That You May Believe

In his famous novel, Gulliver's Travel,

the author and Christian minister, Jonathan Swift,

takes his protagonist, Lemuel Gulliver, to the island of Lugnag.

And there he encounters the Strolbergs, who are immortal.

And about that he writes, he's delighted,

happy nation where every child hath at least a chance for being immortal.

So happy people who, being born exempt from that universal calamity of human nature,

have their minds free and disengaged without the weight and depression of spirits

caused by the continual apprehensions of death.

Then the Gulliver's interpreter acknowledges that it is true

that long life is the universal desire and wish of mankind,

that whoever had one foot in the grave was sure to hold back the other as strongly as he could,

that the oldest had still hopes of living one day longer

and looked on death as the greatest evil,

from which nature always prompted him to retreat.

Unfortunately for the Strolbergs, even though they're immortal,

they still age.

So they basically have eternal senility.

I mean, they're senile for the rest of their lives.

But of course, that's not what we long for.

But it's true, isn't it, that we long for eternal life.

It's found in every culture.

It's seen really in every religion.

But it's not the kind of eternal senility of the Strolbergs,

but eternal life, something vibrant that lasts forever.

So Solomon writes about this in Ecclesiastes 3, verse 11.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

God has put eternity into man's heart.

But how do we attain it?

Sure, the fact that we long for life after death, for eternal life,

doesn't mean that it exists,

much like the English poet Matthew Arnold who said,

nor does the being hungry prove that we have bread.

That is undoubtedly true.

The fact that we're hungry doesn't prove that we have bread,

but does it not prove that bread, such a thing as bread, exists?

Does it not prove that our hunger is supposed to be met?

So what is this longing we have for meaning and significance after death,

for eternal life?

And if we do not now possess immortality,

but does it not suggest that we need eternal life,

that there's such a thing as eternal life?

And the answer to all these questions lies in Easter,

Resurrection Sunday, as we also call it,

when we celebrate the day when Jesus Christ rose from the day,

third day after his death on the cross.

So then all that your soul most longs for,

the dearest hopes that you have ever held,

can be true because and only because

Jesus rose again from the dead.

As one theologian, Yaroslav Pelikan says,

if the resurrection is not true,

then nothing else matters.

Because it all ends in death.

When the sun burns away,

there will be no one left to remember anything we ever did.

But he also says,

if the resurrection is true,

then nothing else matters.

Because that would be the most important thing,

the thing that matters most.

And John teaches from this passage,

that Jesus died and rose again,

so that by believing that he is the son of God,

we might receive eternal life.

That's his very purpose for writing this book.

And he demonstrates this by recording several witnesses,

who saw and believed.

So first is himself,

and then Mary,

the disciples,

and Thomas.

And he writes all of this,

so that ultimately,

the future generations,

those who do not see,

might believe.

That's the purpose of him,

recording these witnesses,

who saw and believed.

So that's the outline we will follow as we go.

So first,

John,

he sees and believes.

Verse 1 with me says,

on the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early.

So that's,

first character encounter is Mary,

although this will talk first about John.

And it's remarkable that,

even though Jesus rose again from death,

on the third day,

every single gospel writer notes,

that it was on the first day of the week,

that Jesus rose from the dead.

They do that intentionally,

to point to the fact,

that Jesus makes all things new.

The first day of the week,

that's when Jesus rose from the dead,

and it's in Jesus that we have hope.

And that's why Christians,

even though most of the early Christians were Jews,

who had for centuries been worshiping on the Sabbath,

on a Saturday,

they transformed that practice,

and started worshiping on a Sunday,

right,

to commemorate that.

So that's the significance of that.

And read the rest of the verse 1 with me.

So now,

on the first day of the week,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early,

while it was still dark,

and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

So Mary Magdalene was one of the faithful devotees of Jesus,

and she had seen previously where he was laid.

So she,

as soon as the Sabbath is over,

as the light is coming back,

she goes to the tomb.

But it says that she goes still,

while it was still dark,

right?

And it notes that,

because John uses the motif of light and darkness,

as we have seen over and over again,

to indicate spiritual state.

