And put my hand into his side.
I will not believe.
A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them.
! Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you.
Then he said to Thomas, Put your finger here.
See my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe.
Thomas said to Jesus, My Lord and my God.
Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Well, let's pray together and ask for the Lord's help as we look at his word.
Father God, these words have been written down for us.
That we may have life.
And we pray that we may encounter afresh the risen Lord Jesus, each and every one of us.
That we may see and know the life that the risen Jesus comes to give us.
We ask for your help.
That we may be changed.
As we see Jesus.
Amen.
So, do you believe in Jesus?
I don't mean do you believe that Jesus existed.
Most people believe that there was a man in history, a great teacher, a great leader called Jesus.
But do you believe in, do you trust in the resurrection of Jesus?
Most people don't believe.
Perhaps you're here this morning and you don't believe.
Or maybe you've got friends or family who don't believe.
What do you think it will take for a doubter to become a believer?
Well, in our text that we've just read, we meet a sceptic.
Someone who was a doubter.
Someone who does not believe.
His name is Thomas.
And Thomas has got questions.
He wants to know if the resurrection is true.
And if it is true,
what will that mean for our life?
Well, to help us understand and to get to the heart of this account,
we're going to listen to three voices.
We're going to listen to what the disciples say,
what Thomas says,
and what Jesus says.
So three voices that we're going to listen to this morning.
First, let's listen to what the disciples have to say.
We have seen and we believe.
Look at verse 24.
Now, Thomas, one of the twelve,
was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
So Jesus had already visited the other disciples.
So the other disciples told him,
Thomas, we have seen the Lord.
Of course, the disciples weren't the first ones to see the resurrected Jesus.
This was the privilege of Mary.
If you look back at verse 18.
This is just after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Verse 18.
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news,
I have seen the Lord.
Mary was the first eyewitness of the risen Jesus.
And although she had seen and believed,
it seems the disciples were not so convinced.
They needed to see Jesus too.
So verse 19.
On the evening of the first day,
so a week after the resurrection,
when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
Peace be with you.
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and his side.
And the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
They saw the risen Jesus with their own eyes.
And so they go to Thomas in verse 25.
Thomas, we have seen the Lord.
Jesus was alive.
He died.
He was buried.
And now he lives.
They believed in Jesus.
But you say,
that's easy for the disciples to believe.
I think if I was a sceptic,
and I saw the physical risen Jesus right here,
right now,
my goodness me,
I too would believe.
You see,
that's how so many unbelievers respond.
I will believe if.
I will believe if Jesus came and spoke to me audibly.
I will believe in Jesus if he would heal my sick son or daughter.
I will believe in Jesus if he would just end all the wars right now in the Middle East.
I will believe if Jesus appeared to me in Barry Collins.
Just bumped into him and there he was.
What would it take for you to believe?
What would convince the most hardened friend that you have to believe in and trust in the resurrection of Jesus?
I will believe in Jesus if you fill in the blank.
It's a reasonable way to think, isn't it?
You see,
if I said to you,
I could jump up right here from now and touch the roof up there.
I can.
What would you say?
Prove it, Johnny.
Well, I'm not going to prove it.
Because I can't.
You see,
in the same way,
if we say to our friends or to family,
Jesus died,
and Jesus was raised from the dead,
and he lives forever.
And they turn around and say to you,
well,
prove it to me.
What are you going to say to your friends to say Jesus was risen from the dead?
What proof have you got?
Well,
it comes back to our statement,
I will believe in Jesus if.
In other words,
people want proof.
They want evidence.
Which is exactly what Thomas wants.
So,
we've heard the disciples.
Now let's listen to Thomas.
Unless I see,
I will not believe.
Look at verse 25.
The disciples came to Thomas and said,
we have seen the Lord.
But Thomas said to them,
unless I see the nail marks in his hands,
and put my finger where the nails were,
and put my hand into his side,
I will not believe.
So just as Christ was nailed to the cross,
and the Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a sword,
Thomas saying,
unless I get to actually put my finger where those nail marks were,
and see the side,
and put my hand where he was cut with the sword,
I'm not going to believe.
