A couple of years ago we began a series in the book of John
that I affectionately titled, “Things are More than they Seem.” We have
discovered in our study that this is true of life, who we are as human beings,
and what we know of Jesus Christ. In fact, John’s expressed purpose in writing
this gospel has involved demonstrating that when it comes to Jesus, things are more than they seem. Today, all of the
pieces come together in John 20:24-29 and in a dramatic and highly personal
scene, the climax of this lengthy literary work is presented in all of its
glory. In this passage an unlikely individual who is late to the party is used
to demonstrate what true faith looks like, and the voice of a skeptic is called
upon to vocalize some of the most compelling theological truths. Let us take a
close look at this passage by means of three circumstances that work together
to make the case John has been working on for the last 19 chapters.
CIRCUMSTANCE #1: Doubt
Drives a Wedge-20:24-25
Jesus’ post-resurrection manifestations we took a look at
last week would have been life-changing for anyone in attendance. His
miraculous appearance had to of had a lasting impact on the disciples who
witnessed His presence, observed His scars, and felt His breath. However, not
everyone was in attendance in John 20:19-23. In fact, at least one disciple was
somewhere else, “but Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with
them when Jesus came” (20:24). Though we are not told where Thomas was when
everyone had the benefit of witnessing the risen Christ, his “coming up to
speed” episode allows for one of the greatest Christological confessions
recorded and sets the stage for the climax of John’s Gospel.
Once Thomas is joined together with the other ten disciples,
all of them share the great news of Jesus’ resurrection with him, “so the other
disciples were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’…” (20:25a). This short
testimony lets us know that at least initially, the disciples did share the
message Jesus instructed them to publicize (However, as we will soon learn,
their obedience only went so far). This news, although simple, is profound and
would have been shocking to Thomas. First, the statement necessarily means that
not one, two, or three, but at least TEN of Thomas’ closest confidants claimed
to have witnessed the same miracle (that is pretty compelling evidence of the
miracle’s legitimacy). Second, that Jesus was risen from the dead means that
all of their worries and fears about following a man who had just been
crucified had no basis. Their most profound grief would have been remedied into
vivacious victory if what they said was true. Third, their reference to Jesus
as “Lord” means that these men at least claimed to believe that Jesus had
authority and that this authority was confirmed in His resurrection. Quite a
learning curve for Thomas to navigate through in order to catch up with His
contemporaries.
Remember, Thomas did not have the experience the others
shared of seeing Jesus and investigating His scars. Though people traditionally
give Thomas a hard time, it is healthy to remember that he is a step behind
everyone else (exactly where the other disciples were after hearing the initial
news from Mary Magdalene). How did they respond when they first heard the news?
They locked themselves in a room out of fear instead of proudly proclaiming
Jesus’ victory! Poor Thomas gets a bad rap;
however, he is just as doubtful as his colleagues were before they saw Jesus
alive.
“But he said to them,
‘Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the
place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe”
(20:25b). Apparently, Thomas thinks the disciples may have seen a ghost (the
Middle East during the first century was very superstitious). In fact, this
would not have been the first time Jesus was mistaken to be a ghost, nor would
it be the last time that people demanded confirmation of Jesus’ identity (see
Matt. 14:26; John 21:4, etc.).
Ultimately, Thomas wants concrete evidence, the same kind of
evidence that his fellow disciples enjoyed in John 20:19-23. Surely, Jesus, if
His body was truly raised would have some sort of physical continuity with the
Jesus who was crucified (i.e. scars in appropriate areas) (Carson, 656).
However, for the time being, Thomas has not yet seen what He needs to see to
make this quantum leap from skepticism to faith. Because of this, I imagine it
drove an incredible wedge between him and his friends. Imagine being the odd
one out in this situation. All of your closest buddies are enjoying the victory
of hope and life and you are stuck wondering by yourself in a corner if any of
this is true. Thomas was an outcast in his doubt and would remain this was for
no less than 8 days.
Before we continue on this journey it is important to
recognize the significance of the disciples’ experience and Thomas’ demand.
