The Lutheran Hour
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"The Eternal Gorilla Test"
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Text: John 20:19-31
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Christ is Risen, He is Risen, Indeed, for you and me, Hallelujah, Amen!
In all my travels I have learned the value of having sturdy, durable luggage. You know, the kind of luggage that can really take a beating. Unfortunately, just thinking about this has reminded me that due to the present state of my suitcases, I’m probably going to have to buy some new luggage soon. It’s been a rough last few years of flying. And, what is also somewhat unfortunate; is the fact that no matter what brand I buy, none seems to be able to ultimately hold up. I’ve yet to find a truly, indestructible bag.
But that fact, doesn’t stop luggage makers from promising that their luggage can take whatever life, weather, airport baggage handlers, or weary travelers can dish out, does it?
Years ago, the American Tourister Luggage Company produced a commercial just to show how tough its luggage was. Do you remember it? A man and woman cheerfully checked their bags at the airport. The conveyor belt whisked the suitcases behind those plastic flaps and into luggage purgatory. The television commercial cuts away to a behind the scenes shot of a fierce, powerful gorilla grabbing the luggage, pummeling the suitcases! (So that’s what really happens to our bags!) The off-brand bag was torn to pieces, destroyed. But the tough, American Tourister suitcase held up to the punishment. When the bags appeared in the baggage claim area at the end of the commercial, a man grabbed his tattered suitcase, vainly trying to retrieve his clothing which was strewn all over the place. But the woman with the American Tourister luggage, found everything intact, picked up her bag and strolled joyfully, happily away.
You might say that her luggage passed the gorilla test, the rigorous examination of a suitcase’s survival capability.
Of course, it is an unfortunate reality that gorilla testing is necessary at all. It would be very nice if every piece of luggage was nestled gently in a feather pillow enclosure by luggage handlers who wore padded gloves and cradled each suitcase as if it were a newborn baby. But that’s not the way it is in our fallen world. Nowadays we even have to pay fees for getting our luggage abused. Oh, the unfairness of it all!
We’d probably rather not have gorilla tests, right? But in this world of ours, we need rigorous examinations for more than luggage. We need to have products tested for durability. We need to have quality control for manufacturing. We need to have hacker security for computer programs. We need to have ideas examined, poked, and prodded for authenticity. You may not like the opposing voice to the plan you propose during a meeting, but that opposing voice sharpens you and makes sure that your idea isn’t built on a foundation of shifting sands.
Rigorous examination is essential for medicine, products, technology, education, legislation, and more. For the things that we depend on, we need the gorilla test for sure!
Well, on this Sunday after the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, we get just that from the disciple known as “Doubting Thomas.” On the Sunday Jesus rose from the dead, something amazing happened. The Apostle John said that Jesus, yes, Jesus….the One crucified, dead on the cross, three days later He appeared to His disciples, literally risen from the grave!
But someone was missing from the group. John goes on to say: Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe’ (John 20:24-25 ESV).
And the reputation of Thomas as a doubter was born.
But who was Thomas? What was he really like? Was he simply a skeptic who never believed anything unless he saw it? Was he a pessimistic doubter who became the naysayer of the group?
Not at all; Thomas was tough. He was no wimp. In fact, when Jesus decided to travel closer to Jerusalem to visit his friend Lazarus who had died–a journey that literally risked His life, Thomas said to the hesitating and fear-filled disciples: “Let us also go with him, that we may die with him” (John 11:16 ESV). This one was ready to lay all on the line for Jesus.But that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t inquisitive when confused. Remember when Jesus spoke of His departure before His death, Thomas was the one who wanted to know more. He spoke up. He wanted details when Jesus said, “You know the way where I am going.” Well, Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:4-6 ESV).
You see…Thomas was no pushover. He was not a shrinking violet, willing to accept whatever anyone said. He poked and prodded for more information. He wanted to make sure that things were on the up and up. He was a man who insisted on rigorous examination. So, on the evening of the first Easter, he conducted a “gorilla test” on the news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
To believe in the risen Jesus, He wanted to see, to touch the wounds of the One who died on the cross.
Now….what Thomas thought he knew was that Jesus was dead. He felt the reality of the brutal wounds left by a crucifixion. He was certain about the devastating death Jesus suffered–nails through His hands and feet, a spear gouging His side, the asphyxiation, the dehydration, the blood loss, the injuries. He would have been the first to blast those who said “Jesus didn’t die.” He knew that Jesus’ death was no fainting spell, no comatose state. It would take irrefutable evidence for Thomas to believe the assertion that Jesus was alive because a man so crucified does not rise from the dead.
This strong opposition from Thomas might be unnerving to you; but, if you think about it, Thomas did us a favor, didn’t he? He wouldn’t settle for fiction. He would not stand for a fairy tale. He was not going to tolerate overactive imaginations of hopeful disciples. He wanted the truth. He would only believe what was absolutely real. Thomas conducted a rigorous gorilla test on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And what happened? The Gospel writer continues: Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. (John 20:26 ESV).
