(Through the Bible) John 20-21 — Chuck Smith

Mary Magdalene Discovers the Empty Tomb

Shall we turn in our Bibles now to the Gospel according to John, chapter 20. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre. And she saw the stone was taken away from the sepulchre.

And then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we don't know where they have laid him. Now, the other Gospels tell us that Mary came with several of the women.

And there is no need to think a discrepancy, nor to think that Mary did not come with several women early to the sepulchre. John makes mention of Mary because she is the one that ran to his house and brought Peter and him the news of the empty tomb.

But notice what she said when she brought the news. They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we, not I know not, but we know not, inferring indeed that the other ladies were with her, as the other Gospels relate.

And they came to the sepulchre and found that stone rolled away. And so this account is not contradictory to the other Gospels, as some people would suppose. There are differences in the accounts of the resurrection morning and of the events that happen, which can all be harmonized very easily.

Independent Resurrection Accounts and the Absence of Collusion

But some people see insolvable differences, and of course, the Bible critics like to play up the differences in the various accounts that are given. Instead of proving that the Bible is not the word of God, it definitely proves that the writers did not get together in collusion and say, all right, now let's keep our stories straight fellows.

This is the way we've got to tell it. And if every story was exactly the same in all of the details, then there would be great cause to question whether or not there was not collusion in the writing of the story.

But because we get it from different angles, it precludes collusion. So Peter, therefore, went forth and that other disciple, who we know to be John, and they came to the sepulchre. Now Mary, no doubt, was there at the home of John when Mary Magdalene came with the news because John took her to his house, the 19th chapter, and she stayed with him.

So Peter and John went running to the sepulchre to find out just what had happened. They ran both of them together and the other disciple did outrun Peter. Now I don't know that John needed to add that to the record, but perhaps a bit of boasting there.

He was a younger man and so he did outrun Peter and he came first to the sepulchre. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying there, yet he did not go in. And when Peter, following him, went into the sepulchre and he saw the linen clothes lie.

Now, the Greek construction indicates that the linen clothes that were wrapped around Jesus were still lying in a circular form as though a body were in them. And the napkin that had been about his head was folded in a corner by himself so that they could see that there was no body within the linen wrappings.

Relics, Idolatry, and Worshiping the Unseen God

This of course brings up the question of the shroud of Turin as to whether or not it was actually the shroud that was wrapped around Jesus Christ. And there are many who do believe that it was indeed the shroud wrapped around Christ.

I have difficulty with that in as much as John's Gospel tells us distinctly that the linen cloth that was about his head was folded and over in a corner by itself. And in the shroud of Turin, it has the entire form including the head.

And so, that it was indeed the shroud that was around Jesus, I seriously question myself. I think that the Lord has deliberately allowed all of those relics that involve the life and the ministry of Christ to be lost in obscurity through the years.

Because he knows that tendency of man to worship an object. And God doesn't want us worshiping objects, he wants us worshiping him. And so, the silver chalice of Antioch, which they say was the very cup that Jesus drank from or the disciples drank from at the Last Supper, Jesus did not drink from it.

I question its authenticity. For years, they sold splinters from the cross and you could purchase little splinters from the cross. Of course, this was a practice that began around the year 400. When they had finally sold enough splinters to put together, putting them together, you could have built a good sized house.

Someone was pointing out the fact that there were enough splinters now to make a house. And so, the church developed the dogma of the miraculous multiplication of the cross. So that they could continue to sell splinters.

And so, according to this dogma of the miraculous multiplication of the cross, every time they took a splinter out, a new one would form. So that they could keep selling them. It is tragic that man has such difficulty worshiping the unseen God and needs an object which so easily becomes an idol or idolatry.

And that is the worship of any object is idolatry. And that is something that is forbidden by the scriptures. But it is something that man is so prone to do. And because of man's penchant towards idolatry, I do feel that the Lord deliberately just X'd out all of the stuff that related to Jesus Christ.

Things that he may have touched. The coin that Peter took out of the fish's mouth and all of these kind of things. And I believe that the Lord just deliberately has removed these artifacts to keep us from idolatry.

