Text:
John 20:26-28:
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and
stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Theme:
My Lord and My God
Introduction:
- The Gospel According to John is the fourth of the synoptic Gospels and was written by the Apostle John. Some believed that it was to fill the gaps left by the first three gospels, but no concrete evidence makes this universally true. However, it does in a unique and genuine way divulge the depth of the relationship between God and the Son AND the relationship between the believer and the Godhead.
- The Gospel of John, which houses our text, serves as a special closing to the set of Gospels that tell the good news of Jesus Christ.
- Matthew gives a detailed depiction of the history of Jesus’ life
- Mark gives Jesus’ life as depicted by Peter’s accounts
- Luke gives the perspective of Jesus’ life as God’s Son who was a man – the humanity of Jesus
- However, John gives the perspective of Jesus’ life as the man who was God’s Son – the Divinity of Jesus
- John sums up his intent in writing the Gospel in John 20:31 when he says, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
- In this periscope we find John writing of the experience AFTER the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ…
- AFTER Jesus had hung, bled and died on the cross
- AFTER Jesus had been buried in Joseph’s borrowed tomb
- AFTER there had been an earthquake the moved the stoned from the grave
- AFTER the women had visited the tomb and found it empty
- AFTER the disciples had gone by the tomb and found it empty and the napkin laying on the side folded
- At this point we find the disciples, hiding and waiting in the upper room
- Not all of the disciples cause we know that Judas had hung himself in shame and Thomas cause he was not in the midst
- HIDING to make sure that the officials don’t find them and do worse to them than they had already done to Jesus
- WAITING to see what was going to happen next…They knew what Jesus said but….let’s see!
- How many of us find ourselves HIDING and WAITING….
- HIDING cause we don’t want the things chasing us to catch us
- WAITING cause we are Standing On The Promises of God
- In the midst of the hiding…in the midst of the waiting…in the midst of the fear…in the midst of the sorrow…..
- JESUS APPEARED!!!!
- He let the 10 disciples see His risen self
- He let the 10 disciples touch His wounds
- He comforted the 10…He encouraged the 10…He reassured the 10
- But what about Thomas….
- Thomas walked into the room after Jesus had been there
- The disciples tried to tell Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them
- Thomas told the disciples that unless he touched the wounds on His body he would NOT believe!
- JESUS APPEARED AGAIN while Thomas was there!!!!
- When Jesus appeared, He told Thomas to touch Him like the others had done…
- Thomas immediately responded with the statement that will serve as our theme…
- My Lord and My God
- The Gospel of John, which houses our text, serves as a special closing to the set of Gospels that tell the good news of Jesus Christ.
Body:
- Note Thomas’ reaction to seeing Jesus…
- My Lord and My God!
- Thomas did not have the same reaction to seeing the disciples and hearing what THEY had to say!
- Thomas did not doubt the POWER of God
- Thomas knew that Jesus COULD be resurrected
- Jesus was OMNIPOTENT
- Thomas knew that Jesus SAID He would
- John 2:19, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
- Thomas had seen Jesus do a lot of miraculous things already
- Acts 2:22, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”
- Thomas doubted the ones who were telling him that Jesus had risen!
- The disciples did not have the best credibility with Thomas J
- Judas had already taken himself out after selling Jesus out
- Peter denied Jesus
- James and John put their mama up to politicking their way to Heaven
- Nathanael did not even recognize that He was the Father
- Instead, Thomas knew what he had seen and reacted with belief upon seeing Jesus…
- He did not waste time marveling at the suffering of the flesh
- He did not waste time being amazed at the body that died and rose again
- He did not waste time…He cried out, My Lord and My God!
- Thomas’ exclamation was a powerful thing to say to Jesus…
- MY LORD
- Thomas recognized Jesus as sovereign over his life
- Thomas submitted to Jesus who had power over his life
- Thomas accepted Jesus as the one to lead and guide him
- MY GOD
- Thomas knew that Jesus was the True and Living God as well as SON of God (Father and Son)
- Jesus was one with the Creator
- John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.”
- Jesus was there in Creation
- Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness….”
- Jesus was one with the Creator
- Thomas knew that Jesus was the True and Living God as well as SON of God (Father and Son)
- MY LORD
- The disciples did not have the best credibility with Thomas J
- Thomas knew that Jesus COULD be resurrected
- Thomas did not doubt the POWER of God
Conclusion:
- I can’t help but to connect with Thomas at this point!
- I know how Thomas felt about the folks telling him about Jesus
- I have felt doubt based on the messengers too!!!
- Parents aren’t perfect and have not always led perfect lives
- Friends are sometime believers and sometimes not
- Churches are hospitals and not heavens! Folks in them are there to get healed and not to heal
- Pastor are people. They make mistakes, have agendas and like nice things!
- I had to have my own experience with Jesus to be able to believe for myself! When I met Jesus…
- I then BELIEVED that He was my LORD
- I will OBEY
- I will FOLLOW
- I will TRUST
- I will LOVE
- I will FORGIVE
- I then BELIEVED that He was my GOD
- He CREATED me
- He SAVED me
- He COMMSSIONED me
- But I have to admit that MY LORD AND MY GOD is even more to me than to Thomas
- Jesus let the disciples reach out to Him…but ….God actually reached out to me!!!!
- The disciples WALKED with Jesus to unction their belief…BUT JESUS WALKS WITH ME
- The old hymn says, “And He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own”
- The disciples SAW the resurrected Jesus to unction their belief…BUT GOD SEES ME
- The old hymn says, “He sits high and looks low. He guides my feet wherever I go.”
- The disciples TOUCHED the resurrected Jesus to unction their belief…BUT JESUS TOUCHED ME
- The old hymn says, “He touched me and made me whole”
- Because He is MY LORD AND MY GOD, I have…
- A new walk
- A new talk
- A new life
- A new opportunity
- A new understanding
- A new work
- A new home
- A new shout
- A new love
- A new goal
- A new struggle
- A new joy
- A new POWER
- A new VISION
- A new PRESENCE
- All because He is MY LORD AND MY GOD!!!
- The disciples WALKED with Jesus to unction their belief…BUT JESUS WALKS WITH ME
- Jesus let the disciples reach out to Him…but ….God actually reached out to me!!!!
- I then BELIEVED that He was my LORD
- I have felt doubt based on the messengers too!!!
- I know how Thomas felt about the folks telling him about Jesus
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