MEETING THE RESURRECTED CHRIST (John 20:24-29) Intro One young American student put it like this: "We

e used to trust the generals, but Vietnam changed all that. We used to trust the politicians, but Watergate changed all that. We used to trust the scientists, but Three Mile Island changed all that. Now there's nobody left to trust." Skepticism reigns! Someone has said that a skeptic is a person who, when he smells flowers, looks around for the coffin. Thats how Thomas felt. Hed like to believe, but hes been taken in once, and hes not about to let it happen again. Yet within a week, this ultimate skeptic was a confirmed believer who eventually gave his life for what he believed. What explains this dramatic transformation? He met a living, breathing Jesus whom he could see, hear, touch and feel -- and it changed his life forever. It can do the same for us this morning. John wrote this hoping we, too would believe. Lets look. I. The Catastrophe of Unbelief

Thomas was loyal to a fault, but an eternal pessimist. Like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, he was a melancholy person with a knack for finding the dark cloud in every silver lining. He expected the worst, and he usually found it! Near the end of His ministry in Galilee, Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus was ill in Bethany, close to Jerusalem. When he announced a couple of days later that he was going there, the disciples were appalled. They knew the rulers were looking to kill Jesus, but courageous, loyal, pessimistic Thomas says, Let us also go, that we may die with him (John 11:16). I suppose he hoped for better, but he feared the worst. Now, it had happened, and he was in despair. He was living the catastrophe of unbelief! But unnecessarily! Even as he despaired, Jesus was alive. Thomas refused the evidence. Some have defended him, but Thomas was his own worst enemy. Heres why! A. He Rejected Christian Fellowship V. 24-25, 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. The word told is imperfect literally, they were telling him over and over. But he was having none of it. He had been absent the previous Sunday evening when Jesus revealed himself to the rest (Jn 20;
1

Lu 24). We dont know why. But his pessimism isolated him. He grieved alone. Now he obstinately rejects credible witnesses. See, we are not made to go it alone. Faith requires fellowship. It will atrophy without it. Heb 10:23 says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering (hold faith, now skip to v. 25), . . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Fellowship initiates faith, and it sustains faith. Someone has wisely said, I dont know why some people change churches what difference does it make which one you stay home from? Unbelief robs us of saving faith, and it robbed Thomas of sustaining faith just like it will us. We need each other. B. He Rejected the Word He rejected the testimony of his fellow disciples. He also rejected the OT. Two disciples (Lu 24) had already been rebuked by Jesus for this failure. Heading home to Emmaus on resurrection day they had met a stranger who asked, Why so down in the mouth? Not recognizing Jesus, they said, What are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesnt know whats going on? Jesus must have bit His tongue to keep from saying, Listen, guys, Im the only one in Jerusalem who does know whats going on! But he held his tongue, and they confessed their hopes had been dashed by Jesus death. He took action. Lu 24:25-27, And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Failure to heed all of OT Scripture led these men to despair. Their hearts burned when Jesus opened it. The same OT available to Thomas but he, too, had missed its significance. He, too, thought that with Christs death it was all over. Had he believed, he would have known. Everything is going according to plan! Its all there. Thomas also rejected the Word directly from Jesus. After Peters confession that Jesus was Messiah Jesus told the apostles, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Lu 9:22). He told them exactly the same thing shortly after the Transfiguration. We are told regarding the last 6 months of Jesus life, From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised (Matt
2

16:21). Listen, Jesus death as well as His resurrection should never have been a surprise to His apostles. He told them repeatedly. But they didnt want to hear it. They chose not to believe what they didnt want to be true. Selective hearing led to unbelief and catastrophe. In Robt Bolts A Man For All Seasons, Sir Thomas More argues with Henry VIII about the kings right to divorce Catherine. Henry actually wants out because after 16 years, he has no male heir, and Ann Boleyn has caught his eye. He piously says, "You must consider, Thomas, that I stand in peril of my soul. It was no marriage; she was my brother's widow. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife. Leviticus, Chapter 18, Verse 16." Thomas answers, "Yes, Your Grace, but Deuteronomy " at which point Henry interrupts and says, "Deuteronomy's ambiguous!" Selective hearing choosing only what we want to hear. Ends in catastrophe! C. He Rejected Christs Lordship Lifes great question, Whos in charge? For most of us, like Thomas, it is self! V. 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. Who is in charge? Thomas is. He sets the conditions for his faith. He sits in judgment of Jesus rather than the other way around. He uses a double negative Never will I believe! Unbelief turns Thomas whole life upside down. Catastrophic failure until Jesus arrives! II. The Compulsion to Believe Love A. Tender Encounter

