FAITHFUL THOMAS

For the past couple days I had the privilage of visiting my parents and a few of my siblings in my old stoming ground of Atoka, OK. Other than eating way to much food, one of the things that usually happens is once all the kids go to bed my siblings and thier spouces and Jessica and I sit around and catch up on whats going on in each others lives and then at some point the converstation always leads to talking about our past.

Specifically our past in elementry and High School. We talk about the teachers that we had both good and bad. We talk about funny memories and the differetn school trips that we took. Speciffically this time we talked about how different school is for every generation.

My sister who has four boys in school she talked about how now, every student has their own laptop or chrome book and that they do everything on those devices.

This converstaion got us to talking about the good ole days when we got to go to the computer lab and play the original Organ Trail game which came out on the big 5 and a quarter inch floppy disc.

Out of all of us it is probably Jessica and my brother and sisters in law who enjoy these converstaions the most because they always learn something new about our past. Most of the time they learn something funny or crazy that we did. Other times they may learn about things that we or specifically myself am not not proud of.

Although I like to think that I was a pretty good kid there are things that I did that I am not proud of. Just like everyone of you I am sure there are things in your past that if given the oportunity to do them over you would do them differently.

Although I am proud of the person that I have become and continue to be I hope that people see me for who I am today rather than who I was in the past.

But not only that I pray that I, in return view each of you and everyone that I meet for who you are today in Christ vs who you once were.

Unfortunately, many of us, myself included, have been guilty of holding on to the past in how we view ourselves or others.

There have been times in my mind when I have seen someone amd thought, Isnt that the person who did ________ no mater how many years ago that was rather than thinking isnt that the person who is made in the image of God, who has been redeemded and who is currently doing their best to love God and others.

As I was thinking about this on my way home yesterday it got me to thinking about how unfair it is that sometimes people’s past can define what others think of them. Evern people in the Bible.

Of all the people in the Bible whose past has unfairly defined how people remember them, I believe the Apostle Thomas is the most unfairly treated.

Case and point if I was to take a survey and ask what do you reember about Thomas or how do people refer to Thomas in the Bible. I believe manny people would refer to Thomas as Doubting Thomas.

None of Christ 12 disciples has been more unjustly criticized than Thomas. History unkindly remembers him only for his incident of doubting that Jesus had been resurrected.

This morning I want us to take a closer look at the three main examples of the life of Thomas and see why Thomas’s past continues to haunt him.

In John 11 Jesus and his disciples have just escaped from the hands of the Jews because the Jews were looking to kill Jesus. Unfortunately Jesus’ good friend Lazuraus has just died and Jesus wants to go back into enemy teritory in order to raise Lazurus from the dead. So with that let’s pick up the story in John 11:7.

John 11:7–16 (ESV)

Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Let me ask you does this encounter with Jesus sound like someone who doubted who he was?

In verse 8 the disciples tried to dissuade Him by reminding Him of the threats on His life. But then in verse 16 Thomas steps forward with great faith says to the other disciples “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.

Notice that Thomas had already accepted that Jesus was going to Judea, though the others tried to talk Him out of it. Thomas recognized the full impact of what going back to Judea might involve, but he was not willing to shrink back from the journey. It was a very brave and courageous statement Thomas made in this verse, for he believed the journey would cost them their lives.

This encounter most definately stands in stark contrast to the portrait of a doubting man that the world has placed on Thomas.

Now If you would let’s turn over to John 20. It is here in John 20 that Thomas unfortunately gets the nickname doubting Thomas.

John 20:19–26 ESV

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

We see from this passage that ten of the Twelve were gathered together on the evening of the resurrection when the Lord appeared to them. Unfortunately, Thomas was not with them.

Now in Lukes account of this he gives us a little more insight into how these 10 disciples responded when seeing Jesus after his resurection.

Turn to Luke 24:38-39

Luke 24:38–39 ESV

And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

How is Thomas’s need to see the Jesus nail pierced hands any different than the other disciples?

You see the other disciples did not believe until they had seen the risen Lord themselves and touched His wounds (Luke 24:38–39). On the night of the resurrection, they hid themselves in a locked room out of fear of the Jews (John 20:19). Thomas asked for nothing more than what the other disciples had already experienced.

In fact Jesus accused the 10 of having doubt about who he was.

As we examine these two encounters with Jesus and Thomas, I believe that it is clear that we must not single Thomas out as if his doubts were any more pronounced than the others.

But just like we shouldn’t single out Thomas we must not single out one another or any one because of things that have been done in their past. Becasue just like Thomas’ doubt wasnt any different than the others our doubts or sins are not any different than any one elses.

Everyone’s doubts are able to be overcome and everyones’ sin is able to be forgiven.

When it comes to Thomas, instead of remembering what happened in the past, we should applaud the fact that, when given the evidence, he quickly believed.

John 20:27–29 ESV

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Once Thomas did exactly what the other Apostles did how did he respond to Jesus?

His reply, “My Lord and my God!”

This is the grandest expression of faith in the New Testament. It is significant because for the man who is remembered as doubting Thomas is the only man recorded in the New Testament who addresses Jesus as God.

Even though Thomas doubted, his doubt had a purpose. Thomas wanted to know the truth. His doubt gives evidence, not of a lack of faith, but of a desire to have a faith founded in facts.

We do not have this written in Scripture, but tradition holds that after the great commission when the apostles took the gospel throughout the world, tradition has it that Thomas was sent to India. The Christians in India consider him to be the first evangelist and Martyr of India. Tradition has it that he was pierced through with a spear while praying for his enemies on the Indian Coast.

Thomas is a man who deserves to be remembered for how he responded and for what he did after he so called doubted Jesus.

There are so many lessons that we can learn from the life of Thomas.

I hope we have learned to never mislabel people. Rather we should label everyone as a image bearer of Christ but specifically when God’s image bearers repent we should see them as God sees them. A child of his who has been redeemed.

Let be people who never mislabel or hold a grudge against someone for something that they have been forgiven for.

This morning you may find yourself in need of forgiveness. Please know that we serve a God who will not mislabel you. In fact if you are willing to seek forgivness than he will remember your sins know more.

And it is my prayer that because everyone her wants to be more like our Savior and King that everyone here will always feel comfortable knowing that this family here will not mislable you either.

If you are willing to repent of your sins than you will be simply known as a broither or sister in Christ.