WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 Good morning, and welcome to worship 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:05.000 at Church of the Advent again. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.000 If we haven't had a chance to meet yet, my name is Jeff. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 I'm one of the pastors here, and as Tommy said, 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:13.000 if you're new here, we'd love to meet you after the service. 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:17.000 We are in the second week of Easter, 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:21.000 a season where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:23.000 And one of the beautiful gifts, I think, 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:25.000 of the Anglican tradition is that 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.000 we don't just celebrate Easter for one day, 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.000 but we celebrate it for a whole season. 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:32.000 Because that is what the resurrection of Jesus deserves. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.000 It deserves a whole season. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.000 But it's interesting when we think about 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.000 the passage this morning, that in that kind of season 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.000 where we celebrate something so central to our faith, 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.000 our faith in the resurrection of Jesus, 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:51.000 that we would come to a passage about a story 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.000 of somebody who doubts. 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:57.000 The story we read in John 20 is about Thomas, 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:03.000 who's one of Jesus' disciples, who initially doubts 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:06.000 that the resurrection could possibly happen. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.000 And on one hand, this story I think is very surprising, 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:15.000 that one of the people who knew Jesus the best, 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.000 who was closest to him, who saw him do ministry, 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:23.000 who saw him do miracles, would also be one of the most skeptical. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:29.000 But on the other hand, I think this story is also a breath of fresh air, 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.000 because I think a lot of us, to some degree, 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.000 can resonate with Thomas. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.000 Whether we would say that we're a skeptic, 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:41.000 or we're an agnostic, perhaps even atheist, 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.000 or whether we've been a Christian for a long time, 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.000 we can all resonate with Thomas to some degree, 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:51.000 because we all experience doubt in some form or another. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:55.000 Sometimes we can have doubts that are more intellectual. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:02:00.000 We might wonder whether belief in God is rational, 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:02.000 whether belief in God is true, 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.000 whether we can square things like miracles 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:07.000 and the resurrection with reason and science. 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:11.000 For others of us, from time to time, 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:16.000 doubt might be more experiential or emotional. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.000 We may not doubt the truth of our faith, 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.000 but maybe the particular season that we're in, 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.000 maybe God feels absent. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 We might wonder, why is this difficult thing happening to me? 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Does God really love me and care about me? 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:32.000 That's a different kind of doubt. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:36.000 There's a range of doubts that we can experience in this life, 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.000 and often they come, different kinds of doubts can come 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:42.000 in different seasons of our lives. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.000 And so the question then is, what do we do? 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:49.000 What do we do with our doubts? 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:53.000 And this passage here in John 20 is an excellent case study 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:57.000 for that question, because I think it speaks to everybody. 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:59.000 Whether you're a lifelong Christian, 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:04.000 or whether you're a skeptic or agnostic, whoever you are, 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:11.000 it speaks to everybody who has questions about truth. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:16.000 And what this passage teaches us about what to do with our doubts 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:18.000 is it shows us three things. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.000 It shows us how to uncover our doubts. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.000 It shows us how to consider the evidence, 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:27.000 and how to remember his scars. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.000 How to uncover our doubts, how to consider the evidence, 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.000 and how to remember his scars. 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.000 But before we look at that, this passage this morning, 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:36.000 let's pray together. 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:39.000 Our God and Father, we thank you for your word, 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:43.000 and we thank you that this story is in the Bible. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:45.000 And I pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:49.000 that you would speak to us and enlighten our minds and our hearts 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.000 about what to do with our doubts. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.000 We pray this in Christ's name, amen. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:00.000 So first of all, the first thing I think that this encounter 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:04.000 with Thomas and Jesus shows us is how to uncover our doubts. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:09.000 In this scene, John really kind of sets the scene for us 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:14.000 that in the few days after the resurrection, 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.000 most of the disciples have had a chance to see Jesus alive. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.000 But for whatever reason, John doesn't tell us why, 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:26.000 Thomas, the disciple, hasn't had a chance to see Jesus alive yet. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 And the rest of the disciples are telling him, 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:31.000 hey, look, we've seen Jesus alive. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Like, this is amazing. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:36.000 But even though they are all telling him the same thing, 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.000 he is not convinced. 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.000 Verse 25, Thomas says this. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.000 He says, unless I see the nail marks in his hands 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:47.000 and put my finger where the nails were 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:53.000 and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000 I'm not gonna believe until I see the evidence. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:02.000 And to be honest, I think that Thomas sometimes gets a bad rap 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:07.000 because sometimes he's referred to as Doubting Thomas. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:10.000 You know, probably not the senior superlative 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.000 he was looking for, you know, right? 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:17.000 But the nickname Doubting Thomas that he has acquired 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.000 over church history, I think communicates 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:24.000 a couple unhelpful things, probably unintentionally. