The Word Comes Full Circle

[Recording Starts – Eric opens, Brittany flows into worship…END WORSHIP]

David: After worship tunes: Greetings, Servant Warrior Church. Carol is going to welcome our moms out there, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. Welcome to another exciting adventure through God’s Word. Carol, over to you…

Carol: Mother’s Day greeting…

Carol reads Scripture: John 20: 24-29

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin (Didymus), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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 unto his side, I will never believe.” 26 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.” (Consider for a moment the state of mind these followers are in, Jesus is calming them.) 7 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

David Prayer

What happens when you open the Scriptures, do you ask yourself where the Word is taking you today? Are there times when you ask, “Where can I take the Word today?” Sometimes we seek directions, but often we have a specific path in mind for the Scriptures. it is like the preacher that says I found a great illustration, now i justneed to find a Sripture to go with it. If we remain open to God's guidance and follow the Scriptures, we are on the right track. If we determine in our mind that the Word of God is going to follow our preference, then we will be doomed to fail.

This is not the first time there has been a question about the deity of Jesus, or rather, was He who He claimed to be. Let's briefly revisit an event from nearly three years before. There was a conversation this time between Nathanael and Philip about Jesus. The text presents the encounter when Nathanael first met Jesus. We now observe an event that took place nearly three years ago.Philip had previously met Jesus and encouraged Nathanael to meet Him as well. John recorded this meeting in his gospel account. Philip was eager to go and follow Jesus. Nathanael was the skeptic (Can anything good come out of Nazareth?). We will see later that this has changed. Nathanael was no longer the skeptic; that role had passed to Thomas. So here is the scenario from John 1: 43-51.

“The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

There are two separate narratives, but when we examine the whole picture, they stand together with a unified message– one at the beginning of John, as an opening to the Gospel, the other at the end of John, as a closing of the Gospel of John. To remind us of the scenario, Jesus was assembling His followers in preparation as an opening of the next stage of the mission of Jesus through his sent-out disciples, of which chapter 21 can then be seen as the first stage. And, as I have already noted, it is at the start of chapter 21 that we will find Thomas and Nathanael, two objectors, two confessors, alongside each other, now working together at the task of fishing, which – spiritually – is the task of the Church.

As Dan pointed out, the narrative picks up only eight days following the resurrection of Jesus, while a small number of people were aware of Jesus’s resurrection as displayed by the miracle of His presence in the Upper Room. It still was not widely known among the believers. The followers of Jesus needed to come together to understand and witness that He had risen from the dead. Dan brought this up last Sunday, Dan also helped set the stage for what is now a part of the narrative of this portion of the Gospel account.

Verses 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.”

There is a similar challenge event coming from John 1: 43-46, Nathanael proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! This time it involved Thomas.  Go back to the narrative regarding Philip and Nathanael. Nathanael presented the test of seeing Jesus and listening to him and determined that Jesus is the Son of God. Thomas also presented an infallibility test, LET ME TOUCH HIM AND I’ll BELIEVE. (Let’s stop here for a moment...Do we use our own infallibility test when it comes to believing in the power of God? think about this for a moment...have we ever said to God if you do this I will do that for you? It is a lot like Gideon in the Old Testament placing a fleece on the ground and setting conditions for God to prove something...Judges 6:36-40. Lookit up and read the entire story) Thomas had made it known that he would not believe unless he saw the holes in the hands from the nails and the wound in Jesus’ side from the spear. Thomas is now in the Upper Room. Thomas stated that he would not believe that Jesus was with them unless he physically saw and touched the wounds on Jesus’ body. There is no Jesus in the room. For Thomas, this was a major point, or so it may appear. Unless Thomas could confirm that Jesus was a living, breathing Jesus, he would not believe. The others had claimed to have seen Jesus, but, unless Thomas himself were to see Jesus, it appears that he remained skeptical. The followers of Jesus had secluded themselves in a secure room. The locked room was part of the problem. Thomas observed that Jesus was not present in the room, noting that it appeared unlikely for an external party to gain entry without being granted access through the door by someone inside. With Thomas's words still fresh in their minds, I can imagine that Jesus did not just appear; rather, Jesus suddenly stood with them. One of the questions presented is, “How did Jesus get into the room?” Some suggestions have been that the door was unlocked, which, according to Scripture, the doors were locked. Many theories have been proposed to explain how He did this. Some who deny the miraculous are anxious to find a natural explanation. Some have suggested I like this one it makes me laugh... that Jesus used a ladder to enter a window, others that He descended from the roof, that’s a good one too. Still others that He slipped in with the men from Emmaus. All of this speculation is contrary to the record. On the other hand, some who maintain the deity of Jesus and accept the supernatural have suggested that this even shows Jesus in a new, spiritual body different from the body He had before His death. John Calvin supposed Jesus opened the doors miraculously, which is not suggested in the words. Rather, it is indicated that His glorified body was not subject to the conditions of the natural, earthly body, but passed through beyond the constraints of the natural barrier. Maybe Jesus leaned over Thomas’ shoulder and whispered, “Challenge accepted.” No one let Jesus in; Jesus just appeared. I believe Jesus’ followers were stunned that Jesus just popped in as it was. Consider how challenging it was for Jesus' followers to believe in his resurrection and presence among them. Imagine their challenge, consider our challenge as we try to accept Jesus coming into our lives as we begin growing in our belief and understanding.’ Are we accepting the challenge Jesus puts in front of us when we first meet Him? I think sometimes that is easier because it is fresh and new, but as we mature in our faith, I believe we face more challenges as we become more mature in the faith, and they might become more difficult because of the challenges faced in our lives.

