Sunday, April 21st, 2018 - AM - Seeing Is Believing (Jn. 20:24-29)
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Resurrection Series • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 25:14
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· 449 viewsLet's protect the sacredness of the assembling of ourselves together, making sure that we have Jesus in our midst so that those who come back like Thomas can come to the faith of a personal walk with the Lord.
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But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Introduction:
Introduction:
Introduction:
Introduction:
Illustration- G. Campbell Morgan
G. Campbell Morgan had already enjoyed some success as a preacher by the time he was 19 years old. But then he was attacked by doubts about the Bible. The writings of various scientists and agnostics disturbed him (e.g., Charles Darwin, John Tyndall, Thomas Huxley, and Herbert Spencer). As he read their books and listened to debates, Morgan became more and more perplexed. What did he do? He cancelled all preaching engagements, put all the books in a cupboard and locked the door, and went to the bookstore and bought a new Bible. He said to himself, “I am no longer sure that this is what my father claims it to be—the Word of God. But of this I am sure. If it be the Word of God, and if I come to it with an unprejudiced and open mind, it will bring assurance to my soul of itself.” The result? “That Bible found me!” said Morgan. The new assurance in 1883 gave him the motivation for his preaching and teaching ministry. He devoted himself to the study and preaching of God’s Word. [Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, Moody, 1984, p. 211]
[Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, Moody, 1984, p. 211
Raise Need
Jesus dispelled Thomas' disbelief by inviting him to feel His personal touch
We need to help Thomas, not hinder him further
We can help others dispel their disbelief by making it easy for them to hear, behold, and come to know the personal touch of Christ in their life
We can either make it difficult or easy for followers to find faith, so help, don't hinder
Orient Theme
Reprove those who force their beliefs upon others who will not believe
Rebuke those in disbelief for making excuses about not being where they can see Jesus personally
Exhort the church to protect the sacredness of the assembling of ourselves together, making sure that we have Jesus in our midst so that those who come back like Thomas can come to the faith of a personal walk with the Lord
State Purpose- CPS
Main Thought: Help, do not hinder folks who still need to find faith in Jesus by:
Protecting Sacred, Spirit-filled Services Centered on our Savior (vv. 24-25)
Continually Hearing the Words, Seeing the Wounds, and Feeling the Heart of Jesus (vv. 26-27)
Living blessed because we're walking by faith (vv. 28-29)
Sub-intro: Context of the Resurrection Appearances - Mary (Love), the Others (Hope), now Thomas (Faith); .
I. Demonstrated Disbelief ()
I. Demonstrated Disbelief ()
A. Missing Out on Meeting with the Lord - "But Thomas...was not with them..." (v. 24)
A. Missing Out on Meeting with the Lord - "But Thomas...was not with them..." (v. 24)
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
WE AREN'T TOLD WHY HE WAS NOT THERE (it doesn't really matter the excuse)
He missed a meeting with God's people and seeing Jesus
He missed hearing words of "Peace" (He spoke to them)
He missed the commissioning (He sent them)
He missed the empowering (He breathed on them)
Thomas missed seeing the proofs of the Lord's resurrection, yet apparently he needed them more than any of the others did .... Thomas missed these words, "Peace be unto you." He missed the commission of being sent out in the service of the Lord (vs. 21). He no doubt received it later, but the fact remains that at least for one week he did not have his commission as the others did. He missed being breathed upon as Jesus said to His own that night, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost ...." We cannot afford to miss this divine unction. Thomas also missed the commission which our Lord gave in regard to church action and the exercise of church discipline, to which the commission of verse 23 undoubtedly refers . . . . [John R. Rice, The Son of God, A Verse-by-Verse Commentary on the GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN, n.d., 399.]
We cannot afford to miss this divine unction. Thomas also missed the commission which our Lord gave in regard to church action and the exercise of church discipline, to which the commission of verse 23 undoubtedly refers . . . . [John R. Rice, The Son of God, A Verse-by-Verse Commentary on the GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN, n.d., 399.]
John R. Rice, The Son of God, A Verse-by-Verse Commentary on the GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN, n.d., 399.
