The Point of It All
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· 1 viewSermon focuses on John's account of Jesus' resurrection and appearing in the upper room to Thomas and the others
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Prudence reminds us to be on guard for danger—not just in the present but in the future as well.
On Easter Sunday, 2013, the southbound side of I-77 near the North Carolina-Virginia border was closed for hours following a massive chain of accidents. Police later reported that seventeen different collisions involved ninety-five cars and trucks.
The wrecks left three people dead and more than two dozen injured, many of them seriously. The cause of the accidents was people driving into a thick fog that descended over the Interstate that Sunday afternoon. A police spokesman said, “Visibility at the time this accident occurred was down to about one hundred feet or less.”
As people continued to drive blindly forward, they could not see the danger that was just ahead until it was too late. Prudence reminds us to be on guard for danger—not just in the present but in the future as well. Because of the way our minds work, we often tend to discount what may happen in the future simply because it hasn’t happened yet (Source: Roanoke Times, March 31, 2013)
Proverbs 27:12 says: “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. But it is also an anticipation of the future, for those who believe.
Christians believe in the resurrection. Jesus being raised from the dead sets us apart from the other world religions. Today reminds us of two things about God.
On the one hand, God is so loving that He sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (aka Good Friday).
On the other hand, God is so powerful that He is able to raise the dead (aka Easter Sunday).
And this has special relevancy for your future.
Today’s message features a man that is much like the rest of us. His name is Thomas. He was known as “the twin.” Thomas was devout, one of the 12. He was willing to die with the Lord. When Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem, it was Thomas that said what the others were thinking in John 11:16:"Let us also go, that we may die with Him."
Thomas was a realist. He was a thinker and approached things in a no nonsense way. Maybe you are like Thomas.
Our story takes up sometime after the Jesus’ resurrection.
Mary was the first to the tomb.
Afterwards came Peter and John.
Then Jesus appeared later to the ten, minus Thomas and Judas Iscariot, of course.
After this event, the others tried to convince Thomas that Jesus arose from the dead.
This is where we read in verse 24:
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
Why was Thomas so hesitant to believe the news his friends had shared with him? Because he was thoroughly convinced that Jesus died!
And people don’t usually rise from the dead!
Dr. Paul Maier of Western Michigan University has stated that the Roman batting average of successfully crucifying someone was around 1,000. To make sure that the crucified had indeed died, a spear was thrust into the side of the dying. This was also done to those who participated in the Gladiator contests. Then, to make sure the person was dead, a hot prong touched the body of the suffering. If the body flinched, a spear was thrust into the heart, finishing him off.
Thomas was doubtful when the others returned saying that they had seen the Lord. Can we blame him? Being absent from the first resurrection appearance of Jesus, New Testament scholar Donald Carson writes that for Thomas:
“The risen Jesus must have some sort of physical continuity with the Jesus who was crucified (Carson, The Gospel According to John, 656).”
The doubter probably had several conversations with his friends during this interlude. He would not be convinced until he saw Jesus with his own two eyes.
Then, eight days later, Jesus meets them again and reaches out to Thomas. I wish I would have been there, to see their eyes meet. And so, Jesus gives him precisely what he asked for. We read of the account in verse 27:
“Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.’"
Jesus foretold on many occasions, that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, to die at the hands of sinful men and be raised from the dead. But they all were slow to believe. Jesus approaching Thomas says something about the Lord’s love for Him. It is a veiled reference to His hesitance to believe earlier. Consider the following points:
Jesus is answering Thomas’ concerns with a physical demonstration. Thomas’ response is one of depth. He said: “My Lord and my God.” The term for Lord is “master.” Thomas had crossed the bridge of doubt, to faith.
We serve the God of the impossible. There must be room for the unexplainable in your life. Some things you cannot reduce to a math problem or a formula. Our intellect cannot be our god! Ultimately, we have to reconcile with the notion that what happened on that first Easter morning was beyond reason. Our faith rests on it.
