Title: “Christ’s Resurrection Dispels Thomas’ Unbelief” Script. John 20:24-30
Type: Easter/Evangelistic Where: GNBC Easter 2025
Intro: “He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!” That is the triumphant declaration of Christians worldwide on this Easter Sunday morning. However, in spite of our belief in the resurrection, not all individuals adhere to this historical fact. A poll by the University of Ohio in 2006 (Tuscon.com) demonstrated that only 36% of respondents seemed to believe in the veracity of the Res of Jesus. However, since the end of Covid lockdowns, something incredible has been happening in both the USA and UK. In reading from at least 4 polls taken in the past two years a massive increase in belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ has taken place. In these polls, anywhere from 57%-68% of respondents (In both countries!) now say they believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (Daily Signal 3-28-24; Lifeway Research 4-5-23; Christian Index 3-25-24; ICN). In fact, in one poll, 12% of British atheists believe Christ rose from the dead! Another phenomenon that is happening since the end of lockdowns is what has been termed “The Silent Revival”. Again, in both the USA and UK, and as we have seen at Good News, young men ages 18-28 yrs of age are attending church at a rate that is 4X that of the numbers of 2018! It seems as though all the inspirational placebos Western Culture had attempted to use to meet these men’s deepest needs stopped working when facing isolation, loneliness, purposelessness and hopelessness. But the Resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks hope just as much today as it did 2000 years ago that first Res. morning. In today’s message, we’ll look at someone who initially couldn’t quite believe the “Good News”, the disciple Thomas.
Prop: Exam. John 20 we see 3 pictures of Xst’s Res. Moving Thomas from Unbelief to Faith.
BG: 1. The story we look at today has three different time elements involved. Resurrection Sunday evening in a locked and fear-filled upper room in Jerusalem, sometime a bit later in that upper room when Thomas returns, and about a week later when Jesus confront Thomas’ unbelief with evidence of His resurrection.
2.
Prop: Exam. John 20 we’ll see 3 pictures of Xst’s Res. Moving Thomas from Unbelief to Faith.
I. First Picture: Jesus Appears in Thomas’ Absence. Vv.19-23
A. Our Sermon Begins in a Tightly Locked Room with Thomas, our Protagonist Absent.
1. Doubts are often fed by self-imposed isolation and separation.
a. Our story begins Easter Sunday evening in a locked and fear-filled Upper Room somewhere in the city of Jerusalem. On Friday, the hopes and dreams of the disciples and thousands of others had been cruelly dashed with Christ’s death sentence as a result of the kangaroo courts of the Sanhedrin and Pilate. The only completely innocent man in all of history was scourged and mocked, sentenced to die, and cruelly crucified on a cross. Now it is Sunday, and some of the women and some of the disciples have already been to the tomb. There was no corpse and angelic messengers stated that Jesus had risen from the dead. What was this group to believe?
b. V.19 – In this locked room the gathered group is shocked to see in their midst their Savior who they saw dead on Friday! Illust: IN the past few weeks I’ve attended 3 funerals. I never expect to see those individuals again in this lifetime. But what if I did?! SHOCK! Fear? What does Jesus declare to his flabbergasted flock? PEACE! Shalom! In this we see evidence of some of the differences as well as similarities between physical body before and after resurrection.
2. Thomas neither understood nor accepted the teaching of the Bible.
a. John 20:9 states, “For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” In fact, none of them understood why Jesus had to die, let alone rise from the dead. Jesus rebuked the men on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:25-27), “And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
b. Many of our doubts stem from the same cause: we do not understand the Scriptures. Frankly, there are many hard teachings in the Bible, some of which we won’t resolve until we are with the Lord. We have to trust God, even when we don’t understand. Mysteries abound in this life and we must trust Christ.