Jesus appeared again. The doors were locked, but Jesus still stood among the disciples. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus looks Thomas in the eye and said exactly what Thomas demanded to hear: “Take your finger and put it in my hand. Take your hand and throw it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” And all Thomas could do was to stand in amazement and confess, “My Lord and my God.”
It was another “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” moment for Thomas. Jesus, the risen Savior, the One who overcame death for us, passed the gorilla test. The resurrection of Jesus measured up to the rigorous testing and examination of Thomas who wouldn’t settle for anything less than the complete truth.
And what Good News this is for us today, my dear friend!
It’s Good News because this is the same Jesus who was called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the same Jesus who predicted His own suffering, death, and resurrection. This is the same Jesus who proclaimed that He had come to seek and to save the lost. And now, raised from the dead, very real and alive, everything He said, everything He promised, was undeniably true. It was gorilla tested. It was and is the real deal.
When Jesus appeared to His disciples and said on both occasions, “Peace be with you!” that gift of peace from Him was true. It was real peace from the Savior who had already promised them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27 ESV). The peace Jesus promises you is as real as His resurrection.
When Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:22-23 ESV), You can be certain that His promise that we can share the forgiveness of sins is wonderfully real.
It’s all true! The forgiveness of your sins paid for by Jesus at the cross, the eternal life He won for you through His resurrection, His promise to be with you always, the blessing of eternal life in heaven–it’s all true! Just listen to Thomas; it’s been gorilla tested!
But doubts still come, don’t they? They still creep in. Let’s face it: Thomas doubted. He was afflicted with unbelief. He didn’t have faith.
There are many things in this life that can shake your faith. Your natural disposition is to doubt. Your sinful condition puts you in a state of mind that does not believe. Your vision, my vision is short. Your perception is limited. Your imagination is stunted. It’s not unusual. When presented with things that are amazing, with things that stretch your imagination, it’s our default to doubt, to disbelieve.
Consider some of the most famous doubters in history.
In 1486, the committee advising King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella commented about Christopher Columbus’ proposal to sail to the Far East. The committee said: “So many centuries after the Creation it is unlikely that anyone could find hitherto unknown lands of any value.” If you’ve ever heard of a place called North America, you know the committee was wrong.
In 1872, when Louis Pasteur speculated about microscopic causes for illness, Pierre Pachet, a Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, said, “Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.” There’s a lot of people using hand sanitizers today who would violently disagree!
Or how about in 1957, just two weeks before the launch of the Russian spacecraft Sputnik, Sir Harold Spencer Jones, the Royal Astronomer of Britain said, “Space travel is bunk.” Just a dozen years later, man would walk on the moon.
The American Tourister gorilla would have been disappointed with them all. Even when the truth is staring us right in the face, we can still chose to be very, very wrong, can’t we?
Maybe you are still struggling with this Jesus, the One risen from the dead! Maybe your suffering today is making you wonder if God is real, if He really cares. Maybe you have real anger about the pain in your life, about the way that life has gone, and it is causing doubt to grow in your heart.
The nature of the miraculous, the amazing supernatural work of God, can lead you to ask questions about its reality. Yes, it is our nature to doubt.
But, remember, God’s work in Jesus Christ has been gorilla tested! Jesus is real! He really died! He really rose from the dead! He really forgives your sins. Through this living Word today, He brings you the real gift of eternal life. Through His presence with you, He gives you real strength and hope for each day.
Our sinful nature will question everything–even the most eye-witnessed events. We will doubt mounds of evidence. It’s part of our corrupt and blind nature. But that’s why God steps in with such strong evidence for His miraculous work. Hear the powerful words of John 20:30-31, “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 believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 ESV).
The very words of Scripture are another gorilla test in the face of doubt. “These are written,” John declares. This is no small statement. It is one word in the Greek language: “gegraptai.” The word is used throughout the New Testament to refer to the documented, true and unassailable Word of God. The word is used as a reference to recorded eyewitness accounts that would hold up even in a court of law.
Back in the first century when this Gospel was written, publishers weren’t producing mounds of books. There was no such thing as “print on demand.” People couldn’t pull up books on their Kindles, Nooks, and iPads. Written documents weren’t commonplace. Recording something was serious business. So, these truths about Jesus the Savior were written down. They stood as an official record. The written word was the closest thing the first century could get to video evidence.
It may have even been better. If anything untrue was written, it would be debunked very quickly by the eyewitnesses who were part of the story.Now that’s a gorilla test that has stood the test of time!
But even more importantly, think about the very “reason these things were written!” They were written for you and me: “that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we might have life in his name.”
Dear friend, you can trust the gorilla test of Jesus’ resurrection. You can trust in it so much that you can stake your life on it.
So, when pain and struggle fill your life, the living Jesus says, “I am with you, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 ESV).
When questions confuse you and life doesn’t make sense, the living Savior Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11 ESV).
When the fear and dread of death overwhelm you, the living Savior Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25-26 NIV).
