AVBC - Sunday - 04/19/26 - Sermon Title: “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 1 of 4) - Book of Jonah 1-2

 Sunday 04/19/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 1 of 4) - Book of Jonah 1-2                            

(Cover Picture)

           I have a question for us all to consider this morning. The question is this, have we ever failed at something? I could have been a test or a quiz in school that you failed. It could be something new that you tried, like a sport or a hobby. It could be a variety of things that you tried, and you failed at. Who here has ever failed at something before?

          Some people might think that failure under any circumstances is bad, but sometimes when we fail, we grow stronger, wiser, and more prepared than ever before. For example, who here knows who invented the light bulb? The answer is, Thomas Edison. Do you know though that Thomas Edison failed over and over to make his light bulb invention work. Here is what Thomas Edison said about creating the light bulb:

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work” (https://www.thomasedison.org/edison-quotes).

(Thomas Edison - Picture)

          When Thomas Edison was creating the “Light Bulb” he failed over and over again. How many times? Well according to him, 10,000 times. Thomas Edison was also quoted as saying this:

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” (https://www.thomasedison.org/edison-quotes).

 

          In recent years, more and more churches in the United States are shrinking and closing, but the question is do they have too? If we try something and it does not work, then we keep trying over and over. Churches can grow because we are one of them. Amen!

(Cover Picture)

          All of us have failed. It is simply a matter of how many times we have failed, and in how many ways we have failed. With all of this said, I am starting a new four-week sermon series this morning called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance.” This is a sermon series that I found the framework of, and I recreated it for us, it has a medical and surgery sort of theme. Today’s message is called “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” and then the next three weeks will be called “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness),” “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).” So, this four-week sermon series, “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” is about how we all fail, are called to repent and forgive, to live in grace, and to extend grace to others.

          This morning in this first sermon in this “The Anatomoy of a Second Chance” sermon series, in our first message, called, once again, “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure),” reminds us that when we get a diagnosis from a doctor, and if it is true, we must do something about it. Given this, this morning, I want to talk about Jonah. Many of have heard the story about “Jonah and the Whale,” or more biblically accurate, “Jonah and the Fish.” The Book of Jonah only has four chapters, and this morning we read two of them. The good news is that Jonah will be forgiven after failing.  

(Jonah 1:2 Scripture - Picture)

          In looking at our scripture reading for this morning from the Book of Jonah or the Prophet Jonah 1-2, God speaks to Jonah and asks Jonah to serve Him in a specific way. Jonah 1:1-2, says, once again:

Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

 

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ² ‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me’ (Jonah 1:1-2, NRSV).

 

          So, the Old Testament Prophet Jonah, is spoken to by God. God has selected and called Jonah for a mission. How does Jonah respond to God telling him to go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against there wickedness? Well, Jonah of course, runs away. Picking up in Jonah 1:3 it says:

(Jonah Fleeing God - Picture)

³ But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3, NRSV).

 

When Jonah flees or runs away from God, he is believed to been in his hometown of “Gath-Hepher,” which is near present day Nazareth or Galilee. This is the area where Jesus grew up and started His Earthly ministry. From “Gath-Hepher,” which is around present-day Nazareth of Galilee, Jonah flees Joppa, which in modern day Jaffa/Tel Aviv area in what is today the country of Israel. This journey where Jonah flees God is about 60-miles.

          Jonah pays for passage on a ship going to “Tarshish,” which is present day Southern Spain, although there is some academic dispute over this.

(Jonah Map - Picture)

So, God tells Jonah to go to the city in Ninevah, which is in the modern-day country of Iraq, specifically the city of Mosul on Tigris River. God tells Jonah to preach and lead them all to repent of their wicked ways and turn back to God. In response to this call from God, Jonah, once again, flees from what is today Nazareth or Galilee in modern day Israel, about sixty miles away in what is today Jaffa/Tel Aviv in modern day Israel. Jonah then found a ship in Joppa, which, once again, is today Jaffa/Tel Aviv in modern day Israel. He then heads with all these men to Tarshish or Southern Spain.

(Jonah Flees - Picture)

          Picking up in Jonah 1:4, we hear this, once again:

 

⁴ But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. ⁶ The captain came and said to him, ‘What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.’ ⁷ The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ Then they said to him, ‘Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ ⁹ ‘I am a Hebrew,’ he replied. ‘I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ ¹⁰ Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so. ¹¹ Then they said to him, ‘What shall we do to you, that the sea may quieten down for us?’ For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. ¹² He said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quieten down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.’ ¹³ Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. ¹⁴ Then they cried out to the Lord, ‘Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.’ ¹⁵ So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

(Jonah Storm - Picture)

          So, this violent storm comes, and the men on the ship are scared and doing all they can to keep the ship from sinking. They threw cargo overboard to try to lighten the ship, as Jonah was asleep in the hold of the ship. Jonah is awoken and asked to call upon his God to save them. The sailors then cast lots to figure out which of them has caused this great storm, and they settle on Jonah. Jonah told them that he is a Hebrew and that worships the Lord, the God heaven. This made the sailors even more scared, and they said to Jonah ‘What is this that you have done!’ These sailors now know that Jonah has offended God, and that Jonah was fleeing from God.

