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Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to John's Gospel, John Chapter 20. John chapter 20, our focus will be verses 24 to 31, but I want to begin reading in verse 19. So John 20 at verse 19, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now, Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. So he said to them, Unless I see in his hands the prints of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you. Then he said to Thomas, Reach your finger here and look at my hands, and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in his name. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word, we thank you for this wonderful gospel according to John, and for the great truth it sets forth concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. From beginning to end, we have that wonderful testimony that the word was God. I pray that you would encourage our hearts, that you'd build us up in our most holy faith, cause us to see Christ and his glory in all of his offices as prophet, priest, and king. And for sinners dead in their trespasses and sins, we pray, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, by the grace of God, they would receive this, your gospel. As John signs off in verse 31, that sinners may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that they may have life in his name. We pray this here, we pray this for other churches in our community, throughout this country, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. May your word run swiftly and be glorified. Forgive us now for all of our sins and unrighteousness and everything that darkens our minds, and guide us and illumine us by Your Holy Spirit, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, here in John's Gospel, in chapter 20 especially, or specifically, we see the discovery of the empty tomb in verses 1 to 10, and then Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene in verses 11 to 18, and then Jesus' appearance to His disciples without Thomas in verses 19 to 23, and here now, Jesus' appearance to the disciples with Thomas in verses 24 to 29. So I want to look at not only the appearance of Christ to Thomas in verses 24 to 29, but as well the purpose of John in the Gospel in verses 30 and 31. So first, with reference to the appearance of Christ to Thomas, I want to consider four things. First, the obstinance of Thomas. We often refer to him as Doubting Thomas. That's kind of okay, but he's actually obstinate. He says, unless my conditions are met, then I will certainly not believe. It is an emphatic statement by Thomas. It's not just expressive of a little doubt, but rather he says, unless my conditions are met, I will certainly not believe." So the obstinance of Thomas in verses 24 and 25. Secondly, the grace of Christ in verses 26 and 27. Third, the confession of Thomas in verse 28. And then the beatitude of Christ in verse 29. The beatitude, a pronouncement of blessing, specifically on those who haven't seen but have believed the truth of the gospel. So first, with reference to the obstinance of Thomas, we note that he wasn't present with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them on that previous Lord's day. So notice in verse 24, now Thomas called the twin, one of the twelve was not with them when Jesus came. If you go back in John's Gospel, obviously when the Apostles are mentioned by the Synoptics, when the Apostles are mentioned in terms of the Twelve, Thomas is always included in a general way. But in John's Gospel, we see specific things concerning Thomas. If you go back to John 11, specifically at verse 16, he expresses a willingness, if necessary, to even die with our Lord Jesus. So in John 11, 16, then Thomas, who is called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. And then again in John 14, John 14, one of the questions that Thomas asks is the occasion for Jesus to make a great statement concerning who he is. Notice in John 14, 5, Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. So Thomas, as we get here, has already been mentioned in the gospel narrative. Thomas is willing to die if necessary for the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not willing to believe the testimony of his fellow apostles, but that's another story. So the text doesn't specify why he was absent from them that previous Sunday. We might surmise that he didn't return after the disciples were scattered. Perhaps the fear of the Jews that the other disciples shared overwhelmed him or overcame him to the point where he didn't attend. Or it could have been he was otherwise engaged. Again, we don't know specifically. But obviously there's a problem here associated with his absence from them. If you notice what they say on the heels of that in verse 25, "...the other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord." So I argued last week, it's no accident that the Gospel writers indicate that the first day of the week, the resurrection of our Lord, is the first day of the week when the disciples gather together here in John's Gospel. And this phrase, eight days later, that we'll meet with in verse 26, simply means the next Sunday. It means the next Lord's Day. Eight days later includes the starting and ending days in Jewish inclusive counting, so this would mean the following Sunday. Again, I don't think it's accidental that the disciples were meeting on that first day of the week. Again, that they were afraid of the Jews indicates they weren't meeting for football, they weren't meeting for coffee, they weren't meeting for discussion about other things, they were meeting for religious purposes, therefore they were in fear of the Jews. And so that first day of the week is set apart and positively it is the Sabbath in this new covenant era. In Acts 20 at verse 7 the disciples met on the first day of the week. 1 