Nailprints Don’t Lie!

NAILPRINTS DON’T LIE!

John 20:1-8, 24-31

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Gentle Persuasion

1. Ms. Smith was assigned to be a monitor on the playground and caught little Johnny making ugly faces and scaring other kids.

2. Smiling sweetly, she said, “Johnny, when I was a child I was told that if I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that.”

3. Johnny looked up and replied, “Well, Ms. Smith, you can’t say you weren’t warned!”

B. TEXT

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter…“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 6 Then Simon Peter… went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally [John] went inside. He saw and believed. 24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:1-8, 24-31.

C. THESIS

1. The Resurrection of Jesus is one of the most powerful events in history. But its power doesn’t depend on an event, but on the Person who transcends space and time.

2. If you encounter the Person of the Resurrection, you, like Thomas will be transformed for the rest of your life. The title of this message is, “Nailprints Don’t Lie!”

I. THOMAS’ CHIEF CHARACTER TRAIT

A. JESUS CHOSE A SKEPTIC

1. When Jesus chose the 12, He chose different sorts of men. Some were like Peter – who had great faith. Others were like Andrew, who was socially attuned.

2. But Jesus also chose men with defects – imperfect men. He did this to show:

a. His love for imperfect people.

b. His ability to transform them into greatness.

3. One such man He chose was Thomas. He was an excellent example of a skeptic; a skeptic is…

a. A person who lives by the scientific method. Who says…

b. “If I can’t feel it, see it, hear it, taste it, or smell it – I won’t believe it!”

c. He probably responded to the first testimonies of Jesus’ resurrection with explanations such as, “Maybe they hallucinated;” or “Maybe they saw someone who looked like Jesus.”

4. He is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas,” but his doubts had a purpose – he wanted to know the Truth. He gladly believed when he was given concrete reasons for doing so.

B. THE PATIENCE OF JESUS

1. What do we know of Thomas?

a. He was a DEVOTED FOLLOWER of Jesus. In John 11:16, when Thomas learned that Jesus was going to Jerusalem and into danger, Thomas said, “Let us also go that we may die with Him.”

b. Thomas was also SLOW to understand spiritual truths, as showed when he said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5.

c. But Thomas’ question led to one of the most important sayings of Jesus; “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me” (Jn. 14:6)!

2. Christ was very patient with his slowness. Thomas should have known that Jesus would rise from the dead.

a. Numerous prophecies of the O.T. said Jesus would rise from the dead.

b. Jesus frequently told them He would be killed and rise on the third day.

c. The women & apostles testified of an empty tomb.