After Eight Days

John 20:19–27 KJV 1900

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

After Eight Days, Again!

In the book of beginnings, our focus and our attention is on the seven days of creation. The first 6 days in which God spoke light into existence, at the vibration of his voice, the worlds came into existence. Plants, trees, rivers and seas…Livestock, the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air…All coming to culmination on the seventh day when God looked at all that he had made, declared it to be good and then he rested. The declared the 7th day to be a Sabbath…a day of rest. And while those 7 days were days of creation and preparation…it was on the 8th day that all of the preparation and the craftsmanship of God moved into operation. On the 8th day all that God had created moved into perpetual, patterned performance.

In the book of Ezekiel chapter 43, we find the ordinances of the altar are provided…and the Sprit of the Lord speaks to the prophet Ezekiel and instructs him “for seven days, the altar will be purged and purified.” “For seven days the priests will consecrate themselves”. Vs. 27. And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord God. - The seven days were days of preparation, the eight day was the day of activation!

In the eight chapter of Leviticus a similar narrative is set fourth…for seven days Aaron and his sons were commanded to consecrate…to prepare themselves…and then it came to pass on the eight day that the priesthood would begin to what they had been divinely delegated by God to do…they would minister before the Lord, and Leviticus 9 vs. 4 tells us that this was on this day…the eighth day that the glory of the Lord would appear unto them. — My glory will be made manifest

And I know that in western culture, no sooner has the baby cried its first cry, the name of the child is declared…

In our culture, days...even weeks before the baby is born, the name of the baby is painted on the wall of the room, stitched into garments, engraved into signs and ornaments. We knew Marley was going to be Marley for months before Marley found out she was Marley.

but it was not so in Biblical customs. Leviticus chapter 2 provides the template for the ritual cleansing of the mother and the consecration of the child. Luke chapter 2 vs. 20 tells us that that it was on the eighth day that Mary and Joseph took that baby whom prophets had foretold and the angelic host had heralded his arrival…Mary and Joseph knew a secret that the rest of the world was literally dying to know! The shepherds that had come at the solicitation of the heavenly host, knew that this child was a savior…Christ, the Lord, but they did now know his name.

Aaannnndddd it was on the eighth day that the redeeming Name....the healing name…the saving name of Jesus was given to that child…the Name that would cause demons to tremble and all of heaven to rejoice would be revealed on the eight day.

The eighth day…a day when preparation gives way to purpose....when consecration gives way to activation…The eighth day is a day of manifestation and revelation!!!

I’ve come to preach to someone today, there’s an eighth day in this house today!

God has come to make His glory manifest in this house today!

God has come to reveal himself in this house today!

He’s come to activate His purpose and His plan in your life today!!

Transition: And we find in our text in John chapter 20, one of the more famous interactions in the scripture, surrounding the resurrected Jesus.

the encounter of the disciple that is commonly known as doubting Thomas.

But I want us to look at this encounter and interaction with fresh perspective and through a renewed lens this morning.

Thomas was absent when everything that he needed was present (don’t say it out loud)

John 20:19 tells us the same day…the same day that they had found the tomb empty…the stone rolled away…The same day, the angel of the Lord had declared, He is not here, he is risen…the disciples had all come together in one place, and Jesus had appeared in the midst of them.

But vs. 24 tells us that Thomas was not with them when Jesus came.

The disciples come to tell Thomas what they had experienced. They do their best to tell Thomas what that had witnessed and what they had experienced. They endeavor to convince Thomas that Jesus is alive…that he is resurrected.

It’s difficult to try to recreate, represent and reproduce an encounter with God. Words fail to do it justice. If you weren’t here last Sunday…Id love to try to explain to you all that God did in this place…but words just wont do it justice.

When you try to explain the power and presence of God that are at work transforming your life..its hard to really, fully provide a first hand experience to a second-hand encounter.

Words fail when you try to tell the way that Jesus transformed your life. Trying to tell someone else just how good the Lord has been, you just ever can sem to fully convey the goodness of God in your life.

thats why we say things…you don’t know like I know what he’s done for me!!

If you’d been through what I’ve been through, you would be praising to!

When I think of the goodness of Jesus and ALLLLL that He’s done for me…my soul cries Hallelujah!!!

Thomas says, unless 3 things happens I’ll never believe that Jesus was resurrected.

I’ve got to see his nail scarred hands

I’ve tot to touch the nail prints

I’ve got to the put my hand into the would in his side.

thats what I need!

Understand, this was not Thomas saying this is what I need to follow Jesus! He wasn’t saying this is what I need to have faith in Jesus…He already was a follower of Jesus. He already had faith in Jesus.

Sometimes, we put down stipulations for following Jesus!

Jesus…you get me off this airplane and I’ll follow you

If he gives me a raise on my job…blesses me with my dream car…then I’ll have faith in Jesus...

Thats not what Thomas was saying.