I need to see.
I need to be able to touch.
I need evidence.
Well, it seems that the risen Jesus was very gracious to Thomas,
because evidence he asked for,
evidence he gets.
Verse 26.
A week later,
so this is now two weeks after the resurrection of Jesus,
a week later,
his disciples were in the house again,
and Thomas was with them this time.
But it's a similar account, isn't it?
Though the doors were locked,
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
peace be with you.
You see,
Jesus' resurrected body
was a transformed body.
He could walk through walls and doors.
But to dispel any thoughts of this being an apparition,
or a kind of a ghostly or spirity figure,
verse 27.
Jesus said to Thomas,
Thomas, put your finger here.
See my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Well, Thomas heard the voice of Jesus.
He could see Jesus.
And he could actually touch Jesus.
His request for proof has been met.
But with the evidence,
or the call for evidence,
comes a call on his life.
Verse 27.
The end of verse 27.
Thomas,
stop doubting
and believe.
The risen Jesus has come to Thomas
and demands a response.
It's as if Jesus were saying to him,
I've done what you've asked for.
Now believe in me.
Put your trust in me.
Place all your confidence in me.
You see,
believing is much more than just an intellectual acceptance.
It is a relational commitment.
Jesus is saying,
entrust your life to me.
Submit yourself to me.
depend upon me for your life.
In around 1840,
1850,
there was a man who was famous for his tightrope walking,
Blondin.
One of his most famous acts
was to walk along a tightrope across the Niagara Falls,
about a thousand feet in distance,
160 feet from the raging waters below.
And there he performed his act
in front of a crowd of about 25,000 people
back and forth,
up and down the rope he went.
And then he produced a wheelbarrow.
And he asked the crowd,
do you think I can walk across this tightrope
with a wheelbarrow?
The crowd roared,
yes,
yes.
And then he asked the crowd,
do you think
I could push someone
in the wheelbarrow
across?
Yes,
yes,
said the crowd.
And then came the question,
any volunteers?
Nobody answered.
You see,
it's one thing for you to say
or for me to say,
oh yes,
I believe,
but it's another thing to act on it
and to entrust yourself
to someone.
Well,
Jesus is coming before us this morning
as he did to Thomas.
and he is saying,
entrust your whole life
to me.
Commit yourself to me
and I will bring you through
not just a tightrope across a river,
but I will bring you
from death
through
to life.
I will take you
from darkness
into light,
from condemnation
into salvation.
Trust in me
and I will guarantee you
eternal life.
How is Thomas
going to respond?
He has the evidence
before him,
the call upon his life.
Well,
there is the confession.
Verse 28.
Thomas said
to Jesus,
my Lord
and my God.
Now,
this isn't an expletive
of one of fright
or confusion.
It's a confession
of understanding
and commitment.
My Lord
or
my Master.
But more than that,
my God.
Here,
the risen Jesus
stands before Thomas
and Jesus
has risen
from the dead
demonstrates
to Thomas
that because
he is alive,
he is God.
And Thomas
saw the evidence.
He heard the call
and now he confesses,
my Lord
and my God.
Thomas
entrusts
himself
to Jesus.
He commits
his life
to God.
He is the one
who actually
gets in the wheelbarrow.
he entrusts
himself
to Jesus.
Thomas
sees
and he
believes.
Now,
the risen Jesus
not only speaks
to Thomas,
Jesus
speaks
to us.
So,
we've heard
the voice
of the disciples,
the voice
of Thomas.
Now,
listen to
the voice
of Jesus.
Blessed
are those
who have
not
seen
and
believe.
Verse
29.
Then
Jesus
told
Thomas,
because
you have
seen
me,
you have
believed.
Blessed
are those
who have
not
seen
and yet
have
believed.
You see,
Jesus is
saying to
us and
to our
skeptic
friends,
even though
we cannot
physically
see the
risen
Jesus,
we can
still
believe.
And this
isn't just
a step
into the
dark.
