The Denier, The Disbeliever, and The Devotee | Jerry Harris

Good morning Crossing Church. How are you doing today?

It is so good to be with you to be in the house.

The Lord with the people of the Lord, surviving the Thanksgiving

that we just experienced and I hope you'd you're getting

through all of that. We had a great time at our house

and you know, really there's so much to be thankful for isn't

there? I mean, there's so many things

that that can just Cloud our minds and push us away from

that, but we need to have those Times of Thanksgiving and I've

been thankful for this series in the Book of John just kind of

reboots us, you know, into these Timeless truths.

That John relays to us. I'm excited about the series

that's coming up. It's called the gift I need.

And if you want to get into the spirit of that next series, use

your phone, get on that QR code. And on there there's a place

where you can record the worst. You ever got and people can

share in that and that can lighten your mood and help you

to enjoy this season. That's coming up even more.

And also on that QR code are of all of our locations are the

dates of all of our Christmas Eve services.

This is that rare year happens. Once every seven years that

Christmas falls on Sunday. So once you to be taking a look

at that all of our different locations, you can, Can see what

we're offering probably somewhere in the neighborhood of

40 plus services. So I want to welcome all of you

that are joining at all of our locations, all of them across

this region. If you're inside her online,

we're thankful for you as well. And last week, I was talking

about what Jesus did to pay for our sins when he died on the

cross. And we got to hear that from the

only new Rider, that was himself an eyewitness John.

He was there. You know, I wasn't there, you

weren't there, but he was there and so he's able to share with

you, what he saw with his own eyes.

What he heard with his own ears? Of course, there's a lot of

reflection that happens when we think about the cross, but it

wasn't just the cross, you know, last week was only half the

story and I'm excited this week to give View the rest of the

story that happened after the cross.

Because John didn't write what he wrote.

So that you would understand the death of Jesus.

He wrote them so in his words that you might believe and then

have life in his name and that comes with an understanding, not

only of the crucifixion but also of the resurrection and I find

it really interesting of all the gospels.

John. He doesn't waste a single

sentence on the mechanics of the Resurrection.

You know, all the rest of them, they talk about exactly what

happened in the the garden. You know the where the tomb was

and and the stone being rolled away, what happened with the

guards and what happened with the angels coming down on all

that John doesn't even talk about that.

Instead he reveals the impact that the resurrection that the

resurrection had and he zeroes in on three individuals and

that's kind of how it is with Jesus.

Right? He's not just about the masses.

He's about the individual just like he's about you and these

three individuals and their stories, the portraits.

That, that that John paints of them.

I think he's just so helpful and so enlightening for us and I'm

going to call him the denier, the disbeliever and the devotee,

okay? The denier, the disbeliever and

the devotee and that would be Simon Peter Thomas and Mary

Magdalene. And I want to begin with Mary,

the devotee. See, Mary is this picture of

utter devotion. And you'll make sense to me that

she would be as devoted as she was because she had been saved

from something unimaginable to us.

The Bible says, in 2 different places that she was demon

possessed, and she was not only demon-possessed, she was demon

possessed by seven demons. She was a condo for demons.

I can't imagine what that would have made her life.

Like now, the number 7 in the Bible numbers have particular

meanings in the Bible and the number 7 in the Bible is the

number of perfection or completion.

And and so, you know, we can be very literal and say they were

seven particular demons. But one thing I pull from that

is that she was completely utterly controlled completely

under the control of these evil spirits inside of her.

And that would have meant that she was completely hopeless.

Like her life wasn't hers anymore.

There wasn't a decision that she was making anymore.

She was under this other controls whole just horrible,

right? And then Jesus steps into her

life. And exercises.

Those demons out of her. She's in her right mind.

What a gift would have been what our Incredible Gift to be

liberated and experience the freedom.

That only Jesus could provide listen to me.

Jesus didn't have to rise from the dead for her to be devoted.

Because he had saved her from that.

It's incredible and she was the first one to go to the tomb.

When we hear about what happened with Jesus in the resurrection

and we read in John chapter 20 starting in verse 11 and says

John 20 · chapter mention

now, Mary, stood outside the tomb.

Crying and as she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and

saw two angels in white seated, where Jesus body had been one at

the head and the other at the foot.