They then asked Jonah what they should do, and Jonah told them to throw him overboard off the ship. The sailors tried to row to shore, but storm was just too strong. They cried out to the Lord that Jonah would die and or be punished on account of them throwing him overboard. Then we hear in Jonah 1:15-17, once again, this:  

¹⁵ So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. ¹⁷But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:15-17, NRSV).

Our cover picture for this morning then is when the sailors overboard throw Jonah, and a large fish swallows him for three days.

(Jonah 2:2 - Picture)

          Picking up starting in Jonah 2:1, it says, once again:

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

 

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, ² saying,

‘I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. ³ You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows passed over me. ⁴ Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?”
⁵ The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head ⁶ at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. ⁷ As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord;
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. ⁸ Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty. ⁹ But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!’ ¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land. 

(Fish Spewing Jonah - Picture)

          In the story, Jonah, in the belly of the fish calls out to God. Jonah realizes that he failed. In praying and crying out to God, he admitted his failure. “The Diagnosis” of running from God, and “Admitting Failure” to God. God hears Jonah, forgives him, and after three days later the large fish spewed Jonah out on the dry land.

          Jonah, after failing, heeds God second call from him to go to the city of Ninevah to call them turn from wickedness and repent. Everyone from the King down to lowest servant and slave put on sackcloth and ashes, and repented. This is the biggest and more prominent city in the Bible that ever repented.

(Cover Picture) 

          So, Thomas Edison, according to him, failed to make a successful lightbulb in his first ten thousand tries. To him, once again, he did not fail, instead he just found ten-thousand ways that will not work. Jonah fails God and flees from God, and yet when Jonah repents and calls upon God, God forgives him and restores him. This morning in this first week of this four-week sermon series called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance,” we are talking about “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” How many of us have failed? How many of us eventually succeeded? How many of realize that there is nothing that we can do that Jesus will not forgive us for? You see, as we have been talking about, we all have failed in different ways, and in different times. Are we all that different from Jonah? Do we also realize that God will always forgive us but that we need to come to God repent and ask for forgiveness. When we do, we will have it, and we probably will not have to spend three days in a large fish either!

          In trying to make this sermon “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” be a sermon that can walk out the door with us this morning, let us go over some application points to what we are discussing this morning. Here they are:

In Jonah 1-2, the prophet Jonah flees from God’s command to preach against Nineveh, causing a storm. Sailors throw him overboard, and he is swallowed by a great fish. After three days, Jonah prays, repents, and is vomited onto dry land by the fish, ultimately declaring, "Salvation is of the Lord". 

Key Events in Jonah 1-2

·       The Call and Flight (1:1-3): God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah flees toward Tarshish to escape the presence of the Lord.

·       The Storm and Consequence (1:4-16): A great storm leads to Jonah confessing his disobedience to the sailors. He is thrown into the sea, which immediately causes the storm to calm.

·       The Fish and Repentance (1:17, 2:1-10): A great fish swallows Jonah. From the fish's belly, Jonah prays to God, acknowledging God’s mercy, repenting, and promising to fulfill his vows.

·       Release (2:10): God speaks to the fish, which then vomits Jonah onto dry land. 

Key Themes

·       God's Sovereignty: God controls the storm and the fish to achieve His purposes.

·       Disobedience and Repentance: Jonah's attempt to flee results in intense spiritual reflection and eventual submission in the fish's belly.

·       Mercy: Even in judgment, God provides a way to save Jonah from death. 

Brothers and sisters, we have all failed before, but the God of the universe will never fail us. Jesus will never give up on us and will never stop loving us. Let us turn to Christ, and live! Amen.

AVBC - Sunday - 04/12/26 - Sermon Title: “Doubting Thomas” - John 20:19-31

 Sunday 04/12/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Doubting Thomas” - John 20:19-31          

                    

(Welcome Picture)

           According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word “doubt” can be defined as:

1. to call into question the truth of: to be uncertain or in doubt about;

2. or to lack confidence in: distrust: to consider unlikely                        (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubt).

