DO NOT BE UNBELIEVING BUT BELIEVING
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Happy Easter, everyone is looking nice in there Easter attire. I feel like i have a straitjacket on.
to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
What are those many infallible proofs? Those unmistakable and proofs.
God has given us an overwhelming proof or evidence of His resurrection.
After Christ was resurrected He appeared on 12 different occasions over a period of 40 days to over 500 people. These people claimed He was seen, heard and touched all with their natural sense.
This wasn’t an allusions but they felt Him they seen Him they experienced Him with their natural senses.
Jesus was visible after the resurrection.
He appeared to: 1) Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:11–18); 2) Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (Mt 28:1–10); 3) Peter (1 Co 15:5; see Jn 20:3–9); 4) two disciples going to Emmaus (Lk 24:13–35); 5) 11 apostles (Lk 24:36–49; Jn 20:19–23); 6) 11 apostles (Jn 20:24–31); 7) seven apostles (Jn 21); 8) all the apostles (Mt 28:16–20; Mk 16:14–18); 9) 500 disciples (1 Co 15:6); 10) James the brother of Jesus (1 Co 15:7); 11) all the apostles at His ascension when He was going to heaven (Ac 1:3–8); 12) then he appeared to Paul after His ascension (1 Co 15:8; Ac 9:1–9).
Paul was the biggest sceptic. He persecuted the early church. He put policies in place in order to murder God’s people. Luke the author of Acts recorded it and Paul said that testimony about Himself.
Four times He was touched or offered to be touched (He wasn’t a ghost) (numbers 1, 2, 5, 6). Three times Jesus ate physical food (numbers 4, 5, 7). Four times they saw the empty tomb (numbers 1, 2, 3, plus John [Jn 20:6–8]). Two people, Peter and John, saw His empty grave clothes (Jn 20:2–8). Twice they witnessed His crucifixion scars (numbers 5, 6).
So that is direct evidence of Jesus resurrection but then you have indirect evidence of the resurrection.
There where immediate transformations of the Apostles after the resurrection. They went from being cowards to courageous witnesses, from doubters to martyrs. Every Apostle was was highly persecuted and/or martyred.
You have Philip a disciple of Jesus in Phrygia (modern day Turkey). He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A. D. 54.
Matthew a disciple of Christ was a missionary in Ethiopia and he was martyr there with a halberd (which is a combined spear and battle axe.)
James the brother of Jesus at the age of ninety four he was stoned and beat by Jews.
Andrew who went to Asiatic nations and preached the gospel. But when he arrived in Edessa (which is somewhere in Greece) he was taken and crucified on the cross.
Peter was condemned for crucifixion by Nero, Jerome saith that he was crucified his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.
Thomas Called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia (Iran), china (in the 7th century some scholars believe), and India, which exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.
All these disciples went around the world preaching the gospel of a crucified Christ and a resurrected Savior. They preached in places like India, China, Greece, Ethiopia, Jerusalem and they weren’t afraid actually allot of them thought it was a joy to get persecuted for Jesus.
So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
Theres no reasonable doubt that Jesus was resurrected. There could be unreasonable doubts, the fact that maybe one doesn’t want to believe because they are content with who they are and their station in life.
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Thomas receives a bad rep. He’s considered to be the doubting disciple.
But in a previous verse Thomas is seen being very zealous and not doubtful at all.
Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
But Thomas was really more of a loyal but pessimistic disciple.
He’s loyal but always negative about outcomes. He’s a worst case scenario kind of guy.
But Thomas had this loyal love for Jesus though he looked at life pessimistically.
He was willing to truly lay down his life. And this was the heart of God.
He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
But because Thomas was a more pessimistic believer he wanted see the nail wounds in His hands and put his fingers into them, and place his hand into the wound in his side.
Some believers are more pessimistic about everything and everybody, like no thats not going to work because of xyz, Some believers are more optimistic they have the best view of everyone and the best outcome about every situation.
But God wants us not to be on one extreme or the next but to be discerning.
So he wanted to see and touch so not only did he want a spiritual encounter with the risen Savior but a physical one as well.
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
Eight days after Easter. The disciples are in hiding they have the doors locked for fear of persecution.
Jesus appeared to His disciples and said Peace to you.
Only Jesus can cause peace to a anxious heart. Only he can visit His disciples as they are hiding and comforter them with His presence.
Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
Not only did Jesus appear to them in the resurrection, He revealed the fact that He can hear them even when he wasn’t around or so it seemed.
This removes all kinds of doubt.
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
After seeing the resurrected Savior all He could say is My Lord and My God.
Thomas realized that the One who was crucified is God.
It doesn’t specially say that Thomas touched Jesus hands and His side were he was pierced. But imagine that after He did he made this statement “My Lord and my God.”
Imagine us having the honor of saying I touched God and He visited me.
We are reminded that we have a living hope.
The resurrection validates everything that Christ has said to be true.
The resurrection reveals that Jesus was indeed God incarnate. God in the flesh.