And they asked her woman. Why are you crying?

They've taken my Lord away. She said and I don't know where

they have put him. At this, she turned around and

saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was

Jesus. Now contextualize what you just

read with me? Mary comes at night.

She comes before the sun rises and I want you to think about

that. I mean, that would be a

frightening thing to to walk through the streets of

Jerusalem. Not really a familiar place to

her and find the cemetery at night.

To go honor the body of Jesus. So she comes at night and she

has no plan to do what she wants to do.

Because it was customary, that people would would honor the

dead by doing things with their body, like, putting spices on

their body. By, you know, anointing them by

ministering to them, because of what nature would nature would

take its course. And so she wanted to serve, she

wanted to do this thing. Thing, but she had absolutely no

plan. She was there when Jesus died on

the cross. When he was laid in the Tomb,

she was an eyewitness. And so she would have known

where the tomb was. She would have known that.

A stone was rolled in front of it.

She may or may not have known that.

There was a Roman Detachment of soldiers.

She may have or may have not have known that there was a seal

placed in front of the Tomb. I mean either she didn't know

that or she didn't think about that because she had no plan,

how am Am I going to move a stone away?

How am I going to break a seal? How am I going to get around?

These soldiers? To do what I want to do?

She had no plan. And actually, I really admire

that about her. Because I wouldn't have been

that person. I would have been the person who

had to have a detailed plan. How many of you would have had

to have a detailed plan? I mean, I need to know what to

bring and how many people and what time and when do we meet

and how do we? Yeah, I would have had to have

all that to handle all of the potential.

Pitfalls, not her. She just went, she just went And

I think it's amazing. Did you read that that her

devotion and her the pain that she's experienced blinds her

from realizing that there are two angels sitting in this tomb.

May there's two men wearing why going?

Why are you crying? And it just completely, she can

just completely lost by, she doesn't even think about that.

Because of the grief that she's experiencing.

And it also tells you this that she did not have Resurrection

hopes. She wasn't thinking, well, maybe

he rose from the dead. Quite the contrary, look at 15.

And 16 says this, he asked her. Now this is Jesus that he, she

doesn't recognize him woman. Why are you crying?

Who is it? You're looking for thinking.

He was the gardener. She said, sir, if you have

carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get

him like she was going to be able to get a body and put it

back in the Tomb. So amazing Jesus said to her,

Mary. and she turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic rabboni

which means teacher How does Jesus meet Mary Magdalene?

I think he is savoring the moment.

I think he is loving this moment that he was going to be able to

reveal himself to her in this way because of the strength of

her faith and her devotion. I think he waited for her in the

garden. He could have done a lot of

other things, you could have shown himself to a lot of other

people, but he chose her and he chose that moment at Daybreak.

And he asked her this question. I mean, it's such a silly

question. Why are you crying?

But why would anybody be crying in a cemetery?

Why are you crying? But it's a really important

question. Even though it sounds like a

silly one, because the reality in her mind is she has great

reason to be crying. But Jesus being there means that

everything that every reason she would have to cry, has been

completely undone. Today.

Right now, some of you may have great reasons for crying.

Maybe there's something going on in your life.

Maybe these holidays dredge up memories that are not as great

as you wish and maybe you're just trying to get through them

rather than enjoying them. Hard to be thankful when this

happened, or when that's happening right now.

Maybe you're crying, but have you thought?

That maybe you're not realizing what Jesus has already done.

Maybe you're a little like her. That you see the finality of

certain things, someone who's not at the table this year, or

something along those lines. But you don't realize what Jesus

is already done for you and everyone else and in spite of

what might be happening in your life right now, in your lower

story. Right now, there is so much to

be thankful for because we have Jesus to be thankful.

And then I love the word she uses.

And I don't think that John put this word in by accident, the

word rabboni. Now, the word rabona in the word

Rabbi are the same words and the word Rabbi means teacher.

Rabona is the same word, except it's in the formal instead of

the familiar. And I think that's important

because, you know, there are people that have come up with

these narratives that Jesus and Mary had this kind of a thing

going on. People have written novels about

it. But these words that John

records as an eyewitness are proof.

