4/19/2020 - Second Sunday of Easter
He Lives to Give Me Proof and Peace
On Easter Sunday evening Jesus appeared to his disciples in the upper room. There were only ten disciples; they were without Thomas. When the disciples later saw Thomas, he brashly refused to believe, “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.”
One week after Easter eleven disciples including Thomas were gathered in the same room. When Jesus appeared, he singled out Thomas, rebuked his doubt and invited him to touch his hands and side. “Because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Since it is so unnatural, and since the whole of Christianity hinges on Easter, the Bible goes to great lengths to chronicle Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. In our first lesson, Peter argues on Pentecost that Jesus' resurrection was foretold by the Psalmist. "You put him to death, but God raised him from the dead." He later says in our second lesson, “we have new birth into a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection.”
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Livestream at 10:45am on 4/19/2020 (Full service video)
READINGS:
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
1 Peter 1:3-9
John 20:19-31
Psalm 16
Sermon theme: Easter — on Pentecost! (Sermon video) (sermon text)