Thomas: A Disciple Under Pressure Series

THOMAS: A DISCIPLE UNDER PRESSURE

JOHN 11:1-16

#ApostleThomas

INTRODUCTION… Known for one thing

Some people are known for one thing. We sometimes call that “a one shot wonder” or a signature or a trademark. We can also use the phrase “one trick pony” or notorious. Some people are known for one thing.

* Vanilla Ice is known for “Ice Ice Baby”

* Macaulay Culkin is known for “Home Alone”

* William Hung has an infamous American Idol audition

* Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson

* Tonya Harding is known for attacking Nancy Kerrigan

* Gary Dahl created the pet rock

* Colonel Sanders is known for fried chicken

Some people are known for one thing even in the Bible:

* Noah built an ark

* Abel got killed

* Lot’s wife looked back

* Balaam is known for having a talking donkey

* Judas Iscariot is a betrayer

* Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus carry the cross

* Stephen was the first Christian martyr

Many times, the lives of people in the Bible are there so that we can learn from them. We may learn what TO DO as we emulate them or we may learn WHAT NOT TO DO as we learn a lesson from them.

Today we are starting a three-week series on the Apostle Thomas. Most of the time all we know about Thomas is that he was an apostle of Jesus that doubted. “Doubting Thomas” is famous for one thing and one thing only. I think there is more to him than that. I know there is more to him than that! I hope! This three-week series is going to focus on the three passages in which we find the Apostle Thomas speaking.

John 11:1-17 (today)

John 14:1-7 (next week)

John 20:24-29 (in two weeks)

TRANSITION

Before we dig into John 11, we need to know that there is intense pressure around Jesus and we need to know where the pressure comes from. By pressure I mean physical stress, emotional turmoil, and most likely spiritual warfare. By pressure, I mean societal pressure to hush and sit down. Where does this pressure come from?

THE PRESSURE

The pressure that Thomas and the other disciples are feeling are book ends of John 11. Context is always important in the Bible. The miracle that Jesus performs in John 11 comes at a time of high tension and He does it at great personal risk. What is the pressure filled context?

In John 10, we are told that Jesus is continuing to stir up dissension and not everyone wants to hear what He has to say. Times of teaching are getting heated and violent.

READ JOHN 10:19-21 (ESV)

“There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of One who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

If You are the Son of God, crowds calling you “a demon” or “insane” is going to cause some stress for those who believe in You. If I were Jesus (and I ain’t!), I might be discouraged that I have been ministering, teaching, healing, and performing miracles resulting in people defining me as “evil.” I would be discouraged at most and perplexed at the least.

Jesus continues to teach and preach and share that He is the Son of God. He continues amid the pressure to share the message that God the Father gave Him. It is a message that resonates well with some and not so much with others.

A little bit later in the same chapter…

READ JOHN 10:31 (ESV)

“The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.”

A little bit later in the same chapter…

READ JOHN 10:39-40 (ESV)

“Again they sought to arrest Him, but He escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there He remained.”

Those are the types of things happening before we read about Lazarus being raised from the dead. Jesus’ popularity with some folks is on the rise and His unpopularity with others continues to decline. How do we know this? Immediately after Jesus brings Lazarus back from the dead we read…

READ JOHN 11:47-57 (ESV)

“So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this Man performs many signs. 48 If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that One Man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put Him to death. 54 Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there He stayed with the disciples. 55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That He will not come to the feast at all?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest Him.”