Jump Start # 2935

John 20:26 “After eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’”

I love that little expression in our verse today, “and Thomas with them.” We know all about Thomas. It’s hard to say his name with adding the tag and label, “Doubting.” Doubting Thomas. He would not believe unless he himself saw the Lord and the evidence of His resurrection. But what is remarkable about Thomas is that here, eight days later, he is found among the disciples. What Thomas did shows us a remarkable lesson that we need to tuck away for ourselves.

First, there are times when doubts arise. The Psalmist wondered why God would not hear His prayer. The silence from God made him question. The suffering of Job brought questions to his mind. When the wicked were looked at in their prosperity and ease of life, it was so troublesome to the Psalmist that he nearly slipped. Those long, dark days in the valley can make one wonder.

Second, Thomas was feeding his faith and not his doubts. That is a major lesson and that often determines the success or the failure of one spiritually. Where was Thomas for the past eight days? Not in a bar drowning his sorrows. He was not on websites that debunked Jesus as a fraud and a myth. He was with the believers. He was with Peter who had been in that empty tomb. He was with John who had seen the grave linens in that empty tomb. He was with the Mary who the angel had spoken to. What Thomas was doing was driving out his doubts and finding answers to his questions. Much too often, when a person has questions, they will turn to those who create questions, feed doubts and chip away at faith. Where you turn to when you have questions is the key to finding the right answers. Thomas was with the disciples. Had he been with the critics, once again he would have missed seeing Jesus.

This is why our fellowship and our assembling is so important. We need encouragement. We need answers. We need to be around those who believe. It is when we are not assembling that we begin to wonder if that is necessary or not. It is when we have spent too much time with those who don’t believe that we start believing what they are saying. Get where the disciples are. You need to be with disciples.

Third, what do you suppose Thomas was doing while he was with the disciples? The text doesn’t tell us, but you tell me. What do you think you would have done? Do you think Thomas was sitting alone in a corner? Do you think he and Peter were talking about the game last weekend? Do you think he was eating and telling jokes? I wouldn’t have done any of those things. I’d been Peter’s shadow. I wouldn’t have left his side. I’d be asking so many questions. I’d run to John and ask him questions. Then Mary. Then the two on the road to Emmaus. How can you be sure? What was it like? What did you see? Thousands of questions. I would have bugged them to death. I’d think by the time Jesus showed Himself, Thomas already believed. He knew. Too many witnesses. Too many people saying the same thing. People he trusted. People he knew. People that he believed in.

Fourth, the doubts of Thomas went away. As Jesus appeared, it is Thomas who declares, “My Lord and My God.” He knows. He is certain. He is confident. No more questions. No more doubts. No more fears. What Thomas did was feed his faith. He put himself around those he trusted. He found a place with the disciples.

It seems that these days, people do just the opposite. A guy has some questions and is not sure about things. Next thing you know, he’s dropped out of worshipping with God’s people. He’s not diving into the Bible, he’s reading blogs about the errors of his faith. He’s talking to guys at work who don’t believe. And, in a short time, he declares that he no longer believes. That’s not surprising. Look what he’s been doing. He’s fed his doubts and starved his faith. He let his faith die. He gave up on God and followed the critics. He put more trust in those he doesn’t even know than in the people he has worshipped with for years. This is how a faith crashes. It’s not the questions that kill the faith, it’s what one does with those questions. Are you among the disciples or are you hanging with the critics? Are you feeding your faith or are you feeding your doubts?

Roger

Jump Start # 1066

John 20:26 “After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’”

  Doubting Thomas—that’s what we call him. That’s the label he has been given for all these years. As we noted yesterday in our Jump Start, all the apostles were doubters. The report from Mary was not believed. The words from the two on the road to Emmaus was not believed. Jesus appeared, but Thomas was missing.  When he heard, he said that he would not believe until he touched Jesus. Thus, doubting Thomas.

Doubt plays with our minds. It makes us second guess our decisions. Doubt can chip away at our convictions. In the church building on a Sunday, we can seem so sure. But during the week, sitting in a college class room, or listening to the rant of a co-worker, or reading the blog of someone who has had a bad experience, suddenly doubt creeps in. Doubt comes in different levels. Some doubt is nothing more than questioning our judgment or decision. We look back on conversations and wonder if we handled the situation correctly. Other times, doubt is massive, like a giant iceberg, just waiting to crush our hopes and dreams. I’ve  heard some question their salvation. Some wonder if they will go to Heaven. I’m teaching a Tuesday morning class, one of the lessons in a few weeks is entitled, “Sometimes I don’t think I’m going to make it to Heaven.”  Why do we think such thoughts? Doubt. Fear. Faith not as strong as it ought to be. Others, doubt that God can or will forgive them. The sins have been many. The damage done has been enormous. The relationships and trusts destroyed have been huge. Doubt clings to such pain. They wonder if God will ever forgive. They doubt it. Some doubt that God loves them. Tragedy in their life has made them feel like that they are caught in the crosshairs of God. Surely, God wouldn’t allow such sorrow if He really loved them. That’s doubt speaking.