Corinthians 16, the Apostle Paul says, set aside your collection on the first day of the week. John is caught up in the Spirit on the Lord's day, the first day of the week, according to Revelation 1 and verse 10. As well, Hebrews chapter 4, I think, legitimizes this observation that the fourth commandment in this new covenant arena is the first day of the week. It is that day when Christ entered into His rest in a parallel fashion to the day that the Father entered into His rest with reference to the old creation. In the new creation, the Sabbath is on Sunday. And so this first day of the week, Thomas is not present with them, and as a result, notice that he misses a blessing. They say, we have seen the Lord. John Gill comments, as it is of good consequence to attend the assemblies of Christ's disciples and followers, so it is of bad consequence to neglect or forsake that. Probably one of the most unhappy things pastors have to do is scold people or harangue people that they should show up at church on Sunday. So we'll let John Gill do that. We'll let John the Apostle do that. We'll let the Word of God do that. It's not that you're supposed to be here because if you're not here, you're not going to be saved. No, you're here because you have been saved. It's a consequence. It's an expression of gratitude. It is thankfulness. It is worship and adoration and praise to the Lord God Most High, who has saved us by God, by His grace, through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a blessing. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord. David in Psalm 122 doesn't say, oh no, I've got to go to the house of the Lord on Sunday. In his context, positively, Old Covenant was Saturday. It ought not to be a drudgery. It ought not to be something that the believer has to be harangued into. It ought not to be something we have to be scolded about. It is something that is a blessing for the blood-bought children of God to assemble together on the Lord's Day, the day their Savior rose from the dead. that day that is set apart in terms of covenant for the church to gather together and to worship and praise and glorify the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Now notice then, as we consider obstinance specifically, Notice in verse 25, so the other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. This is sometime during the week. Notice in verse 26, it's the next Lord's day, the next Sunday. So after in that first Lord's day or first Sunday, they had seen the Lord. They tell Thomas, we have seen the Lord. It's very commonplace. Somebody has a good meeting. Somebody has a a good conveyance of God's grace, they tell others. I mean, look at Twitter. Look at Facebook. I've seen the Lord. I read this. I read that. I had this great time of prayer, which is weird, honestly. But in this context, I absolutely, positively get it. We have seen the Lord. So now notice what Thomas does, he dictates the terms by which it is he will believe. So verse 25, in the middle, so he said to them, unless I see in his hands the prints of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. Again, it's not just an expression of doubt. It's not just an expression of, I'm not really sure yet. I will certainly not believe. It's a double negative. In English, a double negative is a positive. In Greek, a double negative is really negative. And that's what he does. I will certainly not believe. Unless these conditions are met, then I'm not going to believe the apostolic testimony. I'm not going to believe the words of the Lord who told us He was going to be raised again the third day. And I'm not going to believe the Old Testament witness that prophesied concerning the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is not just doubt. This is obstinance. As Calvin says, the stupidity of Thomas was astonishing and monstrous, for he was not satisfied with merely beholding Christ, but wished to have his hands also as witnesses of Christ's resurrection. Thus he was not only obstinate, but also proud and contemptuous in his treatment of Christ. My brethren, as this text goes forth, I think it's important for us to remember when Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. Remember way back when, a couple of weeks ago, we considered that narrative. Notice specifically in verse 17 in chapter 20, Jesus said to her, do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father and to my God and your God. We saw that Jesus didn't mean that the physicality was not important. I mean, he goes on right here to say to Thomas, go ahead and reach and touch. I think what Jesus is doing with Mary Magdalene is showing how disciples relate to Jesus physically. Jesus says, I'm going to ascend to my father. And when I ascend to my Father, you relate to me through the Spirit that I send. You relate to me via the third person of the Holy Trinity. Well, here I think the Thomas narrative, I had planned to just preach 30 and 31 next Sunday, but I think 30 and 31 are a commentary not only on the entirety of the book of John, but as well on this situation with Thomas. If the concern with Mary Magdalene is how do believers relate to the ascended Christ when he's locally present at the right hand of the father, I think the purpose of the Thomas narrative and then the purpose of John expressed in verses 30 and 31 is how do people relate textually to the Lord Jesus Christ? In other words, is Jesus gonna give a physical appearance to everybody ever that is gonna believe the gospel? No, the emphasis is on belief. The emphasis is on faith. The emphasis is on hearing the word of God and coming to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. So John, again, writing about the purpose in verses 30 and 31 of the entirety of his narrative, I think as well as giving specific end commentary on this narrative with Thomas. I think that's enforced by verse 