One of the most commercially successful movie franchises is Mission Impossible starring Tom Cruise. In every installment of this franchise
a character named Ethan Hunt is presented with a mission either through a pair
of super high-tech glasses or some other gadget. After the presentation is
complete, a famous line is read, “this is your mission, should you choose to
accept it” followed by, “this message will self-destruct in five seconds”…and
then BOOM! The move gets underway as Ethan hunt defies all odds in an effort to
save the world one more time.
Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, you and I as
believers are on a mission of a far greater caliber. Our mission is not fantasy
or fiction, but a real life struggle against real super-villains that involves
the salvation of the people that we come in contact with every day. As time marches
on, more and more seems stacked against us on this mission (rendering its
success more and more far-fetched in the minds of many). Some might event give
in and consider it an impossible mission. However, this mission has been handed
to us to complete, that is, should we choose to accept it. I’m speaking of
course about the mission of God as presented in His Word. One formulation of this
mission is found in Matthew 28:19:20 as Jesus ascends into heaven, having
completed his work on the earth. In his instructions to the disciples He says,
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I
have commanded you…”. To capture the
essence of this mission and aid in memorization of its tenants, our church has
adopted this rendering “we exist as a church to help people know Christ, grow
in Christ, and show Christ to the world.”
This new series is going to examine exactly what this
mission entails and how we are to accomplish this as a church and as
individuals. Hopefully, as a result of what we will learn, all of us will
become what Ellis and Coe refer to as “everyday missionaries!” In an effort to
help us along this series we are going to take apart the three objectives of
this mission and deal with them separately. Thereaafter, we will unveil a
strategy that will help us accomplish this God-given mandate! However, first
things must be first. We must come to understand something about what it means
to KNOW Christ and the stages of the
process involved. Nowhere is this more dramatically demonstrated than in the
climax of the gospel of John in John 20:24-25.
STAGE #1: Doubt
Drives a Wedge-20:24-25
Jesus’ post-resurrection manifestations would have been
life-changing for anyone in attendance (namely Mary at the empty tomb and the
disciples back at the homestead). His miraculous appearances have 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 ever recorded. It just so happens that this episode
also details how everyone comes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
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 would have proven shocking to
Thomas. First, the statement requires 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 enjoyed
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. In fact, his response is not very different from how they responded when
they first heard the news from Mary Magdalene. Upon hearing her news, the
disciples locked themselves in a room out of fear instead of proudly
proclaiming Jesus’ victory! Poor Thomas
gets a bad wrap; however, he is just as doubtful as his colleagues were before
they saw Jesus alive.
When considering our mission today, it is important to
remember what we are up against. People are not predisposed to belief in God.
The Bible calls them “dead” in their sins. They have not shared your experience
and therefore may not initially react positively to the good news you have to give.
They may even make inappropriate demands for certain evidences to be convinced.
In fact, this is exactly what Thomas did next.
“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 desires the same kind of evidence that
his fellow disciples enjoyed in John 20:19-23. If Jesus’ body was truly raised it
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 make this quantum leap from skepticism
to faith from disbelief to knowledge. 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 way for no less
than 8 days.
In similar ways, some distance might exist between you and
those around you who do not know Jesus in the way that you do. Unbelief places
a wedge between those who know and those who don’t know (a far less severe
example is witnessed when a group of friends knows something that a member of
the posse will not admit). Things might get awkward. However, this wedge is
symptomatic of an even greater wedge that exists between the lost and God.
Right now, the wedge between Thomas and his friends does not compare to the wedge
between Thomas and God because of his unbelief!
STAGE #2: Revelation
Creates an Opportunity-20:26-27
A week later Jesus appears to His disciples again, 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). “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 the good news
of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples are hiding out for fear of the Jewish
authorities…AGAIN! IN SPITE OF THE EXPERIENCE THEY ALL SHARED OF THE RISEN
SAVIOR! You might see why Thomas was unconvinced by the disciple’s message. To
Thomas, their fearful behavior may have validated his skepticism.
So far, a lot is working against our completion in the first
part of this mission: deep-seated skepticism, predisposition to unbelief, and
some level of distance between those who believe and those who don’t. We should
not make things even more difficult by failing to live up to the hype that
Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection promotes! Otherwise, people will not be
convinced.
Regardless of their faithlessness, Jesus, out of sheer
grace, appears miraculously again and shares the same message, “Peace be with
you” (20:26).
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.” Either
way, 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)
Recognized skepticism (lost-ness) and a presentation of
Jesus Christ (accompanied by compelling evidences) provides a framework for the
third Stage of knowing God found in this passage.
STAGE #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. 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 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.
Finally, that Thomas calls Jesus “my Lord and my God means
that Thomas now knows Christ in
a far more profound way—in a ginwskw kind of way. This kind of knowledge
is experiential, personal, and intimate. Before Thomas might have known
something about Jesus and his ministry. However, now Thomas believes Him,
trusts Him, and is intimately acquainted with Him.
In this statement we see a beautiful example 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. Thomas’
life demonstrates what it means to KNOW GOD!
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 those
who come to know Him!
So What?
Jesus is Lord and God! Do you Know this? –really KNOW this
to be true? 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. This is the first part of your mission—to do what you can, to
allow your life and testimony be good evidence of the faith that you affirm
with your lips. We must know Christ and be those who help others know Christ as
well. This is the first part of the mission (should you choose to accept it).
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