So That You May Believe and Have Life

John 20:19-31

Fear and peace

The disciples are meeting together

John mentions that Thomas is not with them, which means that this is likely narrowed to the 10 (12 minus Judas and Thomas)

John does not tell us why Thomas is not with the others

They lock themselves inside out of fear

If they killed their master, how much more easily could the Romans put them to death

Jesus is not kept out

The detail about the locked door is not only to show their fear

It is also to show Jesus’ glorified power

He was not held in by grave clothes and He is not held out by a locked door

He is the God of all, and no door will keep Him out

“Peace be with you”

Could be said as a common Jewish greeting

Much more likely is a specific declaration of what they can find in Him

He desires that they have peace even in the turmoil of those days

John 14:27- Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 16:33- I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Doubt and belief

Thomas rejoins the disciples the following Sunday

The other disciples tell him about their encounter with Jesus

Thomas does not believe their story

He declares that he will not believe unless he can see and touch the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side

He is often given an especially bad rap for this

The others believed because they saw Jesus and His wounds

He certainly would have done the same if he had been there

Jesus responds to Thomas’ doubt

He appears to them again in the same way

He invites Thomas to touch His hands and side

He knows Thomas’ doubts and words and He meets Thomas exactly as He knows He needs

God, through Christ, will always meet you in your struggles and doubt in exactly the way He knows best fit for your need

Thomas makes the good confession

“My Lord and my God”

This is the response that is now commended to all who would thereafter be confronted with the truth of Jesus

Blessed are those who believe

Thomas believed because He saw the risen Christ

Blessed are those who do not see Jesus physically and yet believe

Happiness of soul

Not a promise of health and wealth

This is every believer after the group of Jesus’ earthly disciples

We have all that we need to believe

We do not need a vision of Jesus or a special spiritual experience or an isle to walk in a church

The inspired Word of God is fully sufficient to show us all that we need to believe

Hebrews 1:1-3- Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

The purpose of this book

That you may believe

That Jesus is the Christ

The promised Messiah

That Jesus is the Son of God

He is the Second member of the Trinity, the Word made flesh

True faith is not either/or, it is both/and

And by this, you may have life in His name

John 10:10- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

But how does this happen?

How does God give peace through Christ?

How do you believe in Jesus?

How do we receive life in Christ?

The Holy Spirit through it all

Again, the Holy Spirit is connected to what is happening

He declares that He is sending them as the Father has sent Him

He breathes on them to receive the Spirit

Who they forgive will be forgiven by God, and who they withhold forgiveness from will not be forgiven

This is a statement of the proclamation of the Gospel

Those who receive the truth of Jesus in faith will be forgiven

Those who do not receive Him will not be forgiven

For the peace and life through faith commended here

Peace and life come from faith in Christ alone

Only those who are born of the Spirit believe

Only those who believe can know the true peace found in Christ

Brothers and sisters, peace be with you in Christ

May you experience the abundant life offered to you as you abide in Him

For the proclamation of the truth, which brings peace and life

It is the Spirit who empowers Christ’s people for ministry

As you live in the life and peace which you have in Christ, may you unashamedly point many others to the Lord and God and Savior of your soul

Tell them of His grace

Tell them of His beauty

Tell them of His peace

Tell them of His power

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Fear and peace

It is now evening on resurrection Sunday, and the disciples are meeting together somewhere in Jerusalem. John mentions that Thomas is not with them, which means that this group is likely narrowed down to the 10, which is the 12 minus Judas and Thomas. John does not tell us why Thomas is not with the others, and speculation will only get us into trouble, so we ought not to go there. If John would have thought it to be significant, then he would have included the reason.

They lock themselves inside of the place where they are meeting out of fear. Of course, they think that if the Romans killed their master, how much more easily could they put each of them to death? So, John tells us the reason that they lock the door to show us the human reason: fear. But there is another reason that John records this detail. Pretty soon there will not be 10 men in the room (assuming these are the 10 disciples), there will be 11.

Jesus is not kept out by the locked door. The door does not prove to be an obstacle to His entering, it is used to show Jesus’ glorified power. He was not held in by grave clothes and He is not held out by a locked door. He is the God of all power, and no door will keep Him out.

Jesus shows the disciples His scars and tells them exactly what they need to hear. He says: “Peace be with you.” This could be said as a common Jewish greeting. But the context of this passage suggests something deeper is being said. It is much more likely is a specific declaration of what they can find in Him. He knows that they are afraid and confused and distressed, but He desires that they have peace even in the turmoil of those days. Do you remember what Jesus said in John 14:27? He said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. And then again at the end of chapter 16? He said, in John 16:33- I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” This was not only for His disciples to hear then, but it is for you to hear this morning. In this world, you will have trouble. Dark days come, and sometimes they come in such pitch-blackness that we have no idea how we will make it through. The answer is never found inside of you or in your ability. It is always the same answer: Jesus gives peace to you, not as the world gives, but He gives lasting full peace because He has overcome the world.

Doubt and belief

Now, remember how Thomas was missing from the group? Now he rejoins the disciples the following Sunday. It says 8 days in some of your translations, and this is literally correct. Some of your translations say a week later. This is not actually what the text says, but it is what it means since the counting of days in the first century would include the present day. This means that verse 26 shifts us from the first Lord’s Day to the second.

The other disciples tell him about their encounter with Jesus the week before, but Thomas does not believe their story. In fact, he goes so far as to declare that he will not believe unless he can see and touch the wounds on Jesus’ hands and side. He is often given an especially bad rap for this, and he is often known as “doubting Thomas.” However, we ought to give ourselves some pause before we give Thomas an extra-low review. We have already seen Thomas speak up a couple of times in this book, and the last one was John 11:16, when he said “So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” He is not being cowardly. Although he is speaking rashly, he is also speaking boldly out of love for Jesus. It is also worth noting that the others believed because they saw Jesus and His wounds, and he almost certainly would have done the same if he had been there.

Now, Jesus responds to Thomas’ doubt. He appears to them again in the same way as He did a week earlier. He goes straight for Thomas and invites him to touch His hands and side.

He knows Thomas’ doubts and words, and He meets Thomas exactly as He knows He needs. He is the same today. God, through Christ, will always meet you in your struggles and doubt in exactly the way He knows best fit for your need.

In response to this, Thomas makes the good confession. He says, “My Lord and my God!” Thomas sets us an example for the right response to the truth of who Jesus is. As we look to behold the glory of the risen Christ, we ought to whole-heartedly declare “my Lord and my God!”