Second Easter Sunday

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Our Old Testament Reading gives us Noah. His father Lameck named him because he said that in the wicked world they lived, Noah would bring relief.

Noah had complete FAITH in God. He trusted God and God trusted Noah. God was so disappointed with his chosen people he instructed Noah to build an ark and take his family and animals into the ark where they would be saved from destruction of the floods that covered the earth. We have read what happened but the main point of the story,  I believe, is that Noah had complete and utter FAITH in God and obeyed His commands.

Our reading in Acts brings us Peter preaching to the Jews.  This was during Pentecost when we will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in a few weeks’ time. This reading refers to Peter preaching to the Jews about Jesus Christ, His crucifixion and resurrection.  Peter reminded  the Jews about King David who prophesized in his Psalms about the Messiah’s death and resurrection. In David’s Psalm it was stated that “He was not abandoned in the world of the dead, his body did not rot in the grave”. Peter pointed out that David did not rise from the dead but Jesus Christ did rise from the dead. I want to think that surely there must have been some people touched by Peter’s message which set them on their journey of FAITH in Jesus Christ.

Finally our Gospel reading from San Juan tells us about Thomas, “doubting Thomas, who was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them and doubted what he was told. We know from San Juan 14: 1-4 that Thomas along with Philip could not understand fully what Jesus was telling them and had many doubts. Thomas probably thought “no, it is too good to be true that Jesus is alive”. I believe he was a forerunner to us in our many doubts and lack of faith at some time during our Christian lives. Of course when Thomas saw Jesus when he appeared again to the disciples and Jesus made him feel his scars from the crucifixion, that Thomas joyfully ceased doubting. Jesus said “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”.

It is therefore very important to strengthen our FAITH and it helps so much to study our Bibles to further our knowledge and our FAITH that Jesus did suffer so much for us, died for us and give us the chance of eternal life through His resurrection.

Jesus never rebuked Thomas for not believing the disciples until he saw Jesus himself. He is never angry with us when we have our doubts. It is up to us to get closer to God by praying, particularly to enlighten us about the Bible readings. I recommend picking up your Bibles for a short time each day to strengthen your FAITH and understanding.

Let us all move beyond doubt to FAITH. Amen.

Author: Gwen Hamilton-Warner