(first 15 minutes missing)
A RESURRECTED FAITH
John 20:24-29
HE IS RISEN! (He is Risen Indeed!)
Ropes bind his hand and foot,
Rough and scraping skin
Hindu mobs with furious look
Despising Christ in him
Quiet goes the Gospel call
As the Priest’s spear plunges fast
Yes Christ lives, so he falls,
Well done, servant, well done, at last
A long time ago a man was a missionary in India preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was arrested and bound by the local Hindu priests. Then in a fury they ended his life by running him through with a spear. This missionary gave up his life willingly at the very end because he had already lived every day giving up his life to His Savior. At one time he doubted, but once he became convinced of Christ, there was nothing else he could devote his life to other than proclaiming the Good News of his Risen Savior.
Today we celebrate Resurrection Sunday: the day the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came up from the grave alive, conquering sin and death. Of all the places we could go today to preach, we go to the story of the Apostle Thomas. Very unfairly dubbed, “Doubting Thomas.” I say unfairly, because just like the India missionary, Thomas also went from doubt to faith, and faithfully proclaimed Jesus to the world.
Our passage is John 20:24-29. I love this passage because it is indeed a wonderful account that many of us may very well be able to relate to at one point or another in our own lives. Thomas’ faith was “dying” you could say. Or you could say it died with Jesus and was buried with Jesus in the grave. But just like Jesus raised Himself up out of that grave (John 10:18) he was lovingly, authoritatively going to raise up Thomas’ doubt from the grave as well. Our sermon today is titled, “A Resurrected Faith.”
#1: THOMAS MISSING (24)
You see in verse 24 that Thomas was Missing, “….[READ]…”
Here’s the situation: Jesus was raised up a week earlier. That day the women found the empty tomb. They ran and told the disciples. They didn’t believe. But Peter and John sprinted to the tomb and found it empty. John believed, Peter didn’t. Then a few hours later Jesus walks to Emmaus with the two disciples and once they’re in Emmaus he opens their eyes to see that it is him – and he disappears. They freak out and sprint 7 miles back to Jerusalem. Out of breath they burst into the room with all the disciples and tell them they just saw Jesus. No one believes them.
THEN Jesus appears out of nowhere in the room and is standing in front of them all. Luke 24 says they are terrified and think its a ghost. They doubt. Jesus makes them touch his side and hands, and then grabs some food and eats it in front of them to show them he’s not a ghost. Their terror melts and joy and amazement comes over them. The last time they saw Jesus was over their shoulder as they all ran away in the Garden as he was being arrested. Can you imagine the joy and amazement bursting in that room?
But…. Thomas wasn’t there. Where was Thomas? How is it that all the other disciples were there that first day except Thomas?
A closer look at Thomas lsheds some light on his absence. The Gospel of John shows us that he’s the kind of guy who never sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The glass is always half-empty, it’s always partly cloudy, never partly sunny. If you need rain on your parade, Thomas can provide it. If you need to know how a plan is not going to work and what the worst-case scenario is, Thomas is an expert. Thomas always knew the odds and the odds were always stacked against them. He was a pessimist, or a realist.
For example, in chapter 11 Lazarus is sick. Jesus was out of town with His disciples and gets word that Lazarus was sick. He waits until Lazarus dies and then tells his disciples to pack up because they’re going to go back to Bethany to wake Lazarus up. The disciples don’t realize Jesus is going to do a resurrection miracle, and they try to warn Jesus by reminding Him the Jews were looking for Him and would kill Him. At last, when they realized Jesus was going back, it’s not Peter who leads the group to follow Jesus. It’s Thomas. He says, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
On the one hand Thomas was certain the worst was going to happen and all of them were going to be killed. On the other hand, you have to admire Thomas for going along even though he believed he was going to die!
I can’t help but wonder if there was a great sense of despair and hopelessness in Thomas after he abandoned Jesus and heard he was finally dead. The one whom he was willing to go to death for was dead. Now what was there for him? How can any of these pieces of life be put together and make sense again? After the things he saw for 3 years with Jesus and the hope he had in all that Jesus said, was he supposed to just go back now to some “ordinary” life? How does life go on now that Jesus was dead? And how about Jesus being dead? Maybe Thomas was ashamed that he wasn’t dead with Jesus. He was a devoted follower who was willing to go to death with Jesus before – but, now he proved with the rest of the disciples to be a deserter when Jesus was arrested. Perhaps he was so ashamed that he felt he couldn’t show his face to the other disciples. Maybe he just wanted to be alone.