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.000 That the desire for evidence, for believing, 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:30.000 is somehow a weakness. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Or that to have doubt is somehow to have a lack of faith. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.000 I think those things are unhelpful. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:39.000 Because if I'm being honest, 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:41.000 I probably would have reacted in the exact same way. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:44.000 Somebody that I know, 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:48.000 being raised back to life after I saw him tortured 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.000 and beaten and killed, yeah, right. 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.000 There's no way that I'm gonna believe that 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.000 without seeing evidence for it. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.000 And maybe you would identify with Thomas a lot too. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.000 Maybe you would say, you know, I'm a person of reason. 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.000 I'm a person of science. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.000 You know, this is why I find it really hard 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:10.000 to believe in God. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.000 I find it really hard to believe 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.000 in something like miracles or the resurrection 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.000 because I don't see any evidence for it. 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:19.000 And what this story invites us to do 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.000 is to not turn off our brains 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:25.000 when we come to church. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.000 It invites us to not minimize or ignore 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:30.000 our questions or our doubts, 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:33.000 but actually to think about them more deeply. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:37.000 Not to be less rational, but to be more rational. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.000 Not to want less evidence for believing, 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.000 but to want more evidence for believing. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.000 And so let's think for a moment, 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:51.000 let's think together about the question 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.000 and the objection that Thomas raises here. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:57.000 Because it's a good and honest question. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:00.000 But let's put it in more modern terms. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:02.000 I think if we were to put Thomas's question 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:04.000 and objection in more modern terms, 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.000 I think it would go something like this. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:08.000 You know, a lot of people say, 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:12.000 you know, science, empirical evidence, 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:16.000 is the only reliable way to know truth. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.000 Other people might have beliefs or faith, 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:23.000 and that's all good, but at the end of the day, 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.000 that's just an opinion. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:27.000 In order to really know something is true, 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.000 you need empirical evidence. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:31.000 You need data, you need facts. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.000 But let's look for a second at that statement. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:39.000 Science or empirical evidence 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.000 is the only reliable way to know something. 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:43.000 And let's think about that for a second. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:52.000 Is that a statement that you can prove scientifically? 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:58.000 It's not. 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:00.000 Why not? 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:01.000 Because it's not a scientific claim. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:03.000 It's a philosophical one. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.000 It's a statement of epistemology. 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.000 It's a statement of how we know what we know. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:10.000 The problem with saying 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.000 that the only way to know something 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:14.000 through empirical evidence 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.000 is that you can't prove that that statement is true 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:21.000 through empirical evidence. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.000 And that's because at its core, it's a belief. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.000 It's an article of faith. 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:30.000 Now, that doesn't mean it's not true. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:33.000 It just means you can't prove it empirically. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:35.000 And what we all have to be honest about 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:36.000 is that at our core, 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.000 we all have beliefs that we can't prove it. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:41.000 We all have beliefs that we can't prove empirically. 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:44.000 It's not as if religious people have faith 00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:46.000 and non-religious people have reason. 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:50.000 No, everybody has faith and everybody has reason 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:52.000 because on some level, 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.000 everybody is reasoning and trying to live their lives 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.000 in alignment with their core beliefs. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:02.000 Maybe it's a belief like science or empirical evidence 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.000 is the only reliable source of truth. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:10.000 Maybe it's a belief like Jesus literally bodily rose from the dead. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:14.000 But whoever you are, faith and reason are always working together. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:20.000 And that's why if you uncover your doubt, 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:23.000 if you look underneath it, 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:27.000 what you actually find is a belief. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:29.000 What you actually find is faith. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:33.000 Doubt can't exist in a vacuum. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.000 It's always resting on, 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.000 it's always standing on some core belief. 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:41.000 And the question is, 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:45.000 what core belief is your doubt standing on? 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.000 What is it based on? 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:49.000 And does it hold up? 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:52.000 Is it strong enough? 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.000 Thomas' core belief was what? 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.000 Dead people don't come back to life. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.000 But when he was confronted with new evidence, 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:05.000 he had to reconsider his core beliefs. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.000 And that's what we have to do as well. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:10.000 All of us are like Thomas to some degree. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:15.000 Whether we have intellectual or emotional or spiritual doubts, 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:20.000 we all need reasons and evidence for our core beliefs. 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:22.000 And that's not a weakness. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:24.000 That's being human. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:27.000 So first of all, 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 we need to uncover our doubts. