JOHN 20:24-29 | BLESSED ARE THEY THAT BELIEVE
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: JOHN 20:24-29 | BLESSED ARE THEY THAT BELIEVE
TEXT: JOHN 20:24-29 | BLESSED ARE THEY THAT BELIEVE
ME
ME
INTRODUCTION: HOW DO I STRUGGLE WITH THIS?
INTRODUCTION: HOW DO I STRUGGLE WITH THIS?
How many of you in this room would say you are naturally a more skeptical person?
Who would admit that you are more gullible and fall for things easily?
Some of you are so skeptical you are refusing to raise your hand for anything because you aren’t taking any chances.
Just this last week I received a notification that I had an opportunity to win a Yeti cooler, all I had to do was pay shipping and handling.
I found myself in a moment of temporary insanity and I began to fill out the form with my information
But about halfway through, the skeptical me kicked in and said, “What are you doing?”
I did a quick google search and it came up with the Yeti cooler scam.
I was glad I didn’t finish the form and click submit.
I recently heard from a pastor that shared with me about some notifications he had gotten on social media from a man claiming to be a preacher in Africa.
We are probably all familiar with the African prince that wants to give us money.
Well, he just ignored the many comments from this African preacher.
That was until one Sunday, when that African preacher showed up in his service on his visit to the United States.
For most of us, there is a healthy amount of skepticism that just says, “That’s impossible… It’s unbelievable”
GOD
GOD
EXPLANATION: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THIS?
EXPLANATION: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THIS?
Here is John 20, we have an account that isn’t found in any of the other Gospels.
I love the book of John because there are so many powerful stories that we find in it that we don’t find in the other 3 Gospels.
Just days before Jesus Christ, the One that the disciples had followed for 3 and a half years, was captured.
They had seen Jesus demonstrate power over sickness
They had seen Him feed 5000 and then 4000 people at once with virtually nothing!
They had been on the boat in the middle of a storm and heard Him speak the words, “Peace be still” and the winds and waves obeyed His voice.
They were there when he called out “Lazarus come forth” and a man who had been dead for 4 days came walking out.
Multitudes of sick had been healed
Demons had been cast out.
Miracle after miracle they had been a part of.
So when Jesus was led away by the multitude on that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, they were shocked and surprised that He would allow Himself to be so easily captured.
Even on that very night, when the multitude came and asked if He was Jesus, with just His spoken word the people were knocked backward onto the ground.
So surely this was just another opportunity for Jesus to perform one of His miracles.
But then He was led away.
And then He was beaten and mocked.
He was brutally tortured.
And the next time some of them laid their eyes on Jesus, He was hanging in a bloody mess from a cross suspended on 3 nails.
This wasn’t what they expected.
This wasn’t what they believed was going to happen.
This couldn’t be the end of Jesus!
And yet with 3 powerful words, “It is finished” Jesus bowed His head and died on that cross.
Everything they had learned and lived for, for 3 and a half years was gone in a moment!
It was truly unbelievable.
Had they been duped?
Had they fallen for a great scheme for the past 3 and a half years?
For 3 days that disciples hid in fear.
Were they next?
Would they have to follow Jesus in a horrible death on a cross?
Should they just go back to their old lives?
They were paralyzed in fear and uncertainty.
It wasn’t until the morning of the 3rd day, when Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, came to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body.
As they approached the place where Jesus’ body had been laid, they found the stone rolled away.
The horror of that moment as surely someone had come and stolen the body of Jesus.
But how could that be?
The chief priests and Pharisees were intentional about making sure Jesus body stayed in that grave.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
But now they came to the tomb and there laying on the ground where the soldiers who were supposed to be guarding the tomb.
And there they laid completely incapacitated and unconscious.
How was this possible…
As they stood for a moment in confusion, suddenly an angel appeared to them and spoke those wonderful words:
And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
Friend, the resurrection is what separates Biblical Christianity from all other religions.
If you go to the grave of Muhammed, you’ll find him in the grave
If you go to the grave of Buddha, you’ll find him in the grave
If you go to the grave of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, you’ll find them there
If you go to the grave of every Pop that has ever lived, you’ll find them there.
But if you go to the grave of Jesus… it’s empty and it has been for 2000 years.
Because He is not there, He is risen as He said!
That same night the disciples met in an upper room with the doors closed, the windows shuttered, out of fear of the Jews.
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.
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.
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Their defeat was turned into victory.
Their fear was emboldened because Christ had arisen!
Paul would later say it this way in regard to Christ’s resurrection and return
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What a glorious night it was for the disciples!
For all except one.
Thomas wasn’t there.
We don’t know where he was, we just know that the Bible tells us in v.24
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
When the disciples came to Thomas in excited joy and excitement, his response was one that would stick with him for the rest of time.
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.
Doubting Thomas… can you imagine being known for that nickname for the rest of time because you didn’t believe that a person you had seen crucified had come back to life again?
