The Resurrected Christ

John 20 and the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Turn with me please to John chapter 20. I should have just had you keep your Mark there because we have read our text for the evening John chapter 20 as we look at the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

John chapter 20 let us ask the Lord to bless our time together. Indeed our gracious Heavenly Father as we consider the very central acts of your work of salvation. We ask that you would be glorified this evening and all that is said and done.

And Lord that you would help us to grow in our understanding grow in our faith. Or that we would not just this one day of the year really give Intense consideration to the meaning of the resurrection.

But that it would be a part of our everyday life that we would recognize that the power that works within us Is the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead and that gives life to us as well. We thank you.

We have this opportunity. May you be honored during this time. We pray in Christ's name. Amen, doubting Thomas. I really doubt that that is what he wanted to be remembered as I'm certain that in the rest of his ministry When the Holy Spirit fell and he went out as one of those ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ I I doubt anyone called him that but it is only over the course of history that because of this one incident Thomas has become known as Doubting Thomas there are many different reasons.

Why People Doubt the Resurrection

Why people are skeptical or doubt the resurrection of Jesus Christ today? We are surrounded by those who are skeptical and doubtful of every form of supernaturalism. They are naturalistic materialists.

That.

Natural aspect of our created being that causes us to Think beyond the created realm to recognize that there are things that transcend This created realm that give meaning to life that they give us something look forward to beyond this life.

Those things are being stamped out in Western culture. And we are surrounded by people today that unless you can measure it you can document it. You can in some way shape or form prove its existence on a piece of electronic equipment.

Then it just doesn't exist. This is the religion of Man the religion of degrading man. I guess we would say of devolving man. It is not progression. It is regression. It is a denial of the fundamental nature of man.

We are worshiping creatures. We always have been not because we were ignorant. But because there is something beyond merely that which is the created and so there is doubt. There is skepticism that is born from doubt and skepticism of anything supernatural.

There is also doubt and skepticism based upon ignorance. There are people who might not naturally be naturalistic materialist. They don't just dismiss that there can be things beyond The material realm but they may simply just not know the facts of what the Bible teaches and to them.

We must proclaim the fullness of the gospel and be ready to do so, but then there is doubt that comes from disappointment. Doubt that comes from disappointment, and I think that's what we see with Thomas.

Let us think for just a few moments what it was like to be Thomas on Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday of what we call passion week. What was it like to experience. What he experienced I? Would say to you that the doubt that is expressed by Thomas in verse 25 in face of the the witness of his his fellow brothers men that he had he had Ministered with and and he had seen miracles with it.

There wasn't any any reason for him to distrust them. But the source of his doubt was Disappointment and as such it turned him into a Skeptic even in the face of the testimony of men that otherwise He would have trusted naturally.

Why?

Well, I think we're given at least one insight from the gospel of Luke as to what it was like to be one of the disciples. Between Friday and Sunday remember on the road to Emmaus Jesus joins the two disciples as they're walking along and they're supernaturally kept from recognizing who he is.

And.

You can just see that they're they're dejected their their heads are hanging down and They say in answer to Jesus questions. Well, we thought. We thought he would be the ones who redeem Israel. We had certain hopes we had certain aspirations.

But now he's dead and there was no place in their understanding for a crucified Messiah and Maybe they had not been amongst those who had heard Jesus saying I Must be delivered over. I must be killed.

I will be buried but I'll rise again the third day. Thomas was amongst them. Thomas had heard the encounter between Peter and Jesus. Back at Caesarea Philippi where Jesus had rebuked Peter and and said get behind me Satan.

You're minding only the things of man, but you see their traditions were so deep. They're understanding of who the Messiah was to be was so fixed that the idea of a crucified Messiah just could not it couldn't make any sense to them even with the promise of the resurrection.

They had clearly in most of their minds Interpreted that as well. Yes, all of us Orthodox Jews that aren't Sadducees. Anyways, believe in the the resurrection coming someday.

Yeah.

We we get that. And so Thomas is not present with the disciples the first time that Jesus appears to them and.

So.

The other disciples were saying to him We have seen the Lord, but he said to them Unless I see in his hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place the nails and put my hand into His side.

I will not believe I am so disappointed I Thought he was this. I did not see this coming and So I am going to require a very very high level of proof.

You see guys I I.

Wanted him to be the Messiah, too.

And.