 

          I begin this message this morning by giving you this definition of the word “doubt” because this morning we will be talking about the Apostle Thomas. In our gospel lesson for this morning from John 20:19-31 that we just read, we hear the story that is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas”. This story picks up immediately after the Gospel of John Easter Sunday/Resurrection Sunday narrative that we read last week on Easter Sunday. This story, in John 20:19-31 is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas”, because the Apostle Thomas would not believe that other disciples had seen the risen Christ. I mean how can Thomas be sure that Jesus physically rose from the dead on Easter Sunday? Beyond this, Thomas “upped the ante,” as it were, as he told the disciples that if saw the risen Christ that he would need to have more evidence than just seeing the risen Christ. Thomas told the disciples that he also would need to put his finger in Jesus’ hand nail holes, and then put his hand in the Jesus side, where the spear entered Christ’s side. Only then would the Apostle Thomas, or “Doubting Thomas” believe. I mean Jesus’ tomb was found empty on Easter morning, Peter and John confirmed this, and it was generally agreed upon that Jesus rose from the dead. So, what is the problem here? Further, should be judge Thomas in a bad way since he doubted the resurrection of Jesus?

          If you were to ask me in the first half of my years in ministry, I would have been much harder on Thomas than I would be now. I mean Thomas was with Jesus for three years, and he heard and saw things that we only read about in the gospels. Thomas was there, and we were not. How could Thomas not believe? Yet, we are all just so human, aren’t we? All the of the disciples of Jesus, except the “Beloved Disciple,” or John fled on Good Friday. They were all afraid of being persecuted and killed like Jesus was. Yet they were all with Him for three years. If the original disciples of Jesus all scattered but one on the day of His crucifixion, what does that say about us here today? If Peter denied Jesus three times on Good Friday, what does this say about us today?

          We are just so human, and even so, Christ pursues us and pursues us some more. Turning to Jesus, repenting of our sin, guilt, and shame, and coming to Him, is indeed salvation, justification, forgiveness, eternity, and new life. Yet we are still so human. Every day we are called to live out our faith, as this world is still what it is. We are called to be loving, kind, generous, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Yet, we are just so human. Should the Apostle Peter have denied Jesus three times on Good Friday? No, but if we feared death, would we stand firm in our faith in Christ? I hope that all of us here would do so if we were put to the test. If we were offered 30-pieces of silver like Judas Isacriot, which was the cost of slave at the time, would we take the money to sell out Jesus? Or would we resist? Would we run away like most of Jesus’ disciples did on Good Friday, or would we stay with Him?

          What I found over the years is that it is really easy to talk about faith here in the Church, but it can be much harder to live it out in the world. We are called according to the Bible to have anxiety over nothing, but to trust God in everything. We are told not to worry, etc. Yet, my brothers and sisters are just so human. It does mean that we do not believe in and love God, and it does mean that we do not love Jesus. What does it mean though is that we live in a broken world, and we are people of faith who are in this broken world. As we grow closer to Christ, our faith grows and our trust in Christ grows.

          Did the Apostle Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” fail some today? Yes, He did but have not we all failed at something at some point. Instead of focusing on the failure though, we can celebrate the forgiveness and the redemption offered to us all through Jesus Christ. As I said, our gospel of John 20:19-31 reading for this morning, once again occurs right has the resurrection narrative that we read last Sunday on Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Let us look again at our Gospel of John 20:19-31 reading for this morning, that many call the story of “Doubting Thomas”.

          Starting in John 20:19, we hear, once again: 

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

 

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (Jn. 20:19-23, NRSV).

 

          So, it is the evening of the first day of the week, or Sunday night. Was this Sunday exactly a week after Jesus’ resurrection last Sunday? Many Biblical scholars would say yes, that this “Doubting Thomas” story was likely the Sunday right after the first Easter Sunday, or the day that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. In fact, in one place that I read to prepare for this sermon it called the “Doubting Thomas” story the “Second Easter,” as Thomas had not yet been convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So potentially the Sunday right after Easter Sunday, which is why many Christian traditions this Sunday preach about, you guessed it, “Doubting Thomas.”

          In the gospels and in other places in the New Testament of the Bible we have what is called post-resurrection or post-mortem appearances of Jesus Christ. According to the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, hundreds of people say Jesus alive after His resurrection. In this story, the disciples, minus Judas Iscariot, who unfortunately committed suicide, are hiding in a house with the doors locked. They were still afraid of being arrested, tortured, jailed, and maybe even killed for believing in Jesus. Yet in the midst of all of this, and Jesus appears inside of this locked house. Did he walk through the walls? I am not sure, but He appeared to the disciples, minus Thomas, who was not there at the time. Jesus then tells the ten disciples that are present ‘Peace be with you.’ After saying this, Jesus showed the ten disciples his nailed pierced hands, and the spear wound in his side. He was physically present in front of them. I can imagine that they were surprised by this, and they of course rejoiced. Once again, the Apostle Thomas was not present, and Judas Iscariot had taken his own life. Judas Iscariot out of great shame and guilt for selling Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, according to Matthew 27:5 hung himself, and then his body fell and burst open, according to Acts 1:18. This was believed to have occurred in what was called “The Potter’s Field,” which just may have been purchased by Judas with the thirty pieces of silver.