In our time and place, we cannot see the physical Jesus in the Judean hills or on the Sea of Galilee, but we can see Him on the deeper level that is just as real as the surface. We see Jesus through The Word. One is confronted with a problem, however. Can we understand or believe in Jesus if we have never seen Him as a physical human being? Thomas faced that problem as he confronted a personal choice about Jesus. Thomas helps us with this problem. He was determined not to be swayed by wishful thinking. While others might indulge in vivid hallucinations, Thomas does not. He knew that in the end, all must face reality, and he wanted reality as his foundation. Despite others claiming to have seen Jesus, he refused to believe them without seeing and touching Jesus himself. Thomas wanted to present the ultimate test: Was Jesus real or imagined by others? The test proposed by Thomas shows that he had witnessed the crucifixion and that the death and its circumstances had deeply impressed him. To him, resurrection seemed like a dream.

For some reason unknown to us, Thomas was not with the other ten apostles when Jesus first came into their midst. No explanation of his absence is given. No hint is left whether it was to his credit or his discredit that he was not among the people gathered in the room where Jesus appeared. What is quite sure is that he demanded physical evidence before he was willing to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Thomas was frank about his doubt when the others told him they had seen Jesus. He knew Jesus had died. It seemed incredible that He was alive again. Thomas said he would not believe it unless he could both see for himself and add the test of touch to the assurance of his eyes. Wishful thinking would not influence him!

Continue reading on in the Scriptures starting at verse 26 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.” “Challenge accepted.”  (John 20:26). This time, Thomas was with them, and Jesus appeared again. Similarly, He greeted them: “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus confronted Thomas and invited him to touch His nail-scarred hands and spear-torn side: “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). Jesus announce to them “Peace be with you.” In a very difficult time they looked to Jesus who had provided comfort and guidance to them. Jesus very simply called them to have peace...

Here is the ultimate infallibility test on Thomas’s part. Jesus calls Thomas out on his challenge and invites him to touch the wounds and put his fingers into the nail holes and his hand into the wounds, which were still visible. Do we do the same thing? Do we have an infallibility test? What would we suggest Jesus do to prove who He is? Walk across a swimming pool? Or do we call on Jesus to perform a miracle?

Think about where this takes us to this point in the narrative, we have gone from the promise of one who would redeem us, as God promised satan that he would not win. Genesis 3:15: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Here is the thing with this verse it is the first promise of the offspring of Mary who would bring victory over satan. The Protoevangelium (The First Gospel) Introduction Genesis 3:15 is the protoevangelium or the first preaching of the Gospel in which the text announces the defeat of Satan and his seed by the seed of the woman, culminating in Jesus Christ, who defeats Satan in His death, resurrection, and final Second Coming. The resurrection is the key element of Jesus’ victory over satan. By Jesus resurrecting from the dead He defeated the punishment sin

Consider also John 1:1 and the introduction of the Word: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Now the Gospel of John comes full circle. It began with the affirmation that the Word was God, and now the whole Gospel reaches its climax in the exclamation of Thomas as he acclaims Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). This is what the Gospel of John is written for, to lead an individual to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Thomas shows us how one man came to that belief. He was not easy to convince, but he came to the full acceptance of Jesus Christ as God. This included belief in the resurrection and much more. It should be said in Thomas’s favor that if his doubts were heaviest, his confession of faith was fullest. He had more doubts as to the resurrection because it meant more to him; it meant that Jesus was none other than God Himself. I have had several conversations with my fellow military veterans and fellow Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), and they understand what it means to follow someone out of devotion without concern for individual safety. As I live for Jesus, and the more maturity I have in the faith, when it comes to the point of full trust in Jesus, I guess my answer has been, “Show me what you want, and I will follow.” Over the years, when Carol and I faced changes in ministry, moving, going places which were never easy for us, but even though we were scared and did not know what the results would be, I always thought back to Abraham and Sarah and what kind of response Mrs. Abaham have it was always, “tell me when to pack.”