That that's not true that she respected him deeply as her

teacher and followed him. As a mentor as a guide and as a

teacher and that's why she used that word oh there's a lot we

can learn from this portrait of Mary but let's just stop with

her for a minute and go to the next one we all remember this

portrait because of this man's reputation and that would be

Thomas and when we talk about Thomas we use a word with him

usually. And what is that word?

Yeah doubting Thomas. And I look at Thomas and I

consider him the disbeliever or the realest because that's

really just a part of who he was.

That's how he was wired by God. That he is, this realist kind of

person. Look at John 11:16, then Thomas

John 11:16

also known as didymus, this means twin, he was a twin of

somebody, I don't know what we don't know who said to the rest

of the disciples let us also go that we may die with him.

So Jesus has just told his disciples, he's going to

Jerusalem and the disciples know that people are looking for

Jesus to kill him, and if they're going to want to kill

Jesus, their own want to kill his followers to.

So, I mean, it's a serious thing for Jesus to go to Jerusalem for

Passover. Now, you can look at this, a

couple of different ways you can look at Thomas and go, did he

say that? Let's just go with him so we can

die with him. Did he say that sarcastically

where he would say? Well then, let's go with him so

we can die with him. Or do you think that he was

looking at it and saying it realistically?

Okay, let's go with him so we can die with him.

I don't know if it's one or the other.

I think it's both of them because I think this is kind of

how Thomas is wired, a little of both, It plays out later in the

upper room, Jesus is giving these incredible words.

I mean incredible, incredible words in my father's house are

many mansions. if it were not, so I would have told you I go to

prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I

will come again and receive you to myself that where I am, there

you may be also whether you go, I go, you know, in the way, you

know, and then John 14, 5 Thomas said to him, of course, it was

Thomas Lord, we don't know where you're going.

So how can we know the way, you know how Jesus answered that?

I am the way the truth and the life.

No one comes to the father but by me yeah we may know the

answer to that but I love the way that Thomas just asks this

obvious question and he's looking for a concrete answer.

Where are you going? I don't know this way you're

talking about. He is a realist.

And then John 20, 24 to 25 when we get on this side of the

Resurrection. Now, Thomas, also known as

didymus. One of the twelve was not with

the disciples when Jesus came. So Jesus is already appeared to

the disciples, but Thomas wasn't there.

So the other disciples told him we have seen the Lord.

But he Thomas said to them, unless I see the nail marks in

his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my

hand into his side. Look at these four words.

I will not believe. Well, that's pretty strong

language. And I think his doubt about the

validity of Jesus, resurrection is an honest doubt.

However, his empirical thinking, you know, I mean the less I can

see it here at taste. It touch it.

Smell, you know, that kind of thing.

I think that somehow shows that there's something darker going

on something even cynical that's going on inside a Thomas because

he doesn't ask a question. He makes a declarative

statement. I will not believe So I don't

think the word out is really that good of a description about

his attitude because it's more of a rejection of the testimony

of his fellow apostles, then it is a questioning.

And then what happens Jesus appears in the room.

How does Jesus meet Thomas? We've discussed how he met Mary

Magdalene. How does he meet Thomas?

John 20 26 to 29 a week later. His disciples were in the house

again and Thomas was with them though the doors were locked

Jesus came and stood among them and said peace be with you.

Don't you think that Jesus was kind of looking over Thomas over

there in the corner? Peace be with you.

Because he speaks to him. Put your finger here.

See my hands, reach out your hand, and put it into my side,

stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, my Lord and

my God. Did Jesus told him?

Because you have seen me. You have believed?

Blessed are those who have not seen?

And yet have believed? Hmm.

See, I don't think we recognize this and Thomas.

Certainly, didn't that even when Jesus wasn't appearing in the

room? He was in the room.

So when Thomas was saying that stuff, Jesus was hearing it

because he was repeating it back to him.

Right. Jesus knows Thomas, he

understands Thomas, he knows that he's a realist and he meets

him, where he is even calls him a doubter which I think is

grace-filled because he's more of a denier than a doubter.

He's more of a disbeliever than a doubter and yet Jesus gives

him that Grace and do you know why Jesus leans into Thomas?

Do you know why he doesn't lean away?

It's because he knows his potential.

The potential Thomas would have if he was convinced now seeing

is not faith and Jesus makes that clear.