(Peace Be With You - John 20:21 - Picture)

          The ten present disciples see the risen Christ and they rejoice. Again, as it says in John 20:21 -23, it says:

“²¹ Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (Jn. 20:19-23, NRSV).

 

          For those of us that came to or watched our Maundy/Holy Thursday and Good Friday services, you might have noticed that we had a time in the worship of service of “passing the peace of Christ” to each other. We walked up to each other, shook hands, and said, “Peace of Christ,” or “Peace of Christ be with you.” Many Christian traditions have, as part of worship or Mass, depending on the tradition, a place in worship where people “Pass the peace of Christ” to each other, because Jesus did this in scriptures like John 20:19-31 for this morning. For example, Jesus tells us in John 14:27, before His crucifixion and resurrection this:

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid (Jn. 14:27, NRSV).

 

          There are other scriptures that speak to this to, and this is why some Christian traditions, like I said, have an actual physical practice of “Passing the peace of Christ” in worship. Jesus first appears to the ten disciples this morning then, to reinforce that He is in fact risen, alive, and that they can put their full faith and trust in Him. In fact, Jesus invites them to not worry or be afraid, but to instead have the peace that only He can give. Jesus then breathed on them the Holy Spirit, which is a dose of the Holy Spirit, which will be poured fully on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts 2, the Holy Spirit will pour out in a powerful way in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and the disciples will speak in tongues or different languages. This will be the day that the Christian Church born, and when the disciples really “get it.” This will be about seven weeks or forty-days, as Jesus ascends to heaven forty-days after his resurrection. Jesus appears to convince, to encourage, to share His peace, and to breath doses of the Holy Spirit of God onto His followers.

          So, then Jesus disappears, and shortly after Thomas (who called the Twin) returns to the house where they have all been hiding in fear. As we hear in John 20:25, the disciples tell Thomas that Jesus appeared and all that had happened. Thomas replies in this way, once again, starting with John 20:25

‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe’ (Jn. 20:25, NRSV).

 

          Not only does “Doubting Thomas” not believe them, but he wants put his finger in nails holes in Jesus’ hands and put his hand in Jesus’ side where the spear pierced Him. At the gospel continues, picking up in John 20:26, it says, once again:

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ ²⁸ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe’ (Jn. 20:26-29, NRSV).

 

(My Lord and My God - Picture)

(Thomas Kneeling in Front of Jesus - Picture)

The Apostle Thomas sees and believes. Jesus then says blessed are those of us that have not seen and yet have come to believe. I have never seen the risen Christ in person. Have any of you? Yet, we believe. So, this story end with “Doubting Thomas,” becoming “Restored in Christ Thomas.”

(Cross with John 20:29 - Picture)

(Blessed are those who Have Not Seen - Picture)

          Lastly and uniquely, the gospel of John reading then ends with John saying this in 20:30-31:

The Purpose of This Book

 

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (Jn. 20:19-31, NRSV).

 

          John said that Jesus did many other signs or showed many other things to His disciples proving who He was indeed risen. Some of these are not even written in the gospel of John, John says. The ones that are written though, are written so that we will read them and or hear them so that we will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. In believing in Jesus, we will have new life in his name.

          How then on this First Sunday after Easter, can we take this story of “Doubting Thomas,” and take it out of the doors of this church into Adams and world? How can we relate with Thomas and how can we grow closer to Christ as a result of this story? Here are some application points for us to considers:

John 20:19-31 details Jesus' resurrection appearances to his fearful disciples, establishing his victory over death, initiating their mission, and addressing Thomas's doubt. Key themes include Jesus bringing peace (shifting fear to joy), breathing the Holy Spirit onto them, and affirming that belief—especially without seeing—is the basis of eternal life. 

Key Aspects of the Passage

·       Peace and Purpose (vv. 19-23): Jesus appears despite locked doors, greeting them with "Peace be with you" to alleviate fear and offer reconciliation for their abandonment. He commissions them, saying, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you," equipping them for ministry by breathing on them to receive the Holy Spirit.

·       Thomas’s Doubt and Confession (vv. 24-29): Thomas, absent previously, demands physical proof to believe. Upon seeing Jesus, he declares, "My Lord and my God!". Jesus affirms those who believe without seeing, a message directed at future generations of believers.

·       Purpose of the Gospel (vv. 30-31): The passage concludes by stating that these accounts are written so that readers "may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing... have life in his name" (https://www.google.com/search?q=meaning+of+John).

Here is further, how we can we all relate to “Doubting Thomas?” Here is how:

We are like "Doubting Thomas" when we struggle to believe without tangible proof, demand personal experience over hearsay, or wrestle with doubt during difficult times. Like him, we often refuse to accept easy answers, requiring deeper evidence before committing our faith. However, this skepticism is a natural part of human faith, not its opposite. 

