Thomas Sees Jesus: Series – Seeing Jesus
John 20:24-29 Apr 29, 2007
Intro:
Have you ever felt like you really missed out? Like others around you got to experience something that you didn’t?
Every year we have an annual “pastor’s and spouses” conference in November. In Banff. At the Banff Springs hotel, where we have such a strong and long history that we get great rates for a great conference in their great facility. Most years I attend with thanks to you, my church, for sending Joanne and I for these 3 days of connecting with others pastors, professional development through the sessions, and some relaxation and inspiration.
Last November, I really needed to go. I needed to be around my friends and peers in ministry, Joanne and I needed to get away, I needed the time to sit in worship where I wasn’t responsible, didn’t have to preach, didn’t have any expectations, and could just pour my heart out to God and see Him and meet Him and be refreshed. It was even over Joanne’s birthday, and we so we were both very much looking forward to going.
Joanne and Thomas had gone ahead of me and were in Calgary already, and I drove down Sunday after preaching, and we were to leave on Monday for Banff. Sunday night, in the middle of the night, Thomas got sick. Joanne and I hoped, and prayed, held out for improvement so we could maybe still go Tuesday, but nope. We had to cancel.
Let me tell you, we were disappointed. It was unavoidable – one of those things that life throws at you that you just deal with – but we were disappointed. For me, a big chunk of the disappointment was in knowing that I was going to see Jesus, that God was going to be there, that it was going to be a time of refreshing and inspiring and connecting, and I knew that many good friends would be there getting to experience something, and I missed out.
Can you relate to that feeling? Especially from the spiritual side – do you ever feel like you are missing out? Maybe as you heard stories earlier of where people are seeing God in their lives, you feel like you are missing out… Maybe it comes from a conversation with a friend, who shares something that God has done in their life, and you look at your life and feel like you are missing out. Perhaps it is even from taking a look at your own life and remembering a time when you were more spiritually alive – you were walking more closely with God – you were living in more of His power every day and seeing amazing things happen in you and your family and in your ministry, and then you contrast that with today and you think “I am missing out…” Can you relate? It is like you are walking by a dining room, and can see and smell this incredible buffet, smiling faces sitting at tables and enjoying the feast, and you are left outside feeling hungy.
Bridge:
In our journey to see Jesus, the way His disciples saw Him after the resurrection, I want to tell you a story of someone else who missed out. At least at first…
Where was Thomas? (Jn 20:24-29 NLT)
“One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came.”
Already, I have to back up to last week’s story. Hopefully you were here as we talked about this incredible experience that the disciples had. It was the evening of resurrection day, two disciples had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and had returned to Jerusalem to tell their story of this incredible news that Jesus is alive. Luke told us that while they were telling their story, Jesus Himself appeared. Wow! What an experience – most of them, for the very first time, saw the resurrected Jesus. They got to see, to hear, to touch, to experience for themselves the incredible miracle of resurrection…
Here is a little tiny detail from Luke, worth noticing: “within the hour they (the Emmaus road disciples) were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them… and they told their story” (Lk 24:33).
Notice this – all eleven remaining disciples (Judas, the betrayer, was the 12th disciple and was obviously the missing one) were there when these two arrive and begin to tell their story. But now John tells us “Thomas was not with the others when Jesus came”. He was there at the start, but not when Jesus shows up. He heard the beginning, but then he missed out. The best part was coming, everyone else got to see Jesus, but Thomas wasn’t there.
We have no idea why not. Scripture says nothing more. What happened? Why did he leave? Where did he go? I have a guess. It’s an educated guess, but still a total and complete guess. I think Thomas got fed up. I think he thought he was hearing nonsense. I think he got overwhelmed, frustrated, confused, and couldn’t stand to sit there any longer and hear what he might have thought was insane talk, and so he left. That is my guess – a complete guess, but a possibility. Regardless of the reason, Thomas missed out.
Other’s Stories Are Not Enough (vs 25):
“They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
This is gold. Again, reaching back into last week we talked about how we are called to simply tell our stories, remember? The heart of evangelism, telling our stories. And that is exactly what the rest of the disciples do with Thomas – “They told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’” It is great, exactly according to plan, the very thing that Jesus commanded them to do.
And it isn’t enough. Not sufficient. And this is a great thing. They do exactly what they are supposed to do, it isn’t enough, and this is a great thing.
Are you with me? There is no such thing as borrowing faith. No such thing as being able to live vicariously through someone else’s faith. There is no back door in the Kingdom of God where you can sneak in a friend. You can’t give someone else your proxy and expect to be counted among the righteous. You have to experience Jesus for yourself.
There are no short-cuts. No coat-tails. No sliding in because your parents were Christians or because you hung around with a bunch of Christians or even acted like one yourself.
