The great declaration: Thomas. Jn 20:24-31.
WBC 27/3/5am. Easter Day
INTRODUCTION
Seen Groundhog Day?
A Sunday School teacher was attempting to teach her young students the true meaning of Easter. "Why do we celebrate Easter?" she asked. When the children replied ’because of the Easter bunny,’ Easter eggs, candy, spring, etc., she said, "No, those are Easter traditions and symbols, but what is the REASON why we celebrate Easter? What happened at the very first Easter?" A little girl raised her hand and said, "Easter celebrates Jesus coming out of the tomb." "Yes!" said the teacher, excited and relieved that finally the correct answer had surfaced. Encouraged, she prompted, "Jesus arose from the tomb, and what does He do for us?" The youngster replied, "He looks to see if he can see his shadow, and if He can, he goes back in for another six weeks."
Contributed by: Abraham Shanklin, Jr. on www.sermoncentral.com
DOUBT
Poor old Thomas. Most maligned character in Scripture
- name synonymous with doubt. Webster’s dic: "habitually doubting"
- actually was a man of great integrity. Honesty & Character
o Jn 11 - "Lets go with Him that we may die with Him"
" Assessed situation realistically
" Commitment- I’ll die for this
- Jn 14, when Jesus is saying he’s going to leave them… prepare a place for them- "you know the way to the place I am going"
o While all are going "uhum. Yeah. Amen"- Thomas comes right out with it: "we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
o Provokes the ’great clarification’ from Jesus "I am the way…". Talking about spiritual life rather than geography
Great things often come out of honest questions and doubt
So - you can’t blame Thomas, here. For his questions, doubts. Can respect him even
- they hadn’t read (or perhaps better to say ’understood’) the script
- people do believe whappy things. David Ike. David Koresh. Those characters who killed themselves in wake of Hale-Bop
o Groundhog day kind of stuff
- stress makes people see… believe… act funny. PTSD
And he’s not closed. Just cautious.
- people don’t go rising from the dead every day
o Jesus did it to Lazarus. Didn’t equate to him that Jesus would do it for Himself
" Seems logical to us who have read the script
Besides- he had seen this Jesus die. He really WAS dead.
Only thing is- all this had led to a bit of a downhill spiral
- there’s nothing wrong with doubt and caution.. but if it leads you to a point where you CAN’T believe… it’s gone too far
o there are two key definitions for doubt
" 1= questioning
" 2= to have no faith at all
… and Thomas is in danger of locking into the second
- disappointed: hadn’t believed the truth about Jesus: military hero to make all go right down here (not unlike the package some sell today!)
- deserted Jesus
- knew He was dead
- distanced himself from the others
- denied what they were saying
- now was making some DEMANDS "Unless so and so happens I WILL NOT BELIEVE"
Your doubts and intellect have become unhealthy when your mind repeats words like: "will not"… "cannot"…"never"… "unless"
Thank God for Jesus
- Jesus isn’t about to let the work He’s started in anybody’s life just die
DEMONSTRATION
Thomas may be sounding like he’s ’testing the Lord’ (which doesn’t work)- but he is still seeking (which DOES work!)
- seek and you WILL find
And the next week he’s there. Showing willing. Going to the place where God might.. can find Him
- Illustr: Beth (if you’re lost, wait and we’ll find you)
o Going to the place where God can find you
And no door can keep Jesus out
- not the door of the huge tombstone
- not this wooden door, locked and bolted through fear
He shows up!
- meets Thomas where he’s at. Doesn’t make fun of him.
- not offended by Thomas’ questions. By honest questions, doubts
o in fact: seems to have come in response to them!
o just for Thomas! One person
" that’s how much you mean to God/Jesus!
" the one lost sheep!
Some questions need to be answered…thought through
- you may need to think through: "what did happen to Jesus’ body?"
o Romans had it- produce it
o Jews had it- produce it!
o Disciples had it- why die for it
o Swooned?