B. A Mind Made Up of Unbelief - "I Will Not Believe" (v. 25)
B. A Mind Made Up of Unbelief - "I Will Not Believe" (v. 25)
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
The Print = Tupos, or Type
Examples/Patterns - ,; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Figure - ;
Pattern/Fashion/Form - ;
Nails - only other reference is in (ordinances...nailed to His cross)
“For dogs have compassed me: The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: They pierced my hands and my feet.” (, KJV 1900)
“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” (, KJV 1900)
Put = Ballo, or Cast (hence thrust [2x])
Will - The real battle ground (Disbelief, not Doubt)
John - Intellect; Mary - Emotion; Thomas - Will
We call him “Doubting Thomas,” but Jesus did not rebuke him for his doubts. He rebuked him for unbelief: “Be not faithless, but believing.” Doubt is often an intellectual problem: we want to believe, but the faith is overwhelmed by problems and questions. Unbelief is a moral problem; we simply will not believe. What was it that Thomas would not believe? The reports of the other Christians that Jesus Christ was alive. The verb said in means that the disciples “kept saying to him” that they had seen the Lord Jesus Christ alive. No doubt the women and the Emmaus pilgrims also added their witness to this testimony. On the one hand, we admire Thomas for wanting personal experience; but on the other hand, we must fault him for laying down conditions for the Lord to meet...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!” [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 393-394.]
With John, the resurrection of Christ made a demand on the intellect; with Mary Magdalene, on the heart; now, with Thomas, it makes a demand on the will. [John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications, 2001), .]
What was it that Thomas would not believe? The reports of the other Christians that Jesus Christ was alive. The verb said in means that the disciples “kept saying to him” that they had seen the Lord Jesus Christ alive. No doubt the women and the Emmaus pilgrims also added their witness to this testimony. On the one hand, we admire Thomas for wanting personal experience; but on the other hand, we must fault him for laying down conditions for the Lord to meet. [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 393.]
John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications, 2001), .
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 394.[Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 393-394.]
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 393.
As you review these three appearances of Christ, you can see the different results. With Mary, the issue was her love for Christ. She missed Him and wanted to take care of His body. With the disciples, the issue was their hope. All their hope was gone; they were locked in a room, huddling together in fear! With Thomas, the issue was faith: he would not believe unless he saw proof. Because Jesus Christ is alive today, our faith is secure. “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain” (). We have a living hope through His resurrection from the dead. says, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” [Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 268.]
Application: Thomas was missing out on the sacred savior centered assembly, and he refused to believe that Jesus had been with them. But it wasn't the disciples' fault, they made sure that they kept the church a place where Jesus could be in the middle.
II. A Deliberate Directive ()
II. A Deliberate Directive ()
A. The Master in the Midst - "Peace be unto you" (v. 26)
A. The Master in the Midst - "Peace be unto you" (v. 26)
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Thomas came back
“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” (, KJV 1900)
“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (, KJV 1900)
Note - Even when you miss ONE Sunday, you can miss a lot that the Lord might do!
We can all thank God that the “others” somehow got Thomas to come to their next “meeting” eight days later. In every generation there are those who have patiently and lovingly built relationships of trust so that they have been able to bring some honest seeker to the “meeting.” [Roger L. Fredrikson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, John, vol. 27, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1985), 278.]
Roger L. Fredrikson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, John, vol. 27, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1985), 278.
Same as before (save Thomas' presence)
Jesus turns directly to Thomas as if he had come expressly for his sake. He reveals his knowledge of the doubt in the mind of Thomas and mentions the very tests that he had named (25). [A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), .]
“Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” (, KJV 1900)
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (, KJV 1900)
“And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” (, KJV 1900)
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” (, KJV 1900)
“(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)” (, KJV 1900)
B. His Message to the Unbelieving - "Reach...behold...reach...thrust...be not faithless" (v. 27)
B. His Message to the Unbelieving - "Reach...behold...reach...thrust...be not faithless" (v. 27)
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
When you behold the Lord in eyes of faith, the natural reaction is to cast yourself upon Him
BE NOT ... BUT = pres/middle/impv/prohibition, "stop becoming an unbeliever, and start becoming 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 , where God warns against “an evil heart of unbelief” (). [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 394.]
The Lord's Loving Rebuke, think about it... "Face to face...hath this hope...purifieth himself..."
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Application: When Thomas finally got back to the place where he could hear Jesus' Word calling to him, and opened his eyes to behold the Wounds of his Lord, he was moved in worshipful wonder at the experience he had in meeting Jesus. There's only so much we can do for someone, and then the Lord has to step in and touch their heart. But if we don't have Jesus in our midst, they'll walk out as empty as when they came in.
III. Dispelled Disbelief ()
III. Dispelled Disbelief ()
A. A Confession of Faith - "My Lord and My God" (v. 28)
A. A Confession of Faith - "My Lord and My God" (v. 28)
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
John’s purpose, to demonstrate the deity of Christ, climaxes in this confession of Thomas. John affirms that, if unconvinced by His birth, life, works, and death, even a doubter like Thomas could find irrefutable proof of Christ’s deity in His resurrection. [W. A. Criswell et al., eds., Believer’s Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991), .]