B. The Personal, Post-Resurrection appearance of Christ Resulted in Unreserved Rejoicing!
1. Christ’s Victory over death is the Supreme Reason for Rejoicing.
a. V.20 - Seeing the evidence of the crucifixion and yet also a living Jesus in their presence resulted in the rejoicing of the disciples! The crucifixion of Jesus was a historical event. It was a reality. Jesus literally was sentenced to death by a Roman court. He was flogged & beaten, He was nailed to a cross. His side was thrust thru by a spear. He died! May I interject that “disappointed expectations” can often lead to doubt. Thomas had watched Christ die. Whole world turned upside down.
b. My friends, the resurrection of Jesus Christ naturally brings rejoicing to those who hear and believe in the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Illust: Christianity stands alone among all of the religions of the world. It is unique and the central feature, the foundational truth upon which the whole of the superstructure rises or falls is this event: The Resurrection of Christ. It makes precious little difference to Buddhism if one rises from the dead, Islam has no time for it, nothing of Judaism is changed if one is not raised from the dead. The core Hindu belief is in reincarnation and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, not a physical resurrection. Yet Christianity rises or falls on this one truth, this one event.
2. As
a. Two times in the brevity of the recollection of this event Jesus is recorded as having offered the greeting of “Shalom” or “peace” to his stunned followers. May I say to you this dear one. You may not be trusting Christ this morning. Jesus is wonderfully gracious when He comes to you and me. The disciples in that upper room were fearful. They were clueless. They were empty. All of hopes and dreams had been dashed. Yet into that fear Jesus comes to reveal His peace. Into their cluelessness He reveals His purpose. Into their emptiness He reveals His power! (Alistair Begg sermon). My friend, Jesus does that same for you and me today. You have no peace, eaten up with worries and anxiety. Peace! You don’t have a clue about life or relationship or what you’re doing or if anything of value in this world. Purpose! You feel empty. Used up by people, beaten down by life. Dull and numb. Jesus will reveal to you His POWER!
b. Illust: “As an atheist, C.S. Lewis saw death as the inevitable end to a gloomy and pessimistic existence. For him, death equaled extinction and was dreaded and feared. When he became a Christian, his entire worldview was transformed, including his view on death. The reality of Christ in his life and the resurrection changed everything. It caused Lewis to enjoy the process of growing old, as he wrote to a friend, “Yes, autumn is the best of the seasons; and I am not sure that old age isn’t the best part of life.” His faith allowed him to embrace death and to joyfully anticipate its arrival because he believed in the resurrection.” (R. Simmons, 4-19-19)
C. Applic: Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them. We don’t know for certain why he was gone, but a likely reason was his depression. The last thing he wanted at a time like that was to be around other people. So he wandered off by himself to brood over the horrible events of the previous few days. Listen, separating ourselves from other believers, especially when we are depressed often only deepens our doubts.
II. 2nd Picture: The Reaction of Thomas to the Testimony of Christ’s Res. v.24-25
A. Thomas Enters the Upper Room to the Incredible and Incredulous Proclamations of his closest friends.
1. Thomas’ Most Trusted Friends Declare Unbelievable News.
a. V.24 – Here’s the kicker. Thomas was not there. Where was he? We don’t know and it doesn’t matter. His world had collapsed. He was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared. The news is unbelievable and Thomas refuses to believe the testimony of the others in the room. Many have speculated that as a twin possibly Thomas had been the victim of far too many pranks in life and he wasn’t going to fall for this prank too. Thomas is refusing to believe the testimony of ten of his closest friends. (Many of us came to Christ because a friend came to Christ.)
b. A doubt-filled Thomas wants to ask questions and his feigned intellectual curiosity masks his hurt and unbelief. Illust: A. Begg says of Thomas: “He’s a good fellow to have around in a classroom when everyone else is too shy to admit own lack of understanding. Thomas is one of those individuals who is willing to ask hard questions when no one else does. Back in John 14:5 when Jesus is previewing His own death and reality of heaven it’s obvious no one is understanding Him. Thomas alone of the disciples asks the question: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, how do we know the way?” To which Jesus drops the theological bombshell of v. 6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”
2. Notice the Terminology Thomas uses in an attempt to Safeguard his unbelief.
a. V. 25 “Unless I shall see…I will not believe.” I want to point something out in Thomas’ declaration that is all too often true with us in our unbelief as well. Thomas’ unbelief was volitional. Notice that he doesn’t say: “I cannot believe…” but rather, “I WILL NOT believe.” Many do not believe because they never take the time to examine the evidence. Over 100 yrs ago GK Chesterton stated: ““The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” Where are you today my friend?
