Thank you, Lord, for the gift of hearing and believing

“Life in His Name”

(John 20:24-31, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 3, 2010)

24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 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.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Now Thomas... (24-25)

Thomas was not with the other remaining disciples when the Lord appeared in their midst on the evening of the first day of the week. On that Day of Resurrection, John tells us that Jesus had reveled Himself early in the morning to Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. Then that evening He appeared to the disciples as a group when they were behind locked doors for fear of their countrymen, the Jews. Thomas was not there on either occasion.

The other disciples told Thomas the news. They said, “We have seen the Lord.” He heard their words with his ears, but he had not yet seen what they had seen. Jesus had shown those others His hands and His side, and they were glad when they saw the Lord. But Thomas had not seen His hands and His side. He had not seen Jesus at all. So he took exception to their confidence in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead.

The apostle John, the writer of this gospel, had stooped down to look into the empty tomb earlier on the day of resurrection. When he saw the cloths that had been on Jesus' dead body folded up where they were, there was something about that physical testimony that touched him. He believed in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead. Peter and Mary had seen the same evidence, but it did not seem to have the same impact on them. The turning point for Mary came when she heard her name spoken by a man she thought might be able to help her to find the dead body of the Lord. He said, “Mary,” and she said, “My teacher!” He talked to her about His coming ascension to heaven, and directed her to give that message to the rest of the disciples. She did tell them that she had seen the Lord, and she told them what He had said. But it was not until He personally appeared in their midst and showed them His hands and His side, that they were glad, and believed in the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead.

Thomas heard their reports, but nothing was happening decisively in his heart when he listen to them. He insisted on approaching this event from the standpoint of visible evidence, proof that could be seen and touched. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Never. That's a strong word. Do you believe that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead? What was it that convinced you of the resurrection? Certainly you did not see what Thomas said he had to see. You did not see the cloths folded the way that John did. You did not hear Jesus say your name outside the empty tomb like Mary did. You were not there with the disciples behind locked doors when Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” He did not show you His hands and His side. You have something else. You have the account of all these things in the Gospel of John, and you have your soul, and the operations of God the Holy Spirit upon that soul, and somehow God has granted faith to you, despite your weaknesses of belief and life.

Eight days later... (26-29)

Well Thomas wanted to see, and he had used that word, “never.” “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, Thomas saw. They were inside, and the doors were locked again, and Jesus came and stood among them again, and He said, “Peace be with you,” yet again. But this time Thomas was there. The Lord made it clear in His words to Thomas that He had heard Thomas' objection. He accommodated his weakness. He invited him, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.” The man melted after Jesus gave him a command, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas said, “My Lord and my God.” Thomas did what the Apostle Paul said we all need to do. He confessed and believed.

Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Thomas confessed before the other officers of the church that Jesus is Lord. “My Lord and my God.” He believed what John believed when John saw that cloths, what Mary believed when she heard her name, what the other disciples believed when Jesus showed them His hands and His side, and what you believed when you heard the Word of God with the Spirit-given gift of faith: God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead! You stopped your disbelieving. You believed. And you acknowledged Jesus to be your Lord. Do not dismiss your confession of faith and your belief that Jesus is Lord as nothing just because it happened to you at a young age. Do not dismiss it because you have come to the conclusion that something was wrong about the circumstances of your confessing and believing. Do not find any reason for minimizing the work of the Spirit of God in your life. The Spirit is the Lord too, just as Jesus is Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17 and Revelation 19:10). Thank Him for any motions of belief that He has been pleased to give you at any time in your life under any circumstances. Hear the Word of resurrection every day, believe in your heart and confess with your lips at the communion table that Jesus is Lord. You are blessed. Thomas said he would never believe unless He saw and touched the wounds of Jesus. By that standard you and I would never have believed. But we have been blessed. We have not seen, and yet we have believed.

Now Jesus did many other signs... (30-31)

This combination of hearing the Word by the secret operation of the Holy Spirit and believing by the gift that He gives of faith, would be the only way after the first century that Christians would normally believe and confess. Coercion could not do it. Relics could not do it. I allow that there are some that have been changed immediately by visions and miracles like Saul of Tarsus, but we cannot insist on that or even expect it. But millions upon millions have done something most unlikely that we view as normal only because it has happened so many times. Faith came to them by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Jesus, the Word changed their lives in the hearing of the Word of the resurrection proclaimed to them. Jesus did many signs in the presence of the disciples. Seven of them, culminating in His resurrection, are written in the Gospel of John so that you may hear and believe. It began when He changed the water into wine at a wedding of two people who did not have the money to entertain all the friends that they had invited to their celebration. He did five other great things including making the lame walk, the blind see, and raising Lazarus after four days in the tomb. Finally after completing everything necessary to take care of our guilt by all His living and dying as the Lamb of God, He did the seventh sign: He rose from the dead Himself as the Man from heaven, the Resurrection Man, the Guarantor of our resurrection life beyond the grave.

These things were written for believers who never saw Jesus, and never saw Thomas, and who never visited Jerusalem. They heard the words of this gospel, believed, and found life in His Name. He is the Christ. He is the Son of God. He is Lord. He is life. Hear and believe.

1. What was the initial opinion of Thomas concerning the resurrection?

2. How did his perspective change?

3. How would the readers of this gospel have related to this passage?

4. Do believers struggle with unbelief? What does it mean to have life?