Shortly after Jesus would ascend, the roots of Gnosticism were planted, saying
that Jesus only appeared to be human (the heresy of Docetism, from dokeo, “to seem”) (Kostenberger,
Zondervan Illustrated 190). However, John here and in talking about Jesus’
incarnation earlier (1:14) makes every effort to demonstrate that Jesus both
“came in the flesh” and rose in the flesh (albeit a glorified flesh). In fact,
in later letters to the churches, John continues this theme (1 John 4:2-3; 2
John 7).
1 John 4:2-3-“This is how you can
recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from
God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and
even now is already in the world.”
2 John 7-“I say this because many
deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have
gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”
That Jesus rose bodily from the dead means that our bodies have
a future resurrection to look forward to when we are glorified and become
“like” Christ. Had Jesus not been risen bodily, this doctrine would be
nonsensical and full-blown Platonism is confirmed.
CIRCUMSTANCE #2:
Revelation Creates an Opportunity-20:26-27
Interestingly, the very same scenario is created a week
later that existed before Thomas emerged on the scene, only this time, Thomas
is in attendance-- “after eight days His disciples were again inside, and
Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in
their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you’…” (20:26). The time reference of
“eight days” is an idiomatic was of saying “a week later” putting this episode
on the newly crowned “Lord’s Day.” However, instead of celebrating and sharing
openly the news they have to share, it is obvious in this text that they have
not done well to keep their new resolutions (see John 20:19-23 –resolutions
include 1. Being a person of peace, 2. Being a person of action, 3. Being a
person who shares). Instead, there they are hiding out for fear of the Jewish
authorities behind locked doors…AGAIN! INSPITE OF THE EXPERIENCE THEY ALL
SHARED! You might see why Thomas was unconvinced by the disciple’s message. To
Thomas, their fearful behavior may have validated his skepticism.
Regardless of their faithlessness, Jesus, out of sheer
grace, appears miraculously again and shares the same message, “Peace be with
you” (20:26). I imagine the tenor of His voice implied “I SAID (a week ago)
PEACE be with you” (not fear or hesitation). The idea here, again, is that
because Jesus is alive, there is no reason to fear, no justification for being
idle, and not cause for silence.
After making His familiar declaration on the whole bunch,
Jesus narrows His focus on Thomas and makes an example out of Him, “…Then He
said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here
you hand and put it into My side;…” (20:27a). Though Jesus did not need to
justify Himself in this way, He humbly offers His body to Thomas in this way
for Thomas’ benefit, putting obvious revelation on the lowest shelf imaginable.
Here, Thomas is awarded the opportunity he asked for earlier—a
thorough examination of Jesus’ wounds. Jesus’ allowance of Thomas’ empirical
investigation is His way of reaching into Thomas’ skepticism in an effort to
bring Him to a point of faith. In fact, following His invitation to Thomas, He
calls for Thomas’ belief.
“…and do not be unbelieving, but believing” (20:27b). There
are several ways to translate this amazing invitation. Some translations render
this “do not be unbelieving, but believing” while others render it, “do not be
an unbeliever, but a believer.” However, no matter how you understand it, one
things is certain, by taking up Thomas’ challenge, Jesus proves that he hears His
disciples even when he is not physically present, and removes all possible
grounds for unbelief (Carson, 657).
Jesus’ presentation of evidence to Thomas is indicative of
what He and the Bible has done on a far more general scale. Thousands of
corresponding copies of early manuscripts with no doctrinal differences make
the Bible one of the most thoroughly vetted and consistent pieces of literature—even
in modern day translations. Similarly, secular historical scholars agree that
the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most exhaustively evidenced
events in all of history. These and countless other proofs demonstrate God’s
willingness to offer evidence of Himself in manageable bites for even the most
juvenile skeptic on the lowest epistemic shelf. The myriad of presentations all
cry out the same message, “and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John
20:24-29)
Ultimately, these two circumstances lay the groundwork for
the climax of John’s Gospel.
CIRCUMSTANCE #3: Belief
brings Salvation-20:28-29
We are not told whether Thomas actually took Jesus up on His
offer to insert His fingers into the Savior’s wounds or not. In fact, the text
seems to suggest that the sight of Jesus and His invitation was enough to bring
Thomas out of doubt and into profound reverence.