But I can only imagine the race all the disciples had to find Thomas and tell him Jesus was alive. Can you imagine how they must have mobbed him? Like a baseball team after a clutch win. Can you imagine the contrast between his doubting, pessimistic face and all the jubilation on theirs? I can tell you right now what he told them. As one man against ten he beat them off with all their joy and good news with one response: “It was a ghost. You all saw a ghost. And unless I touch his side and his hands myself I won’t believe.” That’s how I think I know what Thomas’ response was. Because according to Luke 24 they all thought he was a ghost too until they touched him and he ate in front of them. Thomas was like, “Well, I’ll believe like you when I see what you saw.”
But you know Thomas WANTED to believe. That’s why I guarantee he was with the other 10 disciples every minute from that moment on. He wasn’t going to miss out on another appearing of Jesus.
APPLICATION: Don’t miss the blessing of God on the gathering of believers.
#2: THOMAS’ TEST (25)
Thomas would not believe unless his tests were met. He had to see Jesus and touch his wounds.
First, he didn’t demand anything the other disciples did not already get before they believed. They all doubted too until Jesus made them touch his wounds and he ate food in front of them. They all opposed Jesus’ warning he would be crucified. They all slept when he prayed in the Garden. They all promised to go to their deaths with him and they all ran when he was arrested. They all stayed home on the 3rd day, not one of them expected to see Jesus alive ever again. They all doubted when they heard news the tomb was empty. They all doubted even when the resurrected Jesus came and stood right in front of them.
“Doubting Thomas?” C’mon. Doubting disciples is more accurate. Let me tell you why I love Thomas: because while he demanded certain evidence he was the kind of man who if that evidence was given he would become twice as much a believer as he ever was a doubter! How many fools say, “I’ll believe when ______” and then ________ is shown them and they raise the bar higher. Just like the Pharisees.
Not everyone who asks for God to “show” Himself to them is wrong for doing so. There are those who will believe if God graciously answers, and there are those stubborn hearted people who simply demand evidence thinking it can never be provided and so they think they’re justified for their unbelief. God has provided above and beyond for every man to believe unto salvation. What’s my point? Thomas is a role model. I want to have half the faith of Thomas. Actually, I would pray that I am Thomas’ “twin” in the faith!
Secondly, regarding Thomas’ doubt, notice the specifics of his test. He wanted to see and touch Jesus’ body where the wounds were. Thomas knew HIS Jesus was crucified.
APPLICATION: Islam is out. The Quran teaches Jesus was not crucified. Yet, Thomas would only believe in a resurrected Jesus who WAS crucified.
APPLICATION: It also means Gnosticism is out. Gnosticism teaches Jesus did not come in a physical body (1 John 4:2-3). Yes He did. He came in a physical body, he died in a physical body, was buried in a physical body and was resurrected in that physical body. Standing in a physical body before Thomas Jesus had the nail marks and the wound in his side prove it.
I believe the Apostle John, while writing this Gospel, had Thomas in mind when he wrote First John. He began that letter like this, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the word of life. The Life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it…” “our hands have touched.” While no doubt having himself and all the disciples in mind, I can’t help but think John was thinking of Thomas particularly.
#3: THOMAS SEES (26-27)
Finally it happens: Thomas sees Jesus. Read v26-27…
Can you imagine the anticipation that night. “Same day, same time as last week, guys! He’s gotta show!” Then He does. They would have erupted like fans when a touchdown is scored. I can see them mobbing around Jesus and saying to Thomas – “Look! We told you! Ha ha! He’s alive!” The way it reads it seems like Jesus wasted no time going to Thomas. You can almost see all the other disciples after their moment of excitement parting to the side and leaving Jesus and Thomas looking at each other. Let me bring out a couple things
First, the kindness of Jesus to meet Thomas’ need. Speaking of Jesus, Matthew 12 says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Jude 22 says, “Be merciful towards those who doubt.”