She does not yet know,

that Jesus has risen from the,

she does not yet understand,

the meaning of Jesus' death.

And so she's still in darkness.

And so she,

while it was still dark,

she approaches.

And the other gospel writers note that there were other women that came with Mary.

They came to anoint,

to put spices on his body.

And,

but John intentionally mentions only Mary Magdalene,

probably because he wants to highlight the fact that she was the first witness of the resurrection.

The other gospel writers also note that by always naming Mary Magdalene first.

And,

and they're probably coming and wondering how they were going to move that large stone that Pilate had placed there to guard the tomb.

And the Roman guards,

and,

and so they have fears,

and they're coming and approaching the tomb.

But when they come,

she sees that,

Mary Magdalene sees that the tomb,

the stone has already been rolled away.

And that,

that could mean only one thing.

Because,

because John told us in chapter 19,

verse 41,

Jesus was buried in a new tomb,

in which no one had yet been laid.

He told us that intentionally,

to,

to suggest that,

you know what,

if he's something,

if the body's missing from there,

it could mean nothing else.

There was only one body in that tomb.

So if Jesus is missing from there,

that means Jesus is gone,

not someone else.

And so,

it says in verses two to four,

she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple,

the one whom Jesus loved,

that's John,

and said to them,

they have taken the Lord out of the tomb,

and we do not know where they have laid him.

So Peter went out with the other disciple,

and they were going toward the tomb.

Both of them were running together,

but the other disciple outran Peter,

and reached the tomb first.

So John outruns Peter,

and reaches the tomb first,

and their reactions are recorded in the following verses,

five to nine.

And stooping to look in,

he saw the linen cloth lying there,

but he did not go in.

Then Simon Peter came,

following him,

and went into the tomb.

He saw the linen cloth lying there,

and the face cloth,

which had been on Jesus' head,

not lying with the linen cloth,

but folded up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple,

who had reached the tomb first,

also went in,

and he saw and believed.

For as yet,

they did not understand the scripture,

that he must rise from the dead.

So it's a cave tomb,

and so they stoop in.

John first gets a stoop,

but he doesn't go in.

But Peter,

as we know from his character,

that's portrayed throughout the Gospels,

he's the brash one.

He runs right in,

and to see what's in there,

to see what's in there.

And when they go,

they see the linen cloth still there,

and the face cloth,

it's folded up by its side.

So that's an indication

that this was not a grave robbery.

If they did,

they would not take the time

to remove the linen cloth

from the body

that they're trying to steal.

And in fact,

that would be the main thing

they would want,

because the linen cloth

with the expensive spices

are what you would go for

in a grave robbery during this time.

That's not what happened.

It also doesn't mean

that the Romans moved his body,

because if they did,

they would similarly

not leave the linen spice there.

They would have to do it

somewhere else.

Why would they do that?

And so that's why

John includes that detail.

And the specific detail

that the face cloth

was folded up

in a place by itself,

that's an intentional contrast

with Lazarus,

who was raised by Jesus earlier

in the Gospel of John

and from the dead.

But Lazarus was raised

to mortal life,

to be sick and to die again.

But Jesus was raised

to resurrection life,

immortality, eternal life.

And so there is a difference,

because Lazarus,

when he was raised by Jesus,

he said he came out,

his hands and feet bound

with linen strips

and his face wrapped

with the cloth,

and so that Jesus had to tell

other people to unbind him

and let him go.

But Jesus, in contrast,

rose from the dead.

In fact,

he was in full possession

of himself,

in control of himself,

he takes the time

to fold the facial garment,

the cloth,

set it aside,

and leaves.

It's a sign

that someone

who had no longer

any need of those things

put him aside

and came out of the tomb.

And notice verse 9,

it says,

it explains that up to this point,

they did not understand

the scripture

that he must rise

from the dead.

So contrary to some people

who would argue

that the disciples

fabricated the story

of the resurrection

in order to fit

their preconceived notions

about a Messiah

rising from the dead,

they had no idea

that was what was supposed

to happen.