How We Mirror Thomas

·       Needing Personal Proof: Similar to Thomas needing to touch Jesus' wounds, we often demand tangible evidence or personal, undeniable experiences before we truly believe.

·       Wrestling with Doubt: When faith doesn't make sense or life is hard, we, like Thomas, struggle with uncertainty.

·       Honest Questioning: Thomas was not afraid to voice his doubt rather than faking certainty. We are like him when we honestly grapple with our questions instead of hiding them.

·       Needing to See What Hurts: Often in grief or disappointment, we refuse to accept shallow reassurances and need to face the harsh realities ("wounds") before finding hope. 

Today “Doubting Thomas,” because “Restored in Christ Thomas.” When have we “doubted?” Amen.

AVBC - Easter/Resurrection Sunday - 04/05/26 - Sermon Title: “The Face Covering Was Separate!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 7 of 7) - John 20:1-18, Romans14:9

 Easter Sun. 04/05/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Face Covering Was Separate!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 7 of 7) - John 20:1-18, Romans14:9                                      

 

(Welcome Picture)

          Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday brothers and sisters, friends in Christ! On this day nearly two-thousand years ago, Jesus Christ our Lord got up and walked out of the grave, out of the tomb. Jesus conquered death, and this reminds us that through Him we have hope, salvation, eternity, are resurrection! Today, we are called to live “resurrected” or transformed lives.

          In this season of spring, new life is all around us, flowers are growing, birds are chirping, and today, once again, we have an empty tomb. So, what do we do with this my friends, my brothers, and sisters? How does the empty tomb and this new life we are offered in Jesus Christ change us?  Does it change us? Even though the empty tomb of Jesus Christ happened almost two-thousand years ago though, I believe that today is still as important as ever. Many of us have celebrated this day, Easter Sunday, many times. Is this day though, Easter or Resurrection Sunday merely a ritual? Is it something that we do out of religious obligation, or because it is our culture? Do we believe that as the Elevation Worship song “Resurrecting” says in the chorus of this song:

“By Your spirit I will rise, From the ashes of defeat, The resurrected King, is resurrecting me, In Your name I come alive, To declare Your victory” (https://genius.com/Elevation-worship-resurrecting-lyrics).

 

          This day, Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, is much more than just a historical event. It is much more than just the tomb being empty. It is the idea that as Christ rose from the dead, we die to ourselves and spiritually rise with Him. When we baptize people in our church, not only is it an outward sign of an inward grace, but we symbolically die to ourselves. We go into the waters of baptism, and we symbolically go into the tomb and the death of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. When we come up out of the baptismal waters, we then rise to new spiritual life with Jesus Christ. The baptism does not save our souls, but it is symbolically our spiritual death to sin and shame. It is symbolically shedding our tombs of sin and our shame and rising to new life in Christ. We become new creations!

          Today then, while it certainly centers around Jesus overcoming sin and death, and what that means for our salvation, it is also about us continuing to change to become more like Jesus.

          In looking again at our gospel of John 20:1-18 reading for this morning again, let us walk through, once again, what the gospel of John said happened on the first Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Starting in John 20:1-18 the gospel says, once again:

The Resurrection of Jesus

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him’ (Jn. 20:1-2, NRSV).

          In this gospel of John narrative then, the first person to realize that the tomb of Jesus Christ was empty, was Mary Magdalene. After Mary Magdalene realized that the tomb was empty, she the ran back to tell Simon Peter and John, that Jesus’ tomb was empty. The stone had been rolled away, and Mary Magdalene initially though that some people had stolen the body of Jesus.

(Peter in the Empty Tomb of Jesus - Picture)

          At this point, our gospel of John reading picks back in John 20:3 saying, once again:

³ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. ⁴ The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb           (Jn. 20:3-6, NRSV).

So, the Apostle John beats Peter to the empty tomb of Jesus, but does not go in. John sees the linen wrappings that wrapped Jesus’ body lying where we was laid to rest on Good Friday. Peter, however, went right into the tomb, and this is a description of this event.

(Face/Head Covering of Jesus in the Tomb - Picture)

This is also where I got my sermon title for this morning. In the gospel of John 20:6b-7, is says of Simon Peter, once again:

He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷ and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself⁸ Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; (Jn. 20:6b-8, NRSV).

          It is important to know that all four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all have the resurrection Jesus discussed in them. Yet, the only gospel that mentions Jesus’ head or face covering being in a place all by itself is the gospel of John. For, I think in the first few years of ministry anyway, I either did not think about this detail, or maybe I did not even notice it. I mean think about it though, all four gospels discuss the resurrection story of Jesus Christ, but John excitedly mentions that the covering that was on Jesus’ head or face was rolled up or folded up in a place all by itself. Such a specific detail to mention in John’s gospel. I mean imagine you went over to a friend’s house for dinner, and you told me about it. You would probably tell me what you had to eat, what you talked about etc. Imagine though if you said, “oh and by the way my friend had five bananas on their kitchen counter.” That is a really specific detail. Either you really like bananas or there is a specific reason to tell me that your friend that you went over to their house and had dinner had five bananas on their kitchen counter. Or this was just a random thing you noted, or maybe you were telling me this to try to convey something about your friend or something else. I say all of this, once again, because why would John make such a point to mention the head or face covering of Jesus, when Matthew, Mark, and Luke did not?