It's a lack of faith but that was what Thomas needed in that

moment to unlock his potential. And with that statement My Lord

and my God the realest Thomas has full confidence in who Jesus

is and what he has done and he never deviates from that.

You know, that understanding that happened in that moment

between Thomas and Jesus took him further than any other

Apostle would ever go. You remember, Jesus says later

on you'll be my Witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea Samaria to the

ends of the Earth and I'm sure a lot.

All those Apostles would have thought.

Yeah, you know, eventually it'll get to the ends of the Earth

Thomas, didn't wait for future generations.

To take the message of Jesus, to the ends of the Earth.

He did that himself. You know how?

I know that because he died in Chennai, India, which is the

point as far as you can go, he literally went to the ends of

the Earth and he was javelins, while being in prayer on his

knees. Wow, learn a lot from Mary

Magdalene. you can learn a lot from Thomas on this side of the

Resurrection, but maybe the most poignant story of all Is the one

that John saves to last the denier.

Simon, Peter, how would you describe Simon, describe Simon

Peter? I would use words like

enthusiastic strong-willed, impulsive brash.

He was definitely a natural born leader, but he definitely has a

dark side to his personality. So let's start with that in John

21, three and four. Now, this is a weird place to

start. I'm going out to fish.

Well, here's what Simon had done, Simon Peter had left

Jerusalem and he gone back up to Galilee not a short Journey

about 90 Miles by foot gone. Back up to Galileo, Galileo,

Galilee where he was raised going back to fishing.

I'm going out to fish Simon. Peter told them and they said

we'll go with you because he obviously took some of his

Apostles with him. He is a natural-born leader.

So they went out and got into the boat, but that night, they

caught nothing early in the morning, Jesus stood on the

shore. But the disciples did not

realize that it was Jesus. There could not have been a

better seen a better setup than Jesus creates In This Moment.

It's awesome. Because it's exactly the same

scene as it was in Luke Chapter 5.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

If you go back to Luke 5, because Jesus is teaching, these

guys have been fishing all night Peter, Andrew James and John.

So Peters, one of them, they're washing their Nets because it's

been a complete bust. Haven't caught anything all

night. Jesus gets done and he says,

hey, why don't you throw out your nets for a catch?

You know, and Simon Peter says, hey dude, we've been fishing all

night long. We haven't caught anything, you

know, stay in your lane Jesus. We're professional fisherman.

You Preach. Will fish kind of deal. but if

you say so, And so they dirty their Nets again and they throw

them out in the water. And of course, the story is

every fish in that Lake went into that, net till they were

break, the Nets were breaking and they couldn't haul them in.

And in that moment Jesus was speaking Simon Peters language.

The language of fishing And Simon Peter realized he was in

the boat with him, not just a teacher.

But God. And that's when when Peter said

depart from me because I'm a sinful man, you know what he's

saying? You're looking into my heart.

You know me. And Jesus says don't worry,

Simon from now on, you're going to be catching people.

Beautiful story. And here Jesus, weaves the same

story again, just like, it was when Simon Peter was called into

Ministry with Jesus. He does it again on the same

Lake in the same place and they haven't caught anything off

tonight. And then Simon Peter.

Has this experience. I want you to think about the

demons that Simon Peter is fighting, why is he up there?

He knows what he's done. He knows when he, you know,

Simon Peter. This British guy pulls a, his

sword in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus is

arrested and he met names, one of the servants, right?

Cuts in ear off to surgery to die.

He'd already told Jesus, you know, deny you I would die for

you. Jesus is already told him, you

know, he's gonna deny him three times.

And when they arrested, Jesus, Peter follows doesn't go into

the house but stays out on the courtyard while he's out in the

courtyard, people start accusing him and pointing their finger at

him and say, aren't you a Galilean weren't you with Jesus?

Aren't you one of his disciples that he denies and denies and

denies and eventually curses And denies and then went out and

wept bitterly. He knows what he's done.

What a hypocrite. He is what a poser.

He is what a poser he has been. Don't you?

Imagine that there are demons inside of him that he's

fighting? That are saying those things to

him. How fake is your faith?