I know that he's dead and I know how effective the Romans are. When it comes to crucifixion, I've never heard of anybody who was crucified. Coming to life again or surviving that or anything else that I am going to need to have something more Than your testimony to believe That Jesus has risen from the dead.

And notice eight days. So a week later Is when Jesus appears what was that week like? Was that week like for the disciples who had seen Jesus? The Spirit hasn't come yet. There's still great confusion.

They've seen Jesus they have they have an assurance that that God has raised him from the dead but.

But what does all this mean?

What does it mean to us? What are we going to do our? What are we supposed to preach? We're supposed to tell people are we even going to preach? What about the Romans? What about the Jews? Are we still living in fear?

There are can you imagine? What the confusion was and can you imagine what it's like to be Thomas? Thomas has to go for more than a week from the time of the crucifixion and His confusion would be much greater.

Because now he has men that he trusts and They're telling him We've seen the Lord. He's risen from the dead. The tomb was empty. Did they have arguments? Did Peter and John take him aside personally to talk about the angels?

Did Thomas's doubt Caused the other disciples to maybe in their more honest moments go.

Did we really see him. I mean was this just a.

Mass hallucination. I mean What's going on? You know, the Gospels do not dwell upon those types of questions. They allow us to think about these things and do not give us these exhaustive accounts that fill in all the blank spots.

But we know that.

Thomas had seen.

Amazing things and it's easy for us in hindsight knowing what the rest of the story is to to sort of go. Oh, come on Thomas and Thomas has been made the the brunt of a lot of Preaching about demanding more from God and all the rest that kind of stuff and It's easy for us from our perspective to sort of get into that situation go.

Well Thomas didn't remember the feeding of 5 ,000 do you remember when you were in the boat and After the feeding of 5 ,000 John chapter 6 remember him and Jesus comes walking in the water. Thomas how long ago was it?

That you stood with the disciples and heard Jesus say Lazarus come forth and here comes this man four days after his burial in grave clothes and Jesus says free him Thomas don't you remember we can ask all those questions.

It's easy for us to do but this encounter with Jesus One of the most popular one of the most famous in the New Testament. Hopefully once again, we can hear it with fresh ears. After eight days his disciples were again inside and this time Thomas was with him.

At least he didn't say you know what you guys are nuts. You guys are trying to fool me. You're crazy and had left no Thomas is with them and Jesus came the doors having been shut and stood in there in their midst now.

Is that a miracle probably? Probably I don't know that I can Prove it beyond all a shadow of a doubt, but I I do believe that the purpose of the construction the original language and so on and so forth is that They are hiding the doors are shut but shut doors don't stop Jesus.

That doesn't mean that he has not had a physical body. What it means is that his body is glorified. Can I answer all the questions about that?

No.

Do I think you can go to the Christian bookstore and buy all sorts of books for people who will give you all sorts of Theories about the nature the resurrection body and the nature of heaven and stuff like that and they wrote him just to make money.

Yes, I Think there's a lot of speculation. We can affirm we must affirm certain positive teachings the Bible makes especially based upon 1st Corinthians chapter 15 about the nature of the resurrection body, but I Just don't know that we can get overly specific.

One things are certain the resurrected Christ is not limited in his power and so getting through a locked door whether he did so supernaturally by opening it and coming through it or just Not having to worry about such things.

I don't know but there's no reason to say that he does not have that power if he can be freed from death. Locked door is not a big deal. Jesus comes and he stands in our midst and he says peace be with you.

Now it was the very first conversation the very first words. This was there an exchange of greetings. Is it we don't know. It's John's intention to get right to the heart of the matter and to demonstrate and this is why I think it is a miraculous thing that he came into their midst in this way because He then demonstrates that he has supernatural knowledge of the very Conversations that had been taking place over the preceding week.

Because he says to Thomas Reach here with your finger and see my hands and reach here with your hand and put it into my side and do not be unbelieving but believing now. Obviously Jesus knows exactly what doubting Thomas had said in his doubt.

Thomas probably thought he was being Very explicit when he had first said to the disciples I Am going to demand more evidence than you did. Maybe he'd even ask them. Well, did you examine his wounds? Are you are you certain?

Did you look did you see the the spear thrust? Inside I mean there are angels and angelic visitations and and Peter John. Didn't you say you saw angels and he at the tomb? How do you know? Had he asked those questions?