29, when Jesus pronounces a beatitude on those who believe. In other words, at the ascension of Christ, how do we relate to the Lord Jesus, who's locally present at the right hand of the Father? By the Spirit. He promises that he's not going to leave us as orphans, but he's going to send another helper. How do we relate to Jesus textually? We believe the word that is preached. Romans 10, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. It's the Word of God that the Lord uses instrumentally to call sinners unto himself and by the Spirit effectually calls them out of darkness into marvelous light. Thomas needed to learn that but the other disciples needed to learn that and all of us need to learn that as well. It's not what our eyes see. It's not the demand for our conditions to be met. It is rather listen to the preaching of the gospel and believe it. Don't resist it, don't stand afar from it, don't call it into question, and certainly don't say to God, well, if only you add to the preaching of the gospel a visible representation of Jesus, well, then I'll believe. I think that Thomas teaches us there's a whole host of conditions that sinners like to place upon God Almighty before they'll come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't be that sinner. Don't put conditions on God. Don't make Him perform for you before you'll ever believe the gospel. You're dead in sin. You're under God's wrath. John 3, 36. He who believes the Son has everlasting life. The one who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but what? The wrath of God abides on him. So instead of bartering with God and putting down conditions upon God, well, if you give me this, or if you tell me that, or if you show me this, well, then I'll believe. No, no. Hear the gospel. Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners, to save. The Holy Lord Jesus Christ, the Word, became flesh, and He dwelt among us. And when He dwelt among us, He lived a life of perfect obedience to His Father's law. And then He went to that cross to satisfy divine justice, to pay the penalty that was due for our sins. And all those who by God's grace look to Him in faith will have, it's not potentially, but will have everlasting life. So Thomas needed to learn that, the other disciples needed to hear this, and as well we need to get this also. As Klink says, the question the gospel now poses to the reader is how is the Lord encountered in His physical absence? It's not magic. It's not experience. It's not mysticism. It's not some spells or rites or things. It's hear the Word of God. It's one of the best things you can do if you're not a believer. It's good to come to church and the public preaching of the gospel. It's one of the primary means of grace for sense and the wisdom of God. The world through wisdom did not know God. It pleased God through what? Through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. You should be reading your Bible. If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, don't just say, well, you know, I'll wait until I'm zapped and then it all makes sense to me. No. Search the scriptures, as Jesus told the Jews. He says, or condemns them, you search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. But these are they which testify of me. Go with that operating assumption that the scriptures testify of Jesus and find him. Learn of him. Read the gospel narratives, see his life of obedience to the Father, see what he does on the cross, and see the theology or the explanations, the theological explanations of why he does what he does. Don't stay away from the Bible. The Bible is the means that God uses to call sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit. So the disciple makes an emphatic denial of the resurrection, and as I said, he rejected the Word of God. This demand for evidence, unless I see, unless I touch, The Old Testament prophets prophesied the resurrection of Christ. Psalm 2, verse 7. Psalm 16, verse 10. Psalm 22. Psalm 110. The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. The Apostle Peter shows us the resurrection of Jesus, Acts 2, is Psalm 16. The exaltation of Christ is Psalm 110, verse 1. So Thomas had that, but he also had the prophets. And the prophets testified concerning the resurrection of the Christ. Isaiah 53, 10 to 12. Hosea chapter 6, verse 2. The account of Jonah in Jonah chapter 2. Jesus parallels his death and resurrection with what happened to Jonah in the belly of the great fish. So basically, Thomas is saying, I'm not listening to the Old Testament prophets. But he's also saying, I'm not listening to my Lord Jesus. In Matthew 16, Matthew 17, Matthew 20, Jesus says, I'm going to go to Jerusalem, I'm going to be tried at the hands of evil men, I'm going to be crucified, and I'm going to be raised again. The angels remind them He is risen as He had said. It was constant. It was repetitious. Jesus filled the disciples' ears with that, Thomas included. As well, Thomas has the testimony of his other 11, or at this time 10 disciples. We have seen the Lord. Brethren, I'd like to think we wouldn't be so obstinate that if 11 of our fellows told us, or 10 of our fellows told us, yeah, we saw a car crash. Well, unless I actually see the wreckage myself, I will not believe it. And consider, in 1116, when we saw Thomas' willingness to go die with Jesus, guess where they were going? They were going to the graveside of Lazarus. Mary, Martha, Lazarus, they hailed from Bethany, Lazarus dies. What does Jesus do with the dead Lazarus? He says, Lazarus, come forth. So the man, according to 1116, who was willing to die for Jesus, witnesses Jesus' powerful voice say to a dead man, come forth, and the dead man comes forth, is now saying, unless, unless, unless. Never underestimate the power of unbelief. Never underestimate the hardness of the heart of man. Never underestimate the unwillingness