Musical Prelude and Service.

1 John 1:1 – 2:3 & John 20:19-31
Where are you looking for Jesus in your lives today?
Is that an odd question for me to ask right now? I’m not really sure. As Christians we proclaim Jesus as the son of God; or perhaps the revelation of God at work in the world. But when we say we are followers and pray for Jesus to be at work in our lives, providing comfort or healing, or strength, I find myself often asking, what are we looking for in Jesus at any particular time?
Because I also believe what we are seeking can change from day to day or week to week. It sort of depends, doesn’t it? What’s going on in our lives; where are we hurting or where are we struggling?
A question that I am confronted on semi-regularly is who is Jesus to me? I was asked that question during my interview for the opening here.
And my answer was that who Jesus is for me tends to change on a regular basis. Yes, there is the son of God or the human manifestation of God in the world. But how I see Jesus; how I experience Jesus; how I perceive of the Jesus I find in scripture can shift, depending upon what I am experiencing in my life. Yes, Jesus is the Christ of the trinity. He is the son of God and Emmanuel, God with us. Jesus is also the teacher and the healer and the guide of my life.
But who I am seeking what I need from day to day, can shift and so who Jesus is on a deeply personal level can and does change.
Where are you looking for Jesus, the Christ? Is Jesus only found in the pages of scripture? Or can you find Jesus at work right now in the world. Is Jesus found in the experiences you have or the stories you hear?
We are told that the followers of Jesus – his disciples, were encouraged to share their stories. That is one of the reasons they were eventually written down. So others could benefit from their telling and come to know Jesus themselves. That in telling those stories, others could come to know that Jesus was the light; the light of the world. and Jesus was their advocate in mediating their lives with God the creator.
On Easter Sunday I spoke of how Mary’s experience with the risen Christ offered hope and brought her into the light of a new day where she could see the signs of life all around her.
The hope of resurrection is the sign that even in the face of death and fear, there is a way forward and we can be a part of change and new life.
That story and that message continues this week. Jesus sends Mary to share the news of his resurrection with the other disciples. Now we find them hiding in a locked room. We are told that out of fear of the authorities who demanded Jesus be executed, they have locked the doors and are waiting for something. Either Mary has not yet brought the word of the resurrection, or they have yet to be convinced.
And despite those locks, Jesus appears to them. He shows them his wounds and breathes the spirit into them. Thomas misses this and insists he needs more than their word that it happened. That is provided.
Part of the reason for this story of course, is to reassure those who hear it, that they don’t need their own experience with the risen Christ in order to follow this new movement. Their faith is not dependent upon a personal experience with Jesus. We can experience or believe through the stories shared with us.
You don’t need to wait for Jesus to show up for you to be blessed by God. Millions (billions?) of people have been blessed; have been moved to follow Jesus based on their response to the stories found in scripture, and the stories shared by others over the millennia.
But thee encounters with the risen Christ do happen, and they come in surprising ways. That’s the message we hear this morning.
Overcome by fear and doubt.
Grieving the loss of their friend and teacher, the disciples are hiding. They have effectively barred the door to entry.
And yet, Jesus still comes to them. And he doesn’t come alone.
Jesus shows up with the Holy Spirit. He breathes the spirit into his followers and sends them out to share their story. He empowers them to stop hiding and to go forward with messages of hope,
of love and forgiveness.
Get out of your small dark rooms. Go out and live in the light of day and share your story. Share the light of Christ with the world. And remember, the story is one of light. It is a story of love; of mercy. It is a story of how much God loves the world and God’s desire for all the world to experience the love and generosity and freedom that Jesus lived and taught and worked to bring to the world.
But I should also be clear that when I say God is calling us to go out into the world and share the hope of the risen Christ with the world, I am not talking of going out and preaching to our neighbours. I believe we share our experience of the risen Christ by living lives of love and mercy and generosity. We share God’s grace; that unconditional love that is not dependent on the generosity of others. We love one another and strive for a world of peace and justice. We treat everyone we meet as a beloved child of God.
God asks us to live our lives with the appreciation that our lives and this world are gifts from the creator, and we are called to live each moment we are given, fully and with purpose and appreciation.
Last week I shared the story of my encounter with a man outside a hospital and how in reflecting on that incident, I realized this was, for me, an interaction with the Risen Christ. It was life giving and renewing for me at a moment of fear and doubt. In this man’s compassion and reaching out, I found Jesus at work in the world. It wouldn’t surprise me if this man has no recollection of this event.
He certainly would not be aware that I saw Christ at work in his speaking and guidance, but that does not detract from this at all for me.
And I think this is important to remember.
When we live the lives God desires for us. When we love one another, seek justice for one another, share with one another, as Jesus teaches us – as Jesus modeled for us – we share the message and the experience of Christ’s resurrection. We share the good news through our lives. And perhaps, perhaps, by sharing in this way, we offer an opportunity for others; perhaps even perfect strangers, to encounter the risen Christ when they greet us – on the sidewalk or walking in a park, or while in line at the grocery store.
Jesus comes to us when we least expect it. Jesus comes to us when we have put up barriers and feel at our most vulnerable or most afraid. Jesus comes to us when we are grieving and feel completely alone and are filled with doubt. But perhaps we can also be the messenger that enables others who are vulnerable, afraid, and alone, but who are hiding those struggles incredibly well to see Jesus.
See Jesus walking beside them and offering a hand or a friendly smile and a listening ear when it is most needed.
We become the hands of Jesus, the feet of Jesus, and people can hear Jesus talking through our voices. Jesus works through us. We do not speak for God. We do not speak for Jesus.
But when we love as God loves us.
When we are the peace makers and those working to feed the hungry and clothe the poor, Jesus speaks through us.
Jesus works through us, and it is our hope that others encounter the risen Christ in our words and our actions.
And all of us can then say, Thanks Be to God. Amen.
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789