Rather,

it's the facts,

the reality of what happened

that shaped

and informed

their theology,

their beliefs,

their faith.

And historically,

the rapid growth

of the early church

can't be explained

apart from an empty tomb,

from the resurrection

of Christ.

The most popular

counter-argument

is that the claim

that disciples

stole the body

so that they could,

you know,

tell people,

you know,

that Jesus rose

from the dead.

And Matthew

already anticipates this

and writes about this

in verse 28,

11, 15.

He says,

the Jewish authorities

paid the soldiers

who were guarding there

when Jesus rose

from the dead

to lie to the people

saying,

his disciples came by night

and stole him away

while we were asleep.

But that theory

is so far-fetched

that Matthew

doesn't even deign

to defend against it

because if they were sleeping

and, in fact,

so soundly asleep

that they weren't able

to do anything

when his disciples

came to steal his body,

how would they know

that it was his disciples,

right?

I mean,

they can't.

Moreover,

this explanation itself

is an unwitting admission

of the significant fact

of the empty tomb,

that it was indeed empty,

that they needed

to come up with something

to explain it

and make sense of it.

Nor does that explanation

make sense of the fact

that every single one

of Jesus' apostles,

save one,

John,

and save Judas,

the betrayer,

were martyred,

proclaiming that Jesus

rose from the dead.

What was in it for them?

Why would they

perpetuate a lie

that they don't even

themselves believe?

Some other people

have suggested

that Jesus didn't actually die,

but only appeared to die.

And after three days

in the tomb,

he was resuscitated.

He came back to life.

Not only is that

medically highly implausible,

but that also defies

common sense.

Think about a Christ

who came out of the tomb

enfeebled,

scarred,

literally half dead,

and then imagine

that same man

convincing all his followers

that he is the glorious

son of God

who rose from the dead.

It just doesn't fly.

No one would believe him.

The disciples

were confronted

with the fact

of the empty tomb

of the resurrected Christ,

which then shaped

and advanced

their understanding

of how Scripture

foretold the resurrection.

They didn't invent it.

What do you make

of the empty tomb?

The reality of resurrection

confronts us today

still in the worldwide

celebration of Easter.

I urge you today

to not leave this place

without having come

to a decisive answer

on that question.

What do you make

of the empty tomb?

So John saw

and believed.

Now we turn to Mary

in verses 11 to 18.

Read 11 to 13 with me.

But Mary stood

weeping outside the tomb

and as she wept

she stooped

to look into the tomb

and she saw two angels

in white

sitting where

the body of Jesus

had lain.

One at the head

and one at the feet.

They said to her,

woman,

why are you weeping?

She said to them,

they have taken away

my Lord

and I do not know

where they have laid him.

So all the gospel writers

note that there were angels

in Jesus' tomb.

Mark and Luke

call them men

but that's

very consistent

with how Old Testament

usually describes angels.

They describe angels

as coming in form of men

and so it's consistent

with that

and the description

that they were

in gleaming white garments

is always consistent

with the description

of angels in the Bible.

So these are angels

that they're talking about.

And then perhaps

seeing another person

maybe in her peripheral vision

just behind her,

Mary turns around

and sees Jesus

but she doesn't yet

recognize him

according to verse 14.

Now this may be

due to the fact

that it was still dark

like I said before

or it may be

the fact that

she was crying

as the passage tells us

and her eyes

were still blurry

or it may just be

that she just didn't

expect to see him.

I mean all of us

are familiar

with that experience

when you see someone

out of context

you don't expect

to see that person

so you don't recognize

that person.

Maybe it says

you're vacationing

in a foreign country

and then you see

your neighbor there

and you're like

oh you just run

right past them

you don't recognize

that person.

Or your friend

whom you're only familiar

with an informal context

and you see them

all of a sudden

at work

and formally dressed

and you don't

recognize that person.

It could happen

to all of us.

So here Mary

doesn't yet recognize

Jesus.

So Jesus says to her

verses 15 to 16

Woman why are you weeping?

Whom are you seeking?