          Before diving into this a little more though, as our gospel of John reading says picking up, starting in John 20:9, Simon Peter and John saw the empty tomb, but they still not understand that Jesus rose from the dead.

⁹ for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples returned to their homes (Jn. 20:9-10, NRSV).

(Two Angels at the Tomb of Jesus - Picture)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

 

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ¹² and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’ ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her (Jn. 20:11-18, NRSV).

Mary Magdalene, however, stays outside of the tomb weeping or crying, and as she cried, she bent over and looked into the tomb. As she did, she saw two angels in white, sitting there where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. These same two angels, at the foot and the head of Jesus saw Mary Magdalene crying and asked why she was weeping. Mary Magdalene then told the angels, that some people have taken her Lord, the body of the Jesus.

(Mary Magdalene sees the Risen Christ - Picture)

          At this point in John 20:14 Mary turns around and sees the risen Christ, but for some reason she could not see that it was Jesus. Jesus, who Mary Magdalene cannot see asks her why she is crying. Jesus asks her who she is looking for. Mary thought that the person was gardener, and she said to who she thought was the gardener, if he taken Jesus’s body from tomb, just tell her where his body is. Mary Magdalene would then get and get His body and bring it back.

          Jesus then said, Mary!’ At this point, she turned around and exclaimed ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means teacher) or Rabbi. Then she saw the risen Christ. Jesus then tells her to not hold onto His body, because He had not yet ascended back to heaven.

(I Have Seen the Lord - Picture)

The gospel of John reading for this morning then ends with John 20:18 saying:

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her                                                          (Jn. 20:11-18, NRSV).

(Face/Head Covering of Jesus in the Tomb - Picture)

          So, with all that said, only the gospel of John narrative of the resurrection of Jesus mentions the head or face covering of Jesus being separate. Once again, why would John, and John alone, have mentioned such a small detail? This morning as we are finishing our Lent Season sermon series, “The Path to the Empty Tomb,” as today we have arrived on this Easter or Resurrection Sunday at the empty tomb of Jesus. Beyond Jesus’ tomb being empty though, what can we learn from Jesus’ head or face covering being in a place all by itself, as this sermon is called, once again, “The Face Covering Was Separate!” Here are some theories of why John’s gospel mentions that Jesus’ head or face covering was separate:

The separation of Jesus' face cloth (soudarion) from the other linen wrappings in the tomb, as described in John 20:7, is primarily interpreted as evidence of a miraculous, orderly resurrection rather than a robbery. The folded or rolled-up cloth suggests Jesus removed it Himself and that the body was not hastily stolen, which would have left the cloths in disarray. 

Key Interpretations of the Separated Cloth:

·       Evidence of Resurrection: The orderly state of the grave clothes—with the head cloth placed separately—convinced the beloved disciple that Jesus had risen rather than being removed by thieves.

·       Orderly Departure: Unlike a stolen body, which would leave messy, torn, or stolen grave clothes, the folded cloth suggests a calm, intentional action, reflecting the biblical theme of God as a God of order.

·       Symbolic Meaning: Some traditions interpret the separate, folded cloth as a signal that Jesus would return, similar to a servant folding a napkin to indicate they are returning to a table. However, others argue this is a modern urban myth and not a documented first-century custom.

·       Supernatural Occurrence: Some interpretations suggest that the separation indicates Jesus' resurrected body passed through the cloths, or that the face cloth was removed last after He sat up, separating it from the main body shroud (https://www.google.com/search?q=why+was+jesus%27+face+covering+separated+from+his+clothes&rlz). 

There is a story around the symbolic meaning of Jesus’ face or head cloth being separate. I do not know if there is a lot of historic evidence for it, but it is a powerful story. This is how the story goes:

When Simon Peter arrived after [John], he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered [Jesus’] head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

 

Why would John have noted the placement of the burial cloths in light of the astonishing fact of the absence of Jesus’ body? And why would he have thought it important to include this detail in his telling of the events of that first Easter Sunday morning?

 

In fact, it was an important detail.

According to Father Chrystian Shankar, the rolling up and placement of this cloth hearkened to a Jewish custom of the time. It related to a common practice used by servants and masters of this era.

 

A servant, after he had prepared the dining table for his master, would stand to the side, out of sight of the master, but attentive to the progression of the meal. He wouldn’t dare to return to the table until the master had finished his meal.