b. Illust: Others, however, choose not to believe in Jesus Christ because true faith in Christ would wreck the plan they have for their own lives. I’ve been a pastor a long time now. Many times over the years I have talked to individuals and their response was: “I just can’t believe in Him.” In many of those instances I have asked permission to ask a very delicate question: “If you believed that Christ was real, would you be required to change anything in your life as it is today?” To a person, each individual replied “Yes, I would have to…” Friend, have you honestly evaluated your unbelief?
B. Thomas Lays the Conditions for Belief & the Conditions for his Continued Unbelief.
1. What are Thomas’ conditions/stipulations for Faith? V.25
a. Literally, Thomas’ response of unbelief reads: “No, not will I believe!” Thomas says “Unless” : 1. I must see the nail prints (scars) in His hands. 2. I must put my fingers in the place of the nails. 3. I must put my hands in his side. Many of us have stipulations in our terms to come to faith and trust Christ. Although God is very gracious and loving…be very careful my friend, “Aslan isn’t a tame lion.”
b. Friend, are you lost in your unbelief because of the “I musts” in your own life? I must have my career…I must have sexual freedom…I must have my addictions and pleasures…I must have financial security…I must have my political views… I must have God on my own terms” Can you not see that your “I musts” have you floundering in an unfathomable and futile existence enslaved to the frailty and fragility of your own mind and meaningless existence? You need Christ! He is risen from the dead. He is God. Quit sitting on his rightful throne.
2. Make sure that your life or lifestyle doesn’t keep you from the blessing of eternal life.
a. Illust: Aldous Huxley, the famous British atheist of another generation was famously quoted for saying: “The deepest sin against the human mind is to believe things without evidence.” Oh that sounds so intellectual and empirically pious, doesn’t it? Yet later in life Mr. Huxley tipped the cards to demonstrate the true reason for his unbelief: “I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently, assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality (of Christianity) because it interfered with our sexual freedom.” (Huxley, Ends and Means).
b. Mk. 8:36 Jesus declares: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” ( Illust – Jimmy 30 yrs ago. Turn to Christ you are dying. No. I have a girlfriend I am sleeping with. I watched that man’s final gasping breaths as he chose a harlot over heaven and hell over healing.)
C. Applic. As I said earlier, Thomas’ unbelief was not informational. He had testimonies and eye witness accounts. Rather, his unbelief was volitional.
III. 3rd The Picture of Thomas Coming to Faith. Vv.26-31
A. Thomas’ Doubt-filled Demands are no Match for the Commands of a Risen Christ.
1. A Doubt-filled Disciple Is Confronted By the Risen Christ.
a. V.26 gives us the timeline. Now 8 days later. For 8 agonizing days Thomas has been deliberating between the testimony of others and his own feelings. Illust: Lee Strobel is a fairly well-known name in Evangelicalism. His Case for…books have sold in excess of 14 million copies worldwide. Strobel was an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. In 1979 his wife’s conversion shocked his neatly organized atheistic worldview. For the next two years Strobel applied the disciples of his journalistic trade in an attempt to disprove her new found faith. However, so you know the rest of the story, in 1981 the preponderance of evidence pointed Strobel into a commitment with the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
b. Listen friend, Jesus knows “your list” just like He knew what was on Thomas’ list of proofs. Jesus will not pander to your and my intellectual arrogance, but He is more than willing to engage with your and my intellectual integrity.
