‘the man who doubted!’ (John 20) Encounter with Thomas ‘the man who doubted!’ (John 20)

The Bible says : - The disciples saw the risen Jesus ‘Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus came ‘ The disciples saw the risen Jesus The disciples met the risen Jesus The disciples heard the risen Jesus The disciples worshipped the risen Jesus The disciples told Thomas of the risen Jesus

In that upper room : One by one the disciples testified : To seeing Jesus To hearing Jesus To touching Jesus To the resurrection of Jesus And yet Thomas doubted that Jesus was alive !

(1) JESUS CHOSE THOMAS Meet Thomas - the twin : We know nothing of when it happened We know nothing of how it happened We know nothing of where it happened But we know that Thomas was chosen to be a disciple of Jesus

(2)JESUS PREPARED THOMAS Meet Thomas the thinker ! To the disciples (& Thomas) Jesus said : John 12 : you will not always have me John 13: I will be with you only a little longer John 14 : I go to prepare a place for you Jesus spoke to them about the cross , the tomb , the throne

(2) JESUS PREPARED THOMAS To Thomas the thinker, Jesus had said : John 14.6: I am the way - follow me I am the truth - trust me I am the life - put your hope in me John 14.9 As you have seen - I am God As you have heard - I am God As the evidence shows - I am God Live a life of dependence on me The emphisis – ‘trust!’

Jesus was doubted by Thomas Unless I see him for myself Unless I touch and know it happened Unless I feel and know it’s real Unless I hear him speak to me I will not believe

Encounter Thomas – encounter doubt! Doubt is natural Doubt is spiritual Doubt is personal Doubt is real Doubt is a danger Doubt is a challenge Doubt is a choice

Just as the Christian has his moments when the clamor of this visible and audible world is so persistent, and the whisper of the spiritual world so faint that faith and reason can hardly stick to their guns, so, as I well remember, the atheist also has his moments of shuddering misgiving, of an all but irresistible suspicion that old tales may, after all, be true, that something or someone from outside may at any moment break into his neat, explicable, mechanical universe. Believe in God, and you will have to face hours when it seems obvious that this material world is the only reality; disbelieve in Him, and you must face hours when this material world seems to shout at you that it is not all. No conviction religious or irreligious will, of itself, end once and for all this fifth-columnist in the soul. Only the practice of faith resulting in the habit of faith will gradually do that. C S Lewis

(3) JESUS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THOMAS He spoke to him first He invited him to touch his wounds He challenged him to examine his scars He called him to dismiss his doubts He commanded him to believe the facts He wanted him to trust the Master

The bible records : ‘ Jesus came and stood among them !’ This time : Thomas heard the voice of Jesus Thomas saw the wounds of Jesus Thomas encountered the call of Jesus Thomas believed the risen Jesus

Encounter Thomas He doubted – but he did not deny He doubted – but he did not disobey He doubted – but he did not disappoint He doubted – but he did not turn away He doubted – but still believed

. Just now your doubtings give o’er Just now reject Him no more Just now, throw open the door Let Jesus come into your heart !