The world has never been the same again since the resurrection; since the day that Jesus Christ, God’s son was raised from the dead. It changed the direction of history. Up until that time, human experience had been an experience of defeat and failure and death.

Even the great historic characters of history had generally succumbed to tragedy. Alexander the great conquered the world; yet at quite a young age fell victim to depression, despair and death. Julius Caesar built the Roman empire; but was betrayed and murdered by his friends.

The bible also reflects a history before the time of Jesus that was pretty bleak. God’s chosen people were dogged by weakness, sin and failure. God rescues the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. They respond by worshipping a golden calf. They continually complain during their journey through the dessert.

They are paralysed by doubt and fear, and as a result spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness instead of entering the Promised Land. After repeated involvement with pagan religion and immorality they are ultimately exiled to Babylon and from then on are always under foreign domination.

There is a common cause for all this. Human sin had entered the world when in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve had turned away from God to go their own way. Ever since that mankind had been under the curse of sin and death.

But when Christ rose from the dead the power of that curse was broken. Mankind had been liberated from the power of sin. Jesus had inaugurated a new kingdom, an eternal kingdom that was to embrace the whole world. This kingdom is a kingdom that was to transcend all kingdoms. It is a kingdom that will last forever.

Christ’s kingdom is a kingdom that extends beyond this life, as we know it. Christ has gone through death and come out the other side. Up until the time of Jesus ideas of life after death had been very hazy and unsure. The Jewish idea of the resurrection was a hope of something that would happen in the future when people would be raised to life.

Jesus changed that understanding. He came to bestow eternal life that is not something in the distant future, but rather something that begins here and now. Yes we still have to go through death; but it is just like crossing a river to another better place. We express that when we sing ‘bring us safe through Jordan, to thy home above.’

Mankind need no longer live in despair with the prospect of failure and death; but with the prospect of a risen Christ to be our friend and help and companion on life’s journey and to ultimately reward us with a home in heaven.

These are universal facts. The resurrection changed the history of the world. Things will never be the same again.
But these universal truths need to come to each one of us personally. That is what has to happen if they are to mean anything at all. We can ignore them; we can carry on in the old way, the way of selfish individualism where we keep our destiny in our own hands.

We can rely on ourselves, which leads as it always has done ultimately to failure and death. Or we can take the truths of Easter, the truths of the resurrection to ourselves by believing. That is a very personal thing for each of us.

In John 20 the writer tells the personal story of people who came to a personal belief; he tells us his own story and the story of others.

The story of Mary Magdalene.

Mary was a woman who was devoted to Jesus. He had changed her life; he had cast seven demons out of her. She with others had accompanied Jesus on his travels. She was devastated by his death.

 She had gone to the tomb with others, early on Sunday morning to anoint his body. She saw the empty tomb, but she couldn’t believe. Later she saw angels in the tomb. She still could not believe.

 She even saw the risen Jesus and still did not recognise him. It was only when Jesus spoke to her that the light dawned. Mary was the first person that Jesus appeared to. There are people like Mary today. They are gripped by grief and despair. Or they are in such inner turmoil that they can’t grasp even things that are very obvious.

 The message of Easter is that Christ can come to people like that and dispel despair and grief. Love and devotion are not futile. They are the path to resurrection and life.

The other disciple

This disciple went to the tomb with Peter. John refers to him as the other disciple, but what he says subsequently reveal that it was actually John himself. Like all the disciples, he had heard Jesus say that he would be crucified, and that he would rise on the third day.

 But at the time he had not even been able to grasp the fact that Christ would be killed, let alone believe that he would rise to life. But when he went into the tomb the truth dawned. He knew in his heart that it was true. He had been a follower of Jesus; he now became a believer.

 Many of us have this problem of incomprehension. Some of you will know what it has been like to sit in front of a computer screen wanting to send an email for the first time, or surf the net, or use a new programme. And you just cannot make sense of what you need to do next. You have been told what you should do, but you have just not grasped how to make sense of what is in front of you.

 The disciples were a bit like that with regard to the resurrection. They at first could not make sense of it. And then the light dawned, they remembered something they had been told, and all became clear.

 We can be followers of Jesus, and yet struggle to make sense of the resurrection. It can seem an idle tale to us. Yet as we look again at the evidence, the truth can dawn, and we too can become believers who know that Jesus rose, and that Jesus is alive.

Thomas.

Then there is doubting Thomas. He had not been there when Jesus had appeared to the other disciples. Maybe he was one of those people who chose to be alone in his grief. He had grasped before the others that yes, Jesus would be killed. But now the others tell him that Jesus is alive, he will not believe.

 Maybe he though the other disciples were naïve optimists. Thomas was more of a pessimist. He was the sort who was sure that the light at the end of the tunnel was sure to be another train coming in the opposite direction.

 There are some of us a bit like Thomas we know that Christians can be rather naïve optimists. We have had our hopes dashed too many times. We know there is always disappointment around the corner. We are not going to believe unless we see and check things out for ourselves. 

But yet Jesus graciously comes to meet Thomas, to allay his doubts, to show even him, that he is the one in whom there is life and hope. That in Jesus there is solid grounds for optimism. Thomas believes and he worships, ‘My Lord and my God’ he acknowledges.  

We cannot touch or see the risen Christ. But we have the evidence. We have the testimony of those who did see. If we are open to the truth, then that is enough. Jesus would say to us all, ‘stop doubting and believe… Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’

Amen
 

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