Devoted Thomas
I Have Seen - Part 2
Sunday, April 24, 2022
John 20:19-29
...Even though the doors were locked, Jesus entered and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!”
Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:26-28 (CEB)
Listen to this week’s sermon here:
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“Doubting Thomas”… That’s what they call me. But you never hear anybody talk about doubting James or doubting Philip or Matthew or Bartholomew? It was just as hard for them to believe. And what about you… did you believe the first time you heard that somebody had come back to life after three days in the grave? Do you believe now? Would anybody know you believe it? Call me what you want, but I say, who wouldn’t doubt that.
I went with them to the room and waited behind locked doors. I don’t know what we were waiting for. If Jesus was alive like they said, why weren’t they out with him building the Kingdom and setting up his throne? Why weren’t they all out healing people and casting out demons? Why were they all cowering here with me hoping the Pharisees wouldn’t find us? I was so frustrated. I didn’t want to be there. I just wanted to be alone. There was no reason to live without Jesus…
But suddenly he was there! I rubbed by eyes, glanced around at the ten faces with “see, I told you so,” written across them, and looked back to the center of the room where I thought I had seen the ghost. He spoke and said “Peace be with you.” Then he called me by name and told me to touch his hands and put my hand in his side. I could see the wounds that had killed him. He was no ghost. I didn’t even have to touch him to know. I may have doubted the word of my high-strung friends, but I could never doubt Jesus himself. “My Lord and my God!” I cried out without even thinking.
And then my own words started to sink in. I just called him God. Not Teacher, not Master, not Messiah… not even Son of God… but God. He was in the Father and the Father was in him. This is what he was trying to tell us all along. God had come down to our level, no matter how blasphemous that sounded. He spoke the universe into existence… he spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he established David’s throne, and he… God… was born among his oppressed people in the Roman Empire as a baby… and he died… God died… for us, to save us… for me, to save even me.
And he wasn’t angry with me for doubting him. God himself was patient with me. He showed me his wounds graciously and spoke with love. Jesus loved me… He loves me… God loves me!
Sometimes it is still hard to believe, but when you stand in a locked room face to face with God, nothing is ever the same again.