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We are weak out from Easter. Last week we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then, well, it seems like kind of a letdown. Somewhat anticlimactic. From this highest of highs to just regular day living.

You have to wonder about “doubting Thomas.” He gets a bad rap. In the same situation under the same circumstances I wonder how many of us would believe just because others seemed delusional and like they were hallucinating. His doubt is understandable. I mean, after all, how many times have we seen someone raised from the dead? True, they saw some like Lazarus, but it’s hardly a common or usual occurrence.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9

Thomas has to go this whole next week without having seen Jesus. It makes you wonder what that week was like for him. What kind of heartache he still held. His world having been turned upside down. And if he didn’t believe what everyone else was telling him, what hope was there for him? What future was there for him?

Sometimes we like Thomas. In doubt. Or maybe we’re just forgetful. We forget the goodness of God; forget the grace of God; forget the miracles that we have seen time and time and time again; forget that God has given us everything. Given us an inheritance.

That’s what our passage in 1st Peter talks about in chapter one.

It reminds us that God has “caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us]…by God’s power…being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time,” and then it goes on, “for a little while…[we] have been greed by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of [our] faith—more precious than gold…may be found.” And it says, “though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice, that with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of [our] faith, the salvation of [our] souls” (1 Peter 1:3-9).

What a wonderful description! Thomas had these times of grieving; times of doubting; times when he wondered about what his faith and hope were going to be like.

We exist in that situation, too. We doubt. We grieve. We lose hope.

Those are times of testing of our faith.

But they are for a little while. We are grieved for a little while. We have trials for a little while. But the truth is, we have an inheritance that is kept for us through faith in Jesus. That is, through faith in Jesus, the One who has come the One who died; the One who rose the One who is living now and prepares a place for us — that inheritance is ours and is being kept for us, so that no matter what trials and heartaches we are going through now, we have an assurance that something greater awaits us; something that is far more than we can think or even imagine.

In our baptism, God makes this promise to us when he pulls us into his fold when he grants us forgiveness and faith; when He makes us His own. At that moment, he is guaranteed that inheritance for us through that faith. We realized that last week on Easter, and that fact still exists today! Through faith our inheritance is kept, no matter what doubts and trials we have — and that is something to celebrate. It is something to celebrate because “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!” and amen.

“Gracious Lord God, Jesus Christ; we praise and thank You that Your Resurrection wasn’t just a one-time deal. You have kept our inheritance the salvation of our souls certain and sure, waiting for us. So, we need never fear any doubts and trials and temptations now. We know that not only will we get through them, but through faith in You, they have been defeated. Remind us of that daily, Lord. In Your precious and victorious Name do we pray. Amen!”

Scripture

• 1 Peter 1:3-9
• John 20:19-31

“Christ is risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”’”

Exodus 8:1 (ESV)

Today, we look at Easter Sunday – the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What an awesome day! This is what a great day to gather and worship and celebrate the pivotal event in all of history.

When we think about “defeating the odds,” there are positive iterations of that and negative ones.

Negatives like getting struck by lightning; of getting attacked by a shark; of developing an extremely rare type of disease.

But there’s also the positives of winning the lottery, or getting that great promotion, or marrying well above your station.

We’re in our last day of looking at our journey through “Exodus: Let my people go!” series. In that book, there aren’t many greater examples of people defeating the odds: being locked in slavery and oppressed for hundreds of years, and yet against all odds, God saved them. Moses, one who had been wanted for murder, going back and addressing Pharaoh face to face with God’s command and God’s power and being triumphant through God’s word, God’s actions, and God’s plagues; against all odds. Being trapped against the Sea and God dividing it so that the whole nation of Israelites walked over a dry ground while all of Pharaoh’s army drowned; against all odds. Having no water or no food, and God providing water from the Rock and Manna every single day; against all odds. Receiving God’s covenantal promise through His Words on Mount Sinai and being selected as His people, even through their continuous disobedience and rebellion; against all odds. Time and time and time again we see God defeating all odds on behalf of His people out of His mercy and grace.

Our epistle text says, “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting as death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives the victory to our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). God gives the victory over death, against all odds. That is the very reality that encounters us this day; this special day; this pivotal day; this highest, holy day. Death doesn’t have the last word! Defeat doesn’t have the last word! Depression doesn’t have the last word! Disease doesn’t have the last word! Demotion doesn’t have the last word! God has the last word; and that last word on the matter is Life from death; joy from mourning; hope from despair.

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:5-6

Jesus is not in the tomb; He has risen, just as He said. Do not be afraid, no matter how stacked the odds are against you. Today is a day when we look in an empty tomb and instead hear of a risen Christ. We look to victory over death and see, against all odds, everything that we could possibly want or even imagine for eternity: grace, mercy, forgiveness, life – all of it. Against all odds. Odds that said we should be in death; that we should be in despair from our sins; that this was the end; there is no hope there is no future. And against all odds, “Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!”

“We thank you, Lord Jesus, for conquering sin, death, and the devil against all odds of the evil one – for us and for our Salvation and for creation to be made new. We praise and thank You for this day above all days, because You are King Above all kings and Lord above all lords. Help us to celebrate this day, not just today, but every day, in Your previous, glorious, victorious, reigning, living Name, Jesus. Amen!”

Scripture

• Exodus 15:1-18
• 1 Corinthians 15:55-58
• Matthew 28:1-20