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:33.000 We need to look underneath and see what's the core belief underneath. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.000 But secondly, 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.000 we have to consider the evidence. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:39.000 We have to consider the evidence. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.000 In verse 26, John tells us that all the disciples were gathered together in a room. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.000 And he says, 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.000 the doors were locked. 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:53.000 And suddenly, Jesus just appears among them and says to them, 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.000 peace be with you. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.000 And we can only imagine what that moment felt like. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:04.000 I have to imagine that there was probably dead silence in the room. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.000 You know, jaws dropping on the floor, 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.000 disciples just looking at each other wide-eyed going, 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.000 what in the world just happened? 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:14.000 Like, how did he do that? 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:16.000 The doors were locked and he just appeared. 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.000 And as everyone is still processing in the silence of that moment, 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:24.000 in the awe of that moment, 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:29.000 Jesus turns his attention to Thomas. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:36.000 And notice the way that he engages with Thomas in verse 27. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:38.000 He says, 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:40.000 put your finger here 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:43.000 and see my hands. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.000 And put out your hand and place it in my side. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:50.000 Stop doubting and believe. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:55.000 Jesus doesn't scold Thomas for his doubts. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:58.000 He doesn't shame him. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:01.000 He doesn't ignore his presence in the room. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.000 He doesn't say to him, 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.000 stop trying to be so rational and scientific. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.000 Just have more faith. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:09.000 No, that's not what he says at all. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:13.000 He invites Thomas to engage with his whole being 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:18.000 and to honestly examine the truth for himself. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:21.000 And as Thomas reaches out his hand 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.000 and touches the nail marks in Jesus' hand 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:26.000 and touches his side, 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:29.000 the only way that he can respond 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.000 is by saying, 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:34.000 my Lord and my God. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.000 It's through engaging his doubt 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:42.000 that Thomas moves into deeper faith. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.000 And if you're here this morning 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:48.000 and if you're someone who has honest doubts, 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:49.000 honest questions 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:54.000 about whether all of this is true or not, 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:56.000 you're in good company. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.000 You're in good company with Jesus 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:01.000 because Jesus doesn't dismiss 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:04.000 or scold those who have honest questions and doubts. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:06.000 No, he engages them honestly. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:10.000 And he invites them to see for themselves. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:14.000 The Christian life isn't about having blind faith. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:16.000 That's naive. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.000 It's also not about having zero doubts 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.000 because you've researched all the answers 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:23.000 and you know everything. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:25.000 That's unrealistic. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.000 To be a Christian is to be someone 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.000 who considers and wrestles with 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:32.000 the reasons for believing 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.000 and through that process 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:36.000 that God's love 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.000 comes into a deeper faith. 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:40.000 And I would say that 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:41.000 that has definitely been true in my life. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:43.000 Throughout my life, 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.000 I've had both intellectual doubts 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:49.000 and more experiential, emotional, spiritual doubts. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.000 In the times in my life 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:54.000 when I have worked through my questions 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:55.000 and my doubts 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:56.000 by reading books, 00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:59.000 through conversations with others, 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.000 by studying scripture through prayer, 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.000 through prayer, 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:03.000 the times in my life 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:05.000 when I have engaged my doubts the most 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.000 have led me to a deeper faith. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:12.000 And so all of this then raises 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:14.000 a really honest question, I think. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:19.000 Because we're talking about the resurrection, 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:20.000 it's worth asking, 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:23.000 so what historical evidence do we have 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.000 for believing in something like the resurrection? 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:27.000 I think that's a great question. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:29.000 Unlike Thomas, 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:31.000 we unfortunately don't have 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.000 the resurrected body of Jesus 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:33.000 to look at and touch. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.000 But we do have lots of good historical evidence 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:38.000 that the resurrection actually happened. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.000 Pastor Tommy mentioned two aspects 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:45.000 of this evidence last week in his sermon. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.000 So I'm gonna review the two aspects 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.000 that he mentioned 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:50.000 and I'm gonna add a third. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:53.000 First of all, 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:54.000 one of the first aspects 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.000 of historical evidence for the resurrection 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:58.000 we can think about is this. 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:00.000 Nobody in the first century 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.000 was expecting a resurrection to happen. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:06.000 And yet people suffered incredibly for it. 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:09.000 The idea of someone being raised back to life 00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.000 didn't fit anybody's metaphysical categories. