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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to John chapter 20. John chapter 20. While you're turning there, I'll 
remind you of the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of 
our Lord, the best that I can tell with the help of a couple 
of different men. These are the order of appearances 
of our Lord Jesus when he came. out of the tomb on the third 
day. He first appeared to the women who had left the tomb according 
to Matthew 28 and then to Mary Magdalene, John 20. He appeared 
to Cleopas and the unnamed disciple on the road to Emmaus in Luke 
24. He then appeared to Peter sometime 
that same afternoon, Luke 24 and 1 Corinthians 15. He appeared 
to the 12 minus Judas and Thomas on the day of resurrection in 
the upper room. He invited his disciples to touch 
him and he ate broiled fish and honeycomb among them in Luke 
24. He appeared a week later to his disciples. This time Thomas 
was present. Again, Jesus invites Thomas to 
touch his wounds. He appeared to seven of his disciples 
by the Sea of Tiberias or the Sea of Galilee and prepared and 
ate breakfast with them. He appeared to the eleven on 
a mountain of Galilee. This occasion could have possibly 
been the one when he also appeared to more than 500 people. Paul 
alludes to that in 1 Corinthians 15. He appeared again to the 
11 on the occasion of his ascension into heaven, and of course he 
appeared to Saul of Tarsus sometime later, according to Acts chapter 
9. The post-resurrection appearance 
that we're going to consider this morning is when our Lord 
Jesus met with Thomas, the one we refer to affectionately as 
doubting So I just want to read the section beginning in verse 
24 and we'll read to verse 31 in John 20. 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 print of the nails and put my fingers 
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. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank you for 
the written word. We thank you for this testimony 
to our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you again that he is risen, 
that he sits enthroned at the right hand in this current session. 
We look forward to his return in glory when he shall judge 
the living and the dead. Our hearts desire and are earnest 
pleased that everyone gathered here this morning would be prepared 
to meet Him, clothed in a righteousness not their own, clothed in the 
righteousness of Christ Himself, received by grace through faith 
in Him. We ask that You would just wash 
us now and purify us and cleanse us from all sin and transgression. We pray that Your Holy Spirit 
would be at work in our hearts and in our minds and in our lives, 
Lord God. that you would take the word 
and make it effectual unto each and every one of us. Edify your 
people, strengthen each and every one of us. God, for those who 
are not your people, may today be the day of salvation. May 
you open hearts and may you cause there to be a closure with Christ 
Jesus. And it's in his most blessed 
name that we pray. Amen. Well, Thomas is certainly 
an interesting character in the Bible. As I said, we affectionately 
refer to him as Doubting Thomas. And as we move through the exposition 
this morning, we'll see that in many respects, that's a bit 
of an understatement. Thomas doesn't just doubt. Thomas 
declares unequivocally, unless my conditions are met, I will 
certainly not believe. And I think there's a bit of 
Thomas in unbelievers today. Oftentimes they say, well, if 
he just provide more evidence, well, if he just make my life 
a little better, well, if he just fixes things that are going 
wrong in my particular situation, well, then I'll believe. We ought 
to see the wretchedness of the creature putting demands upon 
the creator. We simply do not have the right 
or the privilege or we have not been given the benefit of making 
demands upon our God. Traditionally, or typically, 
as parents, we really don't like it when our two-year-olds try 
to put conditions on their situation. If you give me what I want, then 
I'll clean my room. Which one of you fathers would 
take kindly to that response? Which one of you mothers wouldn't 
have it well up in you to want to administer a little bit of 
loving and biblical justice unto that? You see, it is simply unacceptable 
for us the creature to put demands upon our God and in a sense make 
Him jump through particular hoops before we'll believe or before 
we will side with Him. So when we go through this particular 
passage, ask, is there a bit of Thomas in my own heart? Is 
there a bit of this sort of of an incorrigibility in my soul. Do I not come to Christ because 
He hasn't satisfied all of my longings or He hasn't promised 
to alleviate all of my hardships? Do I not come to Christ because 
I don't think there is sufficient evidence out there? The Bible 
says evidence isn't the problem. The Bible says that you know 
God exists. The Bible says is that you... 