And supposing him

to be the gardener

she said to him

Sir if you have

carried him away

tell me where you

have laid him

and I will take him away.

Jesus said to her

Mary

and she turned

and said to him

on an Aramaic

Rabboni

which means teacher.

So as soon as

Jesus utters her name

Mary probably

in the same way

he has always said it

she immediately

recognizes him

and the despair

and sadness

that had weighed her down

is transformed

into amazement

and joy

and she addresses

Jesus as she always has

teacher.

and Jesus has said

in John chapter 10

John 10 · chapter mention

27

my sheep

hear my voice

and I know them

and they follow me

so here

Mary is one of the sheep

that belong to him

Jesus is the shepherd

so when she hears

his voice

she responds

and follows him

she believes

I believe he's calling

some of you

this morning

and I pray

that you'll recognize

his voice

and follow him

also

but this

sweet reunion

is short lived

because Jesus

says to her

in verse 17

do not cling

to me

for I have not yet

ascended to the father

but go to my brothers

and say to them

I am ascending

to my father

and your father

to my God

and your God

Jesus telling Mary

that there's no need

for her

to hold on to him

to cling to him

because he's not about

to just permanently disappear

he's not yet

ascended to the father

instead

he wants her

to go and tell others

because that now

is a time

to spread the news

because he's still here

and still he's going

to appear

to his disciples

so he gives her

a mission

but go to my brothers

and say to them

this is not referring

to his biological brothers

but to the apostles

which you see

from what Mary does

I'm ascending

to my father

and your father

to my God

and your God

and so verse 18

continues

Mary Magdalene

went and announced

to the disciples

I have seen

the Lord

and that he had said

these things to her

and by doing so

Mary becomes

the very first witness

of the resurrected Jesus

and the gospel writers

record this

because it's true

in spite of the fact

that according to

the Jewish law

of the time

women were not allowed

to bear testimony

in court

their witnesses

were considered

invalid

yet

notwithstanding that

they make

Mary Magdalene

the very first witness

because she was

and it's not so

fitting with what God

does throughout history

he's always taking

the marginalized

the weak

and he uses them

for his purposes

and so Mary

like John

sees

and believes

and begins

to spread

the word

so she goes

to witness

to the disciples

and then Jesus

himself appears

among them

read verses 19

and 20

with me

on the evening

of that day

the first day

of the week

the doors being

locked

where the disciples

were for fear

of the Jews

Jesus came

and stood among them

and said to them

peace

be with you

when he had said

this he showed

them his hands

and his side

and the disciples

were glad

when they saw

the Lord

here and later

in verse 26

John specifically

notes that the doors

were locked

when Jesus came

and stood among them

and that's to highlight

the miraculous nature

of Jesus' appearance

his resurrected body

he somehow

walked through

a locked door

or he materialized

somehow in the room

and so that's

that's not a mortal body

this is a resurrected body

it's what Paul

talks about

in 1 Corinthians 15

in a moment

in the twinkling

of an eye

at the last trumpet

the trumpet will sound

and the dead

will be raised

imperishable

and we shall be changed

for this perishable body

must put on

the imperishable

and this mortal body

must put on immortality

so it's a foretaste

of what we will all experience

as Jesus followers

will experience

when Jesus returns

so that's the resurrected body

and as he stands

among them

Jesus says to them

peace

be with you

when he has said this

he showed them

his hands and side

and the disciples

were glad

when they saw

the Lord

so they again

see

there's a theme here

recurring theme

of seeing

and believing

and Jesus

pronounces

God's peace

over them

he does it again

in verse 21

so at one level

peace is simply

the greeting

it's a typical

Jewish greeting

shalom

but it's invested

with much deeper meaning

here after Jesus' death

and resurrection

because shalom

means wholeness

not just a peace

not having conflict

but a wholeness

a sense of fitting

very snugly

to God's purpose

and order

and plan

that's that wholeness

that comes from

being fit into God's plan

so that's what the peace

word peace conveys

