Experience Abundant Life - Experimenta la Vida Abundante

Thomas Experiences Jesus - Tomás experimenta a Jesús

Praise God we have the blessing of looking back and being able to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

Imagine living at that time.

There was such a panic. John 20 tells us about the Resurrection and how Mary Magdalene had claimed to see Jesus. The disciples Peter and John had gone to the tomb and confirmed that Jesus was not there. There was fear of riots over this major news story.

Did someone take His body?

Did He truly rise from the dead?

They all saw Him die. If you joined us on Friday for the Passion of the Christ film - you know, it was not a secret that Jesus was put to death.

The killed Him in one of the worst ways possible.

It included pain & torment, followed by ridicule in front of everyone on the way to the road outside the town

Lastly, it was not just death, but death on display to set an example of the worst criminals.

But Jesus did nothing wrong. He claimed to be the Messiah - which was to claim to be equal with God

Remember at Christmas, we sing about Emmanuel - God with Us.

Jesus claimed to be Emmanuel. That was His crime.

So now the followers of Jesus are on their own.

He was not the first to claim to be the Messiah, and now He was dead and they were all alone.

What a horrible feeling - Perhaps the feeling of betrayal - Perhaps the feeling that all their hopes and faith were placed on a scam.

In John 20 verse 19 the followers of Jesus are hiding out and afraid

And ALL OF A SUDDEN, Jesus appears in the room where they were and says, “Peace be with you”.

How crazy is that! We felt alone and abandoned. We saw Him die and thought it was over, but here He is!

Well, not everyone was there. Thomas was not there.

When they told Thomas what happened in verse 25, his response is very similar to what ours might have been:

John 20:24–25 NKJV

24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

John 20:24–25 RVR60

24 Pero Tomás, uno de los doce, llamado Dídimo, no estaba con ellos cuando Jesús vino. 25 Le dijeron, pues, los otros discípulos: Al Señor hemos visto. El les dijo: Si no viere en sus manos la señal de los clavos, y metiere mi dedo en el lugar de los clavos, y metiere mi mano en su costado, no creeré.

Before we get to judgy and through our condemnation on Thomas, I want us to understand something.

The Disciples were with Jesus for 3 YEARS

They just had their teacher and leader get brutally murdered in front of everyone.

Now they feel all alone

It is likely this is a realistic response anyone of us might have.

If you feel skeptical about the Risen Savior, that is okay. There is hope today in Jesus!

This is also not the first time Thomas went through this

In John 11, Jesus and the disciples found out Lazarus had died. Thomas was there as we see in verse 16.

In verse 21, Martha tells Jesus that had He come sooner, that Lazarus would still be alive. Jesus tells her in verse 23

John 11:23 NKJV

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

John 11:23 RVR60

23 Jesús le dijo: Tu hermano resucitará.

She misunderstands Jesus, thinking He is speaking about the end of the world.

With Thomas present, Jesus declares to Martha

John 11:25–27 NKJV

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

John 11:25–27 RVR60

25 Le dijo Jesús: Yo soy la resurrección y la vida; el que cree en mí, aunque esté muerto, vivirá. 26 Y todo aquel que vive y cree en mí, no morirá eternamente. ¿Crees esto? 27 Le dijo: Sí, Señor; yo he creído que tú eres el Cristo, el Hijo de Dios, que has venido al mundo.

In verse 43, Jesus calls Lazarus out of the grave and gives him life.

From what we can tell, Thomas experienced Jesus do this miracle - but in chapter 20, he cannot believe.

Perhaps he was protecting his heart.

Perhaps Thomas was simply skeptical from the beginning,

but I want us to see today how Jesus handles Thomas - in the place where he found himself.

John 20:26–30 NKJV

26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

John 20:26–30 RVR60

26 Ocho días después, estaban otra vez sus discípulos dentro, y con ellos Tomás. Llegó Jesús, estando las puertas cerradas, y se puso en medio y les dijo: Paz a vosotros. 27 Luego dijo a Tomás: Pon aquí tu dedo, y mira mis manos; y acerca tu mano, y métela en mi costado; y no seas incrédulo, sino creyente. 28 Entonces Tomás respondió y le dijo: ¡Señor mío, y Dios mío! 29 Jesús le dijo: Porque me has visto, Tomás, creíste; bienaventurados los que no vieron, y creyeron. 30 Hizo además Jesús muchas otras señales en presencia de sus discípulos, las cuales no están escritas en este libro.

Jesus had grace for Thomas.

He appeared again, 8 days later just for Thomas.

Jesus let Thomas experience His presence again

Jesus proclaimed a blessing on those who believed even when they have not seen.

You have been through so much!

You have heard that Jesus is not dead, that He is alive - Risen. He said He had the power to lay His life down and the power to raise it up, but right now that is only what you hear and you feel like the disciples felt - ALONE, AFRAID, ABANDONED.

But Jesus has not left you. He promised He would not.

You need to know:

Jesus has grace for you. He is willing to meet you where you are

He will not leave you where you are. He will bring healing to your wounded heart.

Jesus will let you experience Him again

[Manifest Presence of the Holy Spirit]

Jesus declared a blessing over you in believing in Him without directly seeing Him.