In John chapter
twenty we find four different scenes that record for us four different
responses, four different examples of faith and how these four different
encounters with the risen Christ changed these first disciples. Peter and John
race to the tomb on resurrection morning and see the same evidence; John
chooses to believe even though he still doesn’t fully understand. Mary Magdalene met Jesus and her eyes were
opened and her heart healed by the sound of His voice. Last week we saw the risen Christ come to the
frightened disciples huddled behind locked doors bringing to them peace,
purpose and the promise of power.
In this
week’s passage we see Jesus come to Thomas.
Jesus appeared to the other disciples with
convincing proof He was raised from the dead and very much alive. Scripture does not tell us why Thomas was not
there. But because of his absence Thomas
spent another week in fear, doubt and skepticism.
He has been called
‘Doubting Thomas’, but Thomas seems to be not so much a doubter as a pessimist.
John MacArthur writes in his book Twelve
Ordinary Men: “Thomas was a somewhat a negative person; he was a worry wart, a
brooder, tended to be anxious and angst ridden.
He was like Eyore
in Winnie the Pooh. He anticipated
the worst all the time; pessimism, rather than doubt, seems to have been his
besetting sin.”
When the risen Christ comes to Thomas he comes in
convincing fashion. Since John does not
tell us that Thomas actually felt the wounds of our Lord, it may well be that
after seeing Jesus alive he no longer required this proof. It may have taken
this sight to convince Thomas, but once convinced, Thomas got it right. Thomas does not merely profess a belief that
Jesus has risen from the dead. Thomas professes to believe in what the
resurrection proved—that Jesus was God, and that He was Lord (verse 28).
We don’t
know why Thomas was not with the other disciples that first Resurrection
Sunday. Yet we should be thankful Thomas
was not there, because “in the providence of God his absence and subsequent
coming to faith have generated one of the great Christological confessions in
the New Testament.” (DA Carson)
“My Lord and my God!” Scripture is clear on this point: worship such as this is reserved for
God alone. Thomas did not call Jesus
"Teacher," "Master," or even "Messiah." The word translated as "Lord"
here is the same word used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for God's
high name, Yahweh. Thomas confessed that Jesus was Yahweh, His God, standing
before him in the flesh. Acts
14:15; Rev 19: 9-10
“My Lord and my God!” Jesus is clear on this point:
He accepts the worship of Thomas
- and all who offer the same confession.
When Paul
and Barnabas healed a crippled man in the city of Lystra, those who saw the
miracle began to hail them as Zeus and Hermes, and made preparations to
sacrifice to them. But Paul sternly
rebuked them and said: "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as
you" (Acts 14:15). They stopped the
people's attempt to worship them. When
angels appear in Scripture those who see them are often so awed that they fall
down and worship. In all such cases, the
angels rebuke the people for committing an act of idolatry in
worshiping anyone or anything other than God.
“My Lord and my God!” John is clear on this point:
The Word made flesh is the Risen Christ, Lord and God. “And we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14) Thomas saw the glory of Christ, a glory that is full
of grace and full of truth. Whatever doubts, whatever concerns, whatever
frustrations, whatever anger, whatever unbelief, whatever it was that was on
Thomas’ mind for those eight days; it's all gone now. Because all that he can see now is the glory
of Jesus Christ!
The
confession of Thomas is the confession we will make this Sunday as we gather to
worship. You and I should be thankful for
the blessing Jesus promises people like us, people who, unlike Thomas, cannot
see or touch Jesus’s physical body, but nonetheless believe in Jesus. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
believed.” (Jn 20:29)
This
Sunday we will make our won confession of faith in Jesus as Lord and God
through the Scriptures we read, the prayers we pray, the sermon we receive and
the songs we sing. One of those songs
will be This I
Believe (The Creed) The lyrics are a strong scriptural
declaration of belief. Prayerfully
consider them as you prepare for worship.
Our Father everlasting,
The all creating One,
God Almighty;
Through Your Holy Spirit,
Conceiving Christ the Son,
Jesus our Savior.
I believe in God our Father; I believe in Christ the Son;
I believe in
the Holy Spirit; Our God is three in One
I believe in the resurrection,
That we will rise again,
For I believe in
the Name of Jesus.
Our judge and our defender,
Suffered and crucified,
Forgiveness is in You;
Descended into darkness,
You rose in glorious life,
Forever seated high.
I believe in You, I believe You rose again,
I believe that Jesus Christ
is Lord.
I believe
in life eternal,
I believe in the virgin birth,
I believe in the saints' communion,
And in Your holy Church.
Hello Pastor. So good to know you through your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also glad to stop by your blog post on the resurrection of Jesus, four scenes, four different responses and four differerent examples of faith. I am blessed throguh going through it. I am also in the Pastoral ministry for last 37yrs in the great city of Mumbai, India. I am going to use your post points for my next preaching in the Church. Thank you for sharing this on your post. Let me share about the ministry our church has in the city of Mumbai a city with great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the broken hearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the West to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vcation time. We would love to have young people as well as adults from your church to come Mumbai during their vacation time to work with us. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. We would love to have you come with your family to Mumbai so that you can strengthen the body of Christ in Mumbai through your preaching in differernt churches and speaking to the Pastors and leaders of the churches in Mumbai. God willing I will be in the States in the month of August and will be so glad to stop by your town/ city to share more about the ministry opportunities for you and the young and adults of your church. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and the ministry.
ReplyDeleteHello Pastor. So good to know you through your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am also glad to stop by your blog post on the resurrection of Jesus, four scenes, four different responses and four differerent examples of faith. I am blessed throguh going through it. I am also in the Pastoral ministry for last 37yrs in the great city of Mumbai, India. I am going to use your post points for my next preaching in the Church. Thank you for sharing this on your post. Let me share about the ministry our church has in the city of Mumbai a city with great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the broken hearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the West to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vcation time. We would love to have young people as well as adults from your church to come Mumbai during their vacation time to work with us. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. We would love to have you come with your family to Mumbai so that you can strengthen the body of Christ in Mumbai through your preaching in differernt churches and speaking to the Pastors and leaders of the churches in Mumbai. God willing I will be in the States in the month of August and will be so glad to stop by your town/ city to share more about the ministry opportunities for you and the young and adults of your church. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and the ministry.
ReplyDelete