2. Notice Jesus’ response to Thomas’ list for proof and faith.
a. Remember that list of Thomas’? Go back to v. 25 (Read). Well, now Jesus has a few verbs for Thomas! Reach! See! Reach! Put! Believe! Jesus directly challenges and responds to the fences Thomas had put up around his heart. It may just be that Jesus has some verbs for us as well. I guarantee He will challenge any artificial impediment your or I have put up to keep Him out of our lives.
b. Notice Christ’s caution: “be not unbelieving but believing.” Did you notice that Jesus’ words (20:27) reveal that He knew everything that Thomas had said when he was alone with the other disciples? Jesus confronts us for not believing in such a Person who knows our secret thoughts. Jesus pointed Thomas to Himself as the object of faith. He did not exhort Thomas to believe in the unseen God, but in the visible, risen, touchable Lord Jesus. If you are struggling with doubts, read the gospels and ask the crucial question: “Who is Jesus Christ?” What is Thomas’ conclusion? “My Lord and my God!” v.28. What is your conclusion? You and I only have 3 choices.
B. The Special Blessing for those Who Trust Christ Today. Vv. 29-31
1. We are told there is a special blessing in trusting in Christ today.
a. Jesus responds to Thomas’s profession of faith! “My Lord and my God.” It is Personal and it is a profession. Have you personally trusted Christ for salvation?
b. vv. 30-31 – Purpose of the entire Gospel. Would’ve expected at end of chapt 21. Used to think it a bit out of place. Nope. Not at all. Perfect directly after Thomas’ conversion. Even this, the most fantastic of the 4 Gospels does not contain all of the accounts of Jesus…but what it does contain is true and purposeful! Give you and me the assurance to know that Jesus is who He says He is.
2. John Gives us the Purpose &Assurance of the Bible’s Testimony to the Risen Christ.
a. Illust: Years ago the British agnostic Thomas Huxley had to leave early one morning to go from one speaking assignment to another, so he got into a horse-drawn taxi to go from his hotel to the train station. He assumed that the hotel doorman had told the driver of the carriage that they were to go to the train station. So when he got in, he simply said to the driver, “Drive fast. After a short while, Huxley, who was familiar with the area, realized that they were actually going in the opposite direction from the train station. He yelled to the driver, “Do you know where you’re going?” Without looking back, the driver replied, “No, sir, but I’m driving very fast.” Obviously, it doesn’t do much good to go fast if you’re going in the wrong direction! Yet, many people are like that. They’re going full speed, but they haven’t stopped to evaluate where they ought to be going
b. Finally, note that faith in Christ is not vague: it has definite doctrinal content. John wants us to believe specifically that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He wants us to believe that the risen Jesus is “my Lord and my God.” If Jesus is anything less than the eternal Lord and God, it would be a horrible sin to worship Him. If He truly is Lord and God, it would be a horrible sin not to worship Him. Where are you lingering today my friend? Doubt or devotion? The Resurrection of Christ defeats any doubts as to the deity of Christ.
Closing: The preserved body of Vladimir Lenin has been displayed in Moscow for over 100 years. The look of his body has been maintained through meticulous preservation techniques, including treatments with chemical solutions and plastic parts. Not long after the death of the influential Soviet leader, a popular poet tried to soothe the grieving country with these words: “Lenin lived, Lenin lives, Lenin will live.” When Lenin died in 1924, the Communist leaders were terrified their regime would come toppling down after his death, so they decided to put his body on display for a week to demonstrate how Lenin and his teachings would live on. At first, authorities were afraid no one would come to view Lenin’s embalmed body, but over 100,000 people stood in long lines in the bitter January cold to catch a glimpse of his lifeless corpse. The leaders extended the viewing to 40 days. So successful they decided to put his corpse on perpetual display in Red Square where his body can be seen to this day. All of this was done to prop up the things he taught to give him the sense of having an eternal quality. Over the last 100 years, tens of millions of people have visited Lenin’s tomb. Recently, there’s been a growing call to bury the body of Lenin, but one well-known Russian leader made this incredible admission: “Lenin's interment would mean that they've been worshipping false ideals, set false goals and that their lives have been lived in vain.” Lenin is dead and decaying and will never live again. Mark 16:6 records the words of the angel to the women at the tomb that first Easter morning, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” The angel knew they were looking for Jesus and exploded with the good news that Jesus had risen and was no longer in the tomb. Who or what are you believing in today? The ideas and philosophies of dead and decaying men and women or the living Lord Jesus Christ?