and it's not without forethought

that Apostle Paul

in all 13 of his

New Testament letters

uses grace

and peace

as the greeting

for the believers

have you ever had a sense

that something is amiss

in this world

that something's

about you

about the world around you

is off kilter

is your conscience

uneasy

do you feel a spiritual

emptiness

the answer to all of that

lies in Jesus

when you accept him

as your savior

and lord

and entrust your life

to him

his status before God

the father

becomes yours

his righteousness

becomes yours

and as a result of that

you have peace

with God

it's the peace

that surpasses

understanding

it's unshakable

the wholeness

of sense of fitting

snugly into God's

order and purposes

and apart from that

peace with God

we cannot have peace

with one another

Jesus continues to speak

to his disciples

in verses 21 to 22

peace be with you

as the father

has sent me

even so

I am sending you

and when he has said this

he breathed on them

and said to them

receive the Holy Spirit

the word send

is one of the most

frequently used words

in the entire gospel

and it captures the idea

that Jesus is the sent one

of the father

that John 3 17

said that God

did not send his son

into the world

to condemn the world

but in order that the world

might be saved

through him

and we are sent

on this same mission

by Jesus

not to condemn the world

but to save the world

through him

and so Jesus had prayed

this prayer

for his disciples

in chapter 17

verse 18

as you sent me

into the world

so I have sent them

into the world

so Christians

those who follow Jesus

are graciously involved

and invited

into this divine chain

his mission

the father sends

the son

the son sends

the Holy Spirit

and in that power

of the Holy Spirit

the church

the body of believers

is sent out

to proclaim

that message

of salvation

so then Christians

are by definition

missionaries

the word missionary

comes from the Latin word

that means the exact same thing

as the Greek word here

that means sent

that's who we are

there's no alternative

to be a Christian

is to be a missionary

and because of this mission

urgency

not complacency

should characterize

a Christian life

we're not saved

so that we can

selfishly coast

for the rest of our lives

contented with our own salvation

but we are saved

and sent

so that we can

selflessly

announce

and reflect

the good news

of Jesus Christ

to others

and what's the goal

of all this

the salvation

of all those

whom God has given

to his son

in this world

of course

we should do all

that we can

to love our neighbors

and serve them

just Jesus commands that

but if it ends there

if we don't proclaim

the message

of salvation

then our mission

is incomplete

and we have been

faithless to Jesus

our word and works

must lead those

in the world

to salvation

not merely greater

harmony

or equality

the salvation

eternal life

that's the goal

then knowing

that this mission

is too much

for us to handle

in our own strength

Jesus breathes

on them

and says to them

receive the Holy Spirit

this reference

to the Holy Spirit

much like the water

that poured out

from Jesus' side

during his crucifixion

is a symbolic preview

of the outpouring

of the Holy Spirit

at Pentecost

Jesus repeatedly

connects the descent

of the Holy Spirit

to the ascent

of the Son of God

when Jesus ascends

that's when the Holy Spirit

descends

to his believers

and Jesus

breathing on his disciples

is reminiscent

of God's creation

in Genesis 2-7

when God creates man

and breathes into his nostrils

the breath of life

thus life

thus making him

a living creature

it's also

it recalls

prophet Ezekiel's experience

in the valley

of dry bones

Ezekiel 37 verse 9

Ezekiel 37:9

where God says to him

prophesy to the breath

prophesy son of man

and say to the breath

thus says the Lord God

come from the four winds

O breath

and breathe on these slain

that they may live

and the breath of God

there in that instance

revitalizes the valley

of dry bones

and turns them

into a living army

so this breath of God

that has generated power

it creates life

in those two instances

and what Jesus does here

by breathing

has regenerated power

he recreates life

imparts spiritual life

eternal life

it's not the full impartation

of the Spirit

yet we know that

from Acts 2

and Jesus instructs

his disciples

in Acts 1

wait for the promise

of the Father

because then they will

receive power

when the Holy Spirit

comes upon them