of man to basically lay down his arms, wave the white flag and surrender unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Unless, unless, unless Thomas, you need to get a grip here. That brings us then, secondly, to the grace of Christ. Verses 26 and 27. He appears again to them, and it's similar. The doors are closed. He appears in their midst. Again, is it miraculous? Is there a divinizing of the humanity going on? As I mentioned last week, we just don't know about the nature of the glorified humanity, and that's not the emphasis. The emphasis isn't on the miraculous entrance of our Lord beyond a locked door into the midst of them. The emphasis is He's in the midst of them. The emphasis is He's there. And the same thing in verse 26. And after eight days, again, this is Sunday, the following Sunday. After eight days, His disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, peace to you. Peace to you. Again, that peace of Christ predicated on his work of atonement. Look back at verses 19 and 20. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord." Yeah, they were glad when they saw the resurrected Lord, their good friend, their master, their blessed Savior had been raised from the dead. But they're glad at the signs of a completed atonement. He shows them his hands and his side. This affirms what he says on the cross in 19. It is finished. The peace of God comes as a result, yes, of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, but the finished work of our Lord Jesus in terms of his passion. His suffering, His death, His bloodshed. And the same thing holds here. Peace to you, to the disciples. It is based on the finished work of the Savior, who lived for us, who died for us, who was raised again for us, signified by those hands and by that side. So after that, notice then in verse 27. The specific grace expressed to Thomas, so he's in the midst of all the disciples, Thomas is with them, that's conspicuous in verse 26, then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands, and reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving but believing. Interesting, the Lord knows exactly what Thomas demands when the Lord wasn't present with the disciples. He knows exactly. He uses the same language that Thomas uses in verse 25. He's not lucky guesser here. It's according to his divinity. He knows exactly what Thomas has expressed and he's gonna use this as a teaching moment, if I dare. So he says, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it into my side. And then he chides him, do not be unbelieving, but believing. He removes all grounds of unbelief. Go ahead. He had nothing to fear. You see, fakes, and deception and counterfeits have everything to fear. When the Savior appears to them in Luke's gospel, He says, touch. Go ahead. See that I'm not a phantom. See that I'm not a spirit. When the disciples investigate the tomb, they actually investigate the tomb. Oh no, we can't do that, we'll just fake it from here on out. What is Jesus doing here? Go ahead, confirm this. This is grace, brethren. It's kind of like when God deals with Gideon and Gideon puts out the fleece and God gives him the answer and then Gideon has the wherewithal to say, can I do it again? What do you mean, can you do it again? This is a, you know, parlor tricks from the Most High, but what does the Most High do? He does it again. When Abraham in Genesis 15 says, Lord, how shall I know that the promises you're giving me in terms of land and seed are gonna come to fruition? How would we respond, brethren, if we're the Most High? We'd probably say, because I said so. I'm sure all of us as parents have exercised that authority from one time or another, because I said so, right? Do you get into debates with your little lawyers? Do you get into exchanges and debates and logical inferences and conclusions? No, you say, because I said so. God could very well have done that with Abram. What does he say? Go fetch a bunch of animals, Abram, and cut them in pieces and put them on either side. And I'll march through them to underscore covenant faithfulness and bringing promise to fruition. It's the same thing here. Go ahead, Thomas. He doesn't slap him. He doesn't say, how dare you? I can't believe you rejected Hosea the prophet. I can't believe you rejected Isaiah. I can't believe you rejected me when I told you over and over and over again I'd be raised from the dead. I can't believe you reject your 10 pals, your 10 buddies, your 10 comrades in arms. I can't believe that. No. See, the truth has nothing to hide. Deception does. A deceiver would say, don't get near me. You know, I'm an apparition. No, no, go ahead. The body that went into the ground is the body that came out of the ground. Self-same body in the language of our confession. So he says this as a gracious invitation to this man, Thomas. So again, then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it into my side. But again, he does chide him. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. In other words, Thomas, you have the prophet, you have my testimony, you have the apostolic witness. Don't be unbelieving, but rather be believing. So he deals very graciously with Thomas. I mean, again, Calvin says the stupidity of Thomas was astonishing and monstrous. I may have challenged your understanding a bit. He's not just a doubter, he's obstinate, right? We know that difference as parents too. Sometimes your kids are a little bit off, a little bit doubtful. Other times they're just flat out obstinate, stubborn, rebellion, hard-headed, monstrous. Sorry kids. unless kids have changed since when our little ones, or our kids were at home, or they've just gotten much better nowadays. They come out, you know, all ready, ready to go and obey. It was monstrous. It is astonishing. They're one of the 12. present with Jesus, listening to Jesus, fed the Old Testament, apostolic