what the Bible says is that you suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Your issue today is not a lack 
of evidence. Your issue is a heart hardened 
against the God of heaven and earth. And the only way that 
heart can be dealt with is through the beloved Savior, the Lord 
Jesus Christ and His gospel. Well, as we consider Thomas, 
we ought to remember that he probably had a melancholy spirit. He seems to be a glass half-empty 
kind of guy. You know, there are those out 
there that say the glass is half-full. There's others of us that say 
it's half-empty. Thomas seems to be of that peculiar 
mindset. We notice him in chapter 11 when 
he expresses his willingness to die with Jesus, though we 
need to remember He did not. We as well meet him in chapter 
14 when he is perplexed about the way that the Lord Jesus is 
speaking. It's on the heels of that when 
Thomas mentions or Thomas questions or queries the idea of the way 
when Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one 
comes to the Father but through me." I heard Ravi Zacharias say 
one time that Thomas, subsequent to the ascension of the Lord 
Jesus, was a missionary to India. And Ravi made the perceptive 
observation that Thomas, of all the disciples, would have needed 
to hear the exclusivity of Christ alone. He's going to India where 
there is a plethora of gods. He is going to India where there 
is a multitude of gods, a virtual pantheon. Thomas would need to 
go insisting on the reality of John 14.6. Jesus alone is the 
way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father 
except through Him. And then we come to chapter 20. 
Basically, in verses 1 to 10, we have the empty tomb. The Lord 
then appears to Mary Magdalene in verses 11 to 18, and then 
the Lord appears to the disciples without Thomas in verses 19 to 
23. This takes place on a Sunday. When it refers to the Thomas 
meeting eight days later, that again is a Sunday. When you include 
the Sunday and all the days of the weeks and then that Sunday, 
this is the eighth day. Jesus is appearing to his disciples 
on the Lord's day. He is appearing to them. He is 
coming to them in corporate worship or in a corporate fashion according 
to the pattern for which the church would then meet with reference 
to their worship of the living God. So that's the context. Let's move on now to verses 24 
to 31. We'll take it up in two considerations. First, the post-resurrection 
appearance to the disciples with Thomas. And then secondly, the 
purpose of John. in writing the fourth gospel. But note first the character 
of Thomas. Again, it's good for us to consider 
the men that we are dealing with in the biblical testimony. The 
character of Thomas, verses 24 and 25, 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, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put 
my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his 
side, I will not believe. He's probably hurt. Don't give 
him that. He is of a melancholy spirit. He's one of those sorrowful souls. 
What would promote sorrow more than the death of the Master? 
He had spent years with Jesus. He had spent years with the Messiah. 
And the bridegroom, Christ, was violently taken from them. He 
had witnessed the crucifixion. He had witnessed the mockery. 
He had witnessed this whole spectacle wherein the Son of God was delivered 
up, wherein the Son of God was not spared by the Father Himself, 
wherein the Son of God ultimately cries out, My God, my God, why 
hast thou forsaken me? Certainly if you had a close 
associate, that you had spent three years with, one that you 
grew to esteem, one that you grew to love, one that you grew 
to see as the very Messiah Himself, when He is violently stripped 
from you, certainly there would be a sorrowful spirit. Certainly 
you would be a sad man or a sad woman. The reality that the beloved 
Master had been stripped from this disciple group, was now 
affecting Thomas. So he certainly was hurt. But 
as we move through this description in verses 24 and 25, he is more 
than hurt. He is obstinate. Again, I don't 
want to pick on the brother. I would be just like this, I 
am certain. But it's not Jim that's in this 
particular text, it's Thomas. We need to see wherein we are 
like Thomas and we need to repent of this because he's obstinate. Again, he's placing conditions 
upon the master himself by which he will believe. Notice, the 
disciple dictates the terms by which he would believe. Unless 
I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger 
into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side. You 
see, some men consider this the litmus test of rationality. If I can't touch it, if I can't 
taste it, if I can't see it, if I can't feel it, it must not 
exist. We'll apply that to love. Apply 
that to the laws of logic. Apply that to the mathematical 
truth that 2 plus 2 equals 4. You see the effect of 2 plus 
2 equaling 4, but you don't see that law. There's all manner 
of things out there that we don't test for the truthness of their 
existence by virtue of touching. tasting, or feeling. There's 
a whole host of things out there that we have never touched, never 
tasted, or never felt that we believe are there. You may never 
have been to Texas. You probably believe that it's 
there. You don't say, unless my feet touch that dirt in Texas, 
then I will not believe. You see, Thomas has put himself 
as the arbiter of what is and what isn't truth. Thomas has 
taken to himself in an arrogant fashion this idea that he must 
be the ultimate judge in all things religious. And this goes 
on very often today. Persons say that Christians are 
fools, that we live with a blind faith commitment. There's no 
blind faith whatsoever. The God of heaven and earth has 
revealed himself in 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament, 27 in the New Testament, the consent 
of the parts, the unity of the whole, the heavenliness of the 
manner. All of these things contribute 
or all of these things converge on the reality that when by God's 
grace a sinner believes on the Lord Jesus, it's not a leap of 
faith. It is being welcomed by the Savior 
of sinners. It is by being brought into this 
life of grace and faith that the Lord God has purposed by 
which He will save man. So you see, Thomas has put himself 
in the unlikely position of being the arbiter of truth. Again, 
ask yourself, is this true for you? Well, unless he does this. Unless he puts in an appearance. 