Vv. 26-27, 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. This is an amazingly gracious encounter, despite the hint of a reprimand, as Jesus basically offers to meet Thomas conditions in detail. By the time He was done speaking, Thomas wasnt feeling very brave or very big. Jesus is gentle here because He responds to soft hearts. Thomas made mistakes; but his heart was soft.

When I was 11, I put my name in a drawing at the local grocery store for a book. Shortly I got a call to come next week, meet Harry Chiti, catcher for the As, and receive this book. Only drawing I ever won! I couldnt believe it. Didnt believe Id really meet a big leaguer. This was big time in our little town. I was a skeptic, but when I went there he was. Harry Chiti gave me the book. That was Thomas, didnt believe hed see Jesus. But knowing his heart, Jesus was gentle. He will meet anyone with a soft heart, just as they are. No clean up necessary. No special preparation. Come as you are. B. Telling Evidence V. 27, 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. This is crucial. Jesus presents Thomas with hard evidence of His resurrection. This was critical to this first generation of believers. To this ultimate skeptic who had known Him and now was unbelieving, Jesus says, See me. Hear me. Touch me. Feel me. Im alive body and spirit. Jesus resurrection was not the figment of someones imagination or spiritual voodoo! It was a verifiable, bodily resurrection. His power over death was total. He invited examination. When Jesus appeared to the others, they thought perhaps it was a ghost. Wouldnt you? Who has ever seen someone back from the dead? But we read in Lu 24:37-43, But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling [they still werent sure, but they knew something good was up so to seal the deal], he said to them, Have you anything here to eat? 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them. They all knew ghosts dont eat. Jesus was truly alive again. He proved it for them and for us. Few historical facts are as well documented as the resurrection of Christ. There is extremely credible eyewitness testimony, the conversion of skeptics like Thomas, Paul and the brothers of Christ James and Jude. There is the survival of the church when Rome did everything it could to wipe it out? Christianity is rooted in history as is no other faith. Many legitimate skeptics have come to faith in Christ while trying to prove He was a hoax.
4

Civil War General Lew Wallace was one of those. He hated Christianity and determined to expose the hoax that was Christ. But the more he studied, the more he was overwhelmed by the evidence for the resurrection. The day came when he bowed his knee to the Christ. Instead of an expose, he wrote Ben Hur, a novel aimed at proving to the world the reality of Jesus Christ. Thomas saw the evidence and John has preserved it so we can believe too. C. Timely Entreaty Look at Jesus wonderful invitation. V. 27, Do not disbelieve, but believe. It is a present imperative. Dont continue to be unbelieving, but continue for now and forever to be believing. That is His invitation to all of us. He says in John 5:24, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Have you responded to that invitation? III. The Commitment of Belief

Things change when we meet the risen Christ. It all came together for Thomas. He remembers Jesus words; he realizes Jesus had to die that it was always in the plan of God. He remembers Jesus promise to rise again, although Thomas didnt get it at the time. He sees that to see Jesus is to see the Father. He sees this is the supreme demonstration of love in history and he is a recipient. At last, he gets it. And his response is instructive. A. Acknowledgement of Jesus Lordship Thomas brief response is one of the strongest affirmations of who Christ is found in the Bible. My Lord and My God. Those who reject Jesus as fully God try to undermine the statement. The JWs suggest Jesus said, Oh my Lord, my God!as in, Oh my God, youre alive! But that simply will not do. That expletive that would have been unthinkable in 1st century Palestine. To Thomas it would have been blasphemous. Furthermore, thats not how the text reads. Thomas is affirming Jesus as the Jehovah God of the OT. The term Lord is used to translate the OT word Yahweh or Jehovah the covenant God, the personal God, the promise-keeping God. The term God is used to translate the OT word Elohim God the Creator and sustainer. The two words Lord God are used together 546 times in the Bible. In selecting those two particular terms, Thomas is affirming in the strongest possible terms to deity of Christ, and therefore, His Lordship over all things.
5

