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Sermons: Proof of Life  John 20:19-31, Rev. Karen Goltz  (see below)   What Could Be Said Of Us?  Acts 5:27-32, Rev. Randy Quinn     Where Were You on Good Friday? John 20:19-31, by Rev. Randy L Quinn   When Life Seems Out of Control, John 20:19-31, by Rev. Dr. Roger W. Thomas     No interview, John 20:19-31, by Rev. Tom Hall     From the 12 Apostles Sermon Series:  Thomas, the Doubter, or the Brave? John 20:19-31, by Rev. Frank Schaefer   Storm's a Brewing, Acts 5:27-32, Rev. Tom Hall     Doubting or Courageous Thomas? by Susan in San Pedro   Believing is Seeing, by HW in HI     Taking Doubts to Christ, anonymous     Is It Easter Already?, by Gary Roth   ______________________________________________________________ Proof of Life based on John 20:19-31 Rev. Karen Goltz If you heard that Jesus Christ appeared to a group of people today, what would your reaction be?  Would you panic?  Would you run?  Would you hide in fear?  Would you cry out in love, “My Lord and my God?”  If you didn’t simply dismiss the claim as a fantastic story, you would most likely doubt.  You would demand proof, and, if you were really open-minded, you’d reserve judgment until you could be convinced.   The disciples had locked themselves in the house.  They’d heard just that morning that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb.  Mary Magdalene had come to tell them he had risen.  But they didn’t believe.  They had their doubts.  Peter and another disciple, traditionally believed to be John, had gone and checked out reports that the body was missing.  Peter saw the empty tomb, but he couldn’t put it all together.  John saw and apparently believed.  So, I imagine he went back and spent the rest of the day trying to convince the other disciples that the empty tomb, the folded linen cloths, and the head piece sitting by itself were all signs that Jesus had indeed risen. Can you imagine the conversation that took place during that day?  They were too afraid of the Jews and the Romans to go out and see, or look for Jesus, so they sat in the house sulking, praying, arguing, discussing, pondering, and recalling the words of Jesus.  I can imagine that Mary was probably leading the conversation, maybe backed up by John, and Peter was boldly trying to make sense of it.  Mary had seen the risen Lord, had spoken to him, John could believe and accept that, and Peter really wanted to.  The rest of them probably wanted to, too, but how could they possibly believe something so crazy as a dead man rising and living again?  They’d seen Jesus die, and no matter how much they might wish otherwise, dead was dead. So there they all are talking, praying, and arguing, and then without warning, Jesus is standing in their midst, on their side of the locked door, and says, “Peace be with you.”  Can you imagine their reaction?  It was probably shocked silence.  The text doesn’t tell us.  All it says is that after greeting them with peace, he showed them his hands and his side.  His hands that still bore the marks of those cruel nails driven in, his side where the spear was thrust and water and blood flowed from the wound.  And only after seeing the scars that marked his death did the disciples believe, and rejoice.  They were probably excited.  I can imagine them dancing around, hugging each other, tears flowing from their eyes, not understanding, but not being able to contradict this living proof standing before them, speaking to them.  Can you imagine their joy, their excitement, their wonder?  Here they’d been hoping, but not with too much hope lest they be disappointed.  And here now in their midst was Jesus, alive, risen from the dead.  The sorrow of the previous Friday had turned into excitement, joy, and fulfillment of the resurrection promise. Jesus leaves as quickly and quietly as he came.  Then Thomas returns.  Thomas had not been there with the rest of them.  Why not?  Maybe he was so full of grief, despair, and loneliness that he couldn’t stand to be with the others.  Grief is like that sometimes.  Especially when most of the people you know are sharing the same grief, sometimes you need to just get away, get out of the feedback loop, and be alone.  That can be a healthy thing.  But it can also be a lonely thing when taken too far.  The community might be grieving and struggling, but they can also share the burden, and lift each other up, and support one another.  But maybe Thomas couldn’t see any value in staying with the community as they grieved the death of Jesus.  Instead, he went off by himself.  He wanted to be alone.  But in that aloneness he missed something.  He missed seeing Jesus.   Thomas eventually comes back, maybe finally ready to share his grief with the others.  But instead of finding a group of crying, mourning, sad people, he finds them full of cheer and excitement.  Tears of joy and happiness have replaced the tears of sorrow and mourning.  Thomas comes in and the rest excitedly tell him, “Thomas, we have seen the Lord!”  He looks around at them with an utter lack of comprehension.  For him, Jesus, his friend, his master, his teacher, the one in whom he had placed his entire trust, faith and belief is dead.  And we all know that dead is dead.  Thomas had gone off to grieve alone, and now that he’s finally returned to his friends to mourn with them, they tell him that dead is not dead, that they have seen the Lord. 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