The Last Supper - or the beginning of the longest Blog.
Upsala's blog page will continue a long tradition of blogging. Blogging is a modern way to pass on stories and information. Return to our page to get the Cliff Notes on last week's sermon, or perhaps a deeper dive into the message.
Does God have a sense of humor? Did Jesus ever laugh out loud?
This last Sunday I preached on John 20:19-31. This is the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. Thomas wasn’t there and when told about the appearance of Jesus, he refused to believe unless he could see and touch Jesus for himself.
Jesus does appear to Thomas and invites him to touch and feel and believe. We are not told the tone of Jesus’ voice or the look on his face. Some imagine that Jesus was sternly rebuking Thomas for his lack of faith,.
While most would say that Jesus was joyful, traditional drawings of him show him as always serious and intense. I think those drawings sell Jesus short. Humor is one of God’s greatest gifts to us, and I believe that Jesus smiled and laughed often.
In the case of him appearing to Thomas, I see Jesus with an understanding smile. I see him here with a twinkle in his eye as he invites Thomas and the disciples in on the greatest cosmic joke ever. Satan and death thought that they had won, but here is Jesus back from the dead, laughing and celebrating with them.
How would other Bible stories change if we could see them in the light of God’s humor and laughter? For more you can view the whole sermon for Holy Humor Sunday at www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Zh22CnaxOeZmFdPVfVWCQ
Many people, even some Christians, think that God does not really intervene in our day to day lives. They think that in the beginning God set up the world and the natural laws and then left things alone. Many think that if God is watching us at all, he is doing so from a distance - off in heaven somewhere. That is a depressing thought because, if true, would mean that we are on our own to sink or swim.
The great, good news of Easter is that God does indeed intervene in history and in our lives. Jesus took on human form and lived among us to show us the way that is right in God’s eyes. He died on the cross that we might be forgiven for our sins and wanderings from God. On the third day, Easter, God intervened directly to raise Jesus from the dead. Those who put their trust in him will also be raised from the dead to eternal life with God.
Although Jesus is the most obvious example of God intervening in history and our lives, it is far from the only example in scripture. Time and again in scripture we read how it seemed like all was lost, but then God acted and changed the outcome.
For more on this theme, I invite you to view the Easter message at
www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Zh22CnaxOeZmFdPVfVWCQ
