Sermon Tone Analysis

First Day of the week-

Our Lord rested in the tomb on the Sabbath and arose from the dead on the first day of the week.

Many people sincerely call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath,” but Sunday is not the Sabbath Day.

The seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, commemorates God’s finished work of Creation (Gen.

2:1–3).

The Lord’s Day commemorates Christ’s finished work of redemption, the “new creation.”

God the Father worked for six days and then rested.

God the Son suffered on the cross for six hours and then rested.

Jesus came and stood among them

There were at least five Resurrection appearances of our Lord on that first day of the week:

to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18),

the other women (Matt.

28:9–10),

Peter (1 Cor.

15:5 and Luke 24:34),

the two Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13–32),

and the disciples minus Thomas (John 20:19–25).

The next Sunday, the disciples met again and Thomas was with them (John 20:26–31).

I

It would appear that the believers from the very first met together on Sunday evening, which came to be called “the Lord’s Day” (Rev.

1:10).

It appears that the early church met on the first day of the week to worship the Lord and commemorate His death and resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.

16:1–2).

said to them, “Peace be with you.”

he showed them his hands and his side.

But the wounds meant more than identification; they also were evidence that the price for salvation had been paid and man indeed could have “peace with God.”

The basis for all our peace is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

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.”

The dour, dogged disciple who suggested they might as well go with Jesus, if only to die with him (11:16), who complained that Jesus hadn’t made things anything like clear enough (14:5), just happened to be the one who was somewhere else on the first Easter day.

Eeyore-

Pout Pout Fish...

I’m a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face.

So I spread the dreary-wearies all over the place.

Blub.

Bluuuub.

Bluuuuub.

I should have known it all along.

I thought I was a pouty, but it turns out I was wrong.

I’m a kiss-kiss fish with a kiss-kiss face.

For spreading cheery-cheeries all over the place … Smooooooooch!

Thomas’ words help us to understand the difference between doubt and unbelief.+

Doubt says, “I cannot believe!

There are too many problems!”

Unbelief says, “I will not believe unless you give me the evidence I ask for!”

In fact, in the Greek text, there is a double negative: “I positively will not believe!”

Thomas is a good warning to all of us not to miss meeting with God’s people on the Lord’s Day (Heb.

10:22–25).

Because Thomas was not there, he missed seeing Jesus Christ, hearing His words of peace, and receiving His commission and gift of spiritual life.

He had to endure a week of fear and unbelief when he could have been experiencing joy and peace!

Remember Thomas when you are tempted to stay home from church.

Y

Our Lord’s words translate literally, “Stop becoming faithless but become a believer.”

Jesus saw a dangerous process at work in Thomas’ heart, and He wanted to put a stop to it.

The best commentary on this is Hebrews 3, where God warns against “an evil heart of unbelief” (Heb.

3:12).

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

John the Baptist (John 1:34);

Nathanael (John 1:49);

Jesus Himself (John 5:25; 10:36);

Peter (John 6:69);

the healed blind man (John 9:35);

Martha (John 11:27); and, of course,

John himself (John 20:30–31).

The Resurrection Changes Everything

The Resurrection Transforms Fear Into Gladness

He Came To Them- John 20.19-20

The Resurrection Transforms Our Ignorance Into Knowledge

He Reassured them.

His Identity was Transparent.

some of us are worried we don’t know what we are doing.

Some think we are the blind leading the blind.

WE may be.

But, what we don’t know ....

He does.

Say that with me… What We Don’t Know, He Does.

Stop looking at pastors.

Stop looking at people.

Stop l

The Resurrection Transforms Our Purpose Into His Calling

The Great Commission- Barna Report 51 percent of churchgoing Christians don’t know what it means.

(we are so much about us, instead of them).

The Resurrection Transforms Our Weakness Into His Strength

The Spirit had dwelt with them in the person of Christ, but now the Spirit would be in them.

“Life” is one of John’s key words; he uses it at least thirty-six times.

Jesus offers sinners abundant life and eternal life; and the only way they can get it is through personal faith in Him.

If sinners need life, then the implication is that they are dead.

The lost sinner is not sick or weak; he is dead.

The ten disciples were changed from fear to courage, and Thomas was changed from unbelief to confidence.

Now, John invites you to trust Jesus Christ and be changed from death to eternal life.

If you have already made this life-changing decision, give thanks to God for the precious gift of eternal life.