“The Disciples Were Overjoyed When They Saw the Lord”
John 20:19-31

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Second Sunday of Easter—April 12, 2015

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Every year on the first Sunday after Easter, the Gospel Reading is the story of doubting Thomas.  From the preacher’s point of view, this is a rich text with lots of possibilities for developing a sermon.  You may have heard many sermons on the different aspects of this text.

First of all, there is doubting Thomas himself; how we, like doubting Thomas, so often doubt the Lord.  But, Jesus promises, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

There are the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side, reminders of what he endured for you, how he suffered and died to pay for your sins and earn your salvation.

There is Thomas’ confession of faith.  When he stops doubting and believes, he cries out: “My Lord and my God!”  That is the most simple Christian creed, the confession of faith Jesus desires from each one of us, to acknowledge him as our Lord and our God.

And, of course, there is Jesus giving to his followers the power to actually forgive sins in his name: “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven.’”  That is why the minister says in our worship services, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins.”

So many wonderful things to preach about!  But, there is another aspect of this text that is also very uplifting and very comforting, one sentence in this text that we must not overlook: “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”

It had been only about 48 hours since their beloved Jesus had been buried.  You probably know from your own experience how it feels after the death of a close loved one, especially those first few days.  The Bible records Jesus himself grieving over the death of a loved one.  The shortest verse in the Bible is just two words: “Jesus wept.”  Jesus himself wept with grief as he stood before the grave of his friend Lazarus.  The disciples were not only Jesus’ followers, they were also his friends, his loved ones.  Remember how it feels after the funeral?  The disciples were numb, numb with grief.

“The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”  What a precious sentence that is!  Think of what a joy it was for the disciples: seeing their Lord and Master, their dear friend Jesus, alive again!  Think of what a joy it will be for you when you see your loved ones again.

Paul says in 1st Thessalonians, “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. . . And so we will be forever with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  I selected the words “Forever with the Lord” to be engraved on my father’s tombstone.  Your loved ones who died in faith are asleep in Jesus.  When you die, your spirit will depart your body and you will immediately be with them, “Asleep in Jesus.”  At the Last Day, your body will be resurrected, restored, and reunited with your soul.  And so you shall be “Forever with the Lord.”

What will heaven be like?  The Bible describes heaven mostly in terms of what it will not be like: no more pain, no more suffering, no more sorrow of any kind.  As the book of Revelation says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Death itself will die; there will be no more mourning; never again will you have a loved one taken from you.

Will you know your loved ones in heaven?  In 1st Corinthians, Paul says that in heaven we shall “know fully, even as I am fully known.”  Not only will you know your loved ones, you will know everyone in heaven.  When Jesus was transfigured, the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah, though they had never met them.  In the same way, in heaven you will know and recognize everyone, including your loved ones.

Our resurrected bodies will be the same bodies we have now, but glorified and transformed into perfect, heavenly bodies.  As Paul says in Philippians, “He will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” 

We shall see the Lord face to face, and be filled with perfect happiness, peace, joy, contentment.  The heartaches and troubles of this world will be completely forgotten.  As Psalm 126 says, “Then will our mouths be filled with laughter and our tongues with songs of joy.”  And as Isaiah says, “They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

“The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”  Like the disciples, who rejoiced to see their beloved Jesus alive again, you will know the joy of being reunited in heaven with your loved ones who trusted in Jesus.  They are “Asleep in Jesus. . . Forever with the Lord.”