The point of doubt is to lead you to faith. Don’t be controlled by your doubts. Some are. Because every last question or inquiry is not satisfied, they keep hoping for something better to give their lives to, or simply live for themselves. Friends, the resurrection is God’s answer to your need for a Savior! If you don’t believe after that, what else does God have to do for you!?
Thomas went from disbelief to renewed devotion in eight days. For some of you, you have been going through your life putting your trust and confidence in things that were never meant to last or satisfy. You are putting more trust in yourself than God. Yet God has been patient and merciful with you. He has shown Himself faithful. Jesus and Easter function as God’s testimony of love and power. What is your response to it?
Jesus is superlative in dependability. Today, there are so few people that are faithful, loyal and dependable to their families, to their job, to their marriages, to their commitments. People are looking for those who are reliable, dependable. Broken lives, broken homes, broken promises, broken dreams, are just a few reasons people are in despair today.
But friends, Jesus was the most reliable person that ever lived. And His resurrection was as sure as I’m standing here and speaking to you today. This was no isolated event. There were many eye witnesses to the resurrection. Acts 1:3 is a summary of this time.
“After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
They had all seen Jesus suffer. All had seen Him receive the flogging. All had seen Him nailed to the cross. And now, He was back, complete with scars.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:5 that Jesus:
“…appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
The late Charles Colson, was one of President Nixon’s assistants, became a Christian shortly before he went to prison for his crimes during the Watergate scandal. This is what he had to say about the resurrection of Jesus.
“I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren't true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world-and they couldn't keep a lie for three weeks. You're telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”
Little is known of Thomas from hereafter. He is said to have gone east and planted churches in India. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs records that he set out to preach to seven people groups in the east including the Magians (remember the Magi? The wise men?). He was killed in India for his faith (Foxe’s Christian Martyrs of the World, 5).
Today, a church has been built in Chennai (formerly Madras), that marks the place where Thomas was martyred in 52 AD.
But what about us? Where do we fit in this story? There must be a response to God’s love and power.
There must be a point in our lives that we look upon Jesus and say: “My Lord and my God!” It is a statement of dependence. David Powlison states:
“From God’s point of view, you not only need someone else to be killed in your place in order to be forgiven, you need to be transformed in order to be fit to live with.” (David Powlison, God’s Love: Better than Unconditional, 12).
God provides both. He did this in Thomas’ life and he can do it in your life. He does it every day!
The Christian faith is meant to affect everything you are, everything you do and everything that awaits you. Jesus rising from the dead influences...
Decisions about the present.
Decisions about the future.
Decisions about habits.
Decisions about work.
Decisions about marriage, etc.
There’s nothing that faith in Jesus does not affect or touch.
The point of the Scripture is not that you would be informed, though it does inform.
The point of the Scripture is not for you to be entertained, though it does entertain.
The point of the Scripture is that you would believe! John 20:31: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
It is as someone once wrote:
“May Easter Day
To thy heart say,
“Christ died and rose for thee.”
May Easter night
On thy heart write,
“Oh Christ, I live to Thee.”
Right now, I’d like to give you that opportunity to respond. Whether you are a regular churchgoer, or attend very few times a year, the point of what this message is today is that you would see your need for Jesus Christ and humbly come before Him, and turn from your sins, ask for His forgiveness and follow Him. Jesus will no doubt change your life, if you would see Him as He is- the risen Savior who came for you. Would you pray with me?
“Lord Jesus, I understand that your death happened long ago, as a part of God’s plan. You voluntarily laid down your life as a payment for my sin. And on the third day, you rose again to display Your power over death. Jesus, you said that whoever comes to you that you will never turn away.”
Now I ask that you would forgive me and cleanse me. You rose again, so that I could be made new. Come into my life and change me. Make me into the person that you want me to be. I go from my way of living, to your way of living. Come into my life and be my Lord and my Savior. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”