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:14.000 The Greeks believed that the soul was good, 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.000 but that the body was a prison. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.000 And that upon death, 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:22.000 the soul was released and freed from the body. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:23.000 And so in Greek thought, 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:25.000 the idea of a bodily resurrection 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.000 wouldn't have just been irrational, 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:30.000 it would have been detestable 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:32.000 because the body was a prison. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.000 Jews believed in a corporate resurrection 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:38.000 for the whole people of God 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:40.000 at the end of time, 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:43.000 along with the renewal of all creation, 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.000 but they weren't expecting the resurrection 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.000 of one person in the middle of history. 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.000 And so nobody was looking for this to happen. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:53.000 Nobody was expecting it. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:54.000 And yet, 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:56.000 people gave their lives 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.000 to a message that had absolutely no social benefit 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:03.000 that made them suffer incredibly 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:05.000 and many of them gave their lives and died for it. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.000 And you've got to do something with that. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:10.000 You've got to do something with that piece of evidence. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.000 The second piece of evidence that Tommy mentioned last week 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:17.000 that I think is worth repeating 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.000 is that regrettably, tragically, in the first century, 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.000 we know from history that a woman's testimony 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.000 was not admittable evidence in a court of law. 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.000 And here's why that matters. 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:32.000 And here's why that matters. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.000 Because if you're trying to convince people 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.000 in the first century of this extraordinary claim 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.000 that somebody rose from the dead, 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:42.000 you wouldn't include the testimony of women. 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:44.000 It would actually hurt your argument. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.000 It would hurt your credibility. 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.000 But this is exactly what we see in the Gospels, 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.000 that women were the very first witnesses, 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:53.000 eyewitnesses to the resurrection. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:56.000 And you have to ask the question, 00:16:57.000 --> 00:16:58.000 why would you include this detail 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:01.000 if it would actually hurt your credibility? 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:03.000 If it would be self-defeating? 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:06.000 The most probable explanation 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:08.000 is that the Gospel writers 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.000 were simply writing what happened. 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:12.000 They were telling the truth, 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:14.000 even though they knew it could have hurt their credibility. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:16.000 You've got to do something with that. 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:19.000 The third piece of historical evidence 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.000 I think we should consider 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:24.000 is the widespread nature of eyewitness testimony. 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:27.000 The widespread nature of eyewitness testimony. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.000 In 1 Corinthians 15, the Apostle Paul says 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:30.000 that after his resurrection, 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Jesus appeared to hundreds of people. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.000 Why does he do that? 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:38.000 Well, he's saying, 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.000 don't just believe what I'm telling you on blind faith. 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:45.000 Don't just take my word for it. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.000 If you're skeptical of what I'm talking about in the resurrection, 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.000 go talk to these people. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:51.000 They're still alive. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.000 You can go interview them and ask them, 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.000 and they will tell you what they heard and saw. 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:57.000 They're the sources. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:17:59.000 If you want to look into this further, 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.000 the best scholarly work on this 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.000 is a book called 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:06.000 Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Baucom. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:09.000 And he does a lot of things in that book, 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.000 but one of the things that he does 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:11.000 that is really fascinating 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.000 is he draws on the insights 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:16.000 from modern psychology 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.000 about recollective memory. 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:21.000 And what he says is that, 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.000 based on what modern psychology tells us 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.000 about how recollective memory works, 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.000 we have every reason to trust 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.000 that the eyewitnesses in the Gospels 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:35.000 were highly reliable sources. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.000 And so if you're going to honestly engage 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.000 the fact of the resurrection, 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:41.000 you're going to have to do something 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:43.000 with the hundreds and hundreds 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.000 of eyewitness sources we have. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:46.000 You can't simply ignore them. 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:50.000 Now I realize that that was a very brief sketch 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.000 of the historical evidence. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.000 I'm happy to recommend some books, 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.000 including that book by Richard Baucom 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:58.000 that I mentioned, 00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.000 if you want to explore this further. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.000 But here's the point. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:03.000 Here's the point. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.000 Thomas had to examine for himself 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:09.000 the evidence for the resurrection. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:10.000 And when he did, 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:13.000 he had to allow that to inform his core beliefs. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:17.000 Are you willing to do the same thing? 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Are you willing to consider the historical evidence 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:24.000 for the resurrection, 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.000 even if it might change your core beliefs? 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Jesus doesn't ask us to check our brain at the door. