7 April 2013 - winning team

7 April 2013 - winning team

The joyful shout of victory
in the tents of the just:

The LORD wants us to share in his victory.  We are immobilized by fear, locked in the upper room.  But the LORD enters anyway and reveals himself.  He is not simply raised to the life he had before as Lazarus was.  He is the Risen One who will never die again.


He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid.
I am the first and the last, the one who lives.
Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever.
I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.

And this is the victory we share.  As we share in it more and more the world around us is transformed.


A large number of people from the towns
in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered,
bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits,
and they were all cured.

Hearing us this may well inspire us to feel like Thomas if this hasn't been our experience of the Christian life.  We may feel left out that the others saw the LORD's resurrection and we haven't.  It may even make us stubborn and slow to believe what they tell us as his witnesses.  But no need to fear! The LORD comes for us as well.

Jesus came, although the doors were locked,

and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

He will not let anything stop him from revealing himself to us in the full power of the resurrection except for our own free will.  Let us not be somewhere off on our own.  Let us gather with the disciples so that the LORD may draw the confession of Thomas from the depths of our hearts as well:

“My Lord and my God!”