Really Simon Peter? And I bet you, he kept his shame

from everybody else. I don't think he went to the

other Apostles that he was fishing with and said, hey guess

what I did, because they weren't around So, the like continues

inside of him. And so he goes to Galilee, why?

Because he's wanting to escape those feelings, he wants to go

back to an abandoned life because that's what he deserves.

Until Jesus steps into the picture just like you did with

Mary just like he did with Thomas, he steps into the

picture with Simon Peter. You know what it's time to face

the music. John 21 verse 7, then the

John 21:7

disciple whom Jesus loved. That's John said to Peter.

It is the Lord. And as soon as Simon Peter heard

him say it is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around

him, for he taking it off and jumped into the water.

He makes his way to shore because he is going to face the

music. You know what it's time for.

It's time to have a little walk with Jesus.

Some of you right now. Today, this moment it's time to

have a little walk with Jesus. And have a talk with him.

It's time to confront those demons. but if you're taking a

walk with Jesus, You don't have to confront those demons alone,

he'll be right there with you. John records.

Those next moments and as painful as those next moments

were for Simon Peter in that confrontation in that

conversation, the result of it was better than the removal of

those regrets and Demons Inside. Am it was reconciliation.

The same words that John records.

Jesus. Crying out from the cross even

though Simon Peter. Wasn't there to hear it?

It is finished. Now applies to Simon Peter

because what he did in denying him Has been overcome by the

grace of his Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ.

These people in their stories are so completely different and

yet Jesus meets them right where they are and ministers to them.

If he can do that with them. Can he do that with you?

Is he available to do that right now?

Does he desire to do that right now?

I love the fact that Jesus didn't assemble people who were

just like him. He put people together that were

so completely different because he's the greatest of leaders and

Jesus has this ability to meet you right where you are and then

leads you to the place that he intended for you, if you'll just

follow him. so now the question gets personal, Which one are

you? Are you the devotee?

Are you the disbeliever? Are you the denier or you

something different than all of those?

Maybe you're facing something right now.

Maybe you're connecting with the feelings of these three that

John shares with you and maybe you're feeling and experiencing

something completely different. God knows I don't Maybe you're

looking for a different outcome than the one you have.

Right now, maybe you're looking for the release of a

circumstance. Maybe you're looking for

forgiveness from what you cannot take back.

Maybe you're saying to God and your silence is you sit there.

Why are you letting this happen to me?

I got a call a few weeks ago from my oldest sister.

Carolyn telling me that. My second oldest sister, Arlene

was in the hospital and she wasn't doing well.

Arlene. 17 years older than me. Carolyn's 19 years older.

Man the baby, the family. They wanted me to pray.

I end up driving down there and spending some time with her.

I mean, she's the most one of the most, if not the most

intelligent person, our family, incredible follower of Jesus

Christ. Knows the scriptures.

Like you would not believe. And yet she was struggling.

And she's had a rough few weeks, she's in the hospital.

They tried to get things under control to the number of

procedures that made her a lot weaker that she went to wheat

rehab. She did a week in rehab, got her

a little bit stronger went back home, wasn't there 24 hours

before more issues back to the hospital?

They're going undergoing. A bunch more tests and difficult

procedures making her even weaker and now she's in skilled

care. And I don't care how strong you

are in the Lord or in his word, those things can be really

daunting. and for her, she was struggling with discouragement.

Am I next oldest living sister? My sister Kathy's closest?

To me, also been in the conversation via text and

whatever she sent, Arlene, a message that she had seen in red

and thought it would give her some encouragement and Arling

responded, how just encouraging it really was because what Kathy

gave her and what she shared was a whole new point of view and I

would like what we have been experiences as a family And that

encouragement to flow over you today.

So, I'm going to share that with you.

The first reference in it is a reference to Joseph in the Old

Testament. The one with the mini, the coat

of many colors and this is what Kathy sent to Arlene.

I would have pulled Joseph out. Out of that prison out of that

pain. And I would have cheated Nations

out of the one. God would use to deliver them

from famine. I would have pulled David out

out of Saul's spear-throwing presence out of the caves.

He hid away in out of the pain of rejection and I would have

cheated Israel, out of a god hearted King.

I would have pulled Esther out. Out of being snatched from her

only family out of being placed in a position.

She never asked for out of the path of a vicious power-hungry

fo, and I would have cheated a people out of a woman.