Unless he shows himself. I'm sure that I've told you all 
before about that great debate between Dr. Greg Bonson and Gordon 
Stein. The very end of the debate, somebody 
asked from the audience, Dr. Stein, what would it take for 
you to believe in the existence of God? That was the proposition 
under debate. Does God exist? Dr. Bonson, advanced 
the pro position. Yes, God exists. Dr. Stein advanced the contrary position. No, God doesn't exist. So it's 
a legit question. Dr. Stein, what would it take 
for you to believe that God exists? And Stein's response was twofold. 
He said in the first place, if the deity put in a personal appearance. If the deity came to one of our 
meetings of atheists, then I would believe him. Why doesn't he do 
that? Why doesn't he just wander in 
to the Free Thinker Society and show them his stuff? This was 
one of the things that Stein said, if the deity puts in a 
personal appearance. The second means of evidence 
was that if the pulpit, he didn't call it a pulpit, I'll call it 
that, The lectern, whatever you call it in a non-church setting, 
that thing that people stand behind. He said, if that raised 
up from the ground, and it was obvious that there were no wires, 
it was obvious that there were no motors, it was obvious that 
it was in fact a miraculous deed, Dr. Gordon Stein said, I would 
then believe in the existence of the deity. And Dr. Bonson's 
cross-exam was brilliant. He said, that would not happen, 
Dr. Stein. If the deity put in an appearance, or if this pulpit 
levitated right before our eyes, you would spend time, energy, 
and effort trying to put a naturalistic spin on it. It's not evidences, 
or rather it's not these miracles that make men believers. You 
must be born again. You need to have your worldview 
change. You need a new heart. Remember 
Jesus upbraiding the cities in which He ministered in Matthew 
11, 20-24. Woe to you, Bethsaida! Woe to 
you, Chorazin! He said it'll be more tolerable 
for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for those 
cities. Why? Matthew tells us. Because 
they saw His mighty miracles and they did not repent. You 
see, miracles don't necessarily make Christians. Proofs don't 
necessarily make Christians. Thomas is in the bad position 
of neglecting the doctrine of total depravity and total inability 
and neglecting the doctrine of God's sovereign power in salvation. He should have thought concerning 
James 1.18 of his own will. He brought us forth by the word 
of truth. It's up to God Most High. And this is why it's called 
grace. This is why we say, believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. We trust in the 
power of God. We trust in the ability of God. 
We trust in the grace of God. So the disciple dictates the 
terms by which he would believe. Secondly, the disciple makes 
an emphatic denial of the resurrection. Makes an emphatic denial. There's 
a whole host of ways, especially if you use a program like Microsoft 
Word. You can underscore and highlight 
and really make people know what you think is important, right? 
I mean, you've all used that. You've sent an email, or you've 
written a document, you're writing to your gardener who ruined your 
grass, and you underline it, and you bold it, and you do everything 
you can to put the emphasis upon it. You make it emphatic. That's 
what Thomas does. This is emphatic. This isn't 
a little bit of groping in a dark room. Unless I see, I will certainly 
not believe. The same convention and the same 
structure is used in John 6, 37. All that the Father gives 
me will come to me. And the one who comes to me, 
I will what? I will certainly not cast out. It's a double negative. In Greek, a double negative does 
not make a positive. In Greek, a double negative makes 
a really big negative. I will not believe. Unless my conditions are met, 
I will not believe." Calvin says this concerning Thomas. 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. You see, in this denial, in this 
rejection, look at what Thomas is rejecting. He's rejecting 
the testimony of the Old Testament. Psalm 16 is clear. God will not 
allow His Holy One to undergo decay. The Lord Christ will rise 
again. The prophet Isaiah, chapter 53. 
