Sermon ideas

• The Red Queen tells Alice (in Wonderland) that she should practise believing impossible things. Faith is not just a package that we receive. It requires effort for it to develop. Through Thomas’ questioning he comes to believe, and through belief, to have faith.

• On two out of the four occasions that Thomas is named by John, he is seeking further information. In John 14.5 he asks about the way to the Father’s house; here he asks for evidence of the resurrection. Through Thomas’ questioning, Jesus is able to reveal deeper truths. Jesus does not rebuke Thomas but rather offers him peace. Through Thomas’ encounter with Jesus, he realises that he has no need of physical proof of the resurrection. 
• Excluded from the experience of the others, Thomas does not believe that they have seen Jesus. The Lancashire comedian, Peter Kay, has a sketch about a fizzy drink, ‘Rola Cola’, bought by mothers who think their family will believe that it is CocaCola™. Children, Kay suggests, are not fooled. When Jesus appears to Thomas, it makes possible a great leap of faith. The encounter enables him to believe in Jesus: ‘My Lord and my God.’ ?
• There are echoes in this resurrection story of the encounter with the blind man in John 9. Seeing and believing subtly link and interplay. Seeing may be believing, but believing can also be seeing.
• John does not record how the disciples recognised Jesus, nor does he clearly describe Jesus’ resurrection body. Jesus seems to be able to enter through a closed door, yet the fact that he invites Thomas to touch him in such a graphic way seems to indicate a physical presence. This is a paradox that it is difficult to explain away, but if we are able to believe that a man can rise from death, can we not also believe in a form that does not fit into our experience or understanding?
• Thomas’ use of the personal pronoun indicates a personal relationship. He does more than believe; he has faith, evidenced in that personal relationship, and offers a submission to Jesus by accepting his lordship. ?
• Jesus begins each encounter with the words, ‘Peace be with you.’ More than a simple greeting, this is an offer of something very special. The fearful disciples receive their peace in recognising that Jesus has risen, when they receive his Spirit, and when he is acknowledged as Lord.