2nd Sunday after Easter
2nd Sunday of the Resurrection
5/1/11
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Title: Blessed to be blessed.
Today’s Gospel lesson is the account of a meeting between the resurrected Jesus and Thomas who is commonly known as Doubting Thomas. Thomas does not believe Jesus is alive. Jesus appears. Thomas sees and touches Jesus. He believes. He makes a wonderful statement of faith, “My Lord and my God.” The one who doubted now believes. And in his believing he is blessed. Jesus fusses at him for not believing in the first place for Jesus had told him he was going to be raised on the third day. Then Jesus makes the wonderful statement to not only him but us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Just what does Jesus mean when he says that those who have not seen and yet believe are blessed? According to the dictionary to be blessed means to be held in honor, or to enjoy life, to be content, or to have good fortune. That is what the dictionary defines as being blessed. But, is that what Jesus means when he says that those who believe without seeing are blessed? We will find the answer to that question in our Epistle reading for this morning 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1-9.
But before we get to it we need to make sure we understand God’s attitude toward us. God loves us with a love that we just cannot fully understand. For we, even the most loving of us, do things for others because we expect to receive something back from them. If the person we love is a spouse or child we expect them to love us in return. If we do something for a friend or even a stranger we expect them to at the very least say, “Thank you.” We just expect our love to be returned in some fashion.
If we don’t receive any type of positive feedback from whomever we have helped the chances are pretty good that we will not help them again. We just expect our love to be returned. No gratitude, no help. That is the way we generally work.
And because that is how we think, we expect God to think the same way. The problem is there is so much evidence in the Bible that God does not think the way we do, that as people of the Resurrection we need to quit believing God loves the way we love. God loves because he is love. He loves even those who hate him or don’t care one way or the other about him, for he died for all, so that all might be blessed.
We see the results of that love in our Epistle reading today 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1-9 that as much as we would like to believe otherwise Jesus did not come to give those who believe in him the good life, at least as far as those of the world defines the good life; money, honor, health. He came to give us a blessed life; saving us from ourselves.
Peter’s letter to us today is a letter of hope written for those who might be struggling with their hope in God. The hope he is writing about is not that maybe something good will happen kind of hope that we deal with in our lives. You know, maybe it will happen and maybe it will not. Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is writing of a sure hope which is guaranteed because our present hope, the hope we have, is anchored in the past action of Jesus; his life, death and resurrection. That is why we are people of the resurrection.
Christ’s resurrection gives us hope, not just because he lives, but because, by God’s mercy, we live because of him. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By the resurrection of Christ, God has given life, not only to Jesus, but to us. We are given new birth by God; In Christ’s triumph God makes all things new, beginning with us. As a person of the resurrection you are truly blessed.
You might be asking yourself, “If that is true then why do I not feel particularly blessed right now?” Saint Peter gets to that in verse 6 and 7 where he tells us that we must endure these things in our lives, for it gives testimony to our living hope in the resurrected Lord.
As you look closely at what Peter wrote, you find that he gives us four reasons why we can not only endure the problems of life, but rejoice in them. To an unbeliever that sounds just plain weird. And I have to admit it sounds strange to my ears also. To rejoice in the midst of trouble just does not sound right, but then I remember that I am living in an upside down world where according to God’s Word right is wrong and wrong is right.
The first reason, as people of the Resurrection we can rejoice in our troubles because the hope we have in Christ points us beyond our trials of life to a time of joy. As bad as our troubles can be they will not last forever; even if it seems like they will. There will be a time when they will end. We know this because Jesus himself endured shame, hunger, and the cross because of the promise of joy that God the Father set before him.
Secondly, as people of the resurrection, we can rejoice in our troubles because our hope and faith are actually strengthened through the very sufferings that we endure. Troubles are just part of life. Bad things happen to good people.
I know it is hard to grasp, but being people of the resurrection we should actually be glad for the troubles of life, for God uses the trials of life to strengthen our trust in him so that our faith will grow stronger and not fail when Satan attacks.
Simply put, our trials of life keep us trusting in God since our troubles will sooner or later take away our self-confidence and drive us to our Savior. While that might not sound like a good thing it is because it is only then that we completely trust in God and are blessed by him.
Thirdly, as people of the resurrection, we can rejoice in the troubles of life because we know that when Jesus comes, he will bring far more than an end to suffering; he will bring his reward of blessing, life with him and all the people of the resurrection will be blessed for all eternity. Eternal glory far outweighs the worst problems of this life.
In the fourth place, and most importantly, as people of the resurrection, we can find joy in our suffering because we know that the blessedness we will receive from the Lord when this life has ended has nothing to do with our work on earth. It is a gift from God on behalf of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
As people of the resurrection all of you are truly blessed because you are linked through Jesus death to a power greater than yourself. God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead will bring you to the inheritance that Jesus has won for you. That inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for all who are being protected by the power of God through faith.
As I close listen to the words Jesus spoke to his disciples just before he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane and onward from there to his cross and his death and three days later his resurrection.
Remember them my dear brothers and sisters of the Resurrection. Put them in your memory, so you never forget them, for they define what it means to be blessed by God. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you, Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Amen.