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:33.000 He doesn't dismiss our doubts or questions. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.000 He invites us to check our brain at the door. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:37.000 He doesn't dismiss our doubts or questions. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:40.000 He invites us into an honest conversation. 00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:43.000 He says, here I am. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.000 See for yourself. 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:48.000 Ask away. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.000 Investigate. Explore. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.000 You might believe that it's totally impossible 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:56.000 that Jesus could have risen for the dead. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.000 But I invite you, don't believe that 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.000 unless you have good reasons for it. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.000 Don't doubt the resurrection 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:09.000 on blind faith 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:12.000 without considering the evidence. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:16.000 Now I realize so far, 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.000 we've mostly been talking about intellectual doubt. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.000 But what if our doubts are more emotional or experiential? 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:29.000 Many of us here in this room might say, 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:31.000 you know, I believe Christianity is true. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:33.000 I believe that Jesus rose from the dead, 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:36.000 but I'm having a hard time experiencing it. 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:40.000 I'm having a hard time trusting in the goodness of God 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:42.000 and His mercy and His love. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:44.000 Maybe you're in a difficult season. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:46.000 You're wondering, does God really love me? 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:48.000 Does He really care? 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:50.000 Does He really know? 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:51.000 No. 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.000 And what we need to do, 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.000 what we need is perhaps not more historical evidence, 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:01.000 what we need is to remember the scars of Jesus. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.000 To remember the scars of Jesus. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:06.000 Here in this passage, 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:10.000 Jesus not only invites Thomas to believe in Him, 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:14.000 but to believe by touching the scars on His body. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.000 The marks from the nails that pierced His hands on His side. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:24.000 And this is really remarkable if you think about this for a second. 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:29.000 That Jesus in His resurrected glorified body 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:33.000 still bears the marks of His crucifixion. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:35.000 And I don't know about you, 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.000 but this is totally not what I would have expected at all. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.000 If God had the power to raise someone from the dead, 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:47.000 don't you think He would have had the power to heal a couple scars? 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:49.000 Right? 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.000 This is not what I would have expected. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:56.000 Why did Jesus, why does He keep His scars in His resurrected body? 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:01.000 There's a lot that we could unpack here 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.000 on a deep theology of suffering. 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:07.000 That the risen Christ still bears our wounds. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.000 But I think one reason based on this conversation, 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.000 this encounter with Thomas, 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.000 I think is directly related to our doubts. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.000 I think that Jesus knew 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:27.000 that some of the people who knew Him the best, 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:31.000 who loved Him the most, 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.000 who were some of His most faithful, committed followers, 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:40.000 would still have questions and doubts from time to time. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:45.000 Some of you have been following Jesus your entire life. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:51.000 And yet you still wonder if God is with you in difficult moments. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:56.000 Some of you would never doubt the historical resurrection of Jesus, 00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:02.000 but maybe you wonder if He can actually bring His resurrection power in your life today. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:05.000 Like, can He actually help you change? 00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:10.000 Some of you might be utterly convinced your faith is true intellectually, 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.000 but you might wrestle with, 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:18.000 does God actually love you like He says He does? 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.000 I don't know the individual circumstances of your life, 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:25.000 but I imagine that this is where some of us might be this morning, 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:31.000 and eventually, I think inevitably, we all get to a place like this. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:34.000 It's that place in Mark 9, 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:38.000 where the man comes to Jesus and says, 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:40.000 Lord, I believe. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:43.000 Help my unbelief. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.000 And friends, that is the Christian life. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:49.000 Lord, I believe. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.000 Help my unbelief. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.000 Help my unbelief. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:23:57.000 And I think this is one of the reasons why even in His resurrected body, 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:02.000 Jesus still has scars as a way of identifying with us, 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:08.000 of identifying with us in our suffering and in our doubt. 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:11.000 The scars of Jesus are the objective evidence 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:15.000 that the one who has conquered sin and death 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:18.000 and ascended to the right hand of the Father in glory and victory, 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:21.000 the one who is King of kings and Lord of lords 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:26.000 is not absent from our pain. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:32.000 He's not aloof from our questions and our doubts. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:33.000 Amen. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:34.660 Peace. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:36.000 Peace. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:37.000 Peace. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:38.000 Peace. 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:40.000 Peace. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:41.000 Peace. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:43.000 Peace. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:45.000 Peace. 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:46.000 Peace. 00:24:48.859 --> 00:24:50.000 Peace. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:52.000 Peace. 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:54.000 Peace. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:55.000 Peace. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.000 Peace. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:24:58.000 One more day. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:59.000 Peace. 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:00.000 Peace. 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:01.579 Peace.