Had he upbraided them for not asking for a high enough standard of proof don't know. But one thing I can tell you is that Jesus knew what his standard of proof was now, it's funny. People automatically assume that Thomas went.

Oh, okay I don't see any evidence. That Thomas does this we're not told but I don't it does not strike me. That and it doesn't make really any sense to me as I in as I envision this encounter. That if I have been Thomas and Jesus appears and Jesus Demonstrates that he knew what I had said when he wasn't here.

He's demonstrating supernatural capacity and power. And says Thomas, I know what's in your mind. And so here is that is that the proof you need here my hands see myself. I Don't think Thomas would have gone.

Well, okay. I think he sees He recognizes that Jesus has perfectly accurate knowledge of what his doubts actually are and He responds now, let me just mention you all know me. I'm the apologist. You might have some folks come by your door sometime Knock on the door and They want to discuss Armageddon with you or something like that.

Want to pass out some little literature to you. They won't take any literature from you, but they want you to take literature from them.

And.

One of their little pet things is that Jesus wasn't crucified. He was impaled. He wasn't crucified on a on a towel shaped cross. But on an upright pole with with his arms over his head and one nail between his hands.

Just want to mention you might want to keep this text in mind and point out. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense if that's how Jesus was crucified that that's. Thomas would talk about the prints of the nails in his hands.

Unless there was one over here and one over here. If there's just one up here, you only have the print of the nail. Singular not nails. So you just might want to make a little note of that. It might be helpful for you just to get past One of the common objections that is there and get back to something that's actually more meaningful.

Thomas Confesses Jesus as Lord and God

And that is the rest of John 20, especially verse 28. Now think with me for a moment. I have thought on this text many many times and most of you would know that most of my time has been spent on verse 28 and Thomas's response and.

And there are some Amazing amazing ways that men have come up with to try to get around the plain and obvious meaning of John 20 28. I Mean the most absurd of course is the idea that what happens here Thomas answered and said My lord my god.

Now, that's about all you can do. That's what many of those folks that knock on your door with the literature will say. If you ever encounter other people who aren't a part of that organization. But still deny the deity of Christ if you want to see them spin in circles.

Ask them about this text. I've seen entire appendices written just trying to find some way around. Explaining why it is. Thomas answered and said to him. Alto is the singular. He said all of this to Jesus.

Hakuriyatmu kaihathayatmu my lord and my god. You can't cut him apart. You can't say one was addressed to Jesus and the others addressed to the father. Both hakuriyatmu my lord and hathayatmu my god are addressed to Jesus.

Thomas identified Jesus as his kurios. The same word that is used for the name Yahweh in the Old Testament and the Greek suffragette and My god with the article ha no way around it. It's right there. That's why even skeptics like Bart Ehrman will say well Matthew Mark and Luke didn't believe the deity of Christ, but John certainly did.

Even he has to recognize. Oh, yeah, John. John believed the deity of Christ. Even even the skeptic can see that. Of course he doesn't believe any of its inspired scriptures. That's why he doesn't have to worry about it.

So I've spent a lot of time explaining John 20 28 to people. I've gone on to say and notice Jesus's response.

If Jesus was.

What Jehovah's Witnesses say he was if Jesus was what? Muslims say he was. The next sentence should be Thomas. Are you crazy? Why are you blaspheming? If Jesus was a mere prophet if Jesus was some Angelic creature or whatever else it might be the next words from his mouth and Thomas says my Lord and my God should have been direct rebuke.

Just as when John tries to worship the angel in the book of Revelation. He says don't do that I'm your fellow servant worship God alone. That should have been the response. But what is the response? Now there's two different ways of translating this.

You can translate as a question because you have seen me have you believed. Or you can translate as a statement because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are those who while not seeing have believed.

Now I don't think that's a rebuke of Thomas so much as it is a recognition of the propriety of Belief in Jesus Christ based upon the testimony of His disciples because what's the very next two verses?

Therefore many other signs He has also performed the presence of disciples which are not written this book. But these have been written since you may believe that Jesus the Christ the Son of God that believing you may have life in his name and so Thomas he believed because he saw.

But you may believe because you hear the testimony concerning Jesus Christ and. So the point is Jesus does not rebuke Thomas's confession of faith. He does not rebuke his identification of him as his God.