testimony and witness all around him and saying, unless I see, unless I touch, I will not believe. So of course Jesus chides him. Jesus says, go ahead and touch, go ahead, confirm, go ahead and affirm, but Thomas, don't be unbelieving, but believing. And again, I think the gradation or the escalation here is the pinnacle of verses 30 and 31. Sinner, don't disbelieve the Old Testament. Don't disbelieve the testimony of our Lord. Don't disbelieve the apostolic witness revealed to us in the New Testament. Don't be unbelieving, but be believing. Look to this one promised by the Old Testament. testified by himself, witnessed by the apostles, inscripturated in the 66 books of the Holy Scriptures. Don't be unbelieving, but be believing. Don't forget your current condition under the wrath of God. The only hope, the only escape, the only way to flee from that wrath of God is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent from your sin. As Cam referred to in Acts chapter 2, they're cut to the heart. Why? Because they're Jerusalem sinners who nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross. And by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, there's that right conviction of sin. Not like the Acts 7 sinners who gnashed at Stephen with their teeth and who screamed to drown out his cries. But in Acts 2, they're cut to the heart. Men and brethren, what must we do? What's Peter's response? Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Repent, he says, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Don't tarry, don't wait. If you're kids or young people or children, you know, when I'm 20, I'll believe the gospel. When I'm 40, I'll believe the gospel. When I'm 80, I'll believe. You don't know that. James is very adamant. You don't know what a day may bring forth. You're here for a time, and then you're gone. You're like a vapor. Yeah, you can see it, and then you see it disappear. Well, the history of the world is filled with men like that, men that have done great things, men that have achieved noble heights in the realm of humanity. We probably maybe remember five. I mean, Jesus, for sure, Paul, yeah, Moses, brothers in the Bible, but outside of that, what five can you name? I mean, Philip of Macedon, Alexander the Great, I mean, you know, there's been some historic wonderful figures in the history of the world, but we don't remember any of them. I'm not saying that's necessarily bad, I'm saying that's the way it is. You may not have tomorrow. You may not have 30 years. You may not have 50 years. What's John telling you in his Bible or in his gospel? He's telling you, you need to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and that by believing in him, you may have life in his name. Because if you don't believe in him, you don't have life in his name, you have death in Adam. You have hell in your future. You have the wrath and fury and judgment of God most high. That's why Peter says repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. So Jesus does chide him. But that brings us then thirdly to this confession of Thomas in verse 28. The nature of the confession is important. What's Thomas doing? Some suggest it's an exclamation. like we might see something and go, oh man. Some suggest it's, you know, he's just kind of saying my Lord and my God the way that sometimes non-Christians use God's name, sort of as a blasphemy. Some say that It is a confession of his faith specifically directed to our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what I maintain. Note the text specifically, and Thomas answered and said to him, said, notice, to Jesus. If you go back to verse 26, Jesus stands in the midst of them and says, peace to you. It might be natural to read that peace to you, Thomas, since you weren't here last time when I pronounced my peace upon, peace to you. All of you. Thomas is answering specifically to Jesus. He's not just kind of throwing out this exclamation, my Lord and my God. He's certainly not blaspheming. A first century Jew wouldn't say my Lord and my God in a blasphemous way and expect to live. He says it specifically to our Lord Jesus Christ. And I would suggest with reference to this confession, first, it is a confession that is theological in nature. I don't think this is accidental in the construction of John's Gospel, that in John 1, 1 we learn who Jesus is. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I don't think it's accidental that the Gospel ends at this confession of faith, my Lord and my God. Now I know there's a chapter 21. It's an epilogue. The main body of the text is 119 to 2031. 1 to 18 is prologue. Chapter 21 is epilogue. So we have this statement concerning the divinity of our Lord Jesus theologically, and now it comes home practically and experientially. This is a crowning experiential confession on the part of a believer. I would suggest as well the confession is Christological. So from 1-1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, we move to 1-14, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, The word who is God never ceased to be God in the assumption of our humanity, in the assumption of our flesh. It's interesting, Thomas makes this observation. Thomas saw, not Thomas Thomas, but Thomas Thomas the Apostle, he saw the man and the wounds and from these he believed in the divinity of the one who had arisen. That's incredible. Think about it. Here's my wounds. Here's my side. See it? Reach out and touch it. What does Thomas conclude from that? My Lord and my God directed to his Lord and God. I would suggest that thirdly, this confession is personal. Not the Lord of those guys and the Lord of those guys and the God of those people, but my Lord and my God. Christianity is a religion of personal pronouns. Paul says in Galatians 2.20, who loved me and gave himself for me. John Owen calls this a gracious discovery of