Doubt begins with questions. Sometimes they are our own questions. We wonder. We fear. Other times, they are the questions of others. Someone says something and that puts a question mark in our life. We are not sure. Those questions can quickly turn into doubt. Those questions replace convictions.

Thomas had questions. He wasn’t sure. He had heard reports about the resurrected Christ. These came first, from Mary, then the two men on the country road, and finally the rest of the apostles. They too, now claimed that they saw the resurrected Savior.

Notice the actions of Thomas. He wasn’t denying the reports. He was wanting confirmation himself.

1. First, he wanted to believe. Our verse tells us that “after eight days” Thomas was with the disciples. He hadn’t given up. He didn’t go back to his old life. He was with the apostles. An interesting thought, what was Jesus doing for those eight days after the resurrection? We may have an opinion, but the Bible doesn’t tell us. Eight days later makes this the next Sunday. Jesus rose on a Sunday morning. Now, it was the next Sunday. Why did He not appear the next day? Why, on a Monday, did the Lord not show Himself to Thomas?  Could this have been a faith builder for Thomas? Where was Thomas? With the rest of the apostles. What do you think they talked about? What would you have talked about had you been Thomas? Don’t you think he quizzed the apostles. Don’t you think he asked them hard questions about Jesus. Don’t you think he was starting to see things. Was Mary with them? Were the two from Emmaus there as well? Thomas was seeking the answer.

It’s ok to have questions. It’s ok to want proof. It’s ok to say, “I don’t see what you are saying.” It’s ok, to investigate and look thoroughly. That’s Thomas. He wanted to believe. The problem I have is with the person who says, “I’m not sure I believe that,” and then his next steps are staying away from God’s people, staying away from God’s word, and feeding his doubts with negative and false information. The person who says, “I’m not sure I can accept creation,” but then only reads atheistic articles is feeding his doubts. He is demonstrating that he does not want to believe. Thomas wasn’t like this. We don’t find him eight days later, in a bar, with a loose woman on his arm, saying, “Yeah, I have trouble believing those things.” Really? His actions shows that he wouldn’t want to believe. Thomas wasn’t like that. He was with the disciples for eight days.

Do you have questions? Don’t stop worshipping because of that. Don’t stop reading God’s word. Find the answers. Talk to God’s people. Search the Scriptures.

2. Thomas put himself in the position to believe. The Lord spoke directly to Thomas when He appeared. He didn’t rebuke Thomas. He didn’t say that he was no longer fit to be an apostle. He didn’t say that He was deeply disappointed in him. The Lord said “reach” and touch Me. The text never tells us that Thomas did. His response was, “My Lord and my God.” Thomas wasn’t missing this time. He was there. Had he remained away, his doubts may have increased. They didn’t. He was there. He saw. For eight days he has been with those who witnessed Jesus. For eight days, he heard the telling stories about Jesus in their midst. For eight days, he was with not critics of Jesus, but those who loved Jesus. He put himself in the position to believe. This shows us that Thomas wanted to believe. This step determines whether we conquer our doubts or whether the doubts get the best of us. Putting ourselves in a position to believe is important. Do you want to believe? Do you want proof? Or, are you looking for a reason to exit? The answer to that question determines what one does with their doubts.

3. Thomas chose to believe. He saw. He knew. He confessed. He proclaimed. He didn’t ask Jesus to walk on water one more time, just to be sure. He didn’t ask Jesus to let him witness one more healing. Belief is a choice. Thomas chose to believe based upon what he saw. Some choose to disbelieve. Even though evidence is there, some close their eyes to that. To believe means to acknowledge, to accept, and to become.

Jesus would say, “blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” They would believe the words of Thomas and Peter and John and the rest of the apostles. They would believe what was written down. In days of turmoil and doubt, those strong convictions built upon by incredible faith in God would with stand all darts that Satan hurls at us.

One of the greatest doubts we have is about the next life. Things can go well until a loved one is taken away by death. Where are they? Is that it? Fears, doubts, and everything we said we believe now come to the front. It was one year ago today, that God’s family lost a beloved friend and faithful worker, Marty Pickup. This is a tough day for his family. What makes a difference for them, and all of us who face similar things, is our faith. Questions come. Doubts arise. Faith shines. Faith holds firm. Faith conquers. God promised. That’s enough. God is good. That never changes. Hope drives out fear. The Scriptures are sure and certain. We build our faith and hope, not upon wishes, and fantasies, but upon the solid word of God. Because God said, we know. Because God said, we believe. We stand with Thomas, saying, “My Lord and my God.”

Thomas wasn’t much of a doubter. He had questions. We all do. Thomas is a powerful example of what to do with those questions.

Are you feeding your faith or feeding your doubts? Thomas got his answers. Have you? What are you doing about it?

Roger