Remembering the words of Jesus to Thomas (John 20:29), Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Words of Jesus may cause one to wonder whether Jesus was rebuking Thomas as much as He was challenging us: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas both saw and believed. He tested the surface and accepted the depths. We give thanks because this very Gospel of John gives us testimony of the surface and points us also to the depths. It presents clear and sure evidence that Jesus lived and died and rose again, and the facts provide a sound basis for secure belief that Jesus is the Son of God. Then another question is raised: Can’t one omit the surface and simply leap to the depths? If it is not possible to test the physical resurrection of Jesus through human experience, is it possible to consider a spiritual resurrection independently from the physical? Today, some proclaim the resurrection of Christ, not as something that occurred in a historical, bodily way, but as something that came to be in the beliefs and thoughts of early Christians. After all, they reason, if Thomas was wrong in demanding to touch the body of Jesus, is it not wrong today to emphasize an actual bodily resurrection? Is it not more important to see the resurrection of Jesus as a victory over sin and death? What does it matter whether a body came back to life or not? But is it possible to omit the one belief and leap to the other? In other words, can one deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus and still accept the power of the resurrection in the lives of individuals of the early church and the lives of believers today? Belief in Jesus is not a matter of accepting either one or the other. Belief in Jesus accepts both the bodily resurrection and the spiritual significance, both the surface and the depths. Jesus’ challenge rings down through the ages of time: “Stop doubting and believe!” We need to be able to say “Challenge Accepted.”

Wrapping it up: This is a great place for us to begin preparing our hearts for Communion, think about the victory we have in Jesus as we bring this message to a close. After the message, Pastor Clyde is going to lead us in communion.

We see that Jesus' victory in the resurrection is available to us as we engage Jesus as Lord of our existence. Jesus’ victory over satan and death is the ultimate victory. There is an old hymn called Victory In Jesus, The first verse goes like this: “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me I heard about His groaning, of his precious blood's atoning Then I repented of my sins, and won the victory. Victory in Jesus.”

We need to constantly keep victory in Jesus in front of us. To keep that victory, remember to live in the Word. Consider the words of Deuteronomy 6: 6-9, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Those who missed the fellowship call Thursday night missed a real blessing as we discussed the victory through Jesus. At the end there were only four of us left on the call, and we were able to proclaim how Jesus had brought victory in our lives over the control of sin as we dealt with sin and temptation. Victory in Jesus.

It is important for us today to take a deeper look at the scripture and follow Jesus’ advice to believe even though we have not seen the resurrected Jesus. Without the resurrected Jesus, Jesus is just another dead guy who taught about God. Jesus, through His victory over the grave, was and is victorious over the curse of sin. Our belief in Jesus is a key element in our relationship with Jesus. “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6. 6-8).

In verse 28, I thought about what I had said a few minutes ago. “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). This is what the Gospel of John is written for, to lead an individual to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Thomas shows us how one man came to that belief. He was not easy to convince, but he came to the full acceptance of Jesus Christ as God. This included belief in the resurrection and much more.

Consider this as well, this is about us having a relationship with Jesus through His Spirit. He uses His Spirit to have a relationship with us… to allow us to touch His hands and His side. Pastor Dan made this comment on my lesson, I thought I would share it with the saints. “I know for me, for a decade, it was to be in the Word more. It was a task. It wasn’t until I matured and learned that to be in the Word is to be in relationship with Him through His Power and His Indwelling.” We all have struggles, but through our dependence on the Spirit of God and our relationship with Jesus, we face victory.

The gospel of John is written so that believers will have the logos, the word that John uses, which means word. It means not just words but the true Word (Jesus), and as John introduced Him, that takes away the sins of the world.

The last verse of Victory in Jesus goes like this:

Yes, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood Yes, he plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

Victory in Jesus

David: PRAYER

Clyde over to you...