He is risen! [He is risen indeed]. Please open your Bibles to John chapter 20. [mention pew Bibles]
Today, we celebrate the risen Christ. Jesus, who died for our sins, rose from the grave three days later, ascended into heaven forty days later, and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. And we are here to worship him and give him glory. Amen?
How many of you had a nickname when you were a kid? How many of you still go by a nickname?
George Herman Ruth’s nickname was so famous that many of you probably don’t even know who I’m talking about. Anyone know George Herman Ruth? What about Babe Ruth? Ring any bells?
And it didn’t stop there. Babe Ruth was also known as the Great Bambino— a nickname of a nickname.
Now, some people get a nickname during childhood that sticks with them into adulthood.
There was a man named Paul who grew up in Arkansas. Once when the carnival was in town, the manager of the carnival offered to pay $1 to anyone brave enough to wrestle a (muzzled, declawed) bear. Paul, who was 13 years old at the time, took the challenge.
And I imagine his mother Mrs Bryant was horrified. Nevertheless, from that point on her son Paul would be nicknamed Bear. Paul “Bear” Bryant.
Today we are going to talk about someone else who earned a nickname because of one thing that happened one time. The Apostle Thomas. You know him better as “Doubting Thomas.” His story is told in John 20. The first half of the chapter deals with Resurrection morning. But what we are going to read together happened on Resurrection evening and the following week. Let’s look at it together. John 20:19-29
Let’s pray together.
This morning I just want to talk about two big ideas that we get from this passage. The first is, How do I obtain life in Christ? How do I become a Christian. And the second is, How do I sustain life in Christ? How do I keep from falling away? Let’s start by answering the first question. How does someone obtain new life in Christ?
Obtaining new life in Christ
First, Overcome your barriers (v. 19, 24-27) Thomas wanted to believe. But something was standing in the way. His doubts. He told his friends that if he didn’t see the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and put his own finger into the wound in his side, he wouldn’t believe.
I’m wondering if any of you have barriers that are keeping you from believing.
Three types of atheists:
Intellectual: I don’t believe.
Rebellious: I won’t believe.
Wounded: I can’t believe.
No matter what your barrier, I want you to know that Jesus is more bigger than your barrier. Did you notice that twice the passage points out that doors were locked?
Verse 19: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
And again in John 20:26
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Locked doors don’t seem to bother Jesus. He won’t force Himself on anyone that doesn’t want Him, but He will meet you on your side of the barrier if you will let Him.
Revelation 3:8
ESV
8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Revelation 3:20
ESV
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 4:1
ESV
1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
See, you don’t have to overcome your barriers all by yourself.
One time a father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus. He pleads with Jesus, saying, “If you can do anything, please help him.” Jesus looks at him and says “If? All things are possible for one who believes.” And the father cries out, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” (see Mark 9:14-29).
Maybe for some of you that’s the most faith you can muster. That’s ok. Because when we cry out to Jesus to help our unbelief, He will answer that prayer.
In John 20, Jesus comes to Thomas and helps him overcome the barrier that is keeping Thomas from belief in Christ.
Let’s say there’s someone like that today. They’ve opened the door and asked Jesus to help their unbelief. If there are intellectual barriers, they’ve weighed the evidence. If they are in rebellion they’ve surrendered. If they are wounded, they are willing to give Jesus the chance to heal them. So what do they do now.
When Thomas put his finger in the nail holes, and felt the wound in Jesus’ side, Jesus said to him, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” And in verse 28, Thomas answers him, “My Lord and my God!” So, the next step is to
Follow Jesus as your Lord
Whenever someone talks about how they became a Christian, you often hear them talk about accepting Jesus as their personal savior. Nothing wrong with that. Every Christian should understand that Jesus saves from sin— Savior, but he also has control of your life— Lord.
Sometimes someone will say, “Well, I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I never accepted Him as Lord.” What they mean is that they prayed a prayer and believed they had their sins forgiven, but they never really changed how they behaved.
Which is bogus, because you really can’t do that. If Jesus isn’t Lord of all in your life, then He isn’t Lord at all in your life. [riff on this]
But now I want you to notice something amazing about Thomas. He doesn’t say Jesus is his Savior and Lord. He says Jesus is his Lord and his God.
Acknowledge Jesus is your God
Can you imagine someone saying, “Well, I trusted Jesus as my Lord, but I never really believed He was God.” You REALLY can’t do that! If you don’t acknowledge Jesus as God then all you have left is a really nice guy who was a good teacher, talked about love, and maybe even healed some sick people. And He can be your Lord, as long as He doesn’t expect anything from you, or as long as it doesn’t cost you anything.
But if Jesus is God, that changes everything! If Jesus is God, you obey him whether it’s convenient or not. Whether its politically correct to do so or not.
Jesus is your Savior, yes! He gave His life so you can be free from your sins.
Jesus is Lord. Yes! He has the authority to rule over your life. And when you surrender to His Lordship you will find contentment, and joy, and you will find yourself making better decisions, and getting along better with your spouse, and living within your means, and getting along better with other people. You should let Jesus be your Lord.
But Jesus is God. That means he is sovereign whether you surrender to Him or not. He’s not just a life hack. And that means there are consequences for not surrendering to His Lordship.
Did you know that Thomas is the only person in the gospels that calls Jesus God? Check it out. You’ll find people calling Him Lord, Messiah, Rabbi, Christ, the son of God, the holy one of God, a prophet. But only Thomas, “doubting” Thomas, calls Jesus God.
Thomas’ declaration that Jesus is God is the difference between Christianity and Islam.
Maybe it’s time to change Thomas’ nickname! He shouldn’t be defined by one moment in time. And neither should you. Maybe you had one lapse of judgment, one mistake that cost you. But you don’t have to be defined by that!
Do you know what happened to Thomas? Tradition says he took the gospel to India. He established one of the oldest branches of Christianity— the Syrian Christians of India.
In 72 AD he was run through with a spear in what is now Chennai. When I was in Chennai last year, we drove past his burial place. The Bassilica of St Thomas is there, and inside is the head of the spear that killed him.
He might have once been a doubting Thomas, but he became a declaring Thomas— giving the boldest confession of faith you can find anywhere. And for the rest of his life after that declaration, he became a determined Thomas.
So we’ve talked about how to obtain new life in Christ. Now let’s talk about how to sustain new life in Christ.
2. Sustaining your new life in Christ
Live in peace (v. 19, 21, 26) Do you notice that three times in this account, Jesus says “peace be with you?”
Live on mission (v. 21) In verse 21, Jesus told the disciples that just as the Father sent Him, Jesus was sending them. The last thing He said to Thomas (verse 29) was, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” Thomas, there are going to be lots of people in the future who never got to see what you have seen and felt and touched here tonight. And you have to tell them.
Live empowered (v. 22) We don’t go alone. Jesus gives us His Holy Spirit.
Live forgiven Thomas left that upper room being forgiven for his doubting.
Live forgiving (v. 23) Forgiven people are forgiving people.