Now, whenever a person begins to worship an artifact, there is always a two-fold revelation. Number one, it reveals that that man has lost the consciousness of the power and the presence of God in his life.

The moment I am worshiping some artifact, it means I have lost that vital consciousness of God's presence. It means that I am somehow longing for that which I lost. And so I have a reminder of what God had done.

But idolatry, any idolatry always speaks of a degraded state of spiritual experience. So I, well, of course, just the very way that the Shroud of Turin is treated as a artifact of which great reverence and all is placed upon is just a classic indication of why the Lord, I think, allowed all of the things to deliberately be lost or discarded.

The Empty Tomb and Mary Magdalene’s Encounter With Jesus

Now, the other disciple, after Peter went in, also went in to the sepulcher and he saw and believed. So John bears record of his own belief when he saw the clothes lying there, he realized that Jesus must have risen.

For as yet they did not know the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. And the disciples went away again unto their own home, probably back to tell Mary what they had discovered. That is Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was staying at John's house.

To me, it is interesting, for they did not yet know the scripture. And yet Jesus had told them that he would rise again the third day. Yet they just did not still fully comprehend this. But Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping.

Now, John and Peter had run to the sepulcher. They went in, saw the grave clothes lying there and went on back to John's house. Mary, after telling them that the sepulcher was empty, made her way back again to the sepulcher, this time alone.

And as she was there weeping, she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher. And she saw two angels in white sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said unto her, Woman, why weepest thou?

And she said unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus.

Now, it is interesting to me how that Mary wasn't interested in the angels. These two men sitting there in white saying, Why are you weeping? Now, what would be your response if you saw angels? I'm sure we'd be very fascinated.

We'd be intrigued. But you know, when your heart is longing for Jesus, even angels won't do. And she was longing for Jesus. She was wanting Jesus. And angels are not even a decent substitute when your heart is yearning after Jesus.

And so she turned away from the angels, not really interested in angels. I want my Lord. And Jesus was standing there and she did not recognize him. Now, it is interesting how that there did seem to be a certain difficulty in recognizing the risen Christ.

And the difficulty, it would appear, was on the part of the beholder. We read that the two fellows were on the road to Emmaus and Jesus joined with them, but they did not recognize him. It said for their eyes were holden that they could not see.

In other words, there was an actual spiritual thing involved here where the recognition of him was something that was held back by God, and it was not until he had broken the bread and they probably saw the nail prints in his hands that they recognized him.

When we get into the next chapter of John's gospel here. When Jesus had prepared the fish for them on the shore again, it said, and none of them dared ask him, who are you, knowing that it was Jesus. So there was probably a difference in his physical appearance enough in his resurrected body that he was not easily identifiable by just the appearance alone.

Now, Mary did not know that it was Jesus. She thought maybe he was the gardener standing there. It is possible that it was early in the morning and because she had been weeping so much that her vision was distorted by the tears in her eyes.

Though she did not recognize that physical form, she sure did recognize the voice. But first of all, he said unto her the same thing that the angels had said, Woman, why weepest thou? Who are you looking for?

Jesus’ Questions and His Knowledge of the Human Heart

Now, I heard a fellow the other night say that Jesus did not know everything while he was in this body on the earth. Therefore, he asked questions for he really didn't know the answers. I heard that on channel 40 and just be careful what you hear on that channel.

It isn't always sound biblical doctrine. The Bible says prove all things and hold fast that which is good. I think that it is very presumptive for a person to make that declaration. And I think that it borders on blasphemy of Jesus Christ.

Do you think that Jesus said to Mary, Why weepest thou? Because he didn't know why she was weeping. Of course he knew why she was weeping. Questions are often used in teaching methods. Not so that the teacher can find out the answer, but so that the person can find out what they know or can express what they know.

And it is a very common teaching practice to ask questions, not because you don't know the answers, but you want people to start thinking. Our minds are lazy oftentimes and someone ask a question, they think, Oh, what is that?

You know, and it starts you thinking and it starts drawing out from you. And it's a very common teaching practice. In fact, I heard of a little kid who went home from kindergarten and his mother said, Well, how was your first day of school?