The entire series we have been working through in this
amazing gospel has been called “Things are More than they Seem” and it is here
that this principle is realized when it comes to Jesus Christ. Circumstances in Thomas’ life bring him here
to a point of belief that Jesus is not just a man, not just a teacher, not just
a miracle worker, not just a prophet, not just a good role model—HE IS GOD
HIMSELF MADE FLESH and Thomas’ declaration of this is the climax of this
gospel, “Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’…” (20:28). In a
gospel that has done its best to demonstrate that Jesus is God, here is where
we see one skeptic’s journey from disbelief to deep conviction in the face of
overwhelming evidence.
His statement is important for several reasons. First, it is
an explicit declaration of Jesus’ lordship and therefore His equality to God
the Father. Because Thomas calls Jesus “Lord” and “God,” he is claiming that Jesus
is equal to God—He is God made flesh. Anything other than this conviction falls
short of true Christianity. Second, his statement is profoundly personal, “My Lord and my God!” It is one thing to say that Jesus has the authority of God
and another thing entirely to subject oneself to that authority. That Thomas claims
Jesus as his Lord and God means that he is surrendering his life to Christ and
entering into a personal relationship with Him.
In this statement we
see a beautiful depiction of salvation. Romans 10:9-10 explains salvation this
way, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting
in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Thomas, after witnessing Jesus’ death personally and coming to grips with His
resurrection declares that Jesus is Lord verbally, demonstrating what is
already true in his heart. Because of this, Thomas is transformed from a lonely
doubter to a faithful follower. Calling him a “doubting Thomas” now is not
accurate in the least. Thomas may have doubted before; however, he ended up
being a faithful follower. In fact, how is this for “doubting Thomas”—Thomas (Didymus)
according to historical accounts traveled further than any other apostle with
the news of Jesus Christ, making his way all the way to southern India where he
was eventually speared by a pagan priest for refusing worship to an idol. I’d
say that Thomas’ life adds to the mound of evidence for the legitimacy of Jesus
and the reality of His resurrection. Not many would travel to the end of the world
and give up there life for someone they believed was dead, especially if they used
to be a skeptic.
Jesus responds to Thomas’ declaration by saying, “…’because
you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet
believed’…”(20:29). Although many understand the first part of Jesus’ response
as a word of rebuke, it is important to point out that Thomas’ faith far
exceeded his colleagues at this point. We will discover in the next couple of
weeks that the rest of the disciples were not yet where Thomas was. In fact,
the one who was lagging behind the others earlier now stood out front!
Therefore, it is better to interpret Jesus’ words as a confirmation of Thomas’
saving faith posed as a question in an effort to introduce the main thrust of
John’s Gospel (located in the second part of verse 29).
“Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (20:29).
In other words, Jesus says, blessed are those who will come long after I leave
the earth and reach the same conclusion Thomas reached—that I am their Lord and
their God. With this statement, Jesus breaks the fourth wall and stares down anyone
who picks up this book, letting them know how they can have real life. Real
life is bestowed on those who in light of the evidence provided in God’s Word,
creation, and experiences reach the inevitable conclusion that Jesus is Lord
and in response surrender their lives to Him. Blessed are these!
So What?
When it comes to Jesus, things are more than they seem. Jesus
is Lord and God! Do you believe this? Those who doubt this (believing anything
less of Christ) drive a wedge between them and God, leaving them in a stubborn
state of disbelief. These know nothing of God, ultimately have no hope, and
enjoy a mediocre and altogether meaningless life. Perhaps it is time that you examine the
evidence and see for yourself. The Bible is the most trustworthy document known
to man with the most compelling and exhaustively evidenced events (events that carry
with them eternal implications). Its characters (like Thomas) were historical
people who were really changed in profound ways and in many cases gave their
lives proclaiming that Jesus rose from the grave! If this is true and Jesus
really did rise as numerous sources support from secular historians of the
first century, then everything Jesus said and did is confirmed. When all Jesus
said and did is added up, it leads to one conclusion—Jesus is Lord and God! Is
it not about time you recognize the futility of your skepticism and faithfully
follow Jesus saying along with “faithful” Thomas, “My Lord and my God?”
For those who have voiced this confession, is it not time we
live accordingly? Our Savior is alive from the dead! Why should we not lay down
our lives spreading this message? Let us take our cue from the one we call a
doubter and put our feet and hands where our mouth is! Do not let you
inactivity in the kingdom building project and your silence fluff the pillows in
the living room of skepticism. Because things are more than they seem.
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