so this is instead

a foretaste

it's a preview

and a promise

that the fullness

of the Spirit

that is to come

and John includes it here

to make sure

we understand

that connection

between the Son's ascent

and the Spirit's descent

I hope you understand

the staggering implications

of this

right

because

the Holy Spirit

is the third person

in the Triune God

right

this means that

we are not only sent

by God

we're sent

with God

right

the Spirit of God

enlivens us

and empowers us

for mission

and because of that

our mission

is destined

for success

because the Spirit

of God

goes with us

that should alleviate

any fear

we might have

that prevents us

from telling people

about Jesus

this also obviates

any use of force

or manipulation

on our part

the salvation

of the world

doesn't depend

on us

not on our eloquence

not on our persuasiveness

it depends

on God's power

so since the church

which is the family

of believers

goes with the Holy Spirit

on Christ's mission

it's no wonder

then that

Jesus says

in verse 23

if you forgive

the sins of any

they are forgiven them

if you withhold

forgiveness from any

it is withheld

notice the words

forgiven

and withheld

are in passive form

and if you were

to translate

that a little more

literally and woodenly

it would read like this

if you forgive

the sins of any

they have been

forgiven them

if you withhold

forgiveness from any

it has been withheld

those words

are very carefully

put in that

perfect passive form

to indicate

that it's not

we the Christians

who hold the power

of forgiveness

but it's God

he's the one

that forgives

he's the offended

party in every sin

so it's only

the person

who was offended

that can forgive

the offense

so only God

can forgive sin

so he's the one

that forgives

but nevertheless

we can't deprive

the conditional statement

of its true force

because it does say

if you

that's us

because the disciples

are the representatives

of the church

the foundation

of the church

if we forgive

the sins of any

they are forgiven them

if we withhold

forgiveness from any

it is withheld

that means

as God's representatives

and as those

who have been indwelled

by the spirit of God

when we proclaim

the good news

of Jesus Christ

some will believe

and accept

unto salvation

others will reject it

unto damnation

and because of that

are the power

that we hold

in proclaiming the gospel

we become

the

kind of the

sifting

force

that separates

those two people

so that if we

forgive the sins

of any

we announce

forgiveness

of those

who believe

in Jesus

then it is

forgiven them

God has forgiven

them

and when we say

that that person

has not been forgiven

because their refusal

to believe

it is withheld

it has been

withheld

by the father

what an unspeakable

privilege

a heavy

responsibility

so let us

go and proclaim

the good news

of Jesus Christ

liberally

widely

incessantly

so we can

pronounce the

forgiveness of God

over as many

people would

repent and

believe

so far

we have seen

how John

saw and

believed

how Mary

saw and

believed

how the

disciples

saw and

believed

but it turns

out that there

was one

disciple

who was

missing

from that

group

and so

now we're

going to

turn to

Thomas

verses 24

to 29

how he

comes to

see and

believe

but Thomas

will not

easily be

convinced

we find out

here that

he's a

skeptic

read verses

24 to 25

with me

now Thomas

one of the

twelve

called the

twin

was not

with them

when Jesus

came

so the other

disciples

told him

we have

seen

the Lord

but he

said to

them

unless

I see

in his

hands

the mark

of the

nails

and place

my finger

into the

mark of

the nails

and place

my hand

into his

side

I will

never

believe

so if you

are of a

skeptical bent

you have a

kinder spirit

here in

Thomas

he's a

highly logical

thinker who

relies on his

senses and his

own rational

assessment of

situations

so

we saw

this early

in John

14

Jesus

told his

disciples

I'm going

to the

father

and you

know

where I'm

going

and it

was Thomas

who interjected

and said

Lord we do

not know where

you are going

how can we

know the way

so you

could see his

character from

that

so that's

the kind

of man

that Thomas

is

it doesn't

matter to

him that

the rest

of the

disciples

are saying

we've

seen

the

Lord

he's

like

no

unless I

see him

I'm

not

believing

this

this is

helpful for

us

because as

modern people

living in

the midst

