The Second Sunday of Easter A

The Second Sunday of Easter A

The number of signs isn’t important.  In fact, the signs themselves are of little importance.  Only their witness to Jesus the Christ as the Son of God has any importance.  That witness of theirs is only important to you because it delivers faith… faith that the name of Jesus Christ delivers you into life.  The evangelist John, in writing down these signs, transfers the witness from the signs themselves to the written word testifying to the signs just as the signs testify to Jesus the Christ.  For us, all these many generations distant from the signs themselves, we have the Word… the Word of God.  As the scriptures have assured us, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” (He. 1:1-2).  Those many and various ways included signs and wonders… they included visions and theophanies… they included miracles and visitations… But, in these last days, the Son, God’s very own Word, is sufficient for us.  Its testimony is sure and certain.  We are given that Word of God in the words of God, the Holy Scripture.  Worship service after worship service, your preacher takes that Word of God delivered through the words of God and applies it to you… you who are a particular people, in a particular place, and of a particular time.  Such is the art of preaching, to take that Word given in words for the ages and hand it over to you in all your particularity.  That Word, Jesus Christ, is your life!

Prayers from one who can’t quite trust Jesus’ beatitude: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…”

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant me to trust in the testimony that witnesses to the sign of Jonah, Jesus own resurrection, the only sign he promised to give us.  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant me to trust in the testimony of Thomas as he confesses, “My Lord and my God!”  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant me to trust in the testimony of blessing promised by Jesus for those who believe without seeing.  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant me to trust in the testimony of that great cloud of witnesses which has borne your Word through the generations until it has now come to me.  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant to me a preacher who takes that trustworthy Word of yours given to the ages and hands it over for me… for me and my life.  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant that this Word of yours so fill and enliven those at the Institute of Lutheran Theology that they, too, bear the witness of Thomas in exclaiming, “My Lord and my God!”  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.

Heavenly Father, you have given me a trustworthy Word in Jesus Christ your Son, grant that I endure the days of my baptism with both patience and anticipation, waiting in humility while anticipating the glory of my Lord Jesus in his final manifestation.  Father of mercy, hear my prayer.  Amen