Het Jy Geweet?
Sermon at St John The Baptist, Felixstowe – Second Sunday of Easter – 7 April 2024
Text: Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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. (John 20v30-31)
God give you peace my sisters and brothers.
‘Het Jy Geweet?’ Did you know that I used to work as the Quality Controller in a Sweet Factory in Cape Town that produced bubble gum which was famous for its wrappers saying, ‘Did you know?’ (Het Jy Geweet? as jy die taal kan praat). Every wrapper of Chappies bubble gum – I always preferred the original Tutti Frutti flavour – had some interesting facts written on the inside of it which you could then tell your friends in the playground at school to show off your knowledge. Sometimes the facts on the wrappers were banal and obvious. It was no surprise to discover that ‘Mt Everest was named after George Everest’, a surveyor. It was, however, interesting to discover, even for us Engelse, that ‘Albion was the original name for England’. However they could sometimes be a teensy weensy bit edgy. I was never quite sure how, living in Apartheid South Africa, ‘Did you know white haired Polar bears have black skin’ managed to pass the Censors….
They were fun and in latter years people were even invited to send in their own obscure but interesting facts to be included as a ‘Het Jy Geweet’. Then Google arrived and the whole world had much more information at its fingertips but not necessarily more knowledge with which to work…
Today’s Gospel reading is a bit like that Bubble Gum wrapper – somewhat of a ‘Het Jy Geweet’ moment. After all that has happened in this hectic three-year story which is John’s account of the Life, Death and Resurrection of our Beloved Redeemer, it all comes down to an encounter with an uncertain disciple and an epilogue which explains what it was all about. Or perhaps more importantly ‘why’ it was all about. (We need to remember that Chapter 21 of John’s Gospel is not part of the original manuscript).
Last week on Easter Day we read how Mark ended his gospel by holding up the women visiting the tomb as poor examples of discipleship. Remember how they did not go and tell the disciples and Peter what they were told to tell them? So also here today at the end of John’s Gospel. Thomas, bless him forever known as ‘Doubting Thomas’, (though he was the first of the disciples to recognise the divinity of Jesus and proclaim, ‘My Lord and my God’), is put on the Naughty Step. Thomas is held up as the disciple who would not believe without seeing first and becomes a sort of fall guy for all of us here today.
‘How so’, you may ask? John has a problem with and knows that there are many who will need to unlearn the popular aphorism ‘seeing is believing’ – perversely brought about by his own words… Writing much later than all of the other writers of the New Testament there are left alive (in this life in any event) very few witnesses to the Resurrection on that first Easter Day, be they named Thomas or be they known by any other name. How are the next generation of the faithful, who cannot put their fingers in the wounds or hands into the side of Christ, to come to faith?
John reminds us with his final few verses, in the culmination of his telling of the Good News, that the Gospel is not a case of ‘seeing is believing’ but, instead, in the words of our Beloved it is a case of ‘believing is not seeing’:
‘Have you believed because you have seen me? [Jesus says to Thomas] Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ (John 20v29)
John ends his Gospel by reminding us that he wrote down just a few sayings and stories, seven of each, about the life of Jesus to help us do that very thing;
Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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. (John 20v30-31)
‘These are written so that you may come to believe… and through believing you may have life in his name’. This is where belief is to be found without seeing, without fingering wounds and thrusting hands into chests. What are these things?
Seven simple facts about Jesus that John records as ‘The I AM Sayings’
Hey Jy Geweet dat Jesus says ‘I am the bread of life’ – Jesus is our food for both body and soul and we will hunger and thirst no more.
Did you know that Jesus says ‘I am the light of the world’ – Jesus is our defence against darkness and we are no longer held captive by our fear of death
Hey Jy Geweet dat Jesus says ‘I am the door for the sheep’ – Jesus is our protector from all that would threaten us and stands in between us and those who would ravage the flock of God.
Did you know that Jesus says ‘I am the good shepherd’ – Jesus is our guide. The one who walks the path ahead of us and leads us through shadowed filled valleys of life to the safety of the sunlit uplands of God’s own country.
Hey Jy Geweet dat Jesus says ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ – Jesus is our future. Literally holding the whole world in nail-scarred hands, we are safe as we journey forward into the life after life.
Did you know that Jesus says ‘I am the way and the truth and the life’ – Jesus is our hope. On the night before the Crucifixion Jesus proclaims that we will never be left alone and every step of the way, every challenge we face, every breath we breathe, we are set free to walk this way with Him.
And finally, Hey Jy Geweet dat Jesus says ‘I am the true vine’ – Jesus is our reason to celebrate. Both host and feast, life poured out on the cross and life restored at the Empty Tomb, Jesus calls us to celebrate with Him as we go forward to build the realm of the Prince of Peace.
‘Het Jy Geweet?’ Did you Know that these are the promises made to us this Eastertide. May we with the disciples and the multitude gathered to be fed on the Lakeside learn to proclaim every day of our lives until the Dawn of Eternity;
‘We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’ (John 6v69)
Alleluia!
This blog ‘Het Jy Geweet?’ is copyright © Andrew Dotchin 2024. It may be reproduced free of charge on condition that the source is acknowledged.
John 20.19–31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.21Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ 28Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ 29Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But 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.
Suffolk Vicar 