of great

scientific

advances

and progress

and reason

we sometimes

think that

Christianity

it's no

longer

possible

for us

to believe

because it

was for

credulous

people

gullible

people

back then

who didn't

have these

resources

that were

so superstitious

and ready to

believe in

miracles and

the resurrection

of Christ

but the story

of Thomas

reminds us

that in

every generation

there is a

share of

skeptics

they have

their own

share of

skeptics

that's what

that kind of

thinking betrays

what C.S. Lewis

calls

chronological

snobbery

people in the

first century

didn't believe

in miracles

either

people in the

first century

didn't believe

that people

rose from

the dead

either

that's why

this is so

remarkable

that's why

this turns

them into

believers

I've shared

this with

some of you

before

but I

want to

invite you

to put

on a

skeptic's

hat

with me

for a

moment

think for

a moment

about the

central claim

of Christianity

that Jesus

died for our

sins on the

cross and

rose from the

dead as

proof of

that victory

over sin

and death

now that is

a patently

falsifiable

claim

right

right

author

Michael

Patton

C.

Michael

Patton

writes in

his book

now that

I'm a

Christian

that

Christianity

is the

world's

most

falsifiable

religion

right

to

illustrate

consider

Islam

in order

to become

a Muslim

one must

trust in

a private

encounter

that

Muhammad

had with

God

which is

historically

unverifiable

consider

Buddhism

and

Hinduism

whose

central

tenets

are a

philosophy

rather than

a historical

event

rooted in

time and

space

so there's

no objective

way to

test those

either

consider

every

religion

you can

think of

besides

Christianity

it either

begins with

one

a private

dream

about

God

or two

a private

angelic

encounter

about

God

or three

a private

idea

and philosophy

about

God

and then

this one

person

tells

everybody

else

about

this

private

experience

and then

consider

Christianity

begins with

one

a public

ministry

Christ

was killed

publicly

it's recorded

by Jewish

historians

and Roman

historians

two

Christ

rose

from a

public

tomb

publicly

and

three

Christ

publicly

showed

himself

to the

public

and

five

or four

the public

told everyone

what they

saw

it's a

radically

different

beginning

if you

want to

start a

call

that's

the last

thing

you want

to do

to say

that you

know what

I'm going

to die

and rise

again on

the third

day

because

that's

not gonna

work

you're gonna

die

and not

come back

from the

dead

and your

religion

is dead

right before

it starts

but

that's

exactly

what

Jesus

did

the

church

grew

now

the

largest

religion

in the

world

why

because

Jesus

did

rise

from

the

dead

and

this

is the

most

important

and

compelling

proof

among

all

Jesus

signs

so

read

verses

so

that's

why

it

says

verses

26

to

28

eight

days

later

so

that

would

again

be

the

first

day

of

the

new

week

his

disciples

were

inside

again

and

Thomas

was

with

them

although

the

doors

were

locked

Jesus

came

and stood

among

them

and said

peace

be

with

you

when

he

said

to

Thomas

put

your

finger

here

and

see

my

hands

and put

out

your

hand

and place

it

in

my

side

do

not

disbelieve

but

believe

Thomas

answered

him

my

Lord

and

my

God

it's

no

easy

thing

for

a

faithful

Jew

to

call

a

man

my

Lord

and

my

God

for

thousands

of

years

Jews

have

believed

that

there

is

no

God

but

Yahweh

but

the

reality

of

the

resurrected

Lord

Jesus

overrides

his

skeptical

instincts

and

theological

qualms

and

he's

compelled

to

conclude

by

that

experience

that

Jesus

really

is

the

son

of

God

the

second

person

of

the

Trinity

and

so

rightly

Thomas

says

my

Lord

and

my

God

and

what

a

God

to

profess

for

us

the

God

of

all

creation

became

a

man

a

creature

so

that

he

can

live

the

fallen

life

we

have

lived

and

to

die

as

the

perfect

atoning

sacrifice

for

our

sins

and

this

drastic

gesture

of

love

that

Jesus

has

shown

is

forever

stamped

on

him

because

he

is

incarnate

forever

he's

forever

going

to

be

man

fully

God

and

fully

man

and

his

resurrected

body

is

forever

going

to

have

the

marks

the

scars

of

his

crucifixion

Edward

a

Christian

minister

in

England

who

lived

during

the

first

world

war

writes

about

this