Christ and it is that for Thomas personally and for us textually. As well, the confession is consistent. Everything from the prologue through the book of the ministry and the book of the passion, it all continually testifies that Jesus is the one sent by the Father to save his people from their sins. So from first to last, and to use another chemism, in the midst and throughout, Jesus is God. This is a crown upon the gospel according to John, this confession of one who was obstinate. He's become the chief confessor on the part of the apostles. And he says, my Lord and my God. And I would suggest that the confession is paradigmatic. That means it's a pattern. All confessors subsequent to Thomas must confess that Jesus Christ is God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father, through whom all things were made. Why? Because that's the content of John's Gospel. When Thomas says, my Lord and my God, he brings to sharp relief everything that John has intended to set forth concerning Jesus in this gospel narrative. My Lord and my God, who never stopped being Lord and God, in the assumption of our flesh, in the life of obedience, in the death as a substitute and sacrifice on the cross. Always, consistently, regularly, he is Lord and God. So every confessor subsequent to Thomas needs to imitate Thomas. And the response by Jesus to this, oh no, Thomas, that's blasphemy. Oh no, Thomas, don't make such exclamations. Oh no, Thomas, don't call me Lord and don't call me God. Well, you call me Lord in the earthly ministry, that can kind of mean sir or somebody of great respect, so I'll take that, but you can't call me God. He doesn't do that. Remember when Peter finally meets Cornelius? What does Cornelius want to do? Bow down to Peter. What does Peter say? Don't do that. When Paul and Barnabas are preaching to pagans and they want to bow down and worship and sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas because they think they're Zeus and Hermes, what does Paul and Barnabas do? No, no, no, don't do that. In Revelation 19 and in Revelation chapter 22, when John wants to bow down to worship the angel that's revealing these glorious truths to him, what does the angel do? No, no, don't do that. I'm a fellow servant. In each of those instances, when religious worship is trying to be given to these godly people, these godly people said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't do that. But when religious worship is given to our Lord Jesus Christ, what does he do with it? He receives it. Why? Because he's our Lord and our God, and it's perfectly appropriate and fitting for us to worship our Lord and our God. We serve, worship, glorify, and adore the Most High. Jesus is thus, and therefore we worship him accordingly. And then Jesus pronounces this beatitude in verse 29. He affirms Thomas' faith, verse 29, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. He doesn't say, you know what, you're a deadbeat, you should have listened, you should have believed, you should have, no, no. He affirms the belief of Thomas. And with reference to the apostle's faith, if you look back at verse eight, when the discovery of the empty tomb, then the other disciple who came to the tomb first went in also, and he saw and believed. By necessity, the apostle saw these things and believed. But subsequent to the apostles, subsequent to the early church, there'd be no eyewitness testimony other than what was in scripture. And remember, Jesus prays in the high priestly prayer, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. So he commends Thomas' faith. Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed, but he pronounces this beatitude or blessing, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Again, this is by necessity. Jesus, locally present at the right hand of the majesty of God on high. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Our eyes will see him. But right now, he's presently located at the right hand of the Father. We know his presence among us by his spirit. I will not leave you as orphans. I'll send you another comforter, John 14. So Jesus commands hearing the word of God. and believing the word of God. You kind of get in this emphasis here with John as he crescendos to this confession of who Jesus is, and as he continues, as it were, to encourage you to believe on this Jesus. John has a purpose. John's not just writing history so that history buffs can be satisfied. John is writing history, but John's writing theological history with a theological intention that your dead soul would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved and have everlasting life. Calvin says, here Christ commends faith on this ground that it acquiesces in the bare word and does not depend on carnal views or human reason. That brings us then to 30 and 31, the purpose of John in the gospel. As I said, theological commentary on the previous narrative. Jesus commends or beatitudes with reference to those who believe. And John says, okay, this would probably be as good a place as, no, no, it's all crafted Spirit moves him. He writes it. He's not a dummy. He knows how to write. He knows how to structure. He knows how to theologize. He knows how to put things in place. He knows, as we've seen in the passion narrative from John 18 all the way to John 20, how to, you know, reminisce about the garden and what was forfeiting Adam and how it's recovered in Jesus. He knows how to do all this. This is not haphazard, this is a immediate link to what Thomas was just told by our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Again, it's not accidental, this follows on the heels of verse 19, blessed are those, or verse 29, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And I think this is a great sort of encouragement. If you're not a believer here, look at what God has done in saving the apostle John, filling him