This is why I love this Thomas story. He shows us that we need to meet Jesus for ourselves. Others’ words, others’ stories, others’ testimonies – as great and inspiring and encouraging as they are – are no substitute for your own. You need to see the risen Jesus for yourself. Jesus talked about a whole group of people who at the last days will say “Hey, we did all kinds of great things for you, we even cast out demons in Your name…” and Jesus looks and says, “I never knew you…” (Mt 25:31-46).
Thomas has the courage to say “I have to see this for myself… I have to be convinced, I have to experience it, this is too important to just take your word for it… I have to meet the risen Lord Jesus. Then I will believe.”
So the disciples tell their story, and it isn’t enough because each person needs their own story, why did I say that is a great thing? Very simple: our part – tell our stories; God’s part – everything else. We get nervous telling our stories is because we think, somewhere way back in our heads, that if we blow it we’ll turn a person away from God and then we’ll be in big trouble. We get nervous because we think the results are up to us. This Thomas story sets us free from all that pressure! It isn’t up to us!! We just have to tell the story – everything else is up to God. That is a great thing. Our stories are not enough to get anyone else saved, and they aren’t supposed to be! They are just to point the way so that others can see Jesus for themselves.
Hurry Up And Wait… (vs 26a)
The story continues, “Eight days later the disciples were together again…” Notice the time lapse. Eight days go by, looks like nothing is happening. No other appearances, no Holy Spirit as promised yet, just eight days of life. Thomas has laid down the challenge, and for eight days nothing happens. I don’t like to wait! I bet the disciples didn’t like it either!! Quick point – it is all in God’s timing. It isn’t ours. God reveals Himself to people at the time of His choosing, and His choosing alone.
Now Look Where Thomas is! (vs 26b):
“Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them.” This is critical: if you want to see Jesus, you had better go to places where He can be found (repeat). Thomas could have walked away, could have gone back to his old life, could have stuck in his heels and said, “If Jesus IS alive He’ll have to hunt me down and prove it,” but he didn’t. He went to places where Jesus might show up, and was rewarded.
If you really want to see Jesus, if you really don’t want to miss out any longer, then put yourself in the right place. Spend 10 minutes/day reading your Bible and praying. Don’t skip church. Don’t ignore your Christian friends. We can’t make Jesus show up, we can’t force God to do what we want Him to do, but we can sure put ourselves in the places where it can, and is likely to, happen.
Thomas sees Jesus (vs 26c-28):
“The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
Thomas saw Jesus. And Jesus offered the exact proof that Thomas had said he needed in order to believe, which, by the way, was nothing more than all the other disciples had already seen the previous week. Jesus looks at Thomas, with great compassion and intimacy, and says, “I am here… check it out… it really is me.”
Thomas’ response is what many call the climax of the entire Gospel of John: “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas sees Jesus, and Thomas responds with the first personal profession of faith recorded: “MY Lord and MY God.”
Conclusion:
Here is where I want to land this story in our experience. Thomas laid it on the line – he said, “here is what I need to see before I will believe.” He put it out there, put down a challenge, and then put himself in a place where IF it was true, he would get to see it. I throw that out as a challenge for any one of you who might be sitting here today who has never seen Jesus for yourself. You’ve heard about it, you’ve listened to the stories, but you don’t yet have your own story of seeing the risen Lord Jesus in your life. I challenge you to define what you need to see before you will believe, and then put yourself in places where if it is true, you will see it.
But I know most of us have already seen Jesus at some point, so to the rest of us (myself included), let’s land the story with our response. Here is the question: is your response the same as Thomas’? Can you, will you, do you say today “Jesus, MY Lord and MY God”? If so, in just a moment I’m going to ask you to stand up.
Let me be clear: I’m not expecting a first-time public commitment, though that certainly is welcome. And I’m not asking for some deeply emotional re-commitment, though if that is what the Holy Spirit is doing in you this morning than I pray for even more. I’m just asking all of us who have seen Jesus and who are willing to say that Jesus is OUR Lord and OUR God, to simply say that by rising to your feet and standing together.
Remember when you were in Thomas’ place, you saw Jesus, you responded then, is your response still the same today? Today, is Jesus YOUR Lord and YOUR God? If so, please stand. Let us say Thomas’ words together: “My Lord, and my God.”
I see an army. A powerful army of people with a story to tell, and a God who reveals Himself in the telling.
If Jesus is our Lord, then what is His command? What are His instructions?? Where has He sent us? What does He want us to do? Three very simple things: Love Him, with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. Love others as we love ourselves. And finally tell our stories to those others so they know why we love them and why we love God.
And then we wait, and as we do we pray “may Your Kingdom come, and Your will be done.”