He was saying these three things I need to for my faith to go to the next level…for my faith to transcend fishes and loaves to feed 5,000, water to wine, water walking…What I need to believe that the power of God transcends time and moves into eternity…to believe, not just that he came to Establish and earthly kingdom, but that he came to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth…to have the faith, not just that I’m following a rabbi, but that I’m following the very God of glory…these are the three things I need!!!

If you look back at verse 20, the three things he said he needed, he would have received had he just been present!

In verse 20, Jesus had showed to the disciples that were gathered his hands and his side.

Thomas could have seen his hands, touched the nail prints, thrust his hand into his side.

Everything you need is in the presence of Jesus!

Everything you need is when you are present with Jesus!

Some of us have decided we have some things we need to get worked out in our lives before we can really live for Jesus…you don’t understand…what you NEED in order to get those things worked out…is in the presence of Jesus…Your absence is the very thing keeping you from what you need!

I’ve got to get some things straightened out, and then I’ll come to Jesus! No..come to Jesus and you’ll have what you need to get some things straightened out.

I’ve got to get victory over some areas and then I’ll surrender to Jesus…No surrender to Jesus and you will find what you need to get victory over those areas of your life!

When we look a little closer at this absent disciple…and his absence is significant. He is not simply absent because he had some other appointment…His absence

All or Nothing

John 20:24 NASB95

24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

Thomas - Twin called (or nicknamed) Didymus - Twin

So his birth name meant twin, and the nickname his friends gave hin was twin.

There is nothing within the scriptures that gives us definitive understanding as to why he was named “Twin” and then on top of that nicknamed “twin”.

The obvious conclusion that we might come to, is that he was a twin…But that is not clearly stated within scripture.

Another possible explanation, that has some validation by historical voices, is that Thomas looked very close in appearance to Jesus and thus was nicknamed as the twin…though that has no biblical basis either.

The point that has the most biblical support is expressed by the pulpit commentary…describing Thomas as a man battling a double nature. A man in whom within him is an intense love and also a tormenting fear. An intense desire to wholly believe the words of Jesus…that he was in fact the Christ, while simultaneously wrestling with ghastly doubts that it was all an illusion.

Thomas had two speeds…He had an on or an off…two levers. All or Nothing.

Thomas did not wrestle with courage. Thomas reluctance to believe was not tied to a recess in courage…he was not afraid of the cost of following Jesus.

IN John 11 when news had come that Lazarus was dead, Jesus tells his disciples, let us go again to Judea…the disciples began to reason that the last time they were there, the Jews were trying to stone him…they argued that it wasn’t safe to return...

Thomas speaks up and says, lets go and die with Jesus…

Thomas did not lack courage.

History tells us that ultimately Thomas would take the Gospel to India and there he would die as a martryn, being run through with a spear.

Yet, the same Thomas in John 14 Jesus says I’m going away to prepare a place for you that where I am you will also be…And where I am going and the way to get there you know…And Thomas speaks up and says…We don’t know where you are going and we don’t know the way…basically, Thomas is saying…How can we follow you.

Didymus…double minded…Im all in…or I’m all out!!

What Thomas lacked was not courage…it was clarity!

Im preaching to people that are eight days late to the party…eight days after…not because you lack courage…but because you lack clarity!!

You weren’t there when others were there, not because you lacked courage, but you lacked clarity!!

?but the eight day is a day of revelation! The eight day is the day that the glory of God appears! The eight day is the day that

After eight days, Again!

John 20:26 says “and after 8 days again”.

7 days of listening to the other disciples describe the nail scars

7 days of listening to the other disciples talk with excitement about seeing Jesus...

Don’t let regret rob you of revelation!

Don’t let what you missed last week, keep you from whats in front of you today!

Don’t let eight day ago’s omission rob you of todays opportunity!

Listen…some of you Jesus is standing right in front of you…with everything you need…but you can’t grasp it because you are still wrestling with what you missed eight days ago!

God is trying to do something in your life RIGHT NOW…but you won’t let him because you are beating yourself up over your absence eight days ago!

How could God use me NOW, when i was absent THEN!?!

How could God provide me revelation when I’m consumed with regret!!

This is the power of Jesus...

The blood that came out of those hands was redeeming blood…redeeming means it paid the price to purchase what you lost!

The blood that flowed from that wounded side…it is blood that restores!

Its blood that has the power to wash away your eight days ago absence!

I know its been 8 days…but Jesus is going to show himself again!

I know you are wrestling with regret, but he is here with revelation!

You wonder how God could ever do something new in your life, when you were absent the last time he appeared....

Can I tell you the redemptive power of God is able to redeem the week you missed out on! He is able to restore what the cankerworm and the palmerworm ate! he is able to redeem the time…the restore what was lost…to redeem what you missed!

To bring you back the same point after eight days…as if you would have been in the room eight days ago!

The prodigal son

The 11th hour laborers

The woman with the issue of blood (12 years she was dying), the daughter of Jairus (had ben living for 12 years, but was now dying…but Jesus restored them both to the same place.