“Resurrection Sightings – Thomas”

Scripture: John 20:19-31

Today, we continue to consider the ways people experienced Jesus in the days following his resurrection, as well as the ways they reacted to this incredible revelation. Last week, we saw how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ appearance in the locked upper room – they thought they were seeing a ghost, but Jesus turned their minds from unbelief to belief. And in our text for today, we meet another disciple who was absent during that first encounter - Thomas. For two millennia, Thomas has been labeled with the demeaning title of “Doubter”.

But is it fair that he alone has been saddled with this mark? If you think about last week’s text, you’ll remember that all of those who saw Jesus doubted initially! (Luke 24:37-38) And why not? If you and I had been walking in their sandals that day, we would have been just as scared and just as uncertain!

So, how great was Thomas’ doubt, and what did he do about it? Let’s see.

Read John 20:19-23

John’s treatment of the disciples’ first encounter with the risen Jesus is a little different than Luke’s version. First, it is greatly abbreviated and has nowhere near the detail that the other gospel contains. The other interesting thing about John is that his offering of “Peace be with you” can be referenced to a passage earlier in his text. In John 14:27 we read “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This verse is contained in a 5 chapter section that is known as the Farewell Discourse. It occurred at the Last Supper, and would be Jesus’ single largest recorded teaching in all of the gospels. In the previous verse, the Lord tells his followers that the Holy Spirit will soon be coming to them to teach them all things, and to remind them of all that he had taught.

And the Lord breathes his Spirit into the lives of the believers, as an introduction to what the Father is sending to them. They are beginning to be reminded of the words of Jesus, and their doubt is gone. And Jesus will never leave us in our fear and doubt either, and these first are but a very few who will, one day, know his Spirit. For those gathered in this room, and for all who are willing to trade their doubt for faith, he offers his peace, and then shows proof of who he truly is. His hands and side still contained the gaping wounds from his crucifixion, and this, along with memories of his offer of peace, convince them. The truth of Christ’s resurrection removes their fear and doubt, and replaces it with overwhelming joy.

Isn’t that just Jesus’ way? He tells us that he is real, he tells us not to doubt his love or his word, and he will even go to great lengths to prove the truth of both to us. The Lord wants us all to trust him and to believe in all he is and all that he taught, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is the evidence that he wants us to receive, to know, that he is who he is for our benefit.

Read John 20:24-25

But just because we believe and trust in Jesus, that doesn’t mean that others will. And sometimes we are the ones who are to be their first step in faith. And on that day, those who now knew that Jesus was truly risen from the dead, tried to witness to Thomas, who had been absent on that first day of “New Life”. But did he believe what they told him? Hardly! “I won’t believe unless I get the same proof that you got!”

Almost sounds like sour grapes, doesn’t it! “Why didn’t Jesus find me and show me like he did for them. Who am I – chopped liver?”
Aren’t we all at least a little bit like Thomas? We want to receive the same blessings that others get, when the truth is that God has unique plans and gifts for each of us. And if we demand that those plans fit our own expectations and desires, we can so easily miss out on the glories that the Lord has for each of us! But if we consider Thomas’ case, Jesus wasn’t about to let him miss out, and so he shows him the marks of proof that he thinks he needs. And the Lord will do whatever it takes to show us too, as soon as we acknowledge our need to know.

Should we continue to see Thomas as the one who doubts, or might there be another term that suits him better? I might offer a different thought – everyone who met Jesus during those 40 days missed out on who it was that they were talking to, including Thomas. But in his case, it wasn’t his doubting that should have been so memorable – I believe that it was his “self-pity”! Thomas was crushed that he hadn’t received what the others had, but in God’s perfect plan, he was about to be offered even more.

Read John 20:26-28

Jesus returns for another visit, and this time, Thomas is there. The Lord offers his divine peace again, and before Thomas can say anything – not amazement, not his notorious question, and not an immediate recognition of who this was – and actually none was necessary – Jesus already knew the man’s heart. But instead of just showing Thomas the wounds as he had done a week previous, he tells Thomas to see and touch the nail holes, and to put his hand into the spear wound. This is what he had asked for, and Jesus accommodated him.

What is it that each of us needed, in order to finally accept Jesus as our Lord? Maybe we didn’t actually know what we wanted at first, or thought that we needed something different than what the truth of our own “doubt” was based in. I think that most of you know my story – for years I had been asking the Lord to show me what he wanted me to do. I was thinking that it might be to go on a mission trip, to become a lay speaker, or to become involved with some other aspect of ministry. Of course, becoming a pastor was the last thing in my mind, and the truth is that none of this was what the Lord knew I needed.
On the evening of May 15, 1993, after going through quite a spiritual struggle for nearly an hour, I received the offer. The main thing that Jesus wanted me to do was to Trust Him! In my case, I had always trusted in my own abilities, and now the Lord wanted me to set all that I had known and trusted in aside, and to just look to him, to only trust him for guidance.

Thomas needed to lose his self-pity before he could believe; I needed to reorient my trust before I could follow; you will, in all probability, need to let something else go, but every one of us has some issue in our lives that are keeping us from depending totally on Jesus for fulfillment in this life. And when we are finally open to hearing that truth, Jesus will speak his word loud and clear, and it is then that we, too, will, for the first time in our life, proclaim as Thomas did “My Lord and my God!”

Read John 20:29-31

But what about our proof? Why don’t we get physical evidence of Jesus? What did Jesus say to Thomas? “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed”! That doesn’t mean that the Lord won’t speak to us, that he won’t let us know what he wants us to do. But I think that the physical evidence that we all think we need comes from the personal witness of other people. The point of it all, though, is that a change – some change – is necessary for us to believe.

The Pharisee Nicodemus was told that he had to be “born again” (John 3:1-21), that his first birth and his own intelligence weren’t enough. The disciples had to let go of the fears and doubts that were keeping them from believing. Thomas had to let his desire for honor vanish from his life, to acknowledge that “self-pity” will never make it with Jesus. Bill Prentice had to stop trusting in his own personal abilities and understanding, and place his trust in the divine ways of Almighty God.

Each of us has been called to not only let our lives be changed, but to begin living the life that Jesus has taught. Nicodemus would wind up helping at the cross of Calvary (John 19:38-42), the disciples would soon begin sharing the message of Jesus Christ to peoples of many, if not all, nations. And Bill Prentice? Nothing quite so grand, but I have been on mission trips, and I was a lay speaker, and now as a pastor, I believe that I’m walking in the Lord’s will and way, or at least I’m trying my best to do that. And maybe this sermon blog is part of that? Sometimes, we never know!

And how about you? Where is the Lord calling the “new”, the changed, the freed, the Spirit filled “you” to serve? “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet believe”. Be blessed today.