A sermon for the First Sunday after Easter.

“Doubting Thomas.” Doubting Thomas is not the way it’s put in the text. He’s called Thomas the Twin. We call him “Doubting Thomas” because we like him. He’s the one who had the courage to say: “Unless I can actually touch the wounds, how can I know?” We all see that as common sense.

Thomas, doubting Thomas, is a great favorite. The text, however, doesn’t say that he actually did doubt. Just for the sake of discussion, assume that he did. Then he says in a confession: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). There was for him this reality. Miraculous. He was actually able to see, to hear, and to touch.

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Romans 6:5
A sermon for Easter Sunday
Around the world there are many churches which have an Easter vigil, starting at midnight with Baptisms, looking for the dawn, the light from the East.
What is Easter? These three days. The days are counted from the evening. Thursday evening (Maunday Thursday), Friday evening, Saturday evening until dawn are called the Triduum. This is the pinnacle, the major point of the whole Christian faith, because we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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Easter Sunday
The weekend edition of most newspapers features obituaries. That edition is usually available late Saturday night. If there were such a thing in Jesus’ day, imagine what the Saturday night edition of Jesus’ obituary might have said. Perhaps something like this:

“Jesus, Son of Joseph, died, crucified. He had come into conflict with the Jewish and Roman authorities. Known as a carpenter and wandering preacher and healer, there were those who said he said would redeem Israel. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph. Survivors include his mother, Mary, and several brothers and sisters. He was buried immediately because he was crucified just before the Sabbath, the high Holy Day of Passover. Visitation at the tomb is provided by Joseph of Arimathea, beginning Sunday morning.”

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A Sermon for Easter Sunday

Rom 8:32: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave himself up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (meaning all good things)

This is the conclusion of what our Christian faith is about. How do we get there? How did they get there in that time in the early church?

We have the account in John 20:1-18 of the first appearance to Mary Magdalene. They were preparing for a funeral. All their hopes had crashed. They were sad and totally confused. They came bringing spices to prepare the body and then he appeared to her, to Mary Magdalene.

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