He said it was terrible. I'm never going back to that place again. That teacher is the most stupid person in the world. And the mother said, What do you mean? He said all day long, all she did was ask questions.

What's one in one? She doesn't know anything. And to say, Well, Jesus asked questions because he didn't know is absolutely wrong. That is an assumption that is not correct. In fact, it's unbiblical because John told us that Jesus didn't need for any man to testify to him about other men because he knew men and he knew what was in men.

And when Jesus, the third time, said, Peter, do you love me? Peter said, Lord, you know all things. Yet Peter had just been asked a question. Peter recognized that Jesus wasn't asking the question for his own benefit.

He was asking it for Peter's benefit. Lord, you know all things. And so to suggest that Jesus was asking questions in order that he might gain information is unbiblical and manifestly wrong. Woman, why weepest thou?

Who are you seeking? He knew good and well why she was weeping and who she was looking for. But she, supposing him to be the gardener, said unto him, Sir, if you have borne him away from here, if you'll just tell me where you have laid him, I will take him away.

In this, I see the strength of love. We're all familiar with the picture of the little guy carrying the boy in his arms. And he's looking up to the man and saying, He ain't heavy, mister. He's my brother.

The power of love, the strength of love. I imagine that Jesus was a fairly robust person physically. And a limp, dead body is hard to lift. But yet Mary says, hey, and I don't suppose he was that big.

She said, if you'll just tell me where you've taken him, I'll carry him away. And I'll bet she could have. The strength of love. Jesus said unto her, Mary. Now, there were many Marys that followed Jesus.

There was his mother Mary. There was that other Mary mentioned at the cross. There was Mary Magdalene. And with all of these Marys around, it could get confusing. In our household, it was confusing because of Chuck Jr.

So, someone called Chuck and oftentimes both of us would answer. So, I imagine that Jesus had a certain way of saying Mary in a personalized way for each of them so that when he would say, Mary, or Mary, that they would recognize from his intonation which Mary was talking to.

And I imagine that he had a way of saying Mary that was just specially and specifically for Mary Magdalene. This woman, out of whom seven devils had been cast, who became a fervent disciple. And he said, Mary, in such a tone that she knew exactly who it was and she cried, Rabboni, master.

And Jesus said unto her, touch me not. Now here again, the Bible critics have a field day because in the other Gospels, it tells us that the women came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. And later on in this chapter, he is going to say to John, take your finger and put it into my hand.

See if it isn't me. Put it there in the prints. You say you won't believe until you see the prints and the scar on my side. Go ahead. Do it, Thomas. So the fact that the one gospel says the women held him by the feet and worshipped him and in John's gospel, Jesus said to Mary, touch me not.

Naturally, the Bible can't be the word of God. It's just the confused writings of men. If you look more carefully at what Jesus said in the Greek language, he said to Mary, Mary, don't cling to me. I can imagine that when Jesus said, Mary, and she cried out, master, that she fell upon him and grabbed him around the neck and a chokehold as if to say, you got away from me once, but you'll never get away from me again.

I'm not letting go. And thus he said, Mary, don't cling to me. I've not yet ascended to my father, but go and tell my brethren and say to them, I ascend unto my father, into your father, into my God and your God.

And Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her. Now, though Mary had come and told the disciples that I've seen the Lord, he talked to me, he told me that, you know, to come and tell you that he hasn't yet ascended to the father.

I would imagine that they must have just passed it off. As the hysterics of an excited woman. At this point, Thomas was not the only doubter. They were all of them pretty much still doubting at this point.

In fact, the two disciples you remember who took off for Emmaus, according to Luke's gospel, and who were walking on the road to Emmaus. When Jesus joined with them and he said unto them, hey, fellows, why do you look so sad?

Oh, here he is asking questions again. Doesn't he know anything? What's wrong with you fellows? They said, you must be a stranger around here if you don't know the things that have been happening lately in Jerusalem.

And again, Jesus asked questions. What things? You really think Jesus didn't know what had happened in Jerusalem? And they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, both his deeds and words, a mighty prophet.

And how the chief priests and our own rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But we had trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. And beside all this, it's the third day since these things were done.

