Missouri Thomas
Let’s suppose this morning that we could read the headlines that would have taken place in the week after that first Easter. What would the headlines have looked like if there were a Jerusalem Post in first century Palestine? Possibly the following:
“CRUCIFIED JESUS REPORTED TO BE ALIVE”
“ONE DISCIPLE HAS DOUBTS”
The first story, depending on the perspective of the writer, might have tried to explain away the reports of Jesus sightings. The writer might have expounded some theories on what really happened.
The Swoon Theory
This theory claims that Jesus didn’t really die, he just swooned on the cross. Christ was nailed to a cross and suffered from shock, pain and loss of blood. But the proponents of this theory claim that instead of actually dying, He only swooned. That when He was placed in the tomb, He was still alive and Joseph, mistaking Him for dead, buried Him alive.
This theory completely ignores the evidences of His death and would require a greater miracle than the resurrection.
Read John 19:31-35 then Mark 15:43-45.
These theorists claim that the cool, damp air in the tomb actually healed Jesus. Of course, then Jesus would have had to perform the miracle of escaping from the tightly wound wrappings, pushing away the heavy stone, overpowering the two guards. And He still would have been half dead. In His weakened condition He could not have walked the seven miles on the Emmaus road.
Christ died. He was dead in the judgment of the soldiers, in the judgment of Pilate, in the judgment of the Jews who requested the guard for the tomb, and in the judgment of the women who went to the tomb to further prepare the body.
The Hallucination Theory
This theory says all of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances were because the people had hallucinations. The big question is how could so many people have hallucinations under different conditions and spread out over different times? And 500 at one time?
The hallucination theory doesn’t work because it contradicts laws and principles which psychiatrists say are essential to hallucinations. Psychiatrists claim only certain kinds of people have hallucinations: high-strung, highly imaginative, and very nervous people. In fact, usually only paranoid or schizophrenic individuals have hallucinations. Hard to believe that all of those who saw Jesus were paranoid or schizophrenic.
Psychiatrists also say hallucinations are linked in an individual’s subconscious--to particular past experiences and this was certainly not a part of any past experience.
The Impersonation Theory
This is the theory that it was really someone impersonating Jesus. They argue this angle because they didn’t recognize Him at first (or at all).
The problem with this theory is that it would have been impossible to impersonate Christ’s wounds. Maybe in Hollywood today. This was Christ’s proof to Thomas that it was really Him. Also, remember that these guys had been with Jesus for three years and it’s hard to believe anybody could have fooled them.
The Spiritual Resurrection Theory
This is the view that Christ’s resurrection was not a physical resurrection, that this was only a spiritual resurrection. Well, I’ll tell you, a physical body did disappear from the tomb. If it was only a spiritual resurrection, then what happened to the body? The body was there, then it was gone. The Sadducees or Pharisees were never able to produce the body or disprove the resurrection.
1st Corinthians 15 teaches us that Christ not only arose, but that He arose with a glorified body that had unique capacities. First Corinthians 15:44 calls it a spiritual body, but it was a physical body as well. Jesus’ resurrected body is, at the same time, like ours and not like ours.
The Theft Theory
This theory says the disciples stole the body and claimed that He rose from the dead. Again, such a theory ignores the evidence of the linen wrappings and the empty tomb. If someone had stolen the body, they would not have taken the time to remove the wrappings. They would have taken the body, as is.
Further, there is the question of who COULD or WOULD steal the body under the circumstances.
A. Romans would not; they were there to guard it. The tomb was sealed and they were there to protect it against theft.
B. Not the women, because, remember, they were wondering who would remove it for them when they went early Sunday morning to finish burial preparations.
C. Couldn’t be the Jews because they had requested a Roman guard to protect the tomb against theft. This last point is very significant because the presence of the Roman soldiers and the Roman seal over the door made the possibility of the religious leaders claims of theft way more difficult, if not impossible.