 

When the master was finished, he would rise, clean his fingers, mouth, and beard, and leave the “napkin” crumpled in a ball on the table. The wrinkled, discarded napkin indicated “I have finished.”

 

If, however, for whatever reason, the master left the table with the intention of returning, then he would crease the napkin into folds and leave it beside his dishes. This was a message for the servant that he was not to disturb the table, given that the master had indicated: “I am returning.”

 

This, then, is perhaps the reason for John’s attention to the detail of Our Lord’s face cloth. Jesus had told them with his words that the Son of Man would return. That morning, he repeated the promise, with the seemingly inconsequential, but very symbolic, gesture of leaving his face cloth rolled to the side, assuring us that he’d not left for good. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, “I am going away and I will come back to you.” (John 14:27-28) (https://aleteia.org/2017/11/20/why-did-jesus-leave-the-burial-cloth-rolled-up-and-in-a-separate-place/).

 

          The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 14:9:

 

⁹ For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9, NRSV).

 

          Today my brothers and sisters, my friends, as we end our journey to the empty tomb of Jesus Christ our Lord this morning, may we see this day are more than just a custom, a tradition, or a mild belief. May we believe anew that Jesus rose from the dead, that He is Lord to all who call on His name, and that He will return on day in glory.

          Easter/Resurrection Sunday reminds us that God wins in the end. It reminds us that the evils and the corruption of this world, in the end, will be defeated by grace, mercy, truth, hope, and justice. For this empty tomb of Jesus Christ our Lord is not just an event, but it is something designed to that change us and enable us to change Adams the world around us. Happy Easter and amen!

AVBC - Good Friday - 04/03/26 - Sermon Title: “Is it Possible to Repay Jesus?” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series - Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42

 Good Friday 04/03/26 – 6:00 PM - AVBC

Sermon Title: “Is it Possible to Repay Jesus?” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series - Psalm 22, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1-19:42

 

 

(Welcome Picture)

          When I was younger my understanding of Good Friday, I am sad to say, was very different than it is now. You see, on some level when I was younger, I felt some guilt and unworthiness over what Jesus did for us all on the cross today. I mean, can we ever be good enough for what Jesus did for us? Or to ask it like this, “Is it Possible to Repay Jesus?” Further, do we need to repay Jesus? On this day, this night of Good Friday should we feel guilt, shame, and unworthiness? My answer to this is no. Jesus chose to go to the cross for us. This was part of His mission on earth before time itself. Jesus did this out of love for us, and for our forgiveness and out salvation. We cannot earn it, and we cannot give anything to repay Jesus.   

What is true is today is a day that Christians all over the world have remembered and have commemorated for nearly two-thousand years. Marking this day, worshiping on this day, telling the story of this day is an important part of our Christian faith and tradition. In fact, in some Christian Churches like in Roman Catholic Churches or in Episcopal Churches, this day’s events literally laid out in numbers/images around the church’s sanctuary. These stations of the cross or fourteen numbered markers are the events of this day, Good Friday.

          Once again, our Holy Week began this week with Palm Sunday when Jesus entered Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna,” and palms waving. This week then continued on Monday of this week, as Jesus cleansed the temple, flipped the tables of the money changers, released the sacrificial animals, and threw out the vendors selling these animals. On Tuesday, Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the some of the religious leaders, as He taught. On Wednesday, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30-pieces of silver, the cost to buy a slave at that time. Yesterday on Maundy or Holy Thursday, Jesus had the Last Supper in the Upper Room in Jerusalem with His disciples, He washed their feet, and He then gave them the “Maundy” or new commandment to love one another.

          After the Last Supper last night, Jesus then went into the Garden of Gethsemane, and He prayed all night long. Jesus asked a couple of his disciples to stay awake while He prayed, but they both fail to do this both times that Jesus asks them to do so. On this day further, in the early morning, Judas Iscariot greets Jesus with a kiss, even though he betrayed him. Jesus is arrested, Peter will deny him three times, as the majority of Jesus’ followers scatter out of fear.

          Today’s saga will then play out as Jesus is brought before the high priest, the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, and the King of Judea, Herod Antipas. You can see how this week, Holy Week, can therefore seem similar to a stage production, as the story of this week keeps unfolding, and keeps developing. This is why the communion table has elements of what happened this week so far. Every year for centuries Christians have gone through this week and the events of this week, as it is our faith and our tradition.

On this day that we have come to call Good Friday, the religious leaders clearly wanted Jesus dead, as he was a threat to their authority and their power. The King of Judea, Herod Antipas finds no fault in Jesus, as the high priest and the Pharisees tear their robes open feeling Jesus was committing blasphemy in claiming to be God in the flesh on earth, while the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, seems to not want to deal with Jesus at all. Pontius Pilate even offers to release Jesus or the bandit Barabbas to appease the angry mob (Jn. 18:1-18:40, NRSV).