Yes, and certain women also of our company made us astonished who went early to the sepulcher. And when they found not his body, they came saying that they also had seen a vision of angels which said he was alive.

These ladies have visions of angels, said he was alive. And certain of them which were with us, that is Peter and John, they went to the sepulcher and found it even so as the women had said, but they didn't see him.

And he said unto them, O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not the Messiah to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? You see, they still hadn't believed, though the women came and said, hey, we saw the angels.

They said he's alive. Peter and John went, they found the tomb empty, but, you know, no one seen him. Of course, at this point, they didn't have Mary Magdalene story. They'd taken off for a mass. Now that same evening, now earlier in the afternoon, he appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

And it is interesting to me, the very first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was a woman and he appeared to her who loved him so much. Jesus said, he who is forgiven much loves much. And his response to Mary's weeping, his response to her love was that she was the first one that he appeared to.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples and the Marks of the Cross

Then to the other women who held his feet and worshiped him. And then to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And now it's the evening. Jesus made a quicker trip back from Emmaus than the other two disciples, though I imagine that they were pretty fast getting back.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said unto them, peace be unto you.

The typical Jewish salutation of peace, shalom. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Now Jesus at this point still is bearing the marks of the cross. He showed them his hands, his side, it's me.

When he is in heaven, he will still be bearing the marks of the cross. For in Revelation chapter five, when the scroll is in the right hand of him who is sitting upon the throne and the angel proclaims with a loud voice who is worthy to take the scroll and loose the seals.

And John is weeping because no one is found worthy in heaven and earth under the sea to take the scroll or even to look there on. The elders said unto John, behold, weep not. The lion of the tribe of Judah has prevailed to take the scroll and loose the seals.

And John said, I turned and I saw him as a lamb that had been slaughtered. Still the marks of the cross. Isaiah in chapter 52 tells us that all that look upon him will be astonished, shocked because his face has been so marred.

You can't recognize him as a human being. In the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, he tells us that we, as it were, hid our face from him and that idea being that his. Appearance was so shocking that you can't really stand to look, but then he goes on to say, but he was wounded for our transgressions.

Brews for our inequities. Now, when Jesus returns, he will still be bearing the marks for they shall look on him whom they have pierced. How long will he bear these marks? I don't know. Surely not all of eternity, for John sees him in the book of Revelation in chapter one in that glory of the kingdom.

And he describes that glorious vision of Christ in John in Revelation, chapter one. But for a time. And I'm sure as a shocking reminder to us of just what he was willing to endure in order to bring us salvation, your first view of Jesus is apt to be a very shocking experience.

Just be prepared for it. So often we think, oh, to look upon the face of Jesus and we, and we behold a perfect face, the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star fairer than 10 ,000.

But your first view is that to be very shocking as shockingly, you're reminded how much God loves you as you see what he was willing to endure to bring you salvation. So Jesus showed them his hands and his feet or his hands and his side, and then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

Then Jesus said unto them again, Shalom, peace be unto you as my father hath sent me. Even so send I you. The father sent me to what to serve, to give my life for others. So send I you how for what to serve and to give yourself for others.

Suffering According to the Will of God and the Mission of the Disciples

I cannot abide that teaching that declares that it is God's will that all of us be prosperous and healthy. And and, you know, just if you're not driving a Mercedes, it's because you lack faith that it is never God's will for his children to suffer.

God is never glorified by his children's suffering. That is a denial of Jesus Christ and the cross. Surely it was God's will that he suffer for our sins. And Peter, writing his epistle, said, and those who suffer according to the will of God, just commit your souls unto him as a faithful creator.

But he speaks of suffering according to the will of God. Such a thing is indeed possible. And that doctrine that is being taught is scriptural garbage. As the father has sent me, so send I you to give yourself to serve not to lord over people.

But to give yourself. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said unto them, receive ye the Holy Spirit. He breathed on them. It is interesting to me that the word for spirit in Hebrew is Ruach, which is the same Hebrew word for breath.

The Greek word for spirit is Numa, which is the Greek word for air. Pneumatic tires means tires that you fill with air. Numa air, but it is also the Greek word for spirit. So. In the. Old Testament, when God formed man out of the dust of the earth, he breathed into man.