I think the clear teaching in Daniel chapter 9. The one who 
is cut off will ultimately be raised again from the dead. Thomas 
knows this. Thomas is a pious Jew in the 
first century. He knows his Old Testament scriptures. Remember when Jesus has dealings 
with Martha about the death of Lazarus, and he mentions to her 
about the resurrection, and she says, I know that he will raise 
or be raised on the last day. It's just simply a fallacy to 
think that the early Jews or the Jews in the first century 
did not have some sort of a consciousness of the resurrection. They most 
certainly did. Thomas had that consciousness 
and Thomas is rejecting it. As well, he is rejecting the 
testimony of Christ. How many times in the earthly 
ministry have we just seen in Matthew's Gospel, Matthew 16, 
Matthew 17, Matthew 20, what does Jesus testify to His disciples 
on many, many occasions? That He must go to Jerusalem, 
He must suffer many things, He must die, and He must be raised 
the third day. Thomas, your brethren are telling 
you that Jesus is raised according to His Word, and you say, I will 
not believe? And consider the fact that Thomas 
rejects apostolic testimony. What do they say? We have seen 
the Lord. We have seen the Lord. Brethren, when an apostle of 
Jesus Christ tells you something, you need to listen. You need 
to believe that. They are representatives, designees 
of the Lord of Glory. They speak the truth under the 
inspiration of the Spirit. And when they say, we have seen 
the Lord, you do not have the right, the prerogative, or the 
privilege to say, unless I see, unless I touch, unless I do, 
unless I empirically verify these things, then I will not. Thomas 
is not doing well in this passage. Again, I know I sound harsh on 
the man, certainly Calvin calling him monstrous and obstinate and 
contemptuous in his treatment of Christ. Those are some pretty 
heavy words. We need to realize that Thomas 
is ultimately saved by grace through faith and not his ability 
to rightly interpret the situation. Notice, secondly, the grace of 
Christ. He comes to the disciples again 
on the Lord's Day. And he pronounces peace. He says, 
peace to you. For Christ to say this, this 
is not a cheap wish. I don't know if the hippies really 
affected Canada in the 60s like they did in America. I'm sure 
I should know that, but I don't. I think I've heard of Nelson 
and places like that where maybe hippies went. You know, the big 
thing in the 60s was peace, man. Peace, brother. Peace, peace, 
peace to everybody. You know, at some point, that 
becomes a cheap wish from a guy who probably doesn't care about 
you whatsoever. But when Jesus says, peace to 
you, This is the one who has wrought peace between God and 
sinners. This is the one who brings peace 
to churches. This is the one who sets things 
aright. This is the one who heals. This 
is the one who brings health. This is the one who brings wholeness. 
And for Christ to say peace to you, to these disciples on this 
Lord's Day after His resurrection, this is a blessing. And then 
notice what Jesus says. Jesus was not present. Isn't 
that the emphasis of the section? Is that Jesus is not present 
when Thomas makes this condition. Thomas says, and less and less 
and less. What does Jesus do when he gets that? Jesus says, 
I've been reading Calvin, Thomas, and you're monstrous. I've been 
reading Calvin, Thomas, and you're holding me in contempt. I heard 
this sermon by a guy on Sermon Audio, and he described you just 
akin to a monster. That's not how Jesus deals with 
them. This is what's truly amazing, that even in the midst of a man 
who has put himself as the arbiter of what is true and what isn't, 
what would you do? You'd show up and say, what are 
you talking about making demands upon me? Again, go back to your 
kitchen. You tell the two-year-old, I 
want you to go clean your room. Well, unless you make me a grand 
dinner of cakes and pies, I will not do it. What are you talking 
about? You chase him up the stairs. You wouldn't say, okay, come 
on over here, let's work on these cakes and pies. I wouldn't. I gotta tell you, I would not 
work on cakes and pies with such an obstinate one like that. I'd 
eat a cake and pie while they were locked away in their room, 
but that's beside the point. Tell them outside, I'm eating 
cakes and pies that you sacrificed because of your obstinate, rebellious, 
incorrigible attitude. Look at what Jesus says to Thomas. 
Then he said to Thomas, reach your finger here and look at 
my hands, reach your hand here and put it into my side. Do not 
be unbelieving, but believing. Notice Jesus does not say, do 
not be doubting, but rather be believing. The contrast is between 
unbelief versus belief. When Thomas says, I will not 
believe, that's not a doubt. He's not feeling his way along 
in a darkened room. He says, unless these things 
are true, I am simply not going to go into that darkened room. 
