2022-12-21 Evening Prayer - Commemoration of St. Thomas, Apostle

 2022-12-21 Commemoration of St. Thomas, Apostle- Isaiah 42:1-25, Rev 9:1-12

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

God speaking through Isaiah issues a wonderful promise: “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” That promise is of a Savior who is coming.  Isaiah 42 contains the first of four suffering servant songs found in Isaiah. The others may be found in chapters 49, 50, and 52-53.  These texts are linked to Jesus. In fact, Isaiah 42:1-4 is quoted in Matthew 12. In between the miracles of healing a man with a withered hand and casting out a demon, Matthew lets us know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the one Isaiah spoke of. 

Jesus is the chosen servant. He does the Father’s work in the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is opposed, oppressed, ridiculed, rejected, scorned and even smited on the cross. But, despite the herculean efforts of the enemies of the Gospel, Jesus is neither broken nor quieted.  Through the cross, he brings victory over sin, death, and the devil. The victory and hope he brings is for Jew and Gentile alike. 

Jesus inaugurates the new things that Isaiah declares. As we walk through the last few days of Advent, we are reminded that the fullness of Jesus’ work has not yet happened.  The cross and resurrection have won the victory. But the battle rages on. Sin, death, and the devil engage in their guerilla warfare knowing that their time is coming to an end.  The desert has not yet completely bloomed.  Every knee has not yet bowed down and confessed that Jesus is Lord.  But, that will come soon enough.  We pray that our Lord’s Advent will come sooner than later. Those that live in their baptismal promise look to the future with hope.  For Jesus is coming. 

But, right now, we are still living in the midst of those former things that Isaiah gives voice to. People are blind to God’s grace. They refuse to hear God’s Good News of forgiveness.  They prefer idols of their own making, swearing that the empty promises of false gods bring them happiness. The land bears sin’s weight.  The desert grows, the land is parched. War continues unabated and solves nothing and brings new generations of hate and destruction. Fear abounds. What about today, what about tomorrow? What mayhem will the next week bring? 

We who have received the gift of Holy Baptism and live by faith in Jesus’ cross see the former things for what they are.  They are a dead end.  We cannot improve or fix ourselves.  Only the Lord can.  

Today we commemorate St. Thomas, the Apostle.  Amongst other things, Thomas is remembered for asking a question that sounded similar to the kind of statement and question that Israel might say.  The prophet Isaiah regularly lamented how people could not see or hear.  Often, they could not see God’s work right in front of their noses.  They were so spiritual hard-hearted, blind, and deaf. For example, God says of Israel in Isaiah 42:18 “Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see!” 

In John 14, Jesus is trying to prepare the disciples for his death on the cross, resurrection, and then eventual ascension.  Sooner than anyone would like, Jesus is not going to be physically amongst them. Thomas says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going.  How can we know the way?”

This is one of those golden moments when Jesus can explain in no uncertain terms that he is unlike any other Rabbi. His death will be unlike any other crucifixion.  As Messiah, he is the only one that can lead everyone to the one true God.  Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

Jesus is not only born of Mary, but he is also the very Son of God. The Son, then, is the only way to our Heavenly Father. 

In John 20, Thomas has the privilege of being the first in the Gospels to proclaim Jesus as Lord and God.  

Jesus taught his Apostles how to understand the Scriptures.  Jesus is our Lord and our God. He is the suffering servant who dies on the cross so that we may see, hear, and believe that he is our Christ who saves us from the deceptions of sin, death, and the devil. Jesus is the new thing that Isaiah proclaimed. All the faithful look forward to entering into the fullness of Jesus’ promises. Come, Lord Jesus, quickly!

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