Wingham United Church

April 12, 2026

Building on the Rock

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

     The story of poor Thomas, whom we have come to call “Doubting Thomas,” is on the lectionary on the first Sunday after Easter every year. I didn’t realize that until just a few days ago. The other scripture recommendations change, but the gospel reading is always the same. On the evening of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to his disciples in a locked room, but Thomas wasn’t there. When the others tell him what had happened, be refuses to accept it until he has experienced it for himself. Eight days later, Jesus obliges and not only appears to them all but invites Thomas to touch the wounds on his hands and side.

          Our other readings today focus on another disciple who was there for both of those visitations – Peter, and I would like to do the same today. To do that, however, we need to look at more than just what is included in our scripture readings this week. Last week, on Easter Sunday, I spoke of the morning the disciples came back from fishing empty handed but encountered Jesus on the beach who told them to try casting their nets off the other side of the boat. They, of course, caught almost more fish than the nets could hold. That happened after these locked room appearances.

          Even though the Risen Christ had already appeared to them not just once, but twice, Peter announces, “I’m going fishing,” and the others follow, almost as though nothing had happened. I’m not sure I will ever understand that. What happened on the beach that day, though, after they had ate breakfast together, shaped Christianity forever.

          After breakfast, Jesus draws Peter aside and asks him three times, “Do you love me?” Once for each time Peter had denied Jesus on the night of his arrest. Each time, Peter answers, “Yes! You know I love you!” and each time, Jesus responds with a command:

                   “Then feed my lambs.”

                   “Then take care of my sheep.”

                   “Then feed my sheep”

          In this, I believe Jesus was passing the torch of leadership. This is, perhaps, when he stops being Simon and finally complete transforms into Peter, the rock upon whom Christ would build his church. That brings us to the end of John’s gospel, which he tells us was written so that others could know and believe. I love the way John ends his account of Jesus’ life and ministry: “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.”

          What follows next is recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles which most people agree was written by Luke. According to Luke, at some point, Jesus instructs the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they have received a gift from God. That gift came to them at Pentecost, which is the setting for our reading from Acts today. I won’t go into the details of the Pentecost story today. That will come in a few weeks, but after the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and the crowds from around Jerusalem gathered to see what all the commotion is about, Peter steps forward with the other eleven and delivers his first sermon as an apostle, part of which we read today.

          So, Peter goes from denying he even knows Jesus on the night he was arrested to affirming his love for Jesus and being placed in a position of leadership among the disciples to standing up in front of a huge crowd and boldly telling Christ’s story. He uses the words of King David, which we can find in Psalm 16, to tell the crowd that Jesus is the one they had been searching for so long and testifies to the truth: “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.” That’s a long way from denying he even knew who Jesus was.

          All of that happened in the span of 50 days. At Pentecost, the church was born and it was built upon the rock that was Peter.

          Peter’s sermon that day was much the same as the one I shared with you last Sunday. Jesus, the Son of God, came among God’s people doing powerful miracles, wonders and signs, healing the sick, freeing people from their demons, and sharing God’s love. He was put to death on the cross, but God raised him back to life, just as the prophets of old had foretold. This was done so that whoever believed it would be saved from their sins and receive eternal life with God. That is the message that the church was built upon: the promise of salvation offered through the true Son of God.

          In his letter that we also read from this morning, Peter goes on the say that by God’s mercy, because Jesus was raised from the dead, we can all be reborn. If we believe the story he tells us, then we live with great expectation because we become children of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, and heirs to the Kingdom of God. There is a place reserved for us, just as Jesus told his followers in John 14:1-4, when he said, ““Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”

          Peter assures us, however, that we do not need to die to receive God’s blessings. Because of our faith, God will protect us until that time comes when Jesus will come to get us. Although we must endure the many trials of this life for a little while, wonderful joy awaits us.

          Peter, in his letter, remembers Jesus’ words from that evening when Thomas places his finger in His master’s wounds. Jesus told Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

          Peter tells us, “You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”

Rev. Colin Snyder, MDiv