The Marks of the Church

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Easter 2

“The Marks of the Church”

John 20:19-29

Grace to you and peace...

            For whatever reason, Thomas wasn’t there at the Lord’s first visitation.  He missed out.  The rest of the disciples got to see His hands and His side.  They got to see the marks of His suffering and more than anything, this is how they knew it was the Lord.

            In the absence of these marks, Thomas receives the news, but without the marks, there’s no way he’s going to believe. Instead, he makes up a laundry list of demands that are going to need to be fulfilled if he’s ever going to believe. And strangely enough, as often as Thomas is used as the example of “how not to be”, his “laundry list of demands” might actually be to Thomas’ credit.  What he’s really asking for, is to see the marks.  He wants to place his finger in the marks of the nails and his hand and into the scar from the spear-thrust in His side.  He wants to see the marks.  

THE TRUE BODY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST BEARS CERTAIN MARKS

 

I.  The Apostle John’s saying something about the church with this first post-Easter gathering

            Where can you find Christ alive?  Where is He present?  Like Thomas, none of us were there to stick our finger in His hand or place our hand into His side.  Are you just supposed to simply take these guys at their word and believe without seeing? Well, yes!...and...no.

            The true church bears certain “marks”.   Christ came among them, and He comforted them with His Words of reconciliation saying, “Peace be with you”.  Then He showed them His hands and His side.  Finally, He gave them the Holy Spirit and He sent them out with the authority to forgive and retain sins.  With this account, John has described, in a simple way, “the marks of the church”...the true marks that are associated with Christ’s body on earth.

            The Nicene Creed in a very general way, confirmed these marks of the church, confessing that we believe in OneHolyCatholic, and Apostolicchurch.  Our Small Catechism confesses it in probably the briefest way, saying that the marks of the church are the gospel (purely taught) and the sacraments (administered rightly).  Of course, that still leaves us to explain, “What does it mean to preach the gospel ‘purely’?”, and “What does it mean to administer the sacraments, “rightly”?

            At one point, Luther broke these marks down into seven categories saying that the Church is that communion of Saints that hears the voice of Christ and trusts Him for its standing with God.  This church can be known by the gospel, baptism, the sacrament of the Altar, the office of the keys, the ministers, the prayers and their suffering.  All of these Marks are part of John’s gospel, and really, they can all be seen in these accounts of what transpired in this upper room.

 

II.  So, in a way, we should all be more like Thomas

            When someone comes up to you and says, “Oh you should check this out...it’s so inspiring!” Or, “I think you ought to consider this...it’s so uplifting!” or, “that story just brought tears to my eyes!...it was so powerful!...you just gotta hear it!”.  You should say to yourself, “Self, I’m not going to believe any of that stuff unless I see the marks!”.  Really, that would be a good rule for everyone here to live by.

            Jesus shows Thomas the marks, and if you look at verse 20, this is the same thing He did for all the other disciples.  And though you cannot see Him as they saw Him, you can and should ask for these marks.  As John carefully tells us, “When He had said this, (Peace be with you) He showed them His hands and His side, THEN the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord”.

 

III.  The marks of Christ’s body have been given that you might believe

            These marks come to you through the forgiveness of your sins, saying “peace be with you”.  Under these marks, Christ says to you, “Receive the Holy Spirit” when you are baptized with water and the Word.  Through these marks, you have all the benefits of Christ’s victory over sin and death given to you when you touch and taste His body and blood.  Under these marks, you maintain the Office of the Keys: You forgive the repentant and you retain the sins of the unrepentant...suffering accordingly from the derision and contempt of a world that unjustly hung Him on a cross...and if given the chance today, would do it again!  These are the marks of the church, and you see these marks and recognize them as the true marks...because of that Word purely preached and because of those sacraments rightly administered.  It’s through these means, that God works to cause you believe.

 

Conclusion:  So, Christ’s words, “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed” are not to be understood apart from the marks of Christ’s body, the church.  In fact, the church loses who it is without these marks.  Through the marks of the church you hear and believe.  Under these marks, you endure as He endured.  You suffer as He suffered, and you stand before God, washed in the white robe of His righteousness with a peace that passes all human understanding...a peace that is His continual gift to you.  Anyone that’s not present is missing out.  Those who are truly blessed are those who, by these means of grace, believe.  IJN+ 

 

And now, may the peace of God which passes all human understanding, guard and keep your minds always, in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

 

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