THE THOMAS IN ALL OF US
John 20:24-29
My brother and sisters as we examine these first sayings after the resurrection, I discovered that there is a little Thomas in all of us. Especially when someone shares what you had not experienced. We act as if we are from Missouri, you should know what I’m talking about, the claim to be from the show me state. We say that seeing is believing and I believe that is why so many people do not seek the Lord because of their lack of faith in His resurrection. But there is a little Thomas in all of us. Let me shake your memory; many of us although we’ve been switched before, didn’t follow the instructions of our parents because of two reasons (1) because we thought we wouldn’t get caught, and (2) because we thought that although the threat of a whipping was ever present, our parents might forget, but we all know that they never promised us a whipping , they did it.
I’m reminded of a doubting experience I had, anytime you think you can do something and get away with it you are having a doubting moment. Junebug and I were in Uncle Bubba’ yard catching chickens for Aunt Pearl to prepare, then we watched her as she would ring the chickens necks. So a couple of days later one of us got the idea to try this technique call ringing only to discover that we did not master the technique. And when we heard Aunt Pearl coming out of the house to go to the clothes line, we ran off not having time to get rid of the evidence, and she found three chickens with broken necks still flopping around the yard. Now we lived in a little community called Sunny-Side in Statesville, N.C. and you could hear your name being called from any point in the community and we had gotten as far as Mama Roccie’s house when we heard Aunt Pearl calling our names. Mama Roccie heard the call and sent me to Aunt Pearl for the skinning of my life. But for the record, I was not the only one that got a whipping that day. You see we really doubted that we would get caught because Uncle Bubba would have blamed one of the dogs, but Aunt Pearl knew it wasn’t the dogs it was those devilish boys.
Last week we saw in the text how Jesus had appeared to his disciple, all were there with the exception of Judas and Thomas. Judas by virtue of his death, and the text does not say where Thomas was. But in that lesson Jesus left them with something they needed for the mission that stood before them. He left them peace, purpose, and power for the journey ahead of them.
This week we will see Thomas now in the presence of the disciple hearing the wonderful event that just happened. Although he was not there this did not stop them from sharing what they saw. Now we should not ever think that Thomas doubted the words of Jesus when He told them that He would destroy the temple and in three day He would raise it again, that is not where he doubted, but he did doubt his fellow-laborers. After all they were sharing what they saw and what they said had probably irritated Thomas because he was not there to witness this great event. But Thomas’ response to what they were saying was not really being aimed at Jesus as much as was for the fact that he missed Jesus’ appearing as well as he missed what Jesus had given them in verses 21 and 22. In fact Thomas might have been one of those that Jesus was referencing to in Mark 16:14 when He appeared to them while they were eating and the text said that He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who saw Him after He was risen. So it wasn’t because Thomas didn’t believe what Jesus said, it was that he did not believe his colleagues.
Come now with me as we discover how much of Thomas’ ways are in us.
First of all...
1. THOMAS’ ABSENCE COSTED HIM A SPIRITUAL BLESSING(V.24)
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.”
It is not noted why Thomas was not there, but one thing we should note that his absence cause him to miss out on what Jesus was ready for them to do. In fact had you ever missed a service, and everyone that was there would tell about the good time they had, and you heard that so many times that you resented the fact that you were not there, and even more you would not want to hear another word about it? Well that is what happened with Thomas, his request was not to show his lack of faith in Jesus, because he all knew too well that Jesus was the Son of God, but his lack of faith was caused by his colleagues telling him of the blessing he missed, thus causing him to act as an unbeliever.
It was Thomas that dialogued with Jesus during the 11 chapter of John when Lazarus died. It was he according to sources that said “Lord if he sleepth he shall do well.” and when Jesus told them that Lazarus was dead, then Jesus said that He was glad He was not there for their sake, but told them nevertheless, let us go unto him. And it was Thomas who said come, let us go, that we may die with Him.
It was also Thomas in John 14 after Jesus said to them that He was going away to prepare a place for them, and if He would go away, He would come again and receive them unto Himself for where He is there they shall be also. Thomas responded in verse 5 “Lord, we know not where thou goest; and how can we know the way?” that is when Jesus told him that He was the way, the truth, and the life; So what we’ve heard from Thomas was not new but consistent in nature.
Secondly verse 27 shows us...
2. THOMAS RECEIVING WHAT HE ASKED FOR (V.27)
“Then said He to Thomas, Reach here thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach here thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing.”
It is often said that you better be careful for what you ask for, because you just might get it. Thomas through his frustration had said something that he might have regretted because he gave way to his frustrated ego. He said to the others in verse 25 “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” And here in the text Jesus is giving him an opportunity to do just that. In fact Jesus in part duplicated what He had done eight days earlier. The disciples were again inside, but his time Thomas was with them, and the doors once again were locked, and Jesus came and stood before them speaking peace. He duplicated everything except the giving of the mission and the breathing on them that they may receive the Holy Spirit. So Thomas is now face to face with the Lord, as the Lord extended an invitation for him to stretch forth his finger into the prints of the nails and his hand into His side. Oh, don’t we feel embarrassed when someone aproaches us with something we’ve said. Thomas could not deny that he said it because those he said it to were standing right there, and if he would have lied, he would have been known to us as Lying, Doubting Thomas. So Thomas receive what he asked for.
Finally, verse 29 let’s us see...
3. THOMAS’ EYES, NOT HIS HEART ESTABLISHED HIS FAITH (V.29)
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Thomas like many people the boast that they are from the show-me state allowed his eyes to establish the truth about Jesus’ appearing. He did not want to except what the others had said about the matter. In fact he should have believed from the very first day after Jesus’ resurrection. Many times over the opportunity was there for him to believe. It caused me to wonder did he doubt the report of the women that went to the tomb, did he not believe those disciples that went there to investigate what the women said, we know he didn’t except what the disciples told him about Jesus appearing to them. And all was because he was not there to see for himself. My brothers and sister seeing is not believing in this case. You see our faith in God is not established by seeing, it is established by hearing. You see Paul said in Romans 10:17 that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And to the church at Corinth Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith and not by sight);
CONCLUSION:
Well, I got to go now, but before I go, I need to tell you that there is a little of Thomas in all of us we’ll believe it when we see it. Outside those that cannot walk the steps there are some we hadn’t seen since December it’s because they walk by sight, but there are some here that grabbed hold of the vision, and endured the close quarters, and the lack of comforts. But I read somewhere that the African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and on a dead run he can cover a distance greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent animals can be kept enclosed in any zoo around the world with nothing in front of them but a three foot wall. You see the animal will not jump if they cannot see where there feet will land. So he stay entrapped behind the wall. In other word faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life.
