John 20:24-31.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.
26 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. 27 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. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 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.
Introduction:
The story of the unbelief of Thomas: (1) is found only in the Gospel of John; (2) is strong evidence of the inspiration of Scripture and the honesty of its writers; (3) is both a startling and fulfilling lesson for Bible readers. Uninspired dishonest authors trying to promote a new human religion might well have hidden the fact that an apostle behaved as Thomas did here. Yet it is opened to the gaze of all.
1. Missing Thomas lost out by not assembling together with the other disciples.
• Thomas was absent the first time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection.
Jesus stood in their midst. vs. 19-20
Jesus pronounced peace upon them. vs. 19, 21
Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on them. v. 22
• Thomas missed the blessing of seeing the resurrected Lord. He must remain in fear and confusion while the others received a blessing and were rejoicing (v. 20).
• Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
• We should not be absent from the assembly on the Lord’s day, without good reason. The sermon we miss may be the very one we need to hear. The prayers we do not hear, the songs we do not sing may be the very ones that would have cheered our hearts. The ministration of the Lord’s supper you miss may be the very one you needed to call the Lord’s death to your remembrance. Our spiritual health depends on the medicine God provides. Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Let us learn the value of meeting the Lord with his people, the value of assembling ourselves together. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
2. Doubting Thomas received Jesus Christ’s patient and loving rebuke for slow learners and dull hearers.
• Thomas missed the meeting. The testimony about it by ten of his brethren had no effect on him.
• Thomas obstinately refused their testimony and set himself in array against 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.”
Hebrews 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
• Jesus brought “peace and not a sword.” He declared “Peace be unto you” and then proffered to Thomas the exact thing he demanded. If a thing is needed, that thing will be supplied. Nevertheless, the patient dealing and exacting offer are a rebuke of unbelief (cf. Mark 16:14).
• Thomas broke down under the weight of his Lord’s mercy and longsuffering, in true belief, cried out, “My Lord and my God!”
• Let us learn the Lord is merciful, even in his rebukes of his people. Let us learn from his example to show mercy. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to a certain lawyer, then asked which was neighbor to the man who fell among thieves. (Luke 10:37). The lawyer answered, “He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.” J. C. Ryle wrote, “Our Lord has many weak children in His family, many dull pupils in His school, many raw soldiers in His army, many lame sheep in His flock. Yet He bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to deal likewise with his brethren.”
3. Believing Thomas addressed Jesus Christ as God (without rebuke or denial by Jesus).
• The noble exclamation: “My Lord and my God!”
• Thomas’s exclamation and declaration can be taken as nothing other than a testimony of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. “the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him.”
• Mere Christians and even angels properly refuse the glory that belongs only to God. Jesus did not refuse it!
When Cornelius fell at Peter’s feet, Peter said, “Stand up; I myself also am a man.” (Acts 10:26)
When the Lystrans tried to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, they tore their clothes and cried out, Sirs, why do you these things? We also are men of like passions with you.” (Acts 14:15)
When John fell at the feet of the angel who showed him a vision, the angel said,” See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
• Luke 4:8 Jesus rebuked Satan: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Let us learn and know that Jesus Christ is God. He alone, eternal God, shed his blood on the cross for our sins. Because he is God, “he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.” Let the atheist deny his existence, let the world deny his deity, let the liberal deny his efficacy – but let us, faithful and weak Christians alike, one and all, believe his deity, testify of his Lordship, and follow him where’er he goes! “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16).
Conclusion:
When Jesus died for our sins on the cross, even the hardened soldier of soldiers, the centurion who stood by the cross – seeing the darkness, hearing the voice of Jesus, feeling the earthquake, quaked and feared and cried out, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). They took Jesus down off that cross, they placed him in a borrowed tomb. His body fulfilled his promised three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40) – all day and all night Thursday, all day and all night Friday, all day and all night Saturday[i] – oh, but in the beginning of the first day of the week, he came up out of that tomb. He rose from the grave, he is not here, he is risen. He is coming back to receive us unto himself.
My Lord and my God!
[ii] With credit for this idea developed from the thoughts of J. C. Ryle in his commentary on the Gospel of John.
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