Now, when the Hebrew scholars translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek. Which is known as the Septuagint, it's a translation of the Old Testament into Greek done by 70 scholars some 200 years before Christ, when they made this Septuagint translation, the words that the Greek word breathed into man.

And he became a living soul is the same word that John uses here, and it's the only place that's used in the New Testament. Jesus breathed on them, even as God breathed into that shell that he had formed out of the dust of the earth.

And man came a became a living spirit. But that spirit, you remember, died. When man sinned and man lost fellowship with God, now Jesus is restoring that which was lost by Adam as he breathed in them and said, receive the Holy Spirit, that life of God, that spirit of God, that spiritual life.

And so that which was lost by Adam is now restored by Jesus Christ. The life of God within man that God had breathed into man in the beginning. Now, restored, Jesus had said to his disciples. Just four nights earlier, but the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, no, and I will pray the father and he will give you another comforter, even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you.

And I believe that when Jesus breathed on them and they became. At that point, once more living spirits restored, as was Adam in fellowship with God in the Garden of Eden. And I believe that that was the point when the Holy Spirit came into their lives.

Now. Jesus is going to be telling them now you wait in Jerusalem for in a few days, the Holy Spirit is going to come upon you. You're going to be empowered now by the spirit, empowered for service unto your service for God.

Now you wait until you get this endowment of power for service. But I believe at this point, when he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit, that there was the born again experience. There was where God's life.

Was again. Placed into man, the spirit. Of God and man came by that spirit into the union and fellowship with God, and then Jesus said, whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins you retain, they are retained.

Forgiveness, Repentance, and the Authority to Declare Sins Forgiven

Does this mean that Jesus gave his disciples the power to forgive sins when they had brought to Jesus a man who was bedfast as the result of palsy? You remember, they tore up the roof and let him down in the in the midst of the room in front of Jesus.

And Jesus said unto him, son, thy sins be forgiven thee, and the Pharisees among themselves said, oh, that's blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God? They were correct in that statement, only God can forgive sins.

Jesus was only proving to them that he was God, they didn't recognize that. But their assumption was correct, only God can forgive sins. You remember in the 51st Psalm, that penitent Psalm of David after he had been faced by Nathan, the prophet, because of his spin of his sin with Bathsheba.

Have mercy unto me, O Lord, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out thy transgression and hide the sin from my sight, for against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this great iniquity in thy sight.

Against thee, O God, I've sinned. Sin is against God, and thus God is the only one who can forgive sins. Then what did Jesus mean to when he said to his disciples, whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted, whosoever sins you retain, they are retained.

I think one of the most joyful experiences that a child of God has is to lead a person through the sinner's prayer. To me, it's always a joy to to have a person who has come and says, I want to receive Jesus Christ.

And I'll say, all right, follow me in this prayer. And as we pray that God would forgive our sins and as we pray that the Holy Spirit would come and begin to dwell our lives and that we might now have this new relationship with God as we just invite him to come in and take over in Jesus name.

When they say their amen, it's always a joy to me to be able to look them square in the eye and say to them, God has nothing against your account. You're completely forgiven every sin you've ever committed.

Oh, how I love to say that. What a thrill that gives to me to be able to say that to a person. Now, on what basis do I say that? Because here I am, I have the power to say, hey, it's all right. Cancel, man.

No way I make that statement on the basis of their confession by faith that Jesus Christ is the Lord and they've invited him to come in and be the Lord of their life and upon the basis of what they have confessed.

With our mouths and knowing that if we ask God anything in the name of Jesus, it will be done. And because they've asked the Lord in Jesus name to forgive them and cleanse them of all of their sins, I can say, according to the word of God, your sins are forgiven.

Now, someone comes and says, well, I don't want Jesus Christ. I don't want to have anything to do with him. He might cramp my style. I can't say to them, that's all right, your sins are forgiven, anyhow, I'm going to forgive them.

No way. But to that person, I can say, friend. One day, if you do not receive Jesus Christ as your savior, you're going to have to stand before God and answer for your sin and your sins are going to condemn you.