with the spirit and having him write the gospel of John. It's not so that you won't be saved. It's not so that you can run to hell It's not so that you can embrace the wrath and fury and curse of God, no. He's written these things so that you may believe. Remember that bit in 1 Kings chapter 21 with Ahab? Ahab succumbs to Jezebel and Ahab basically is complicit in the execution of Naboth so Ahab can take his field. The prophet Elijah comes and upbraids him. He indicts him. He uproots him. And Ahab at least gives some sort of an external nod to repentance and feel bad. And then God, as it were, says to Elijah, do you see his response? God is in the business of saving sinners. We're surrounded by some theological emphases that would suggest just the opposite. Oh no, there's only a handful. Oh no, there's only the frozen chosen. Oh no, God is not about seeing prodigals a long way off and running to them and falling on them and kissing them and clothing them. Why is it that that kind of doctrine has any traction whatsoever in light of John's purpose clause? I've written these things so that you may believe. Why do you think you children have been born into Christian homes or to believing parents? Are all these things markers against you that God doesn't want you saved? I'd argue just the opposite. You're born into a believing home. The scriptures are authoritative in your home. There's gospel preaching in your church. You're schlepped to and fro from church. You're put under these things, not because God wants to cast you finally off into hell. He will if you're impenitent, you're unbelieving. But all these things providentially should argue to you, I should believe. John writes so that you should believe. And it's also connected to the entirety of the gospel. The execution of many other signs and in front of eyewitnesses, in the presence of his disciples, John says. You see something of that in verse 25 in the epilogue. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Thomas makes a good link between this and the book of Job. Job 26, 14. Job is waxing eloquent about the power and the authority and the glory of God. And he says this in verse 14. Indeed, these are the mere edges of his ways and how small a whisper we hear of him. But the thunder of his power, who can understand the glory of the Savior? The world itself couldn't contain the books that would be written about those three years of perfect obedience to the law of the Father. That perfect sacrificial love expressed on Calvary's cross. John says it couldn't be done. So he says, truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written, the seven signs that are recorded in the Gospel of John. These are written, why? So that you may not believe? So that you may embrace your destiny and end in hell? You gotta learn some reading comprehension. Okay? When Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.19 says, God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, let's not try to argue our way out of that. When John 3.16 says, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, I'm not suggesting everybody in the world is going to be saved. But I'm suggesting that John uses world, Paul uses world, which seems a bit more comprehensive than a handful. God so loved that handful that he gave his only begotten son. No, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. God is in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5, reconciling the world to himself. So you gotta learn a bit of reading comprehension. These are written that you may believe. You've probably heard this before, well that's presumption if I believe. How is it presumption if God is telling you to do it? The weirdest arguments, seriously, oh it's presumption. Doesn't God command you to believe? But it's presumption, why? Because some fool told you it was presumption? Listen to John, he's not a fool. He's a blood-bought child of God, operating by the power of the Holy Spirit. You know what he says? I wrote these things so that you may believe. Not so that you may stay, not so that you may resist, not so that you may try to argue your way up. No, no, I write so that you may believe. What are you supposed to believe? That Jesus is the Christ, the one promised in the Old Testament, the one sent by the Father to save his people from their sins. You need to believe that he is the Christ. You need to believe that He is the Son of God by nature, the only begotten Son. Not by creation, not by adoption, but that special, unique, only begotten Son set forth in the prologue and everywhere upheld throughout the entirety of John's Gospel. You need to believe that this Jesus is the Christ. You need to believe that this Jesus is the Son of God. Yet not two persons, one person, two natures. And in believing, you may have life in His name. That is a beautiful purpose for the fourth gospel. Yes, it connects immediately with the beatitude of verse 29, but it connects with the entirety of John's gospel. So the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is the Christ, the Son of God. Believing in Him, you will have everlasting life. I want to end quick, first, with the folly of Thomas. The folly of Thomas. First, his desire to place conditions on Jesus. Let's not do that. Not a good practice. I mean, we learn two great things from Thomas here. What not to do and what to do. What not to do unless I see and what to do. My Lord and my God. Thomas is a negative example and a positive example. If you were here the last hour, you would pick up that reference. Thomas negatively shows you, sinner, what you should not be doing. Unless I see, unless I touch, I will certainly not believe. Now this condition placing on God isn't always exactly like what Thomas does here, unless my eyes see and my fingers touch. Consider the popular varieties of this. Unless God meets all my conditions, I will certainly not