As you read through the Gospels you realize that there are two kinds of doubt. One is the hardened, determined, arrogant unbelief like the Pharisees. It doesn’t matter how many proofs Jesus gave they were going to reject Him. But then you see the kind so often with the disciples – I call it the unbelief of ignorance. Or you can call it undeveloped faith because it never had an experience with God to give it something to believe in. Its faith that is potential and it just needs God to show He is God and belief will spring up. It isn’t the calculated rejection of Jesus. This kind of doubt is the kind that Jesus is merciful towards. It’s the kind of doubt that will grow into faith if Jesus would water it. Case and point: Thomas!
Second, the command of Jesus to believe. “Stop doubting and believe!” Jesus doesn’t say, “Well, whattaya say Thomas? Is it me?” You have to see that it was the command to believe that transformed Thomas. While his fingers traced the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side he was in awe, baffled, overjoyed, but what Thomas finally needed was to be commanded by His God to believe: “Stop doubting and believe!”
APPLICATION: Obey the command to believe the Gospel. Today begin your obedience to Jesus Christ: stop doubting and believe that He was crucified, buried and resurrected. Believe that He died for your sins and that here and now He and only He can save you and bring you eternal life. Will you obey? Will you respond in faith as Jesus commands you today?
#4: THOMAS BELIEVES (28)
My Lord and my God! The disciples were learning along the way. Peter declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16). The disciples said, “You are the holy one of God, and you have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:69). Now Thomas makes that glorious confession, “My Lord and my God!”
Here’s what I love about Thomas: he said what it would take for him to believe and he was sincere. As soon as Jesus met him with the evidence Thomas quit doubting and he believed. He wasn’t masking stubborn doubt behind bogus demands and insincere excuses. He was real: “If I see his hands and side then you will see me believe.” And Thomas’ word was good. What did he say: “My LORD and my GOD!”
APPLICATION: Jesus must be yours personally. Thomas said, “MY Lord and MY God.” It can’t be your wife’s faith, or your husband’s, or your parents, or your grandparents faith. It must be your faith. Jesus must be YOUR Lord and YOUR God. Is He?
APPLICATION: You are truly seeing Jesus if you see Him as Lord and God. Thomas called Him Lord and God. “…and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!” (Php 2:11). Jesus is God and therefore Jesus is Lord. By the way, that eliminates Jehovah’s Witnesses. The OT and the NT are one constant chorus of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Do not come to Him and insult him by calling Him a great teacher, or a great philosopher, or a great guru. Do not blaspheme Him by calling him a great guy who became Deity through a life devoted to God (that eliminates Martin Luther King Jr). No, Jesus is the eternal Word, equal with God, with God before and at the beginning of creation, sharing in divine glory, and stepped down to become human. You are not seeing Jesus if you see Him as anything less than Lord and God. But oh you have eyes to see if He is YOUR Lord and YOUR God.
JOIN with Thomas on your knees before the risen Christ, believing with your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and God.
CONCLUSION:
What happened to Thomas? Well in the Bible we see him two more times. A few days after this night he is one of the seven disciples who went out fishing and met up with Jesus on the beach (John 21). Then we see him again praying with the 120 followers of Jesus that week in between Jesus returning to heaven and the Holy Spirit coming down. After that we don’t hear anything more about him in the Bible.
But, history gives us some hints. In India, there is a religious group called “The Saint Thomas Christians.” This group traces its origins all the way back to the Apostle Thomas. According to tradition while Paul and Peter and others went north and west towards Rome with the Gospel, Thomas went East to India. In India Thomas proclaimed the Gospel to the pagans. Thomas ran away because of Jesus in the Garden. But after that night when His Lord and His God showed Himself to him, Thomas ran for Jesus all the way to India. According to Foxes Book Of Martyrs Thomas was speared to death by Hindu priests for preaching the Gospel.
Ropes bind his hand and foot
Rough and scraping skin
Hindu mobs with furious look
Despising Christ in him
Quiet goes the Gospel call
As the Priest’s spear plunges fast
Yes Christ lives, so he falls
Well done, Apostle, well done at last
Remember you committed
To die loyal at his side
But left him alone and doubted
Yet faith, his wounds revived
Seeing and believing
Your God and your Lord
Wounded like him, you’re dying
An offering outpoured
Lay down, Apostle, in faith
Christ went this way before
With Him you will stand again
Alive forevermore
Thomas gave his life to preaching the resurrected Christ. And in the end, he gave his life for it. Doubting Thomas? No way. His was a resurrected faith.