This is
not blind
faith.
No,
this is a
sure
and certain
faith
which rests
on the
historical
fact of
the
resurrection.
Well,
how can
we believe?
How are we
to expect
any of our
family to
believe?
Or friends
to believe
if they
cannot see
Jesus?
Well,
three things
for us
to consider.
First,
it is
written.
Look at
verse 30.
Jesus
performed
many other
signs in
the presence
of his
disciples which
are not
recorded in
this book.
But these
are written
that you
may believe.
John,
the author
of the
gospel,
has recorded
at least
seven
miraculous
signs that
Jesus
performed.
He
changed
water
into
wine.
He
healed
the
royal
official's
son.
Then there
was the
lame man
by the
pool who
was made
to walk
again.
Then Jesus
went on
and he
fed a
crowd of
more than
5,000
people with
five bread
rolls and
a couple
of fish.
Then there
was the
blind man,
blind from
birth,
but Jesus
touched him
and he
was healed.
And then
there was
that resurrection
of Lazarus
from the
dead.
Jesus
raised a
dead man.
And all
of these
signs have
been recorded
and written
down for
us in
the gospel
of John.
It's like
it's a
book of
evidence.
And the
seventh and
final sign
is the
resurrection
of Jesus.
The
testimony of
those who
saw him
have recorded
it.
Mary saw
the
disciples
saw.
Thomas
saw.
These were
the first
eyewitnesses
and they
believed and
their stories
have been
written down
for you
and for
me today.
In other
words,
what this
is saying
to us
is that
what's
written
down
is
enough.
God's
word
is
sufficient.
We don't
need any
more
signs
or
wonders.
Can God
do miracles
today?
Yes,
he can.
But we
don't need
signs or
wonders to
believe.
No more
I will
believe if
Jesus
turned up
at Barry
Collins.
No,
it is
written
second
so that
we may
believe.
Look at
verse 31
again.
These are
written that
you may
believe that
Jesus is
the Messiah,
the Son of
God,
and that
by believing
you may
have life
in his
name.
You see,
all of these
signs performed
by Jesus
have a
purpose to
show us
that Jesus
is the
Messiah.
He is
God's
chosen
king.
And the
only right
response is
to believe
and to
confess like
Thomas,
my Lord
and my
God.
You see,
it's not
that there's
not enough
evidence.
It's that
some people
just don't
want to
believe
the evidence.
look back
to chapter
11 with
me,
to this
amazing
account
of
Lazarus
being
raised
from the
dead.
Chapter
11,
verse
43.
So this
is the
sixth
miracle
or sign
that Jesus
performed.
We'll pick
it up in
verse 43.
So
Lazarus is
in the
tomb
and Jesus
comes along
and in a
loud voice,
Lazarus,
come out.
the dead
man came
out,
his hands
and feet
wrapped with
strips of
linen and
a cloth
round his
face.
And Jesus
said to
them,
take off
the grave
clothes and
let him
go.
Therefore,
many of the
Jews who
had come to
visit Mary,
Mary was
the sister
of Lazarus,
they had
come to
mourn for
him.
when they
had seen
what Jesus
did,
they believed
in him.
But not
everyone was
happy,
were they?
Look at
verse 48.
This is the
religious leaders.
If we let
him go on
like this,
if we let
Jesus keep
going on,
everyone will
believe in
him.
And then the
Romans will
come and
take away
both our
temple and
our nation.
Verse 53.
So from
that day
on,
they plotted
to take
his life.
Let's go
back to
chapter 20.
You see,
some saw
and believed
and looked
to Jesus
for life.
Others
saw
and would
not believe
and instead
of coming
to Jesus
for life,
they wanted
to take
his life.
You see,
it's not
that there
is no
evidence,
it's that
some just
don't want
to believe.
The reality
is Jesus
could do
anything and
everything you
asked for.
Heal my
child,
stop the
wars,
appear to
me,
talk to
me,
but still,
they would
not believe.
You see,
believing in
Jesus
demands that
we devote
ourselves fully
and completely
to Jesus.