He identifies it as belief. It is a he Acknowledges that it's a proper identification of who he is. He is Thomas's courteous. He is Thomas's say us God. There's no question about it and That is a proper act and confession of faith according to Jesus Christ.

The only way around this is to reject the inspiration of Scripture and Why would you be arguing with somebody about something like this if they already rejected anyways? But having said all that I Want you to think with me about something that again isn't normally the approach taken to this text earlier in the chapter Jesus appears to disciples.

And.

Their first reaction isn't my Lord and my God and when you think about it Thomas's reaction seems a little odd doesn't it? I mean if you were in Thomas's position and Jesus appears and Clearly he has known about the demand that you have made wouldn't like the first thing be.

Oh, I am so Thankful that you've risen from the dead. It's wonderful to see you. We were so disappointed. There's so many other things. I mean if you're just to predict if you're to take someone who'd never read this text before and Say, what do you think Thomas is gonna say now?

You don't let him read verse 28. You just stop at verse 27. What's Thomas gonna say now? How many would predict my Lord and my God? Then that seems just a little Overboard, let's think why Thomas said this.

Now again the skeptic says well because Thomas never said this but John's just making it all up. But leaving the skeptics off to the side for the moment. Maybe there's something more we can learn here.

Why does Thomas? Say this had Thomas been thinking during the course of that week. Maybe that's why there was some eight days Thomas has been giving some thought. He's had time for reflection. When you're hiding from the Jews and Romans you have time to reflect and maybe he's been thinking back on all those things that he had Seen in the ministry of Jesus and we can think of all the Gospels.

Well, let's just let's just stay with John. He remembers the water turning to wine. He remembers what Jesus said to the woman at the well, they were shocked that he was talking to her but he talked about true worship and then and then he remembers the the battle with the Scribes and Pharisees and John chapter 5 and He actually claimed in John chapter 5 verses 17 and 18 to have the same Prerogative to work on the Sabbath day at the father did making himself equal with God and and then you had the whole teaching that he Gave at that point about how you need to honor the son even as you are the father and if he gives life in of himself and and all these things like that and.

And then in John chapter 60 he walks on the water. But even before that he had he had taught in the synagogue about how you need to eat his flesh and drink his blood to have life within yourself and and then in John chapter 8 those the anger of the Jews when Jesus said Unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins and before Abraham was I am they pick up stones to stone him.

And and we just couldn't believe he was making that kind of claim because he's claiming to exist before Abraham. Was he in fact he was using the language of the name of God in the Old Testament. Maybe over the course of those eight days Thomas had been going through his mind in light of what the other disciples were saying and he was reflecting upon and thinking upon these things.

And then.

Then there's the man born blind in chapter 9 and Jesus response wasn't what they expected. He he wasn't born blind because of his parents in or even his sin in the womb, which is what Jesus which of a Jews have thought.

Instead he was born so that the works of God might be worked in him. And then when Jesus finds the man after he's been tasked out Jesus allows him to worship him. And then in John chapter 10 I and the father we are one John chapter 11 raising Lazarus from the dead and.

Then he had begun teaching the disciples and there had been that conversation. If if you've seen me.

You've seen the father.

Not that he was identifying himself as a father. He said I and the father we are one but but he claims to be the very Representation of God the Father. So had Thomas come to conclusion, you know what?

If these guys are right.

If they really have seen Jesus, then you know what that means.

You know what? It must mean, you know who this one must be. And so when Jesus appears to Thomas and he shows that he has supernatural knowledge Of Thomas's own thoughts and struggles and now he has come into their midst in that locked room.

All comes together and Thomas doesn't need any more proof because his disappointment is gone. And he had to figure it all out yet to think does he fully understand what the Messiah's do? No, no, that's that's gonna take the coming of the Spirit.

Jesus is gonna be doing some teaching now. It's gonna be a number of days in which Jesus could be teaching and and we know from from Luke. He opens up the scriptures. He breathes upon him opens up their minds understand the scriptures, but just seems to me that the reason that Thomas answers in the way he does It's because he's had the opportunity to look at the testimony.

He's been able to see the cumulative.

Evidence.

That John himself has placed here that Thomas himself had been present to see and to understand. And he recognizes the one who is before him. He's his Lord. He's his God. He's not a separate God from the father.

He's not some demigod. He's not a secondary God. Did Thomas fully understand the doctrine of the trinity his point so he could pen the Council of Nicaea. No but he understood the testimony of the scriptures and He understood the testimony of what he himself had experienced had seen in the ministry of Christ.