So Jesus comes to him using the exact language that Thomas has 
already voiced, the same expression, the same convention, Jesus says 
to the disciples, peace to you, and then he addresses Thomas 
specifically. Now Thomas knew that Jesus wasn't 
there when Thomas made this particular statement. What does this indicate? What does this tell us about 
Jesus? That though he isn't physically 
present with you, he still knows what's going on in your heart, 
he still knows what you're voicing in private, he still knows what 
you're telling sinners, or telling your friends or your companions. It's not like some Santa Claus, 
you know, some threat. He knows what you're doing. If 
you don't toe the line, you're going to get a piece of coal 
in your sock. That's not the point. Christ 
is omniscient. As the God-man, Christ knows 
of our rejection. Christ knows of our rebellion. Christ knows every time the gospel 
is preached at the Free Grace Baptist Church. Christ knows 
every time you go home unchanged, every time you go home rejected, 
every time saying, you know, but he hasn't done this, that, 
or the other for me yet, and when he does, then I'll believe. 
Christ knows these things. Christ knows your hearts. You 
know, I'm not using this as a mallet to pound you into shape. She 
needs to realize this. You are not dealing with some 
piker god. You're not dealing with some 
ghetto deity. You are not dealing with Baal. 
You are not dealing with Moloch. You are not dealing with the 
gods of the heathen. You are dealing with the omniscient 
eye of the Christ of Scripture. When you reject, and you rebel, 
and you resist, and you forsake, and you write it off, and you 
say, when I'm older, when I'm stronger, when I'm at my wits 
end, whatever the condition may be, Christ knows this rebellion. And in this particular instance, 
but not always, in this particular instance, Christ, in His grace, 
says to Thomas, reach your finger here. Look at my hands and reach 
your hand here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving 
but believing. We've seen the character of Thomas, 
the graciousness of Jesus. Notice thirdly, the lofty confession 
of faith. Thomas makes what Owen calls 
a gracious discovery of our Lord Jesus. He says to Jesus, my Lord 
and my God. It's important for us to see 
those two little words to him. There are those who deny the 
deity of our Lord Jesus. There are those who deny that 
Christ is, in fact, God. There are those who change John 
1, 1. In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. They change 
it to was a God, a little g God, which puts them in the awkward 
position of now being polytheists, but that doesn't seem to bother 
them. These men are so opposed to the deity of Christ that they'll 
embrace absurdity instead of receiving the truth. And these 
selfsame people that changed John 1.1 try to explain Thomas 
here as just making an explanation. Perhaps you've been in your garage 
and you pounded your thumb with a hammer. Hopefully not intentionally. 
Please don't go do this. But you know, you're pounding 
nails. I would imagine our carpenter brothers can testify to this. 
Though nowadays it's probably not pounding your thumb with 
a hammer, it's shooting it with a nail gun. We've perfected pain 
via the nail gun. Honey, here's your new nail gun. 
Thank you, sweetie. Right in the thumb. What happens 
when that happens? Or you stub your toe? Or you 
fall over something? There's exclamation. Sometimes 
Christians need to guard their hearts. They blaspheme God in 
such a situation. They say, Oh God, and they're 
not praising, worshipping or praying. Or they say, Oh Jesus, 
and they're not praising, worshipping or praying. Or they use euphemisms, 
O-G-E-Z, O-G-E-Z. Oh yeah, you're clever. You're 
getting around the whole thing now. This is awesome. Keep doing 
it. Or the O-M-G. All of this stuff, brethren, 
in light of the third commandment, is not authorized. Don't know 
why we think, just because we live in the 21st century and 
we text, we can blaspheme the name of God. We do it in abbreviations, 
but we do it nonetheless, you see. See, the Jehovah's Witnesses 
try and explain that what Thomas does here is he makes this exclamation. This is akin to, my God, I just 
hit my thumb with a hammer. My God, I just stubbed my toe. No Jew in the first century would 
do such a thing. Ever. Even the apostates wouldn't 
do that. They would not make exclamations 
with Jehovah, with God as his name, or with the name of God 
on their lips. But John specifies that Jesus 
says it to, or Thomas says it to him. He's not making an exclamation, 
he's making a confession. And he says to the Lord Jesus, 
my Lord and my God. You see, it's a beautiful structure 
that John has put together in the Gospel. He starts with an 
inscription of the deity of Christ in John 1.1. Before he gets to 
his purpose in writing in verses 30 and 31, he wants to remind 
us again that Jesus is Lord and Jesus is God. This is such a 
theologically driven and such a structurally beautiful way 
to finish the Gospel. 21's an epilogue. It's certainly 
part of the Gospel of John, but the meat and potatoes end at 
chapter 20. Thesis statement, verses 30 and 
31. He did a lot of signs. If I wrote 
them all down, you wouldn't be able to have the The world couldn't 
contain the books, but these are written with a specific purpose, 
John says, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
Son of the living God, and that believing you may have life in 
his name. Isn't it beautiful that on a precursor to that statement, 
we have Thomas, who was the chief skeptic, who was the chief rebel 
in terms of intellect. who was the arbiter and the judge 
who said, I will not believe unless my curiosity is satisfied. This one professes to Jesus, 
my Lord, my God. Isn't that beautiful, too, that 
he uses the personal pronoun, my? Isn't this the sum and substance 
of Christianity? It's not just there's a Lord 
and there's a God. He's my Lord. He's my God. It's like Paul says in Galatians 
2.20, he loved me and he gave himself for me. Can you express 
that? Do you know Christ in this way? 