Testimonies to Jesus' Deity in John's Gospel:
1. John the Baptist ()
1. John the Baptist ()
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
2. Nathanael ()
2. Nathanael ()
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
3. Jesus Himself (; )
3. Jesus Himself (; )
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
4. Peter ()
4. Peter ()
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
5. The Blind Man ()
5. The Blind Man ()
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
6. Martha ()
6. Martha ()
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
7. Thomas ()
7. Thomas ()
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
8. John Himself ()
8. John Himself ()
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
Application:
The disbelief of the apostle is the means of furnishing us with a full and satisfactory demonstration of the resurrection of our Lord.
B. Blayney, Thomas Scott, and R.A. Torrey with John Canne, Browne, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 81.
Throughout the divine dispensations every doctrine and every important truth is gradually revealed;
and here we have a conspicuous instance of this progressive system.
An angel first declares the glorious event;
the empty sepulchre confirms the women’s report.
Christ’s appearance to Mary Magdalene shewed that he was alive;
that to the disciples at Emmaus proved that it was at least the spirit of Christ;
that to the eleven shewed the reality of his body;
and the conviction given to St. Thomas proved it the self-same body that had been crucified.
Incredulity itself is satisfied;
and the convinced apostle exclaims, in the joy of his heart, ‘My Lord and my God!’ [B. Blayney, Thomas Scott, and R.A. Torrey with John Canne, Browne, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 81.]
“This is the day which the Lord hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord. God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: Bind the sacrifice with cords, Even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: Thou art my God, I will exalt thee.” (, KJV 1900)
“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; We have waited for him, and he will save us: This is the Lord; we have waited for him, We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (, KJV 1900)
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (, KJV 1900)
B. A Contrast for the Future - "Yet Believe" (v. 29)
B. A Contrast for the Future - "Yet Believe" (v. 29)
Jn.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Everyone lives by faith, the only difference is the OBJECT
Believers = God & His Word
The deity of Jesus Christ is declared in Scripture:
(1) In the intimations and explicit predictions of the O.T.
(a) The theophanies intimate the appearance of God in human form, and His ministry thus to man (; , especially v. 17; 32:28 with ; ).
(b) The Messiah is expressly declared to be the Son of God (), and God (, with , ; with ; and ; with ; ; ; and ).
(c) His virgin birth was foretold as the means through which God could be “Immanuel,” God with us (, with , ).
(d) The Messiah is expressly invested with the divine names (, ).
(e) In a prophecy of His death He is called Jehovah’s “fellow” ( with ).
(f) His eternal being is declared ( with ; ).
(2) Christ Himself affirmed His deity,
(a) He applied to Himself the Jehovistic I AM. (The pronoun “he” is not in the Greek; cf. ; . The Jews correctly understood this to be our Lord’s claim to full deity [v. 59]. See, also, ; , where, also, “he” is not in the original.)
(b) He claimed to be the Adonai of the O.T. (. See , note).
(c) He asserted His identity with the Father (; ; ; that the Jews so understood Him is shown by vs. 31, 32; , ; ).
(d) He exercised the chief prerogative of God (; ).
(e) He asserted omnipresence (; ); omniscience (, when Jesus was fifty miles away; ); omnipotence (; ; ; ); mastery over nature, and creative power (, ; ; ).
(f) He received and approved human worship (; ; , ).
(3) The N.T. writers ascribe divine titles to Christ (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
(4) The N.T. writers ascribe divine perfections and attributes to Christ (e.g. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , , with ; , , ; ; ; ).
(5) The N.T. writers ascribe divine works to Christ (, ; , ; ).
(6) The N.T. writers teach that supreme worship should be paid to Christ (, ; ; ; , ; ; , ; , ).
(7) The holiness and resurrection of Christ prove His deity (; ).
[C. I. Scofield, ed., The Scofield Reference Bible: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments (New York; London; Toronto; Melbourne; Bombay: Oxford University Press, 1917), 1144–1145.]
Disbelievers = themselves
The Last Beatitude - Blessed are they which have not seen, and yet have believed
Application: When you walk by faith, God blesses. When God blesses, others notice. When others notice, they desire. When others desire, they might actually come. When others come, they just might meet Jesus. When others meet Jesus, they just might believe. When others believe, they just might experience the blessings of walking by faith, and not by sight. When that happens, they might actually reach others. And the process of multiplying disciple-makers continues.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Your church needs you to be faithful to her services, but that's not enough, you also need to be spirit-filled and led, and do everything in your power to make sure that when we meet, we don't do it without Jesus in the middle.
Your church needs to be a place where folks can come, and HEAR the WORD, BEHOLD the WOUNDS, and WONDER at the LOVE of a PERSONAL TOUCH from the Lord.
Your life needs to be one that others look at and notice God's abundant blessings, because you just walk by faith!