True belief
means we
embrace Jesus
as my
Lord
and my
God.
and that's
the crux
of the
issue,
to entrust
yourself
completely
to him,
to get
into the
wheelbarrow,
to give
your life
to him.
well,
it is
written
that we
may
believe
and have
life.
You see,
as we
do believe,
as we
trust in
Jesus,
we experience
life in all
its fullness.
Look at
verse 31
back to
chapter 20.
But these
are written
that you
may believe
that Jesus
is the
Messiah,
the Son
of God,
and that
by believing
you may
have
life
in his
name.
That's
what is
promised,
life.
Well,
what is
this life?
Well,
listen to
what Jesus
said to
those who
encountered
him.
Here's a
taster
of what
John
promises.
Jesus
says,
whoever
drinks the
water I
give them
will never
thirst.
Indeed,
the water I
give them
will come
in them,
a spring
of water
welling up
to eternal
life.
I am
the bread
of life.
I am
the living
bread that
came down
from heaven.
Whoever
eats this
bread will
live
forever.
I have
come
that they
may have
life
and have
it
to the
full.
I am
the
resurrection
and the
life.
The one
who believes
in me
will live
even though
they die
and whoever
lives by
believing in
me will
never die.
I am
the way,
the truth
and the
life.
No one
comes to
the Father
except
through
me.
Here is
life
that will
quench
you
and satisfy
you
and
fulfill
you.
It is
life
now
and
life
to
come.
You
see,
this
gospel
has been
written
down
so that
we may
believe
and have
life
and so
we can
go and
proclaim
this
life
with
absolute
confidence
and assurance
to our
skeptic
friends.
We
don't have
to produce
miracles
or signs
and wonders.
we tell
them the
same
story
which is
exactly
what John
went on
to do.
Go with
me as we
finish
please
to
1 John
chapter
1.
It's
just
before
Revelation.
1 John
chapter
1.
Towards
the end
of your
Bible.
page
number
1225.
So the
same
author of
the gospel
writes a
letter
and tells
us that
the written
word about
Jesus is
sufficient,
it is
enough,
and it
leads to
life.
Let's
read from
verse 1.
This is
speaking about
Jesus.
That which
was from
the beginning,
which we
have heard,
which we
have seen
with our
eyes,
which we
have looked
at,
and our
hands have
touched,
this we
proclaim
concerning the
word of
life.
the life
appeared,
we have
seen it,
and testify
to it,
and we
proclaim to
you the
eternal life
which was
with the
Father and
has appeared
to us.
We
proclaim to
you what
we have
seen and
heard,
so that you
also may
have fellowship
with us,
and our
fellowship is
with the
Father and
with his
Son,
Jesus
Christ.
We write
this to
make our
joy
complete.
you see,
life is
experienced as
we hear the
written word
and believe.
No need
for I
will believe
if.
We have
the testimony
of those who
heard, who
saw, and
who touched.
And so we
can go with
confidence and
share the
same message
and show
that as we
believe,
verse 3,
we enter and
experience
fellowship with
the Father
and with
his Son.
We enter
into that
eternal,
loving,
joyful
relationship
of the
Father and
the Son.
A
relationship
that quenches
and satisfies
and fulfills
life in
all its
fullness
offered
freely
because of
what Christ
has done
for us.
Stop
doubting
and believe.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
As we
look afresh
at the
evidence,
as we
hear the
call
to believe,
we
confess
afresh,
my
Lord
and my
God.
We
thank you,
Jesus,
for your
death for
us,
for your
resurrection,
giving life
to all
who trust
in you.
Help us
to go
with confidence
and assurance
that we
too may
proclaim
the
written
word
that all
may come
and believe
and receive
life.
Father,
we pray
that for
everyone
gathered
here
today.
We
pray that
for every
child and
young person
who will
come to
rock,
to
rooted.
we pray
that for
our
friends.
We
pray it
for our
family.
Lord,
help us
to
proclaim
this
word,
this
word of
life.
Help us
now, we
ask in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.