Sunday: “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter)
Witness. It is a powerful experience. To be there when it happens. To see with our very own eyes. To feel and touch history itself.
In my life I’ve been fortunate to see a bit of history. We were as near as the public is allowed for a space shuttle launch. I met, shook hands with, and interviewed a future Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback. I have witnessed a annular solar eclipse in Japan and a total solar eclipse in Nebraska. I can describe them to you, but it won’t be the same as being there. But I’ve never encountered someone dead, entombed for parts of three days, then appearing before me for a visit and lunch.
Thomas the follower of Jesus was faced with a problem. He knew Jesus was dead, yet here were his closest friends excitedly and joyously telling him that Jesus had been with them in that very room. It was too much, more than he could handle. Yes, the tomb was empty. Yes his friends had seen for themselves their risen Messiah. But, the dead just don’t come out of their graves, alive and standing before you.
Thomas needed more. He hadn’t seen nor touched his Jesus. The others had (in fairness, had they really believed before Jesus showed up, risen and alive in the room with them?), and Thomas wanted that opportunity, too. Just to see and touch the evidence that Jesus really had been crucified and was alive again.
And eight days later Jesus gave Thomas the evidence. Jesus stood before Thomas and invited him to see and touch the wounds himself. Thomas could no longer doubt the impossible. The Messiah, who was once dead and buried, now was alive and talking right in front of him. His life was changed because he witnessed the risen Jesus. Tradition tells us that experience was such a life changing one that Thomas traveled as far as India to tell others what he had witnessed about who Jesus is.
I mentioned earlier a few events of history I have been fortunate to witness. Many of us have had similar experiences. We have been to places where history happened. Walked the fields of great battles, stood in the ancient buildings where great people have been, stooped our heads and entered the cave where a promised child was born, and another cave where this same promised Messiah was buried.
All of these experiences were moving. But none necessarily changed our lives.
Our lives are changed because of witness of others, a message we believed, a Savior sent from the Father. We’ve never seen him, but we love him, we trust him, we rejoice in him. He has changed us.
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