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Reference

John 20:24-31

Sermon Discussion Questions:

1. Read John 20:19-23 and then John 20:24-31. Why did Jesus appear first without Thomas present?

2. Did you grow up in a home (or church) where it was normal to bring questions or doubts out into the open? Can you think of ways to create an environment where we create an environment that doesn't glamorize doubt, but also doesn't make it seem shameful?

3. Why does Thomas insist on not merely a sight of Christ, but a touch of Him? And His wounds specifically?

4. Nowhere in the story are we told that Thomas actuall touches the wounds of Jesus. Why is that significant?

5. What is the spiritual significance of Thomas claiming that until he touches the wounds of Jesus, he will never believe?

Thomas Jefferson, our third president, created his own Bible. He took a pen knife, and cut out of the gospels what he believed were inauthentic additions by later disciples. What he removed was all of the miracles. Jefferson was a rationalist who believed that Jesus was the best moral teacher that the world had ever known, but nothing more than that. He was not divine, nor the son of God. Jefferson believed that there was an afterlife where good people would be rewarded or bad people punished, but your admission into that eternal state was not dependent on faith (which no one could control) but on your good deeds (which you could).

In last verse of the Jefferson Bible, Jesus’s disciples “rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.” There was no resurrection in Jefferson’s edition.

Doubting the miraculous is understandable, isn’t it? How many miracles have you been able to observe?

Another doubting Thomas is the focus of our study today.

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.”
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.” 27 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.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:24-31

Doubt, Belief, and the Path to Faith

Doubt

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. - John 20:24

Thomas is excluded from the initial appearance back in 20:19-23. Why?
Jesus certainly could have waited till Thomas was there; Jesus is the sovereign Lord—He could have made Thomas be there. But He chose not to.
What do we know about Thomas?
- One of the 12, of course.
- Sincere, but misunderstood faith: “Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” - John 11:14-16
- Sincere, but questioning faith: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” - John 14:3-5
Jesus chooses Thomas to be excluded for a reason: to give us a case study on doubt.

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.” - John 20:25

Thomas rejects out of hand the idea that Jesus could be risen. Which dispels the myth that everyone was a credulous person back then, not like us sophisticated, scientific people.
- Why does he want to touch the wounds? So that he won’t be fooled by an imposter or a ghost.
- David Hume on why we should reject miracles: “the accounts of ignorant and barborous people” who are eager to believe the spectacular. Hume arrogantly assumes that everyone who believes a miracle proves that they are more ignorant than he is. Thomas doesn’t fit this description.
Increasing demands for evidence: Unless I **see…**place my **finger…**place my hand…
- Carl Sagan: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
- People do not ordinarily rise from the dead. Thus, the claim that Jesus rose from the dead is an extraordinary claim and requires extraordinary evidence. Such evidence does not exist. Therefore, the claim that Jesus rose from the dead should be rejected.
- Thomas’ confident skepticism: Without this evidence, I will never believe.
The roots of unbelief:
- Evidence: A lack thereof, or contrary evidence.
  - My experience of the spinning bar at the fair.
  - Paul’s lack of faith prior to his experience on the road to Damascus.
- The Heart:
  - And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. - John 3:19
  - If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. - John 8:42-43
  - in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2 Thess 2:12
  - I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; and consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason why he personally should not do as he wants to do. For myself, as no doubt for most of my friends, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom. - Huxley, Ends and Means
Application:
- Doubts are a normal part of the struggle of Christian life.
  - “And have mercy on those who doubt” - Jude 22
- A man may be haunted with doubts and only grow thereby in faith. Doubts are the messengers of the Living One to the honest. They are the first knock at our door of things that are not yet, but have to be, understood.
- What can we do to create an environment in our church and homes where our response to doubt isn’t fear or skepticism, but “That’s a great question!”
- Doubts are more than just intellectual reservations for a non-Christian. Christians too harbor the doubts in our flesh.

Belief

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.” - John 20:26

Everything about this is intended to evoke the prior scene of Jesus’ first revelation. Disciples are in a locked room, and “Jesus came and stood among them and said Peace be with you.” (see John 20:19 and 20:26). Even the reference to “eight days later” is intended to evoke the “eighth day” imagery that Christians popularized early on—Jesus rose on a Sunday, the day after the “seventh day” of the Sabbath (Saturday).

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.” - John 20:27

Jesus was aware of exactly what Thomas had asserted. And, mercifully, provides Thomas exactly what he asked for. What condescending mercy and patience of Jesus!
Yet, Jesus commands belief.

If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all. - Isa 7:9

I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand. - Anselm
Believe so that you may understand. - Augustine

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:28

The clearest confession in the entire gospel.
Thomas actually doesn’t require the degree of evidence he demands—he never actually touches Jesus.
This teaches us to not despair when someone makes extraordinary claims of skeptical rejection. The community of faith becomes an expression of the love and truth of Christ—love to stay around, and truth to answer questions.

The Path to Belief

29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Rom 10:17

How do I grow in my faith?

Articulate your doubts—ask yourself, “Is there anything about this that I am hoping isn’t true? If so, why?”
- Learn to apply the same rigor of skeptical doubt to your doubts that you apply to your beliefs.
Bring your doubts to Christ’s word in Christ’s community, the Church
Look to Christ’s wounds
- “The man on the middle cross said I could come.”

*If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.*