A Night To Remember
John 20:19-29
I went to a very small Christian school. When I graduated there were 66 people, not in my class, that was the entire high school 9-12 grades. So its safe to say we all knew each other. My circle of friends easily spanned across several grades. Well, one of the highlights of the year was always the Junior-Senior Banquet, equivalent to the prom. Since my school was so small it often was more then just Junior and seniors. The task of planning, arranging decorating the whole nine yards for the banquet fell on the sophomore class. So as a tenth grader I had the opportunity to work on this project and in doing so, sophomores were also allowed to attend the event. The theme we decided upon was “A Nite To Remember”. I can still remember the order of ceremonies pamphlet, especially since I designed and drew the artwork for the front cover. It indeed was a night to remember - to bad I don’t remember a thing. I don’t necessarily have the greatest memory and actually there wasn’t anything noteworthy that occurred for me to remember. Ah a night to remember, yeah okay whatever!
But think back to that first Easter morning, it was just the start of something new, because that evening was definitely a night to remember. One that those present would never forget, even if they tried. So lets read about that night
John 20:19-24 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
I. That Same Day
A. That Morning He Had Risen
1. First day of the week
2. This is why we worship on Sunday
3. To remember the marvelous Resurrection of the Lord.
B. He had already appeared
1. In the previous verses to Mary Magdalene
a. Mary was weeping outside the tomb
b. she thought someone had taken body
c. “they have taken away my Lord, And I know not where they have laid Him” she says in vs. 13.
2. Matthew 28:8-10
a. Jesus meeting women on road
b. These women had just been instructed by angels at the tomb to go tell disciples.
3. Mark 16:12-13
a. story of appearing to 2 believers while walking.
b. Didn’t reveal Himself at first
c. had conversation about Jesus.
d. His resurrection was obviously what everyone was talking about
Dancing w/ stars, American Idol
e. Eventually Revealed Himself
C. The Night to Remember
1. Not yet appeared to any disciples
a. how do we know?
b. verse 19 disciples were together with the doors locked fair fear of the Jews still unsure, still feared for their lives
c. they had no doubt by this point heard the testimony of Mary
2. But suddenly He appeared
a. Jesus came and stood in their midst
b. Peace be unto you
This reflects Hebrew Shalom , a greeting of peace
This peace is unknown to the unsaved
It secures composure in difficult troubles
It dissolves fears
It rules in the hearts of God’s people to maintain harmony
c. No doubt they were afraid
Luke’s account state they thought they were seeing a ghost
d. He proved Himself with His nail scars and spear scar
Yes there will be scars in Heaven 5 that we know of
one in each hand and foot, and one in the side of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
D. Oh this was truly a Night to remember
1. How could they ever forget?
2. You wouldn’t if you knew someone had been beaten beyond recognition, brutally murdered and buried and then amazingly 3 days later they appeared to you inside a heavily bolted door.
3. All would remember, except one.
4. One of Jesus’ faithful followers was not present.
II. Oh where oh where can little Tommy be?
A. Thomas?
We don’t know why Thomas was absent the first time Jesus appeared to the disciples, but he was reluctant to believe this witness to Christ’s resurrection. Not even 10 friends could change his mind.
1. John 20:24-25
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.
2. Doubting Thomas
a. he was a doubter/ with a purpose
b. He wanted to know the truth
c. I think we are most like Thomas
3. Thomas didn’t idolize his doubt’s; he gladly believed when given reasons to do so.
4. Doubting was only his way of responding, not his way of life.
5. Think about it, really think about it, do you really blame Thomas for doubting?
6. This is a pretty hard story to swallow
Would you believe me if I told you that the square root of orange is turquoise? or
If I told you to always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.
or that 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
Or maybe that you can do more with a kind word and a gun than just a kind word.
7. Doubt can be used in a good way. Doubt is one foot lifted, poised to step forward or backward. There is no motion until the foot comes down.
B. But something changed his mind
A lady was checking out at Wal-mart with just a few items and the lady behind her put her things on the belt close to hers. The first lady picked up one of those dividers that they keep by the register and placed it between their items so they wouldn’t get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of her items she picked up the divider, looked it all over for a bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the code she asked “ Do you know how much this is?” The lady said to her “I’ve changed my mind, I don’t think I’ll buy that today.” “Ok” the clerk said. She paid for her things and left, the sales clerk had no clue what had just transpired.
1. In verse 26 this is 8 days later, Jesus appeared again and Thomas was there this time
2. I can imagine the disciples spending all week trying to convince Thomas
3. Verse 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.
4. Then verse 28 and 29
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.
He had seen and he had believed, but the blessedness of the man who had not seen and yet believed could never be his. Thomas believed will all his heart. His words are few but so profound. And they came from the depths of his soul. In these words was a confession.
1. Of His Deity - “My God”
2. Of His Authority over him - “My Lord”
2. Of his personal surrender to Him - “My Lord and My God”
Oh the lost opportunity Thomas had that first night Jesus appeared. Possibly is was fear that kept him away or even his doubt, we don’t know.
It is said of Sir Isaac Newton that once having dismounted from his horse to lead him up a hill, the horse slipped his head out of the bridle, but Newton, oblivious to what had happened, went on holding the bridle till he reached the hill top and turned to remount. While he, in his mind, was busy here and there, the horse was gone. Similar to the lost opportunity of Thomas missing out on Jesus’ first appearance to the disciples can be a lesson to us. While we are engrossed with other things, and wonderful opportunity might slip away from us forever.
