Blessed are those ...

Jesus promises to bless those who believe.
​That sounds a bit trivial but there's nothing trivial about it.  Jesus calls this blessing eternal life. ​Jesus burst from the tomb so he could share his resurrection life with you. 
​Of course, we can struggle to receive this blessing.  That's nothing new. The Bible tells us about Thomas who was a disciple of Jesus, but who found that he couldn't believe the things that his friends were telling him. The stories of people seeing the nail-pierced hands of Jesus made no sense to him. He could not believe and he would not believe until he had seen what they had seen. Thomas needed to see for himself the nail-pierced hands and the marks in the side  For Thomas the resurrection had not happened until it happened to him personally.
​You and I are not going to get the same experience that Thomas had, but this story encourages us to be like Thomas. Jesus can give us the sign that we need.  He can make the resurrection happen for us, personally. John's gospel says that Jesus gave many signs to many people and most of them aren't in the Bible, simply because there wasn't enough room. Every sign was different. Jesus cared for his friends and he revealed himself to them. He cares for us too.
​Thomas believed in the resurrection of Jesus because he saw what he thought he needed to see. Jesus says that those who believe without seeing are blessed. Jesus can do many different signs. He still does. If you seek him you will find him. Or perhaps better, he will find you. And that means eternal life.
​This Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Bring your faith and your doubts. Come as honestly as Thomas did. Jesus can give you the sign that  you need. 
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