He was skeptical about it…
Thomas didn’t believe it… “Unless I see it and experience it for myself, I wont believe.”
And that brings us to John 20:26-28
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.
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.
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Could you imagine being Thomas on that day?
I mean you are trying to hide in a corner somewhere because you know what you said…
And then Jesus calls you out.
Thomas gives a response, that while 8 days late, was exactly the right answer.
“My Lord and my God!”
And that is exactly Who Jesus is.
The account, while incredible, wasn’t quite finished just yet.
Because there was one more verse that contains Jesus’ response back to Thomas… and it’s where I want us to finish with our attention this morning.
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
YOU
YOU
APPLICATION: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT THIS?
APPLICATION: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO ABOUT THIS?
Here we are 2000 years later after the events that took place.
We are gathered in a church service on Easter Sunday celebrating the resurrection of Christ.
But could it be that some that are here today, came because that’s what you are supposed to do on Easter Sunday?
Maybe you just came for a free meal and decided to stick around.
Maybe someone invited you and you wanted to be polite and couldn’t say “no”
And it could be that you are here this morning, and you have heard the story of Christ’s death and resurrection…
But if we were being honest, you don’t really believe it.
I mean if you could have seen it with your own eyes, if you could have touched Him with your hands, then you would have believed.
Could it be that there are those in this room that could have a nickname “Doubting…” and then fill in the blank with your name.
The evidence has been presented but you still don’t believe it.
There’s just a part of you that’s still skeptical… it just can’t be true.
ILLUSTRATION: A couple of weeks ago, we were in eastern Montana at Tressa’s family’s ranch.
ILLUSTRATION: A couple of weeks ago, we were in eastern Montana at Tressa’s family’s ranch.
We were trying to wrap up the day and hoping to head inside soon, but there were a few chores Tressa’s dad was trying to wrap up.
I offered to jump in the tractor and help wrap up some of the chores while he finished in another tractor.
Tressa was there with me and she jumped in the tractor with me, and we prepared to race away in the tractor to get the jobs done.
Before we left, Tressa’s dad came to us and informed us that the tractor we were in didn’t have working lights…
I thought, not a big deal, we will be done in plenty of time.
When we wrapped up the final chore, we were about 2 miles from the barn and the sun was setting fast.
As we drove back to the house in the tractor, it got dark… like pitch black dark.
Like one of those nights where there’s no moon and just enough cloud cover for there to be no stars.
And all of the sudden, I couldn’t see anything in front of me.
Everything was just black, and my eyes had adjusted all that they were going to.
And we still had over a half mile to go to get back to the barn.
And we are on a drive with a ditch on either side of the road.
Tressa finally said, “I’ll get out and turn my cell phone light on and you can follow me.”
When she turned that light on, I still couldn’t see anything… except for a little bright light straight out in front of me.
For the next half mile, or a little more, I kept that little light right in the middle of my tractor as I slowly followed behind it.
By some miracle we made it all the way back to the barn unscathed.
You know, there were a few moments when I was following that light, that I thought she had to be going off the side of the road, and I came close to just driving the tractor off the road and into the ditch.
My skepticism or maybe cynicism tried to take over.
But I’m thankful that when that light was shinning, I just believed even when I couldn’t see.
APPLICATION: Friend, can I encourage you to remove your doubt… and just choose to follow the Light (God’s Word)
APPLICATION: Friend, can I encourage you to remove your doubt… and just choose to follow the Light (God’s Word)
To have faith, that what this book says happened, actually happened!
Jesus told Thomas, John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Friend, Jesus Christ died and 3 days later He rose again… and He did it not just so we could have a day we could celebrate.
He did it so that you could have the gift of eternal life.
You see Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Because you and I are sinners, we deserve eternal death in a place the Bible calls a Lake of fire.
And no one in their right mind wants to go there.
So Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
And three days later He rose again, and it was the proof that His death wasn’t just like everyone else’s
It was the proof that He is Who He said He was.
And He offers to you the gift of eternal life.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
How do you receive that gift?
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
It’s kind of like what Jesus told Thomas… “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
It’s a step of faith that changes everything.
ILLUSTRATION: Rock repelling on our first anniversary.
ILLUSTRATION: Rock repelling on our first anniversary.
He told me, just let go a little bit.
APPLICATION: Friend, if you are here today, and you are skeptical about the death and resurrection of Christ.
APPLICATION: Friend, if you are here today, and you are skeptical about the death and resurrection of Christ.
If you came today skeptical about believing that Jesus Christ’s death along can pay the payment for your sins.
Can I encourage you… just let it go.
Follow that evidence from the light of the Gospel.
Instead of trying to veer off and find your own way, why don’t you follow the light of the Word of God.
Set aside your skepticism.
And if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, why don’t you accept Him today!
If you do, you will find out it’s true, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
