Today we are going to finish up our encounters with Jesus series by looking at the encounters Jesus had with His disciple Thomas. While we know nothing about Thomas' background, there is a lot we can learn about what it means to follow Jesus by looking at the three encounters Jesus had with him. We first hear from Thomas when Jesus was told that His friend Lazarus had died.
When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick, He didn’t immediately go to heal him. Jesus knew His plan was to raise Lazarus from the dead so He waited a few days and then told His disciples that they would return to Judea so He could raise Lazarus. The problem that the disciples saw with this plan was that the last time they had been in Judea, many of the people wanted to kill Jesus. To return now was going to be dangerous, even deadly. While some of the disciples tried to talk Jesus out of going, it was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16b
Thomas was willing to go with Jesus and die. While Peter said he would be willing to stand and die with Jesus, Thomas was actually ready to go. Thomas was courageous and following Jesus still takes courage. It takes courage to stand against all that the world says and choose to live not for ourselves but for Jesus. It takes courage to surrender to God because it means that we might have to give up what we want to do and where we want to go. It takes courage to trust God and be willing to give away all that we have and all that we are to follow Jesus where He leads us.
We are seeing what real courage looks like today when we look at Ukraine. In the face of overwhelming odds and almost certain death and destruction, the people are standing strong. Those we are trying to support through Raising Hope Ukraine are staying home and standing strong as they minister to thousands of people who have lost everything. It takes courage to not allow war, destruction, and death to take away your hope and joy and love. When God’s people gather around a young couple and help them celebrate their wedding in the midst of a war, that’s courage.
It takes courage not to give up when we look around at the political or cultural climate we live in. It takes courage to proclaim our faith and trust in God when so many others say that God is just not real. It takes courage to sacrifice our time and energy to help further the kingdom of God in this world when so many people may say that it is just a waste of our time and energy.
Thomas shows us that it takes courage to follow Jesus and he shows us where that courage comes from. Thomas says, let us go WITH Him. Courage doesn’t come from deep inside of us, it comes from staying deep in a relationship with Jesus. It comes from walking daily with God. Psalm 121:1-2 says,
I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Our help, our strength, our courage comes from God, and it comes when we are willing to do all in our power to stay close to Jesus. When we are faithful to worship, prayer, service, fellowship, and study, we find the strength to stand firm and be courageous when the difficult days come. The one command that Moses gave to Joshua and the people as they were about to enter the Promised Land was to be strong and courageous. Over and over again they were told to be strong and courageous. Thomas was strong and courageous because he was going to go WITH Jesus.
The second encounter with Thomas came during the last week of Jesus' life. Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going to His father’s house to prepare a place for them and that they knew the way to get there. Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way.” John 14:5
Thomas wasn’t doubting Jesus here, he sincerely wanted to know where Jesus was going and how to get there so he could stay with Him. Thomas is curious and following Jesus still calls us to be curious. We aren’t called to just blindly believe all things, we are called to be curious and search into all things so that we can find God. God said through the prophet Jeremiah:
I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13
When we are curious and seek God honestly, we will not only find God, but we will find His plan and purpose for us. Today we confirm our youth and celebrate their faith and trust in Jesus. If there is one word I would want them to hear it is this: stay curious about God and your future. God has purpose and a plan for you, continue to seek God diligently and honestly and allow God to lead you on a path that will be infinitely better than any path you can walk on your own.
That’s not just good advice to our youth, it’s important advice for us all. No matter what stage of life we are looking at, staying curious about God will help lead us into new seasons and open up new doors of opportunity. If you don’t know, we have an amazing church library with great books that can help us encounter God in a variety of ways. Stay curious and explore the library. Join a group or class to learn more. See what God has in store for your future.
Even as a church we need to remain curious about how God is moving in the world and how we can remain faithful and effective. With so many monumental shifts in our culture, the church has to shift as well. Now let me be clear, we must never shift off the foundation of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but the one thing the pandemic has taught us is that we must be creative and courageous in finding new ways to engage people in worship, study, and community.
Our online church community is one way we are reaching new people and creating new faith communities. I love that one of our small group leaders lives in Lititz. We aren’t bound by location but can find new ways to connect. The future of our church will look different than it does today. God knows the plans He has for us. It is a plan to continue to prosper us, but we have to stay curious, creative, and courageous. We have to be willing to take risks, make sacrifices and seek God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength.