His response is my Lord and my God. Today across this land the resurrection of Christ has been Proclaimed but in many instances it has been turned into some type of Spiritual analogy. A few years ago.

You may recall a good friend of This church and certainly a reformed Baptist as a whole Dr.. Jim Renahan. Dr.. Renahan, and I had the opportunity to debate to very liberal scholars on the subject of the resurrection and I remember very clearly that these men wanted to Present the idea that the resurrection was a very important thing and and that we should think about the resurrection and and and the resurrection defines Christianity.

But that the resurrection had nothing to do with an empty grave. Resurrection had to do with us experiencing new life as we reflect upon the life of Jesus and and as long as we reflect upon Jesus, then we experience his resurrection our life, but.

That's not.

The resurrection.

There is no resurrection without an empty tomb. And they just it was about halfway through the debate before one and really sort of just piped up and said So you really think this has to do with an empty tomb as if really?

That's amazing. Well. Yes, that's that's what Christians have believed for a long time and. Yet there are many in our land today call themselves Christians, but if you were to ask them Was there really an empty tomb.

Not just metaphorically not just spiritually. But did Jesus rise from the dead? They would say well. That's not really what it's about any more than the crucifixion was about.

Sacrificial giving of life.

So that those united to Christ might have Forgiveness of sins. You see there are. I just don't think it's possible for you to really really believe in the resurrection as the Bible presents it if at the same time you think Jesus was anyone less than your Lord and your God.

And. Those who really believe that really believe that God has invaded his own creation in the person of Jesus Christ.

That's.

Christianity, but you see if you really believe that then you realize. This is one that I cannot ignore. This is one that I must deal with Every single day. This is one worthy of my worship worthy of my life worthy of every aspect of my being.

And that's pretty uncomfortable for folks who are just trying Jesus. There is no trying this person. There is no trying our Lord and our God. He either is or he isn't and so we have the advantage that Thomas gained over that week.

We have all this testimony of Scripture. We can look back and see all the things that Jesus said and Did the miracles he performed the teachings that he gave and so when we see the resurrection We don't just go.

Wow strange things happen. We go. God the Father Has testified to the truthfulness of God the Son. He has vindicated the Messiah. He has accepted his sacrifice. That is why We must proclaim the message.

There is only one way of salvation because if these words are true Then to say there's some other way to enter into the presence of God is to make a mockery of God himself. Think about it. If there was a back door if there was a secondary way if there was some other way what is this all about.

What is God the Father doing allowing God the Son to be hung upon a tree and Treated the way Jesus was if there's another way. That's why Paul recognized if there is any other way if you can be justified by keeping the law then Christ died.

Needlessly it turns the cross into a mockery and yet you and I both know you and I both know That when we walk out of this place this evening if we engage in Conversation with someone and we make the statement that Jesus is the only way we are once again Committing cultural heresy because that's the one thing you're not allowed to say you can say Jesus died for you.

You can say that's the only way for you. But don't that's the only way for anyone else. Well to say otherwise is to turn this text on its head say otherwise is to turn the gospel on its head. Thomas Doubted out of despair and disappointment Jesus ministered to him.

And Thomas came to understand who Jesus was in a far deeper way than he ever could have before. Those eight days must have been difficult, but you know what when God puts you through eight days of difficulties because What's on the other end this could be worth it resurrection Sunday?

Well on the calendar, that's that's today. But to be honest with you It's every Sunday. That's why we meet. That's why we gather. That's why we can pray and Have peace with God because we know he rose from the dead and he right now intercedes before us in it before the Father for us and That's why we have peace with God, and we don't have to wait for another year to rejoice in that I'm sure that every day from this day forward Thomas rejoiced and He lived in light of that confession.

He made my lord and my God. May we likewise like Thomas Confess even though we have not seen may we confess and not be afraid of the face of men as we give testimony as well.

Closing Prayer

Let's pray together.

Indeed our gracious Heavenly Father as we have opportunity in this coming week To give testimony of our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and our God may we be bold may we be clear May we do so as recipients of grace May we do so to your honor in your glory and May we live our lives in Light of the fact that we serve a risen Lord who has conquered death And promises that we who are in him Will likewise have eternal life.

We thank you for the gospel. We pray in Christ's name.