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Today we're looking at Thomas
Thomas is a very interesting character that we are looking at today.
He gets really bad press … His name is forever known as the Doubter but theres more to him than that … Let’s look at the scene we have this morning … He hasn't be there when Jesus has appeared, he’s heard all the talk, he’s wondering if its true or not … he’s not going to settle for anything less than the facts … he’s not going to be willing to die for something that there is no evidence about… he’s not going to be fooled … and he means it
Thomas... the one with real courage … real Tenacity
The first is in John 16 … its the that is used at many funerals time Jesus was teaching about going to prepare a place for them, a heavenly mansion. It was Thomas who scratched his thoughtful head and asked, “Jesus, we don’t know where you are going and so how could we know the way.”
Thomas did not understand what Jesus was saying and so he asked Jesus the questions. None of the other disciples raised their hands and expressed their curiosity. Thomas did.
The other time in the Gospels when we encounter Thomas is the religious people had attempted to kill Jesus at least twice (Luke 4 and John 10). Then Jesus got word that His good friend Lazarus was sick, along with the request to go heal him. The only problem was Lazarus lived within sight of Jerusalem, and Jesus had already told His friends that Jerusalem meant death. While guys like Peter tried to say they would never allow that to happen to Jesus, Thomas simply said, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
… if he says something he’s prepared to put his money where his mouth is… he’s not going to settle for anything but the best
Thomas the one who is completely Honest… Somebody who doesn't beat about the
bush … says it like it is even if its not what everyone else is saying … or like to hear. Even when everyone else has faith, has been assured that Jesus is really there … Thomas doesn't go and say thats great … yeah for you… he says Look I haven't been here … I wont or cant believe the way you do … but I want to … but the only way that is going to happen is for me to be convinced .. and when I am … then I’ll believe
Thomas the one who is content with difference in the community …This is vitally important … he is not someone who is willing to run away, shut himself off from the others or even pretend that he is someone he is not. He is someone who was called to be a disciple… he is one of the ones Jesus taught, he knew that something was happening, he couldn’t say that he believed. but he was not prepared to give up simply because he hadnt seen Jesus alive He needed to own his faith for himself… and to be perfectly honest …all of us at one stage and another need to be people who do the same - questioning our faith, grappling with paradoxes we find and struggle with. Wonder how faith and life go together.
Actually … all those pre meeting Jesus were skeptics … the women … tell me where youve put the body!
From Thomas’ life we’ll highlight a few things for us to think about !
Thomas’ questions and doubts were struggled with in community - And this is the best place for these things to be aired, people with various experiences of the risen Christ … people who love< us and who have walked with us are able to assure us that what we are going through … they’ve gone through, going through or know that there will be a time when they will go through … The Christian community is made up of a diverse range of people … we just need to look around us, ages, life expeinces but somehow God has called us together to share life together!
Thomas was someone who was completely and appropriately honest - he was able to share that he was struggling I suspect that there was much prayer in that community that week … O Lord wont you come back and meet Thomas … we want him to have the same faith we do … and thomas is probably praying a similar prayer himself … Lord want to believe, help my unbelief
In his honesty he was able to find answers to his deepest questions
We also see that Thomas’ Courage then allowed him to do some amazing things for God
The Chruch Historian Hippolytus records that Thomas was an active missionary, and that he met his fate in India: before which Thomas preached to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Margians, and was killed with a pine spear at Calamene, the city of India, and was buried there.
Faith is scary sometimes ... Indiana Jones ... Stepping out in faith ... sometimes we are called to do something as radical ... as scary for us as it was for Indie!
I Conclude with Jesus’ own words to Thomas
“stop doubting and believe.” There is a time in all of our lives where God says to us, “It is time to stop your doubting. It is time to move past your doubting. It is time to believe and experience the power of belief.”
In the Book of Job, Job went on doubting, complaining and questioning God for thirty eight chapters and God finally got tired of Job’s doubting and said, “Be quiet Job. I am tired of your wailing and doubting. Be quiet and believe.”
Yes, there is great power in a life that believes in Christ, loves in Christ, walks in Christ.
And so we come to the end of the sermon and the end of the story of Thomas. Thomas, after all that questioning and doubting and skepticism, came to the time when he fell on his knees and he said. My Lord and My God.
One of the Hymns from this morning's service
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