You know, just as Jesus anticipated Thomas’ doubts, I think He anticipates our unique struggles today too. You and I didn’t get a chance to see Jesus after He rose from the dead. But you have the eyewitness testimonies of those who had much to lose by standing firm in their faith. You may not have been a gorilla tester, but you literally have in your hands an indestructible, eternal Word from God and the very promise of the living Savior who said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29 ESV).
So, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Let today be the day when you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, for life now and for life forever. Don’t let doubt cause this opportunity to pass you by. The resurrection of this Crucified Savior makes all the difference in the world, it will make all the difference in your life too.
Back in the early days of personal computers, two inventors experienced doubt. They recalled: “So we went to Atari and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary; we’ll come to work for you.’ And Atari said, ‘No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ‘Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t even gotten through college yet.'”
The men in the story were Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. You know them as the founders of the Apple Corporation. Atari and Hewlett Packard lost out because of careless doubt, even when there were real people with real facts and a real product staring them right in the face!
Don’t let such doubting distract you when it comes to Jesus, dear friend. Today, trust the gorilla test of Jesus’ resurrection! Believe that Jesus is the Christ, your Savior, the Son of God, and, by believing, receive the gift of life in His Name! Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for April 7, 2013
Topic: Did Jesus Really Rise From The Dead?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I’m Mark Eischer. Is there proof that Jesus actually rose from the dead?
SELTZ: Wow, this is a question that does go right to the heart of it, doesn’t it Mark?
ANNOUNCER: And it needs to be constantly answered because even today people say it was a myth or a fable concocted by Jesus’ followers.
SELTZ: It needs an answer, but isn’t it wonderful that God Himself undergirds this most important event in all of human history. We can answer the question, examining the resurrection with care and rigor. Of course, our primary source documents that tell of Jesus’ resurrection are the New Testament texts. You may recall that this is a very persuasive collection of documents. We have over 24,000 pieces of ancient manuscript evidence of the New Testament right in our hands.
ANNOUNCER: So we’re starting with good source material.
SELTZ: Yeah, the best collection of documentation for any ancient literature! Scholars know that false history takes a long time to develop. As you can imagine, if someone lies about a historical event, his contemporaries will object to the falsehood. Anyone who was alive during the event and anyone who had firsthand knowledge of the event would immediately debunk the false assertion. That is why scholars say that it takes 1000 years after an original historical event to successfully develop a myth or fable regarding that history.
ANNOUNCER: I recall some years ago a survey found that a large number of people in England thought Winston Churchill was a fictional character.
SELTZ: That’s amazing! But, of course, we know that’s not true because it wasn’t a long enough time for the myth, if you will, to take hold. The memory of the event has to be lost. But the Scriptures were written as close as 25 years to the actual eyewitnessed events. We’ve got copied documents of those writings; even complete accounts of the resurrection as early as the second century.
ANNOUNCER: Why is that so important?
SELTZ: Because the Scriptural documents describe an amazing collection of eyewitness validation of Jesus’ resurrection.
ANNOUNCER: Now, the first witnesses to the tomb were the women who came there early in the morning.
SELTZ: Absolutely right. I want to tell you, Mark, if someone were making this stuff up, he would never ever include women as first eyewitnesses. In the first century, the testimony of women was not considered valid. This would be a sure-fire way to discredit yourself if you were making this stuff up. Telling about the two Marys as the first to see Jesus’ empty tomb indicates that this event was strangely and wonderfully true.
ANNOUNCER: What else reinforces the truth of the resurrection?
SELTZ: The volume of eyewitnesses is compelling. In addition to the women and the eleven disciples, the guards by the tomb were scared stiff that they would be punished for their failure to oversee Jesus. They were so frightened about what happened that they had to invent a tale with the help of the chief priests and the elders that they fell asleep on duty and that the disciples stole the body.
ANNOUNCER: Now what guard would choose falling asleep on duty as the best story to tell?
SELTZ: No way, but to top off the eyewitnesses, we hear in 1 Corinthians 15 that Jesus appeared to more than 500 at the same time. But, there’s even more compelling evidence than that for the truth of Jesus’ resurrection; in addition to these eyewitness testimonies and the accurate documentation, lives were completely changed after the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples were so convinced about the truth they sacrificed their lives for it. People don’t often die for something they know is a lie.
ANNOUNCER: In fact, even opponents of Jesus became convinced followers after the resurrection.
SELTZ: That’s right. One example is Jesus’ own brother, James. At one time he called Jesus crazy. After the resurrection, though, he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem-he too ultimately died for the cause of Christ. Jesus’ resurrection changed everything.
ANNOUNCER: And Jesus has been changing lives ever since.
SELTZ: Right. Most of all, Jesus’ resurrection has changed our lives too. As Paul said, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV). We can trust in the fact of the resurrection and we can entrust our lives in our risen Savior’s hands.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Seltz. These are sound facts upon which our faith is built. And we thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. We hope you’ll join us again next time. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“O Sons and Daughters of the King” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“The Day of Resurrection” arr. Timothy Moke & Georg Masanz. From Magnificent Christian Hymns, vol. 2 by Timothy Moke & Georg Masanz (© 2005 T. Moke Recordings)