In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     This might not seem like the best of all possible preaching texts for the Sunday on which we're celebrating the confirmation of several of our young people. Couldn't we find something more valuable, more useful for our confirmands to hear today, than the account of "doubting Thomas"? As you know, it's not uncommon for preachers to read the appointed gospel lesson for the day, and then to begin the sermon by saying, "my text for today is.", and then they read a completely different lesson--apparently one they think better fits their agenda--or as often is the case, the lesson that is the text for the "used" sermon they pulled out of their file. You might think this would be a good day for choosing some text other than this one that we have assigned for the Second Sunday of Easter-when there is so much fear and uncertainty and questioning going on among the disciples. Wouldn't you want confirmands to hear about firm foundations, and unwavering disciples, on their Confirmation Sunday? You would, I guess, if you figure you have confirmands who will never be afraid, never be uncertain, and never question, in life. I've never actually confirmed any students like that--maybe there are some, somewhere. Maybe you've never been afraid or uncertain, or doubting, in faith and in life. But that's not reality for most of our young people--nor is it reality for most of us. Because most of us relate quite readily and quite naturally, to Thomas and his questions and his doubts.

     And we relate, because we buy into that age-old adage, "seeing is believing". Although it's somewhat over-used when speaking about this particular biblical account, the reason it's cited, so often, is because we think of it as true! Whether or not you're from Missouri, the "show-me" state, most of us rely on what can be seen and proven. In our world, at least, truth comes from facts, and facts must be demonstrated through scientific, technological study. What was Thomas asking for, but a little "CSI-Jerusalem"? He wanted someone to show him the proof of the resurrection. It's fine that some of the disciples had told him Jesus was risen--but everyone knows hearsay is just that--hearsay--rumor and gossip that cannot be considered true, without a doubt. So, Thomas asks for more. More proof; more actual, physical evidence that Jesus, who was crucified, dead and buried, is alive again. And what proof would do? What proof would satisfy Thomas? What other proof could there be, but the living Jesus--and not someone who looked something like Jesus--Thomas demanded to see Jesus, standing right before him, bearing the marks in his hands, of nails and in his side, the spear-wound. And not only did Thomas want to see this--he must put his own fingers in the marks of crucifixion, to see that they were real! That is what Thomas requires to believe--he must see.because, seeing is believing. Is it not?

     Well, Jesus appears to say that seeing is not believing. Or rather, Jesus suggests that there is a kind of believing that comes, not from seeing. Strangely, Jesus does appear yet again, just so that Thomas can see the marks in Jesus' resurrected body. If you are that kind of person who has a hard time believing in Jesus' resurrection, Thomas is your apostle, because Thomas was given that opportunity, and St. John records for us exactly what happened when Jesus allowed Thomas to touch his hands and side, to allay his fears, and bring him to belief. It's important that for all who need such proof, Jesus provides a witness--Thomas, who stands in our place, and is our eyewitness, testifying for all time, that Jesus who was crucified, dead and buried, was raised. Jesus provides us with proof. But then, he goes on to say more about this "seeing is believing" notion. And what Jesus says, is aimed, not at his first disciples who were standing there with him in the Upper Room behind locked doors. What Jesus says, next, is aimed at all of us who have come after--at all of us who have not had the opportunity to stand there and literally, physically, put our fingers in the marks of the nails, and put our hand in the spear-wound in Jesus' side. About us, Jesus says, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

     What Jesus is saying here, is that not all who believe, believe because they have seen. In fact, from the time after the apostles on, no one saw, in the sense that they were first hand witnesses who stood at the foot of the cross, saw the empty tomb, and met Jesus risen from death, face to face. From the time that the last of the apostles died, we have believed without physically seeing. And this is what Jesus is talking about when he says, "Blessed--blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." In other words, Jesus is saying, "seeing is not always believing--and believing does not always require seeing." So, if the faith that is blessed is not based on seeing, what is it based on?"

     Lutheran pastor and biblical exegete Brian Stoffregen asserts that the blessed faith that is not based on seeing, is based instead, on the Word. The word of other disciples, the word of Mary Magdalene and Peter and John and Thomas--but even more, the Word of God. Indeed, the entire Gospel of John points to this, as we hear about believing in the Incarnate Word, who became flesh to live among us, and which John himself was writing down in a Gospel, so that we may believe and have life in Jesus' name. It's no coincidence that just after John records Jesus' words about those of us who have not seen, physically and literally, but still have come to believe, that John states his reason for writing his gospel. John says, "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 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." In other words, if seeing is not always believing and believing doesn't always require seeing-- what is required to believe? What John is affirming, is that the Word of God is required to believe. You can believe without seeing--but you can't come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and have life in His name, without the Word of God--incarnate in flesh and blood on the altar, but also, incarnate in the Holy Scriptures, written, read and preached. This is why St. John wrote his gospel, and why it has been delivered to us today, down through the ages--so that we might hear it and come to believe and have life, even without the kind of sight and proof that those first disciples had.

     Which brings us to why this gospel lesson is so helpful for us, and for our young people being confirmed today. Because in spite of our doubts and questions and fear and uncertainty; in spite of the fact that we cannot have scientific, forensic proof of the resurrection--we have all that is needed for belief and life in Him--because we have the Word of God--the witness of the apostles and the writings of the evangelists, written down for us so that reading it and hearing it, we may come to believe through them, that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and believing, we may have life in His name. And St. Peter, in our reading from his epistle, reminds us that this belief, this faith that we have, even though we have not seen Jesus, physically, and do not see him now, as the apostles did in that upper room--this faith, this love that we have for him, this belief, is more precious than gold, because through it, we are receiving the outcome of our faith, the salvation of our souls. And, St. Peter writes, because of this faith, this belief, we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy--not because science or technology has proven the resurrection, but because this faith, this belief has been handed down to us, from apostles and evangelists, pastors and preachers, parents and teachers for almost 2000 years. And it is because of that, that we believe. It is because of them, that we have faith. This is the cause of our blessing and our rejoicing--that though we have not seen, still, we believe--still we have been reborn to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! And it is that we take with us, as we leave the church today--and it is that, we trust our confirmands will take with them, today, as they leave this church confirmed in their faith--and having confirmed their faith--we trust they will take with them, the blessing, and the joy and the hope, that comes from hearing the Word, and believing that Word, and so, having life, in His name!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.