You may objectively affirm the Christian faith, yes, in terms 
of Buddhism or Islam or whatever the other religions are. Christianity 
has an internal logic, it has a coherence, it has a consistency. 
I reject it fully but I see that. There may be that. You may make 
the mental ascent. You may say that Jesus is better 
than Muhammad. You may say that Jesus is better 
than the Buddha. Can you say, my Lord and my God? It was grace that taught my heart 
to fear. It was grace that gave Thomas 
this personal pronoun. It was grace that enabled Thomas 
to lay hold, as it were, of Christ. You see, Thomas is monstrous 
in his unbelief. Thomas holds the Son of God in 
content. Thomas disregards the Old Testament. He disregards the word of the 
Lord Jesus. He disregards the apostolic testimony. And Jesus comes and deals with 
him in grace. What else could Thomas say but, 
my Lord and my God? You see, those of us who have 
been pulled out of holes that are pretty deep and nasty, when 
we come out on the other end, this is our confession, isn't 
it? My Lord and my God. Those who have been saved by 
grace understand what's in view. They understand what's in play. 
It's not my works. It's not my goodness. It's not 
my deeds. It's not my righteousness. It's 
God most high who reached down and changed my heart. What is 
the legitimate response to the Son of God who loved me and gave 
himself for me? My Lord, my God. George Beasley 
Murray says, so it comes about that the most outrageous doubter 
of the resurrection of Jesus utters the greatest confession 
of the Lord who rose from the dead. His utterance does not 
simply acknowledge the reality of the resurrection of Jesus, 
but expresses its ultimate meaning. That is, it is a revelation of 
who Jesus Christ is. And notice what Jesus does. He receives this, doesn't he? 
It's an interesting statement. You know, if you've been following 
the debate or you've been following the emails, the doctrine of impassibility 
is being debated in Arbca. And one proof text for that doctrine, 
at least in the Westminster Confession, is Acts 14.15. When the Apostles 
say to the men of Lystra, we are men of like passions, what's 
the implication? God is not God is the James 1.17 
God. There is no variation. There is no shadow of turning. 
As Manton so eloquently says, there's no wrinkle upon the brow 
of eternity. Do you know what else happens 
in Acts 14? The men of Lystra try and worship 
Paul and Barnabas. Do Paul and Barnabas receive 
that worship? Do Paul and Barnabas say, you 
have seen it? Rightly. Bow down to us. No, they reject it. They say, 
man, we are of like passions with you. We're in the same genus. We are humans alongside of you. You do not worship us. Creature 
doesn't worship creature. Creature worships creator, the 
one who is without passions. The same thing in the book of 
Revelation. What happens when the angel speaks 
to John and John wants to worship? What does the angel say? He says, 
don't do that. I'm a fellow servant with the 
prophets. You don't worship the creature. 
It's intriguing that Jesus receives this. Jesus doesn't rebuke him. Jesus doesn't say, Thomas, get 
up. Don't ever exclaim again in my hearing, my Lord and my 
God. Jesus affirms this because it's true. Jesus is His Lord. Jesus is His God. In the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1.1. John 1.14. The Word 
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory is of the only begotten 
of the Father, full of grace and truth. John chapter 8 and 
verse 58 when the Lord Jesus is disputing with the religious 
leaders and he says, before Abraham was, I am. Well those men understood 
the implications of that assertion both with reference to the burning 
bush in Exodus 3.14 and with reference to the prophet Isaiah 
where several times Yahweh of Israel reveals himself as I am. 
