The Risen Christ Removes Fear and Doubt
Notes
Transcript
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19 It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
20 After He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24 Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
PRAY
Introduction - backstory of Jesus’s betrayal and death, disciples’ abandonment of Him
At the last supper, all of the disciples had affirmed their loyalty and commitment to Christ. Peter said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing (Matt 26:35).
But a few short hours later, when Judas brought a large crowd of soldiers and arrested Jesus, we’re told that “all the disciples deserted Him and fled” (Matt 26:56).
Later that night, by the comfort of a fire, Peter denied three times that he even knew Christ. He wasn’t willing to admit that he was one of Jesus’s disciples.
We only know of one of Jesus’s apostles, John, who was at the crucifixion, though others may have observed Jesus’s death from a distance.
As a group, the Apostles had acted as cowards. They had denied their Lord and abandoned him at His time of greatest distress.
How would you expect Jesus to address them when he came to them after his resurrection? How did THEY expect Him to speak to them?
Perhaps He would come to them with anger or disappointment, reprimanding them for their lack of faith and their cowardice. Or maybe He just wouldn’t come to them at all since they were such failures.
But that’s not Jesus’s attitude toward them.
He comes in tenderness and love, meeting His disciples where they are at in their fear and doubt, and restoring them to faith and courage. Here we see the Gentle Shepherd, who restores the soul of His sheep.
Let’s consider first of all, that …
Jesus Meets Us in Our Fear (v. 19)
Jesus Meets Us in Our Fear (v. 19)
19 It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
Jesus did not chew out his disciples for abandoning Him in His moment of greatest need. He didn’t come to them in anger or frustration as they might have expected, but with tenderness, love, and kindness.
He came and met them right where they were at, in their fear.
the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.
Huddled together with the doors locked
Fearful of what the Jewish authorities might do to them because they’re followers of Jesus.
Fearful because the Jewish leaders might accuse them of moving the body of Jesus and take action against them.
Fear cripples us, and it keeps us from doing the things we know we ought to.
Israel’s fear of tall people (giants) kept a whole generation out of the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14).
Can you think of a time when you were afraid? Fear can take hold of us, control us, and keep us from living courageously for the Lord.
When COVID hit - the fear of the unknown (or the known) kept many people from doing things that they should have done; it kept families apart, it kept churches from gathering, it kept people isolated. Because of our fear related to this disease, we did not live courageously and do some of the things we should have.
One time I was afraid - Going to Mexico as missionaries; the fear of leaving behind family and friends, of traveling to unknown and maybe not-so-safe places, of giving up so many of the comforts and conveniences of American life, of serving in a different culture and language.
Fear is a terrible master that enslaves us. But Jesus comes to us in our fear, and we can see four things Jesus does for His disciples and for us that free us from fear:
Jesus Removes Our Fear (v. 19-23)
Jesus Removes Our Fear (v. 19-23)
Four Ways That Jesus Removes Fear …
Four Ways That Jesus Removes Fear …
By His Presence with Us (v. 19-20)
By His Presence with Us (v. 19-20)
19 It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
20 After He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus came and stood among them.
After He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus’s presence with us: Matthew 28:20
20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus is not only present with us, He Himself lives in us by His Spirit (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:9, 11)
20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
By the Peace He Imparts to Us (v. 19, 21)
By the Peace He Imparts to Us (v. 19, 21)
19 It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
Peace be with you!
This is more than just a greeting.
A fulfillment of Jesus’s words:
27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
33 I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!”
Peace for us?
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
His peace was not just for these early followers, but he offers it to us as well, and he commands that we live in His peace.
By the Power of His Spirit (v. 22)
By the Power of His Spirit (v. 22)
22 When He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
Probably a prophetic picture of what was about to happen at Pentecost (Acts 2)
Prophets often symbolized spiritual realities through symbolic actions (Isaiah, Ezekiel)
Jesus’s breathing out and connecting it to the Holy Spirit tells us
The Holy Spirit comes not only from the Father but also from the Son
The Spirit is the Spirit of God and of Christ
The Spirit is the creative power of God (Gen 2:7) - same word used in Greek translation when God breathed into Adam the breath of life at the original creation; Jesus’s breath here symbolizes the beginning of the new creation.
The Holy Spirit transformed these fearful cowardly men into bold, courageous men who gave their lives for Christ and the gospel:
31 After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Has He given us the same power?
Every believer receives the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit enables us to witness for Christ (Acts 1:8)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture and uses it to create new life and faith (Rom 1:16; 1 Pet 1:23; Rom 10:17)
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
17 Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
The Holy Spirit equips every member of the church with spiritual gifts for the growth of the body (1 Cor 12:7, 11)
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, who apportions them to each one as He determines.
He has given us the same powerful Holy Spirit who removes fear and makes us courageous.
By the Purpose He Gives Us (v. 21, 23)
By the Purpose He Gives Us (v. 21, 23)
21 Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.”
23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.
God sent Jesus as the place of His presence (fulfillment of the Temple)
19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.
So Jesus sends His disciples as the the place of His presence (extending the temple, the dwelling place of God, to all the world)
22 And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit.
This is the Great Commission - to make disciples - to reconcile people to God through Christ, to extend the place of His dwelling, to share the hope of living in the presence of God forever.
We are commissioned along with the Apostles as ambassadors for Christ, sent by Him on His mission to reconcile people to God.
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.