God would use to say their very lives And I would have pulled

Jesus off. Off of that cross.

Off of the road that led to suffering and pain off of the

path. That would mean nakedness and

beatings nails and thorns and I would have cheated the entire

world out of a savior out of salvation.

Out of an eternity filled with no more suffering and no more

pain. And no.

I want to pull you out. I want to change your path, I

want to stop your pain but right now I know I would be wrong.

I would be out of line. I would be cheating you and

cheating the world out of so much good because God knows.

He knows the good this pain will produce.

He knows the beauty. This hardship will grow.

He's watching over you and keeping you even in the midst of

this and he's promising, you that you can trust him, even

when it all feels like more than you can bear.

So, instead of pulling you out, I'm lifting you up, I'm kneeling

before the father and I'm asking him to give you strength to give

you hope. I'm asking him to protect you

and to move you when the time is, right?

I'm asking him to help you. Stay prayerful and Discerning,

I'm asking him how I can best love you and be a help to you

and I'm believing he's going to use your life in powerful and in

beautiful ways ways that leave your heart grateful and humbly

thankful for this road, you've been on Me tell you, it's it's

good to have a family like that. Where we can rest in the grace

and the goodness, the love of God, even when we can't see it,

we can't feel it. And it doesn't make sense to us.

And I know that at times like this in the Years, some of us we

let the lower story take over. But it's time to raise our eyes,

to lift up our eyes, and realize that the upper stories there as

well. And that God loves you.

That he has a plan for your life that Jesus died for you, and

he's coming back for you someday.

Would you reflect on that? As we move to a time of

decision, so, What's getting in the way?

In your life right now. What's keeping you from being

able to focus on the goodness of God and being thankful?

and these other things that are coming into your heart and into

your mind, it's hard, isn't it? You know, a lot of you, I'm

sharing that story about my family and you connect with

that, you're connecting with it right now, different names,

different circumstances but a lot of the same emotions.

Right. I think this is a place where we

understand each other. But if we could just not think

so much. About the things that are

happening in the Earth. So much about, you know, I can

be thankful because of all the things I've received.

From a human Earthly. Perspective.

But instead, to see something greater of what I have received

that. I could never earn a knife could

never deserve. There's some of you here today

that have never stepped into an intimate personal relationship

with Jesus Christ. And he has come all this way.

And I said to you, he was in the room when Thomas was saying,

what are you saying Thomas? Couldn't see him, but he was

there and he's in this room right now and he knows the

argument, you're having in your own head right now.

He knows all the stuff that you're thinking right now, but

he's still here right now. And he's here for you right now

and he sees your potential, he knows what he what you're

capable of because he made you that way.

And he's looking for your heart to say yes to him.

And if you have never said, yes to an intimate personal

relationship with Jesus Christ, you can do that today, you can

do that right now. There's going to be somebody

standing over there by that baptistry that would love

nothing more than to talk to you that pray with you.

And to help you. On a journey that somebody help

them find. All the way to the Gates of

Heaven. And Jesus saying, welcome home.

Well done. This is what I prepared for you.

Many of you are here today, and you made a decision for Christ.

You're walking in that relationship, and that's great.

But, you know, that stuff gets in the way.

And sometimes this world and the cares and the burdens and the

challenges, the circumstances that you face, they can become

overwhelming and overpowering. And that's why we need time.

That's why these steps are up here in front of you because

just takes some time before the Lord.

Because he changes everything. For Mary.

It was rabona. It was, I don't have a reason to

cry anymore. For Thomas, it was I've stop

doubting and now I'm believing and I'm going to act on that.

I'm putting my skepticism away. and for Peter, I can look you in

the eyes. Again, I can face you because

you've taken away my shame. For you.

God knows. Jesus knows, it may be today.

You can admit that to him. And feel his strong hands

holding you and lifting you back up to face a world, but never

alone. But you stand with me.

And let's pray together. Heavenly father in Jesus name we

come to you because we have the name of Jesus to speak and

because of him we have confidence to approach your

throne and we ask you father that today.

We're not asking you to move. We need to move closer to you.

Whatever form that takes today. I pray that we would listen to

your spirit at work in our hearts and move in your

direction. In Jesus name, amen.