So what do they do in response? They pick up stones to throw 
at him. What's John's point along the way? This Jesus is God. This Jesus is able. This Jesus 
is sufficient. This Jesus is powerful. This 
Jesus can save you. This Jesus lived. This Jesus 
died. This Jesus rose again the third 
day. This Jesus is at the right hand 
of the Father Most High. And all those who believe on 
this Jesus will have everlasting life. And notice the Lord's last 
beatitude, the last well-spoken word. He says in verse 29, Thomas, 
because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those 
who have not seen and yet have believed. Now there may be a 
little, a little bit of a chiding of Thomas. You know, Thomas, 
you believe because you've seen. Blessed are those who believe 
without seeing. It's probably more likely it's the idea of 
transition. Jesus has risen from the dead. 
Jesus is going to ascend on high. He leads captivity captive. He 
gives gifts to men. He sends preachers to his churches 
where they proclaim the everlasting gospel. So what Jesus says is, 
blessed are those who believe, those who haven't seen, but who 
by God's grace receive the word of truth. They hear the proclamation 
of the gospel and they come to Christ and they confess Him as 
Lord and God. He says, blessed are those who 
have not seen. and yet have believed. And that 
brings us finally to the purpose of John in the fourth gospel. 
Verse 30, and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence 
of his disciples which are not written in this book. He says 
it elsewhere, that the world itself, the end of chapter 21, 
he says, and there are many, 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. 
Isn't that a beautiful testimony? You know, what we're getting 
in the gospel records are the summary. This is not a multi-voluminous 
set of books. In many respects, it's thumbnail 
sketches. You follow Jesus day by day, 
not even the world itself can contain the books. Here's a man 
full of grace and truth. Here's a man upon whom the Spirit 
dwells without measure. Here's a man who's so full of 
love and so full of kindness and so full of generosity. You 
know, we just read about that one instance in Luke chapter 
7 when he comes to the city of Nain and he sees that funeral 
procession. He sees the widow of Nain weeping and wailing and 
crying because her son is dead. Think about that, brothers and 
sisters. The widow of Nain, she doesn't have a husband. Her dead 
son in the casket is her livelihood. Yes, there's a natural affection. 
Yes, there's the love of the mother. Yes, there's the heart 
strings being tugged at the reality that death has separated them, 
perhaps prematurely. There's also the financial reality. 
She's going to be begging now. There's no welfare office that 
she can show up at on Monday morning. There's no food stamps. There's no system in place to 
care for the widows. That's why James tells us in 
one. He says, pure and undefiled religion 
in the sight of God and the Father is this. What? To visit widows 
and orphans in their distress. Go see them. Bring them food. Bring them clothing. Bring them 
kindness. You see, Jesus sees this widow 
of Nain, and the text tells us very specifically, He felt compassion 
for her. She raised her son from the dead. 
Imagine, just following Jesus around and recording everything 
he did. John tells us the world itself couldn't contain the books. 
The world itself couldn't. Back to 2030. Truly Jesus did 
many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not 
written in this book. Notice very specifically, but these 
are written. Why is John's gospel here? Why 
does John write? Why do Matthew, Mark, and Luke 
write? They have one agenda. They have one function. They 
have one purpose. It is that you believe. That 
you come to Christ. 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. D.A. Carson makes this observation. John's purpose is not academic. It's not academic. It's not not 
academic. We are to be accommodations and 
study these things and learn what the Bible says. But his 
purpose primarily is not academic. He writes in order that men and 
women may believe certain propositional truths. The truth that the Christ, 
the Son of God, is Jesus. The Jesus whose portrait is drawn 
in this gospel. But such faith is not an end 
in itself. It is directed toward the goal 
of personal, eschatological salvation. That by believing you may have 
life in his name. That is still the purpose of 
this book today and at the heart of the Christian mission. That's 
why we exist. That's why we're here. That's 
why we've been saved. It's to testify that the Lord 
Jesus saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through 
Him. And if you are here this morning 
and you are not a believer, listen to John. 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. Consider the implication, 
but consider rather the converse. If you don't believe that Jesus 
is the Christ, if you do not believe that He is the Son of 
the Living God, then you do not have life. As John says previously 
in 3.36, the wrath of God abides on you. You see, there's only 
two options. There's life or death. There's 
heaven or hell. There's Christ or the devil. 