          The pressure continues to build, as the crowd shouts for the bandit Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be retained in Pontius Pilate’s custody. Barabbas is released, and then things move to a fever pitch with shouts to crucify Jesus. Many in the crowd shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Jn. 19:6, NRSV). Pilate has Jesus flogged and whipped to try to appease the crowd, but this does not appease the crowd. Eventually, Pontius Pilate conceded to the mob and has Jesus crucified. Jesus carries his cross but will end up getting help from Simon of Cyrene. By the time Jesus gets to the cross he is marred, whipped, beaten, and barely recognizable as a man. Jesus is crucified along with two other criminals. One of these criminals rejects Jesus and once accepts him. Jesus prays for those who are harming him, condemning him, mocking him, and even spitting on him. Jesus asks his beloved disciple John, who is the only disciple of the twelve disciples at the cross, to take care of his mother Mary. Jesus had a crown of thorns placed on his head and has been treated in ways that are cruel and demeaning. Pilate has a sign nailed to Jesus’ cross above his head in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that reads “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Jn. 19:19, NRSV).

(Jesus on the Cross - Picture)

          In addition to all of this, at Jesus’ crucifixion some of the prophecies of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible come to fruition, as well. These prophecies of old, like casting lots for Jesus’ clothes, or none of Jesus’ bones being broken, etc. occurred. We also hear once again in tonight’s reading from Psalm 22, in 22:1a the Psalmist says:

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1a, NSRV).

          Jesus is recorded saying these words from Psalm 22:1a in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. The great saga of this day, as this great stage production that we move through every year on Holy Week continues.

(It is Finished Cross - Picture)

In our reading from the Gospel of John 18:1-19:41, Jesus says, “It is finished” in 19:30, bows his head and gives up his spirit. Jesus has died. He then is taken off the cross, as the Sabbath Day, which is sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday was quickly approaching. Jesus was wrapped in linens, and a mixture of myrrh and aloes were put on his body. Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and this is how the great saga of this week, Holy Week, continues.

          So how then, as the person asked me some years ago can this day be called “Good Friday?” One good answer is written in the gospel of Matthew 27:51, which says upon Jesus dying this:

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split (Mt. 27:51, NRSV).

 

(Hebrews 10:19 - Picture)

Further, this is reinforced our scripture reading for tonight from Hebrews 10:16-25, it says once again in 10:19-22:

“Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:16-25, NRSV).

 

          You see, when Jesus died, the veil or the curtain in the great temple in Jerusalem that separated the high priest from the holiest room in the temple was torn. This room could normally only be entered into by the high priest, and only once a year. In fact, a rope would be tied around the waste of the high priest. Should God find him unworthy, and he be struck down dead, the other religious leaders would just pull him out. I mean after all, if the high priest were struck down, what hope would there be for the rest of them.

          Jesus dies, and the sin of the world dies with Him, if we but turn to Him. Today then could simply be seen as merely a saga alone, or part of the stage production alone. Death on this day though has been swallowed up in victory. For on this day, the only perfect and the only sinless person, who was fully God and fully human, Jesus Christ, dies for the sins of the world. Jesus dies for us, as measure of unfathomable love, and this open door is offered to us all. The torn veil in the temple shows us that all people are invited into the forgiveness from Christ that this day offers. Today is truly “Good” then because Christ our Lord dies for us.

          Some have argued that the events of this day are just simply too brutal. Some have argued why did the events of this day happen or need to happen? Couldn’t God just forgiven us they ask? Sure, but this day was preordained before time itself. We hear in the gospel of John in chapter 1 these words regarding Jesus in 1:14-17:

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14-17, NRSV).

 

          Today’s events were planned before time itself, and God’s plan to reconcile humanity through the life, love, light, and death of His son was God’s plan to redeem humanity before time itself. We cannot earn it, we cannot buy and cannot do anything to pay back what Jesus did for us all on this day.

          Only a perfect spotless lamb’s blood would save the Israelites first born on that first Passover in Egypt, and on this day the death and blood of Christ saves us all. So, do we receive this free gift of grace and salvation offered so freely to us through Jesus Christ. Who deserves it? No one does. Who is offered it? Everyone is. All of us need Jesus, and today all people, without exception are offered new hope, redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and eternity through the cross of Christ.

With this said, I want to show you a video about the criminal on the cross next to Jesus who accepted Him as Lord. Jesus told this repentant criminal that He would be with Him in paradise this day. Let us watch this together:

(The Thief on the Cross - Video)

          Today, Jesus opens the door to glory, and all we have to do is say yes to Him. It is that simple, He did this all  for us. Will we say yes, and receive the hope, mercy, peace, salvation of Jesus Christ anew on this Good Friday? Amen.