The Unknown Tomb Theory
This is one of the earliest theories. They try to explain everything away by saying the disciples forgot where the tomb was. The Gospel indicates that Joseph of Arimathea took the body to his own private tomb. According to Scripture, the body of Christ was prepared for burial according to the burial customs of the Jews; the women sat opposite the tomb and watched. Not only did Joseph of Arimathea and the women know where the tomb was, so did the Romans--they placed a guard there. (McDowell, pp. 77-78).
It seems to me that the only theory that hasn’t been claimed is the shooter on the grassy knoll theory. But none of these theories adequately deals with the hard evidence of the facts that tell of the resurrection of Jesus. The evidence shows that Jesus rose from the grave. All of the evidence points to this fact.
But then we meet Thomas. It’s a little known fact that Thomas is originally from Missouri. You know, the “show-me” state. You know, don’t tell me about what you’re going to do for me. Don’t write to me about something that has happened. Show me.
Verse 24 “But Thomas (who was called the twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
All the disciples were there. All, except Thomas. Why not? Where was he? Maybe he was on his way to meet them and he had a flat tire. Maybe he was just running a little late because he got caught behind a tractor. Or maybe he got stopped by a train. Oh, I know, he got lost and refused to stop and ask for directions.
Verse 25 “So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
The first person the disciples witness to is Thomas. The words they use (We have seen the Lord) are almost exactly the same (I have seen the Lord) that Mary used to tell the disciples of her seeing Jesus. Thomas didn’t believe the disciples, but note, the disciples didn’t believe Mary, either. Thomas gets the bum rap of being a “Doubting Thomas”. But he wasn’t alone in his doubt.
We might recall that Peter had doubts when Jesus called him out onto the water. When he doubted, he began to sink, and doubt does feel like that, that sinking feeling, as if we are going under. And yet Jesus didn’t cast Peter out for his doubts.
In our scripture, Jesus appears twice. The only reason I can tell is that Thomas wasn’t there for the first one. Why do I think of the story of the lost sheep? The shepherd on that night went out to find the one missing lamb. Jesus came for a repeat visit in this story because one had not had the same chance as the others to come to faith.
Verse 26 “A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them.” So I see, Thomas made it this time. Peter probably gave him a ride. Thomas demands to see and touch Jesus. Jesus “showed” Thomas from Missouri.
His confession, “My Lord and my God!” goes far beyond any other confessions found in the Gospels. “So it comes about that the most outrageous doubter of the resurrection of Jesus utters the greatest confession of the Lord who rose from the dead” (Beasley-Murray, 385).
Jesus responds by giving a special blessing to “those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This is encouragement for us, we who have not seen, yet believe. The ones who saw Jesus in person have no advantage over those who haven’t.
Thomas got a bum rap as a doubter. He was no more a doubter than the other disciples were. But I think the greatest doubters are those who ascribe to the theories that I described earlier. It’s easy to criticize what you don’t understand. And it’s easier to be critical than to be correct.
Two taxidermists stopped in front of a window where an owl was on display. They immediately began to criticize the way it was mounted. Its eyes were not natural; its wings were not in proportion with its head; its feathers were not neatly arranged; and its feet could be improved. Just when they had finished with their criticism, the owl turned his head...and blinked. It’s easier to be critical than correct.
Once, when a stubborn disputer seemed unconvinced, Abraham Lincoln said, "Well, let’s see, how many legs has a cow?"
"Four, of course," came the reply disgustedly.
"That’s right," agreed Lincoln. "Now suppose you call the cow’s tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"
"Why, five, of course," was the confident reply.
"Now, that’s where you’re wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow’s tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg."
And claiming Jesus swooned, was impersonated, his body was stolen, people were hallucinating, or any other cockamamie theory you want to come up with, doesn’t make it so.
Jesus died. Jesus was raised up on the third day. As Jesus told Thomas in verse 27: “Stop doubting and believe.”