believe. Unless God changes my status from poor man to rich man, not gonna believe. Unless God fixes the entirety of the world, don't sinners use that as a reason for unbelief? Well, you know, there's so much suffering and pain in this world, okay. Why don't you believe the gospel and repent from your sins? Because there's so much pain and suffering in the world, you want to add to that pain and suffering by being a rebel, demonic sinner? That doesn't seem like a good response. People do this. They have to have reasons why they won't believe. Some people, you know, unless you satisfy every question I've ever had about the Bible, I will certainly not believe. Those are the kind of people that can't tell time because they don't know how to build watches. Anselm of Canterbury famously made this maxim, I believe that I may understand. Kind of based on Augustine who says, believe so that you may understand. which both grounded in Isaiah the prophet, chapter seven, verse nine. The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Romalia's son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established. Or consider Hebrews 11, three, by faith we understand. See, the religion of Christ is not a blind leap of faith. That tomb was empty, one to 10. that Savior showed himself to Mary Magdalene, verses 11 to 18. That Savior on that first Lord's Day appeared to the disciples without Thomas in verses 19 to 23. That Savior appeared a week later on the next Lord's Day to the disciples with Thomas in verses 24 to 29. It's not a blind leap of faith. But God doesn't owe you an answer to every possible Bible question you've ever had to satisfy your curiosity such that now you'll believe. I guess my point is quit putting conditions on God and flee to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and repentance and enjoy so great a salvation. By faith, we understand. By faith, life makes sense so that the evil and the suffering that occurs, it's because of sin. It's rebellion, it's transgression. Creature defected from the creator. What do you expect? Chaos has come. Disorder has come. By faith we understand that, you see. So we learn from the folly of Thomas what not to do. But we learn from the gracious wisdom given to Thomas what to do. My Lord and my God. Note the clarity of the confession, Calvin again, and indeed he who, after having received those striking proofs which are to be found in the gospel, does not perceive Christ to be God, does not deserve to look even at the sun and the earth, for he is blind amidst the brightness of noonday. He's right, my Lord and my God. Notice, as well, the consistency of the confession. He's my Lord and my God, but according to verse 31, He's Son of God? How can that be? Well, in this divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences. The Father, the Word, our Son, and the Holy Spirit, each having, or the same in substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. And that Word took on our humanity. That Word became flesh, never having ceased to be the Word, but assuming our humanity, such that He is Son of God. That's the relation He sustains with the Father. He is the Son. The Father is the Father. The Father is unbegotten. The Son is begotten by the Father. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The distinction within the persons in that one divine and infinite being. And I would suggest, thirdly and finally, the certainty of the confession. It's a beautiful thing. My Lord and my God, without equivocation, without nuance, without, well, my Lord and my God. And again, Jesus receives this. Listen to what John Owen said. Because, you know, we kind of rehearsed a few conditions that people put down. You know, unless you fill my bank account, I'm not going to believe. Unless you heal my wife of her, you know, whatever cancer or disease she has, I'm not going to believe. Unless you fix what's happening in Nigeria, which we should be praying God's intervention in Nigeria. Many, many, many, many, many Christians die in Nigeria all the time. We're not supposed to put conditions down. Unless, unless, unless. There's one I didn't mention, I'm gonna let Owen say it, and then we'll be done. Just contempt. Hatred for Christ. If you wonder how that can be, John 8. If you were Abraham's sons, you wouldn't want to kill me, Jesus says to the unbelieving Jews. John 15. Why do they hate Jesus? Because they hate the Father. Just a flat out rejection, rebellion and transgression. And if this is you, again, I urge you to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to Owen. But many men, so far as I can observe, are fallen into such a dislike of the Christ of God that everything concerning his person, spirit, grace is an abomination unto them. It is not want of understanding to comprehend doctrines, but hatred unto the things themselves, whereby such persons are seduced." It's probably the most terrifying, the most wretched, the most vile. Christ is altogether lovely. He's chief among 10,000. He brings forgiveness of sins. He brings a righteousness by which you can stand before his father. There's everything in Christ to solicit, to invoke, to invite, to call that you come to him. So listen to John in the gospel, believe that Jesus is the Christ, believe that He is the Son of God, and that by believing in Him, you may have life in His name. Well, let us pray. Our Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this account with reference to Thomas and the great things it teaches us on what not to be and not to do, but on the other hand, what to confess with reference to our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God. We thank you for so great a salvation. We pray that you would be glorified in this local church. We pray as well, God, that you would just be pleased to save sinners to the uttermost. And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.