5/1/11
Text: 1 Peter 1:1-9
Title: Blessed to be blessed.
Today’s Gospel lesson is the account of a meeting between the resurrected Jesus and Thomas who is commonly known as Doubting Thomas. Thomas does not believe Jesus is alive. Jesus appears. Thomas sees and touches Jesus. He believes. He makes a wonderful statement of faith, “My Lord and my God.” The one who doubted now believes. And in his believing he is blessed. Jesus fusses at him for not believing in the first place for Jesus had told him he was going to be raised on the third day. Then Jesus makes the wonderful statement to not only him but us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Just what does Jesus mean when he says that those who have not seen and yet believe are blessed? According to the dictionary to be blessed means to be held in honor, or to enjoy life, to be content, or to have good fortune. That is what the dictionary defines as being blessed. But, is that what Jesus means when he says that those who believe without seeing are blessed? We will find the answer to that question in our Epistle reading for this morning 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1-9.
But before we get to it we need to make sure we understand God’s attitude toward us. God loves us with a love that we just cannot fully understand. For we, even the most loving of us, do things for others because we expect to receive something back from them. If the person we love is a spouse or child we expect them to love us in return. If we do something for a friend or even a stranger we expect them to at the very least say, “Thank you.” We just expect our love to be returned in some fashion.
If we don’t receive any type of positive feedback from whomever we have helped the chances are pretty good that we will not help them again. We just expect our love to be returned. No gratitude, no help. That is the way we generally work.
And because that is how we think, we expect God to think the same way. The problem is there is so much evidence in the Bible that God does not think the way we do, that as people of the Resurrection we need to quit believing God loves the way we love. God loves because he is love. He loves even those who hate him or don’t care one way or the other about him, for he died for all, so that all might be blessed.
We see the results of that love in our Epistle reading today 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1-9 that as much as we would like to believe otherwise Jesus did not come to give those who believe in him the good life, at least as far as those of the world defines the good life; money, honor, health. He came to give us a blessed life; saving us from ourselves.
Peter’s letter to us today is a letter of hope written for those who might be struggling with their hope in God. The hope he is writing about is not that maybe something good will happen kind of hope that we deal with in our lives. You know, maybe it will happen and maybe it will not. Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is writing of a sure hope which is guaranteed because our present hope, the hope we have, is anchored in the past action of Jesus; his life, death and resurrection. That is why we are people of the resurrection.
Christ’s resurrection gives us hope, not just because he lives, but because, by God’s mercy, we live because of him. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By the resurrection of Christ, God has given life, not only to Jesus, but to us. We are given new birth by God; In Christ’s triumph God makes all things new, beginning with us. As a person of the resurrection you are truly blessed.
You might be asking yourself, “If that is true then why do I not feel particularly blessed right now?” Saint Peter gets to that in verse 6 and 7 where he tells us that we must endure these things in our lives, for it gives testimony to our living hope in the resurrected Lord.
As you look closely at what Peter wrote, you find that he gives us four reasons why we can not only endure the problems of life, but rejoice in them. To an unbeliever that sounds just plain weird. And I have to admit it sounds strange to my ears also. To rejoice in the midst of trouble just does not sound right, but then I remember that I am living in an upside down world where according to God’s Word right is wrong and wrong is right.
The first reason, as people of the Resurrection we can rejoice in our troubles because the hope we have in Christ points us beyond our trials of life to a time of joy. As bad as our troubles can be they will not last forever; even if it seems like they will. There will be a time when they will end. We know this because Jesus himself endured shame, hunger, and the cross because of the promise of joy that God the Father set before him.
Secondly, as people of the resurrection, we can rejoice in our troubles because our hope and faith are actually strengthened through the very sufferings that we endure. Troubles are just part of life. Bad things happen to good people.
I know it is hard to grasp, but being people of the resurrection we should actually be glad for the troubles of life, for God uses the trials of life to strengthen our trust in him so that our faith will grow stronger and not fail when Satan attacks.
Simply put, our trials of life keep us trusting in God since our troubles will sooner or later take away our self-confidence and drive us to our Savior. While that might not sound like a good thing it is because it is only then that we completely trust in God and are blessed by him.
Thirdly, as people of the resurrection, we can rejoice in the troubles of life because we know that when Jesus comes, he will bring far more than an end to suffering; he will bring his reward of blessing, life with him and all the people of the resurrection will be blessed for all eternity. Eternal glory far outweighs the worst problems of this life.
In the fourth place, and most importantly, as people of the resurrection, we can find joy in our suffering because we know that the blessedness we will receive from the Lord when this life has ended has nothing to do with our work on earth. It is a gift from God on behalf of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
As people of the resurrection all of you are truly blessed because you are linked through Jesus death to a power greater than yourself. God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead will bring you to the inheritance that Jesus has won for you. That inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for all who are being protected by the power of God through faith.
As I close listen to the words Jesus spoke to his disciples just before he went out to the Garden of Gethsemane and onward from there to his cross and his death and three days later his resurrection.
Remember them my dear brothers and sisters of the Resurrection. Put them in your memory, so you never forget them, for they define what it means to be blessed by God. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you, Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 12:37 PM
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