And note that Jesus does not stop Thomas. That would have been blasphemy unless He truly was God and Lord. Historian Huston Smith tells us that when people tried to ascribe deity to Buddha he stopped them. He insisted, "Absolutely do not worship me I am not a God. Do not look to me. Look to my Dharma my doctrine, my teaching. Don't look at me." Jesus did no such thing. He accepted the worship as His just due because it was! Now I believe that Thomas had saving faith before this. But he had not seen Jesus in the full light of His glory, and in the new era of the resurrected Christ, this acknowledgement is crucial to saving faith. John tells us that belief in the deity of Jesus is the line of demarcation between saving faith and eternal lostness in I John 4:2-3: By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist. Saving faith turns on the acknowledgement that Jesus is God. It further turns on acknowledging Him as Lord -- boss, master, the one in charge. Rom 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. If you harbor doubts about the deity or Lordship of Christ, dear friend, you do not have eternal life. You are yet in your sins. These facts are at the heart of the gospel. There is no saving faith without them. B. Acceptance of Jesus Personally Note Thomas confession: My Lord and My God. It is intensely personal as it must be for all of us. Having seen the truth of Jesus atoning death and the massive love that demonstrated, Thomas was overcome. Our rejection cannot change who Jesus is. The resurrection establishes beyond doubt His deity and Lordship. But our rejection can rob us of a relationship with Him. He invites: Do not disbelieve, but believe. Now its over to us whether he will be the Lord and the God or My Lord and My God. Is He your Lord this morning? Charles Spurgeon used to tell of an epitaph he found in an obscure country cemetery. On the headstone were chiseled two words: Freddy! as if someone had called a boys name. Then underneath, as if the boy had answered, one word, Yes. Have you said Yes to Jesus. Hes calls you by name. But you must say, Yes. My Lord and My God. Receiving Christ is like getting married. You can think very highly of the
6

other person, but you do not belong together until you say, I do. At that moment everything changes. And so it is with Christ. Its a personal decision. C. Affirmed by Jesus Blessing Note v. 29: Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus loved Thomass response, but He saves special blessing for those who will believe without having seen Him physically. The apostles needed this affirmation to leave a permanent historical record that our faith is not a leap in the dark. It is grounded firmly in verifiable history. But there is special blessing for those who believe with actually seeing Him. Conc Have you believed in Him? Personally?! Greek philosophy had a concept that history is an endless cycle with the universe occasionally burning up in a conflagration called a palengenesia, after which history, having been purified, starts all over again. Guess what? Jesus looked forward to a time when in His resurrected state He would one day return to earth. He says in Matt 19:28, Truly, I say to you, in the new world (palengenesia Jesus style!), the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne. His return will purge away all decay and brokenness. Those who accept His invitation of eternal life will be with Him. Have you RSVPed to this palengenesia where all wrong will be brought right? Are you in? Have you a reservation? In anyone else, such claims might ring hollow and idealistic, but can you dare naysay someone who has power over death? Toward the end of The Lord of the Rings, Sam Gangee discovers that his friend Gandalf was not dead as he had thought, but alive. He cries, I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself! Is everything sad going to come untrue? For those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and God, Yes! Everything sad is going to come untrue. Jesus proved it! Dont you want to be there for that? John says in John 20:21, 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. John made the story of Thomas, the ultimate skeptic, the capstone of his evidence. Its compelling. Wont you join those of us who have already accepted the invitation? Believe in Him so you can have eternal life. Lets pray.