten the glad tidings of His victory over death. And have not known the things that belong to our peace. But now in penitence we have come to Thee; Beseeching Thy Forgiveness. Mercifully grant us absolution from all our sins. And restore unto us the joy of Thy salvation. For Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen." The Book of Common Worship. 1946