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John: Face to Face with Jesus. (4 of 5)
Thomas: Where does my story intersect with Thomas’ story?
John 20:1-31
We’re considering and reflecting on the message of the cross and the empty tomb of the substitutionary death and victorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and died as our substitute.
1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) –
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”
On Sunday morning we encounter The Empty Tomb and Jesus’ victorious resurrection.
In John 20 we are face to face with a number of different people: Mary Magdline, Peter, John and the original 12 – minus Judas. We’re focusing specifically on Jesus’ disciple, Thomas.
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“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.”
John 20:27-28 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“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!”
Through considering Thomas’ journey from doubt to belief we should experience a personal challenge. Thomas’ transformation from Doubting Thomas to Bold Missionary Thomas should prompt all of us to ask and subsequently answer the question – Where and how does my own story intersect with that of Thomas?
John 20:31 (ESV) –
“...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 20:1-10 (ESV) –
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.”
1. Early in the morning Mary Magdalene makes an astonishing discovery – Jesus’ tomb was empty!
It’s early Sunday morning (the first day of the week) and it was still dark. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.
John 19:25 (ESV) –
“... but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.”
Arriving she made the startling discovery that the stone has been removed from the entrance.
John 20:2 (ESV) –
“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
John 20:8 (ESV) –
“Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed...”
John 20:9 (ESV) –
“...for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”
This has the marks of an authentic eyewitness account.
It’s been pointed out that the Empty Tomb by itself doesn’t prove the Resurrection. It doesn’t say how or why it was empty. It’s a factual observation that it was indeed empty.
John 20:6-7 (ESV) –
“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”
Grave robbers would be in a big hurry. They would not leave the grave clothes neatly displayed. This was NOT the work of grave robbers!
Christians around the world gather for corporate worship on Sunday, the first day of the week.
1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”
Exodus 20:8-10 (ESV) –
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work...”
The day of worship shifted from the seventh day (Saturday) to the first day (Sunday) and this began among Jews in Jerusalem. The only fitting explanation is that something happened on Sunday that changed everything. Every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday!
John 20:11-23 (ESV) –
“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
“ On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
2. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb and then that evening He appeared to His disciples as a group.
We find Mary Magdalene outside the tomb crying and as she wept, she looked into the tomb and saw angels. One angel where Jesus’ head had been and the other where His feet had been.
John 20:13 (ESV) –
“Woman, why are you weeping?”
John 20:13 (ESV) –
“They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
John 20:15 (ESV) –
“Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
John 20:15 (ESV) –
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
John 20:16 (ESV) –
“Mary.”
John 20:16 (ESV) –
“Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).”
John 20:17 (ESV) –
“Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
John 20:18 (ESV) –
“I have seen the Lord...”
Luke 8:2 (ESV) –
“...Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out...”
This is reliable eyewitness testimony.
The disciples were together and they’d locked the doors for fear of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus showed up.
John 20:19 (ESV) –
“Peace be with you.”
John 20:20 (ESV) –
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
John 16:20 (ESV) –
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”
John 16:22 (ESV) –
“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the disciples without Thomas and now He appeared to the group including Thomas.
John 20:21 (ESV) –
“As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
John 20:22 (ESV) –
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Genesis 2:7 (ESV) –
“...then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”
This points to the disciples’ mission proclaiming the Good News of forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:46-47 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Jesus’ greeting – Peace be with you... was a common greeting but it points beyond itself to the promise of Peace with God.
Romans 5:1 (ESV) –
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:9 (ESV) –
“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
John 20:24-31 (ESV) –
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.”
“ 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.” 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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.”
3. Considering the resurrection compels a response. We all need to personally ask and answer the question – Do I believe?
A week later Jesus appeared again to His disciples. They were together in the same house and the doors were locked and we learn Thomas hadn’t been with the others before.
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“We have seen the Lord!”
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“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.”
This episode earned Thomas the less than desirable title: Doubting Thomas but we shouldn’t be too hard on him because church history records that he took the Gospel all the way to India.
John 20:27 (ESV) –
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
John 20:28 (ESV) –
“My Lord and my God!”
John 20:29 (ESV) –
“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Ask – Do I struggle with doubts? Where do I see myself in this story? Am I like Thomas?
John 20:31 (ESV) –
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
1 John 5:12-13 (ESV) –
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Everything rides on the answer to the question: Did Jesus rise from the dead? If He DID then the door of eternal life has been thrown open and is freely offered to all and secured for all who will ever believe. Salvation is freely offered to the world, peace with God is available!
1 Corinthians 15:17 (ESV) –
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”
The foundation of Christian faith rests on the historical fact of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus! The resurrection validates Jesus’ authority to claim to be the solution to the reality of death and to offer eternal life. Eternal life is found in Him and Him alone.
John 11:25-26 (ESV) –
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
The Bible talks about this message as the message of Living Hope. The news of forgiveness of our sins, eternal life. Jesus offers certainty in uncertain times an anchor that will always hold.
Ask – Where do I fit in all of this? Consider your personal story in light of Thomas’s story.
John 20:25 (ESV) –
“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.”
John 20:28 (ESV) –
“My Lord and my God!”
May we embrace with joy the substitutionary atonement (the cross) and the victorious message of the resurrection and never lose sight of incalculable depth and breadth of God’s love for us!
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV) –
“...Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures...”