Our Lord Jesus Christ says to St.Thomas: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20,29b)

The first Sunday after Easter: Quasimodogeniti (“As newborn babes: desire the sincere milk of the Word…”) has the watchword from 1.Epistle of St. Peter 1,3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead“. The new creation brought about by our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ comes only through the rebirth by water and the Holy Spirit in Holy Baptism.

The propers of this Sunday underline the salvation of our God. The Introit is from Ps. 116,3.8-9.13: “The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish…For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living… I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD” 

The readings from the Old Testament is from the prophet Isaiah 40,26-31. He points to the ability of the almighty Creator, who is powerful to save and empower the weak and faint making them fit and strong: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”?  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

The reading from the epistles is from the 1st letter of St. Peter in the first chapter verses 3-9: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,  who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

And the gospel reading is written by St. John in chapter 20 the verses 19-29. Here we read of the appearance of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ amongst his disciples and how he commissions them into his wonderful office of the ministry of proclaiming the forgiveness of sins in his name, but also how he leads St. Thomas from disbelief and doubt to a living faith and sound confession: “My Lord and my God!” Read more here: “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”  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 into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”  Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The sermon for this Sunday is based on the reading from the epistle to the Colossians 2,12-15: “Having been buried with Jesus Christ in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” 

Read here the sermon by Rev. Kurt-Guenther Tiedemann in both isiZulu: Zulu Sermon on Col.2,12-15 by Rev. K-G. Tiedemann and thanks to the translation by my father Rev. E.A.W.Weber DD in seTswana: Tswana Sermon on Col.2,12-15 by Rev. K-G.Tiedemann