The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen
the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the
print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name.
Easter was a week ago, but this story is just as important as last week's. Last Sunday we saw all the disciples there except Thomas. He missed it. The next Sunday, Thomas, along with the others, experienced an Easter–a personal one. There are important things in life, but we must consider God and His plan. We need to constantly consider the awfulness of His death and the privilege every Sunday to be in His house. Everyday we see the reality of God; we are not without Him for He said in John that I will be with you alway.
Many times we absent ourselves from God. The first Easter all the disciples were there except Judas and Thomas. Judas had hanged himself because he betrayed Jesus. We don't know where Thomas was. Because of his absence he missed out on that morning altogether. The others told him what happened. He wouldn't believe him to be Jesus unless he could touch and see the wounds. When Jesus came into the room all of them rejoiced but Thomas.
You have let Easters come and go through the days, months and years–days absent from Him– though you've heard it and felt His presence. You deliberately avoided, just as Thomas did. Even Peter stuck with the others that first time. Thomas didn't but should have. It is not just a privilege to come to church, you should come. We need to be in church and need to be with each other. As Thomas did, how long have you absented yourself from God? Thomas was not there, so he doubted. Do you doubt your need of church–then you doubt too much. Do you doubt your need of God–then you doubt too much. Do you doubt the possibility of going to hell–then you doubt too much. God and His Word are sure. His house is sure. No one is perfect, but the church is sturdy. God's Word does not suit every whim and fashion. We need God.
Thomas followed Jesus for three years; he was a disciple and apostle, but somehow he didn't see the need to be there that first Easter. Thomas doubted the others and when we separate ourselves from others, we find fault in God and His people. The reason Thomas didn't have Easter the week before is because he was absent. He set conditions and if they were not met he said he wouldn't believe. Are we setting our conditions? WE ARE IN NO PLACE TO SET CONDITIONS WITH GOD.
God is not faithless; He has confidence in us. We're all a Thomas, a Peter and even a Judas at some time or another. We all fail. Thomas' Easter was tough. We need to quit fooling around and believe. Thomas said he would not believe until the touched and felt the wounds. Jesus had already hurt; his wounds were only 10 days old, and the doubt prodded Him yet again. Every time we start to doubt, we start prodding. We hurt Him with our doubts, stubbornness, and our absence as much as we touch Him with our faith. Touching Jesus is the same–doubt/faith, rejection/acceptance–they each touch Jesus.
How much have you doubted? Early church fathers say Thomas was the servant of Jairus. Right after Jairus' daughter was raised from the dead Thomas began to follow Jesus. He saw the raising of Lazarus. When others told Jesus not to go to Jerusalem because the Jews wanted to kill him, Thomas said let us also go, that we may die with him.– NO DOUBT. In the upper room, it was Thomas who spoke up and said Lord,we know not wither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Thomas admitted that he didn't understand it, but there was NO DOUBT. It is not wrong to ask God to show explain something further, but we should not doubt Him.
From today's Sunday school lesson we saw that Jesus commanded the weather, the demons, the diseases, and even death. He commanded, and they obeyed! What is wrong with us?
We make our days so complex–Jesus said I am the way. When we do so, it is of ourselves. When we have problems with the church, it ourselves–we cannot blame it on someone or something else. Sure you can make an outhouse a church, but we should appear in the courts of the Lord–David said he'd rather be in the courts of the Lord than anywhere else.
Peter denied Jesus. The others ran. Before we can look at Thomas, we need to look at them too. The only one that can keep us from Jesus is ourself. The only one that keeps us from the altar is ourself. The only one that will keep us out of heaven is ourself. Thomas said I need to see. I need to touch. I need to prod. Jesus could have said He was not going to put up with them anymore, but He went to them.
You've come to the right place, to the right people, to the right Word. Of all that were in the upper room, guess where Jesus went–beside Thomas. He told him to thrust out his hand–Jesus was that close. Jesus appears right next to you. You can feel Him. Thomas didn't touch Him; he felt small when He saw Him. How stupid was he to set conditions with his Lord. He meant it sorrowfully when he said My Lord and my God. Whatever you do, don't lose your confidence in Jesus.–in others–yes you will; in society–yes you will. But all Jesus ever asked of you is to believe to the extent you trust. He told Thomas because thou has seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. We are those who have not seen.
That's why He died on Calvary. He touched me; He touched my stubbornness. Let's not prod around on Jesus–just believe. Whatever you have to do–by all means do it. Thomas missed that first Easter and if you've missed out and never experienced
Easter, you can this morning. Don't miss out anymore. Let it be a
Thomas kind of Easter for you. I missed the first one too, but I can
experience it just as Thomas did. Believe.
John 20:24-29 & 31
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Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 