The final encounter with Thomas is the most familiar and it is where Thomas gets the very undeserved nickname doubting Thomas. On the day Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples in the upper room and showed them His hands and side. This helped prove to them that He was in fact Jesus in bodily form and that He had risen from the dead. They were all there except Thomas.
We have no idea why Thomas wasn’t there but when he got together with the rest of the disciples, they told him that they had seen Jesus. Thomas had a hard time believing this. Thomas knew Jesus had died. He was there when Jesus was arrested. Maybe he saw Jesus on the cross from a distance. Like all the others, he knew that there was no way the Romans would have allowed Jesus to be taken off the cross unless He was dead. All of what he had seen and heard could not be wiped away with just a few words from his friends.
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he 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, I will not believe.”
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!” Then he said to Thomas, “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!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:24-29
This is one of my favorite stories, not because of Thomas doubting, but because of what happens after Thomas sees Jesus. The ancient historian Eusebius tells us that Thomas traveled to India in about 50 AD, and all of the history about the Christian Church in India points to Thomas as being the one who started it all. It is believed that when Thomas arrived in the region he shared the gospel with five families who all believed in Jesus and were baptized, and from this small beginning came a powerful church.
Why I love this story is because it shows us the power of vision. Thomas had seen Jesus dead. Either with his eyes or with the eyes of his heart and mind, he saw Jesus dead and there was power in that vision. It was so powerful that nothing was going to change it. Only seeing Jesus alive would change his mind. So Jesus appears to Thomas, and seeing Jesus alive is now such a powerful vision that Thomas doesn’t need to touch Jesus, it never said that he did, and he cries out in faith, My Lord and my God.
Jesus' final words to Thomas were these, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe. This helped create a new vision for Thomas' life. He was going to be part of that blessing and share with people who would never physically see the risen Jesus that Jesus had died and risen again for the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of the world. Thomas did just that and changed a big part of the world.
When we have a vision of the risen savior, when we can hear Him calling us by name, when we experience Him walking with us in life and leading us into the future, it can change everything. Seeing Jesus alive can change our sense of calling and purpose. Seeing Jesus alive tells us that God can do anything in me and through me. I am no longer bound by my own gifts, skills and abilities because the living God is now at work in me.
The Bible says that in Christ we can do all things, and Paul said,
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
When we see the risen Jesus, we also begin to see what God can do in our lives. Our eyes are opened to the limitless possibilities and potential that lies before us. God has made us for so much more than what we can see in this world, He has made us to help usher in His kingdom. I want to invite you to sign up for the design workshops in May where God can help open your eyes to the very unique way He has created you and the gifts of the Holy Spirit he has given you to use for His purpose. You can sign up in the lobby or online and you can make this a time when God can help you clarify and define a vision for your life.
There is power in vision. There is a power that can give us the courage to stand firm and step out in faith. There is a power that can help us stay curious and seek God and God’s purpose and plan for our lives. So let me invite you to keep praying the prayer we heard last week. Open my eyes Lord, for I want to see Jesus.
Next Steps
Encounters with Jesus - Thomas
Read the three encounters between Jesus and Thomas.
● John 11:1-16, John 14:1-7, John 20:24-29
What do these encounters teach you about following Jesus?
Courage: Thomas was courageous enough to be willing to follow Jesus to death.
● Why is courage needed to follow Jesus?
● When have you needed courage to follow Jesus?
● Where is courage needed in your faith today? Courage to believe. Courage to be obedient. Courage to stand strong. Courage to sacrifice.
● What examples of courage inspire you today?
Curious: Thomas was curious enough to ask questions of Jesus so he could remain faithful.
● How is curiosity different from doubt?
● What questions of faith do you have today? Where are you looking for answers?
● Consider joining a small group to dig deeper into your faith. Small groups are places to ask questions and find answers.
The power of VISION: Thomas' vision of Jesus dead held him back but seeing Jesus alive changed him forever.
● When you picture Jesus, what do you “see”?
● How does the way you see yourself hold you back in life and faith?
● How can seeing the risen Jesus help you see yourself differently?
● God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). Sign up for the rhythm workshop “design” (May 1, 15, 22). These 3 weeks can help you see how God can use you in His mission.
