Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
April 12, 2026
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras

Easter 2A

Incarnational Faith

Today let us learn something from Thomas, who despite his temporary doubt, is still known as Saint Thomas among us.

If Thomas was at first a doubter he did not remain so for long. But he who first questioned the Lord’s resurrection had holy faith installed into him by Jesus himself – and that is a sure faith! A faith that rescues from sin, death and devil. A faith that will not shrink though pressed by every foe. A faith that is active in love because “faith without works is dead!” (Gal. 5:6 & James 2:14)

Truly, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus!”

It is a faith which moves Thomas to confess aloud, “My Lord and my God.” And whoever can confess such an heavenly truth “with his mouth and believe it in his heart,” is a saint in the sight of God. (Romans 10:10) Holy in the sight of God. Pure in the sight of God, and made fit to participate in the very life and love of God. And there is nothing better than that!

Before we judge Thomas too harshly, let us remember that he did not ask for anything that the other disciples did not also ask for, and receive. Notice how today’s gospel begins:

“Now it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, the doors locked where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you,” and when he had said this he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced that they had seen the Lord.”

We find he same in chapter twenty four of St. Luke’s gospel where he writes, “And while they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst. But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them,

“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.”

Moreover, if we “put the best construction” on the Thomas Event, we would also want what he wanted – an incarnational faith! Hear that again. He wanted a flesh and blood faith into which he could plunge himself! And my oh my, did he ever get one! And so do we. But to understand this we must fully comprehend the unparalleled gift that is given us in Holy Baptism which is, “more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold.” (Psalm 19)

Why do we speak this way? Because “holy” is God’s adjective. And so Holy Baptism is God’s baptism. He is its author and its source. He devised it, gives it and performs it – even if the minister is saying the words and pouring the water. He is baptism’s subject and object and there is nothing human involved in this primary Sacrament of the church. In it he makes enduring promises to us that: he will be our God, and we will be his people unto the ages of ages.

Holy Baptism regenerates us.

When we exit our mother’s womb we are generated. But in Baptism we are RE-generated. Born anew. Born from above. Or in the words of Saint Paul in Titus chapter three,

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared he saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Returning now to Thomas, he wanted more than the testimony of his fellow-apostles – precious as the apostolic testimony is. He wanted to touch the resurrected Jesus. He wanted to put his fingers into the nail holes in his hands, and plunge his hand into the Lord’s riven side. And when he does Jesus says to him, “do not be faithless, but faithful.” And he said further: “You believe because you see, blessed are those who do not see, yet believe.” The people the Lord references here are all of us. But in our interpretation of these words it is not entirely correct to say of us that we have not seen.

Because with the “mind of Christ” that is given us our eyes we can see Sacramental Baptism; and with enlightened reason we can understand Romans chapter six where Saint Paul teaches the church that in this divine sacrament: we are crucified with Christ; buried with Christ; and raised again to a New Life, by which he means we are instructed and empowered to “walk according to the Spirit, and not in accord with the flesh.” (Romans 8:4)

We say this, further, because Saint Paul says in his baptismal address to the Colossians,

“For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,” (1:13) remembering that baptism is a locational reality; that in it we change residence from outside of Christ, and move into Christ.

What Thomas did we do too, and we “speak the truth in Christ and do not lie” (Rom. 9:1) when we confess “I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.”

Finally, though sermons help explain the faith, there is no faith like faith that is sung. And so let us thank and praise the generosity of our God this day in giving us Rev. Thomas Troeger, a Yale professor and Presbyterian minister born in 1945; who penned the hymn: “These Things Did Thomas Count As Real.”

“His reasoned certainties denied
That one could live when one had died,
Until his fingers read like Braille
The marking of the spear and nail.

“May we, O God, by grace believe
And thus the risen Christ receive,
Whose raw, imprinted palms reached out
And beckoned Thomas from his doubt.”