"One lady wrote in to a question and answer forum: QUESTION- Dear sirs, Our preacher said that on Easter Jesus just swooned on the cross and that the disciples nursed Him back to life. What do you think? Sincerely Bewildered.
ANSWER- Dear Bewildered, Beat your preacher with a cat-of-nine-tails 39 times, nail him to a cross; hang him in the sun and elements for 6 hours, run a spear into his side, put him in an airless tomb for three days and see what happens. Sincerely Charlie."
from: Kim Huffman 4/11/4 Goshen Christian Church Faces Around the Cross #7 "THE THORN SCARED FACE OF JESUS" John 19:1-5 on www.sermoncentral.com
And maybe you are not aware: loads of people saw Jesus. Loads
- women. Peter (solo). 2 on Emmaus Rd. Disciples (- Thomas). Disciples (+ Thomas). James (Jesus’ brother). Disciples in Galilee (+ Peter!). 500+ (1 Cor 15! Ask them! AD 58). Paul.
o This is not hallucination stuff
o Many of them died for it
" Including Thomas, missionised India, Thomas was run through the body with a lance at Coromandel in the East Indies, buried in Madras
Most likely you have to think these things through.
- but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know something really happened there!
- And something is STILL happening- as this Christianity stuff really works… and changes peoples lives
o (you see-we still believe Jesus is around and doing stuff!)
But here’s the bottom line with Thomas- and Jesus goes straight to it… and names what he needs
- what you don’t need, Thomas, is proof. That’s not your problem
- what you need is faith! YOU NEED TO STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE
And it’s a true diagnosis, eh? He doesn’t need to touch Jesus’ wounds..
- he falls on his knees and says ’my Lord and my God!"
o the great… greatest… confession… declaration
DECLARATION
Or should I call it the ’great declaration’
- comes out of the mouth of an honest doubter
His questions… or enough of them… are met in the person of Jesus. An encounter with Him. Believing in Him
- I don’t have all the answers. Can’t join up all the dots. But my questions are answered in Jesus
o Don’t even mean they are answered in a ’gushy relationship…experience.. with Him’
o I mean they are met in Him: the story and facts about Jesus satiate me….
" … and I know I want to kneel at His feet… follow Him… and I know He HAS the answers and IS the way.
In fact- I’m more convinced about it than ever.
- the Easter story (Fri AND Sat) is more and more my reason for belief
And look what Thomas believes- declares. It’s the hub of being a Christian, actually
- my Lord and my God
MY: it’s personal. You have to have your own faith and come to believe. You must make this choice… step. Can’t be second hand
LORD: boss, basically.
- everybody follows someone… something
- everybody is someone’s fool
- well: I’m Jesus’ fool. I’m following Him. He’s my Boss (Lord)
o building my life on HIM (first) and His teaching (second)
GOD: this is fundamental. The penny has finally dropped for Thomas. He realises who Jesus was… IS. It’s validated by Him coming back to life in and of Himself (you see- you can’t kill God)
- He realises He is God in the flesh
- This is not some expletive!
- God loved the world…you…. So much that He visited us as a full human.
Here’s where I fall out with the dear JWs… sincere though they may be…
- -… because they believe He was only a good man. Unique man
- to which I say: what about Thomas calling Him ’God’, then?
o "I guess he got it wrong"
o what- and Jesus, a rabbi, didn’t correct him? (that was the worst sin- blasphemy!)
You see it’s fundamental… essential that you understand who He is.
- because it’s who He is that
o tells us God cares
o saves us.
Don’t take that away from people! It’s the one thing they need!
No- Jesus commends him: "blessed are you, Thomas. You have seen and believed"
- …. "but there will be others. They won’t see. Some of them won’t feel a thing. But they will believe as well"
… and Thomas’ honest doubt has helped so many of us believe…. And find Jesus.
Thank you, Thomas!
Thank you Jesus! My Lord and my God.