You're still in your sin. And even if a person comes and says, well, I've done so many good deeds now, I know that I did some pretty bad stuff, but I've made up for it for all the good deeds that I've done.

I say unto them, look, all of your good deeds cannot put away your guilt of sin. You're still guilty before God. Well, I meditate and I, you know, go through my little thing. You're still guilty before God until you receive Jesus Christ.

As your Lord and savior. You're still guilty. And so whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted, whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. But I only do that on the basis of what they have done or declared.

Now, there's a lot of times that people who have even gone through the sinner's prayer are still reluctant to believe the word of God. Oh, but I'm such a horrible wretch. I can't believe that God can just forgive me just that easy, just that simply.

Surely there's something I've got to do, you know, because I was so horrible. But it's glorious to be able to just say, no, there's nothing you can do except what you've already done. And that is just to believe in Jesus Christ and confess him as your Lord.

Your sins are forgiven. And many times that word of faith to them is the thing that triggers their faith and causes them to realize. I went down one night to a lady who had come forward to receive Jesus Christ and I said to her, how do you feel now?

And she started crying. She said, I still feel miserable. I still feel all of my guilt and all. I still am miserable. And so I went through now, have you asked Jesus Christ to come in your heart? Oh, yes.

Did you ask him to forgive you of your sins? Oh, yes. I said, then your sins are forgiven. God has nothing against you. Now, if I should just suddenly come and give you a glorious, fabulous gift. What would be your response?

So I would thank you. I said, all right, God has just given you a glorious, fabulous gift of eternal life. Don't you think you ought to thank him? And as she started thanking the Lord, hey, the old burden of sin rolled off and the joy of the Lord and the power of the spirit just came upon her life in such a glorious way.

Your sins are forgiven. And I can declare that to a person on the basis of the word of God and the confession of their faith. Now, Thomas, one of the 12, called the twin Didymus's twin. So Thomas evidently had a twin brother, was not with them when Jesus came.

Thomas’ Doubt and Believing Without Seeing

Now, Thomas was a very practical sort. He was never one to pretend to believe something that he did not really believe or to. Well, for instance. When Jesus was talking to his disciples that final night, he said unto them.

And if I go away, I'm going to come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also and where I go, you know, and the way, you know, and Thomas said, wait a minute, Lord, we don't know where you're going and how can we know the way is he's not never one to pretend to know something he doesn't really know or believe something he doesn't really believe.

When Jesus was with his disciples down at the Jordan River. And they received word of Lazarus's illness, and finally Jesus said, let's go, you know, that I might awake Lazarus out of his sleep. And the disciples said, Lord, if he's sleeping, he's probably getting better.

Jesus said, no, he's really dead. But I'm glad for my sake, I wasn't there that you might really see the glory of God. And Tom said, well, let's go and die with him, you know. Now, the disciples said, hey, we've seen him, man.

He showed us his hands, his side, we've seen him, he's alive, he's risen. Thomas said, unless I see his hands. And the print of the nails and I put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

I've got to see it for myself. Now, you'd think that he would trust these guys, you've been around him for a long time, but Thomas was just the kind that. From Missouri, you got to show me and after eight days again, his disciples were within and Thomas was with them.

Now, notice after eight days, they had gathered together on the first day of the week. Eight days later, they were gathered together, which would have been the first day of the week again. And it is believed that here is where the practice of gathering together on the first day of the week for worship actually began right after the resurrection, that that's how early Sunday became the day that the disciples gathered to worship the risen Lord.

And thus, the church meets today on Sunday rather than the Sabbath day, which is Saturday. The first two gatherings of the disciples were on the first day of the week, eight days later, be the Sunday again, the first day of the week.

They were gathered together again. This time the doors were shut and Jesus stood in the midst of them and said, peace be unto you. Then he said to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach thither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, but believing.

This indicated that when Thomas was expressing his doubts, Jesus was right there listening to his expressions for the first thing Jesus said, hey, Thomas, OK, you want to do it? Go ahead. Now, what Jesus was actually seeking to train the disciples at this point was that he was present with them, even as he said, Lord, I am with you always, even to the end of the age, that he was present with them, even though they did not see him.