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Faith
Monday, March 30, 2015 death. Jesus decides to go anyway. His disciples were not so sure about it but Thomas says, “Let us go also, that we may die with Him,” John 11:16. Thomas was a friend that was willing to lay his life down, he believed in Jesus. Thomas was brave, loyal, committed, trusted and understood what they were facing. He deeply loved Jesus.
believed He rose from the dead or would I have doubted? Could I by Debbie Wallis have believed that I’d seen the friend I saw die come back to life after three days in the grave? I probably would have thought Mary was delusional because of the trauma she had experienced. Jesus predicted that He would be put to death and then rise to life but His followers didn’t understand The disciples knew the end was not it. If they had they would not far away. Judas had left the room to have mourned His passing. They do his act of betrayal and the rest might have been preparing to had gathered around Him. “Jesus celebrate His return instead. It said to His disciples; ‘Don’t be was the Jewish leaders who worried! Trust in God and trust in persuaded the Romans to seal the Me. There are many rooms in My tomb and guard it. The enemies of Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you Jesus feared something might this unless it was true. I am going happen but His friends weren’t there to prepare a place for you. expected anything. Mary “I do believe; help my unbelief!” After I have done this, I will come Magdalene, Salome and Jesus’s Mark 9:24. back and take you with Me. Then mother Mary came to the tomb that we will be together. You know the Sunday morning to anoint His Do you believe in miracles? By way to where I am going,” John body as a part of the embalming miracle I mean those contrary-to- 14:1-4. All the disciples listened process. They discussed who human-possibility events that have quietly but I’m sure it seemed vague would move the stone for them. no natural explanation. That kind and mysterious. In a moment of Instead they found it rolled away! of miracle is so rare that when they great honesty Thomas asks, “Lord, “He isn’t here! He has risen, just happen they’re hard to believe. we don’t know where You are as Jesus said He would…” The resurrection of Jesus is that going, so how can we know the Matthew 28:6. kind of miracle. It’s totally way?” John 14:5. Thomas was unexplainable by any natural honest and wanted to understand. I Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus means. We don’t talk about it very know people like Thomas. They suddenly appeared to the disciples. much because we’re not sure how keep asking questions when Maybe he was just broken hearted. it happened. We understand the everyone else is silently confused. Everything he had, he had given to crucifixion but the resurrection is They keep asking questions until it Jesus and now Jesus was dead. different. If you have a hard time all makes sense to them. That was Thomas wasn’t a skeptic. His grasping this as fact then don’t feel Thomas. He was an independent doubts come from a devotion to guilty. There are a lot of people thinker and would not make a Christ and now feeling lost without today that aren’t sure whether they confession of faith unless he truly Him. believe it or not. And there were believed it to be the truth. Thomas lots of people on the first Easter was a brave man, intensely loyal There are two different doubters in Sunday who weren’t sure either. and deeply committed to Jesus. He the spiritual truth of the gospel. People like Peter, James, John, was honest about his doubts, There is the hard hearted rationalist Matthew, Bartholomew, and confusion and fears. that refuses to believe. There is Thomas. nothing you can say to change their I’ve thought about what it would doubt. That kind of doubter enjoys There is more to Thomas than have been like to experience the disbelieve, talks about it, laughs doubt. In John 11, Lazarus already first Easter Sunday. The raw about it and gets angry when they had died when Jesus and His emotions of the last few days and are contradicted. This doubter is friends were heading to Bethany. the horror of seeing my Master, not looking for answers but They reminded Jesus that the last Friend, and Lord being treated as a looking for an argument. This time they were through that area criminal and so viciously doubter seizes the opportunity and the leaders tried to stone Him to murdered. Would I have looks for loopholes and attacks the
Page #8 believer simple because of belief. The Pharisees fall into that category of doubters. In Matthew 16:1-4 when they ask Jesus for a sign, He refused, calling them “an evil and adulterous generation,” The second doubter searches for the answers. Thomas fits into this category along with many of us still. This doubter may be a wounded believer and won’t take anyone’s word. This doubter needs to be sure it was not some dream or vision. This doubter needs to see and feel the hand of Jesus personally. “When Jesus had received the drink, He said ‘It is finished,’ and He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit,” John 19:30. Thomas had to be sure it was the same Jesus he saw die. Maybe you are like Thomas and not satisfied with the testimony of others. Thomas believed that the others thought they had seen Jesus. But that wasn’t good enough. He didn’t want second hand faith. Jesus is fully man and fully God which made Him know all about Thomas’ doubts. He knew the rage of questions in his heart. “Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe,” John 20:27. Jesus came to the disciples the second time after His resurrection just so Thomas could be sure. It’s ok to come to the empty tomb in doubt. Jesus paid the price for your sins on the cross. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 6:23. He rose three days later as victorious and beat the grave. He is alive and in Heaven and no one gets to God the Father except through Jesus. God is who He says He is and He did what He says He did.
