Just Believe - Episode 21-16, April 12, 2021 A Little Walk With God

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Thanks for joining me today for "A Little Walk with God." I'm your host Richard Agee.
As you might expect, the New Testament scriptures in the lectionary just after Easter reference Jesus' appearances to those he would choose to continue to share the message he began while living among us. "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent. Believe in the Son of Man, and you will have eternal life." His resurrection proved to those who followed and saw him that he was indeed Israel's Messiah.
The verses from the gospels come from John, chapter 20. The latter part of the reading says this:
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he replied, "Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!"
Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe."
 Thomas replied to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed."
Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:24-31 NET)
Darkness has fallen on the first day of the week. Rumors fly about what happened in the garden tomb where Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus after a group of them took his bloody corpse from the cross. The two women who had gone to finish the burial preparation said they saw an angel sitting on the slab. They reported the angel told them Jesus rose from the dead and would meet the disciples in Galilee. But who can believe what women say? But Peter and John ran to the tomb and also found it empty with the linens lying on the slab as if the corpse had passed through it somehow. And the napkin that covered Jesus' face, inside the linen wrapping, was outside the wrappings, folded by itself. Were they drunk with grief? Was it some magic trick? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? It's impossible, but it happened.
Two more saw him on their way to Emmaus. He talked with them, explained the prophecies about himself from the scriptures, broke bread, and prayed with them. Then he just disappeared. He wasn't a ghost. He had a different kind of body. They said it was like they knew him, but he was different. It was like seeing a friend you hadn't seen in a long time. But instead of looking older and ravaged by work, age, and the stress of life, he was energized, the same age but younger looking. It was like he was whole, complete, he had something physical about him that was hard to describe, but you knew it was him.
All these rumors, what were the disciples to make of all of it. Now they hid behind locked doors, trying to figure it out. Their hopes dashed Friday afternoon when Jesus took his last breath. The Roman authorities would root them out soon. Their usual method of dealing with rebel leaders meant crucifying the leader and rounding up all his followers, too. They couldn't expect sanctuary from the priests. They want