21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
One day, that mission will be complete: Rev. 21:3
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
The mission is carried along by the spread of the Gospel message, including the offer of forgiveness to everyone who turns from sin and trusts in Jesus (that’s what v. 23 is about - If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld).
Through the Church’s proclamation of Christ in the Gospel, God’s forgiveness is given to all who turn from sin and trust Christ, and it is withheld from those who reject Christ and choose sin instead.
Similar to what Jesus told His disciples in Luke 24:46-47
46 And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
47 and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
The message of the Gospel is a message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
This is the purpose and mission He has given us as well.
Jesus Meets Us in Our Doubt (v. 24-26)
Jesus Meets Us in Our Doubt (v. 24-26)
Thomas wasn’t with the disciples that time (v. 24)
24 Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
He heard the testimony of the other disciples but refused to believe (v. 25)
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.”
Jesus knew Thomas’s doubt and appeared again to His disciples specifically for the benefit of Thomas (v. 26)
26 Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Jesus knows your doubt too
Do you sometimes doubt that Jesus died for you and rose again?
Do you sometimes doubt that God is in control?
Do you doubt that God is wise and does all things well?
Do you find it hard to believe that God is good and is working for your good?
Whatever you’re tempted to doubt, He knows, and He’s not afraid of your doubt. And He comes to you in your doubt to take it away. If you sincerely seek Him and listen to Him, He will remove your doubt.
Jesus Removes Our Doubt (v. 26-29)
Jesus Removes Our Doubt (v. 26-29)
Four Ways Jesus Removes Doubt
Four Ways Jesus Removes Doubt
By His Presence (v. 26)
By His Presence (v. 26)
26 Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Once again, with the doors locked, Jesus simply comes and stands among the disciples. He’s just there.
He came back again this time specifically for the benefit of Thomas, but also for the other disciples. Over the 40 days following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to all of them many times.
In this miraculous display of His power, He reminds them all of His presence with them that removes fear and doubt.
By His Peace (v. 26)
By His Peace (v. 26)
26 Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
Again, this is more than just a simple greeting. It is another reminder of the supernatural peace that Christ Himself gives us.
By His peace, He not only calms fear, but He also removes doubt.
By His Sacrifice (v. 27)
By His Sacrifice (v. 27)
27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jesus tells Thomas to look at the wounds He suffered at the cross - the nail marks in His hands and feet, the spear thrust in His side, and He even invites Thomas to touch Him (we don’t know if Thomas did).
In this way, Jesus was not only confirming to Thomas the reality that He is the same Man who died just 3 days earlier, but He is also reminding Thomas of the love that led Jesus to the cross and the awesome display of His love as He gave His life for us, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities.
By reminding Thomas of His sacrifice, Jesus removed Thomas’s doubts.
Perhaps if you’re being tempted to doubt in some way, maybe what you need is a fresh look at the cross - a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, and the great love that He has shown by His death in your place.
We would all do well to give more attention to our Savior’s love and sacrifice for us.
By His Word (v. 27)
By His Word (v. 27)
27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Stop doubting and believe.
Jesus’s loving but firm command to Thomas leaves no room for doubt to remain. Either obey Jesus’s command and trust Him, or you disobey Him and rebel against Him.
His Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.
And He’s speaking it to you right now.
Stop doubting and believe!
Are you doubting that Jesus really died for your sins and rose from the dead?
Stop doubting and believe!
Do you struggle to believe that God is in control and that He’s working for your good?
Stop doubting and believe!
Do you sometimes question the promise of His presence with you, that He is always with you?
Stop doubting and believe!
Whatever you’re tempted to doubt or distrust today, listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd calling through His inspired Word to you,
Stop doubting and believe!
What was Thomas’s response when Jesus said this?
Doubt Removed and Faith Expressed (v. 28)
Doubt Removed and Faith Expressed (v. 28)
28 Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
In that moment all doubt was gone. In the presence of the risen Christ, there was no more room for doubt.
The only proper response is to bow in worship and declare, “My Lord and my God!”
In response to the call of Jesus to you, have you bowed in submission to Him? Have you declared as Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”
Have you acknowledged that Jesus is in fact God and submitted your life to Him as your Lord and King?
If not, come to Him today!
Jesus’s Blessing for All Who Believe (v. 29)
Jesus’s Blessing for All Who Believe (v. 29)
29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas’s response to Jesus is good and right.
But Jesus has one more thing to offer us:
“blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That’s us!
If you have trusted in Christ, you have done so without seeing Him. You don’t have the same benefit as these Apostles, yet you have believed that Jesus died and rose again.
If you believe, Jesus has pronounced His blessing on you.
And the ultimate blessing of eternal life is not
getting out of hell
walking on streets of gold
getting a new body
seeing your friends and family who have gone before you
The greatest blessing of eternal life is that you get to live in the presence of God forever. You get to be with the Savior forever and worship Him without end.
All because He died for you and rose again. Jesus is alive! Have you believed?
Have you trusted in Him? Have you submitted your life to Him as your Lord and King? Do you have the hope of eternal life?
Application:
Is there fear or doubt in your heart? Bring it to Jesus, and let Him take it away.
Do you believe? Do you trust that Jesus died in your place on the cross to take away your sin, and that He rose bodily from the grave on the third day and conquered death? If you truly trust in Him, you have eternal life. I urge you to trust Him today if you haven’t already.
Give thanks for your tender Shepherd who meets you in your doubt and fear and takes them away.