Christ or your sin. Christ or your way. Lay down 
your arms and come to the Lord Jesus Christ. Life is blessed 
in Him. Well, in conclusion, the fact 
of the resurrection, we need to consider the reality, the 
scriptural testimony and the words of Jesus Christ. I alluded 
to a few instances earlier in the sermon. The scriptures are 
filled. This isn't just haphazard. Well, you know, we think he might 
have said that. No, the scriptural testimony and the words of Jesus 
Christ. Consider that the first person 
Jesus appeared to was a woman. Now, in our, you know, particular 
age, that might sound a bit offensive for me to even recite or rehearse 
that reality. But in that day, the testimony 
of a woman was not admissible in court. And yet, who does Jesus 
come to? A woman! You're trying to pad 
your case. You're trying to make it look 
legit. You don't put a woman on the 
witness list. Again, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, 
dear sisters. He hurt my delicate sensitivities. This was not constructed. This is not a cunningly devised 
fable. This wasn't woven together. and conspiracy theory hatched 
by a group of men that wanted to hold the wool over the people's 
eyes, or to force religion down their throats, or to impose their 
power and authority structure, or to make money. Now because 
some in the church abuse it and they make money and they exercise 
power, it is a fallacy to say that therefore Christianity is 
wrong. Because there's idiots in a certain 
segment of society, we don't say that entire segment of society 
is therefore idiotic. But how many times are we in 
the church held to account for the foolish, wicked, sinful actions 
of some within a particular segment? Just be honest. If you're going 
to argue against Christianity, don't do it with ad hominems, 
don't do it with abuse, do it from the facts. The scriptural 
testimony, the words of Jesus, the first person Jesus appeared 
to was a woman. The Mishnah reports that the 
testimony of a woman was not admissible in court. Thirdly, 
consider that there was a lot of unbelief connected with the 
fact among the disciples. Again, if you were going to put 
together a hero story, wouldn't you leave some of those unfortunate 
details out? It's one of the proofs of inspiration 
in the Old Testament scriptures, the fall of King David. You see, 
biographers don't typically rehearse and recite the dismal failure 
of their heroes. And yet the author in 1 Samuel, 
2 Samuel, tells us very specifically that David, the hero of Israel, 
committed murder and adultery. The same thing is true here. 
Truth has nothing to hide. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John 
do not shy away from saying, you know, there was a Thomas 
and he doubted. doesn't shy away from Matthew 28 just prior to 
the ascension on high. Some believe, some doubted. You see, if we were constructing 
a fable or a hero story, we'd leave out the unsavory details. There's a man by the name of 
Otto Scott, I believe he's with Christ now. He was an atheist. 
He was a man resistant to biblical truth. Why he sent his child 
to Sunday school, no one will ever know. But his child started 
going to Sunday school. So he said, I'm going to take 
up the Gospels and read so I can educate myself concerning this 
particular myth of Christianity. One of the things that stood 
out to him, he was subsequently converted, believed the Gospel. 
One of the things was the fact that the Gospel, the resurrection 
narratives, were not smoothed out. That spoke to him. He said, if men were going to 
lie, they'd smooth it out. Now, I'm not suggesting anyone 
here ever does this, but if you concoct a lie, you try to make 
it as savory as you possibly can. Right? You don't leave some 
glaring holes in your fabrication, and so people say, wait a minute, 
that just can't be. There's not contradictions, but 
it takes a little effort to see and harmonize the various accounts. 
But harmonized they can be. I did that prior to us even reading 
John 20. Consider the nature of his appearances. 
He appeared to individuals, to a pair of disciples, to small 
groups, to large assemblies, to women and to men, in public 
and private, at different times of the day, both in Jerusalem 
and Galilee. This is not the testimony of 
a massive hallucination. You know, this isn't five guys 
sitting out in Nevada at midnight with a bottle of wine saying, 
yeah, we saw these lights in the sky. I'm not necessarily 
saying that's, they're wrong or they're false, but, you know, 
come on, is there some third party that can verify this? We 
don't have that in the gospel records, the nature of the appearances. And then consider the threat 
to both the Roman Empire and Judaism in the claim of Jesus' 
resurrection. If anyone ever had a vested interest 
in saving a body to prove that it did not rise from the dead, 
certainly the Romans and the Jews had that interest. They'd 
put him under glass. They would display him publicly. 
They'd put him in the city square to say, your master did not rise 
from the dead. Your master is dead. He's right 
there. He's under glass. And then consider 
the apostolic testimony and the consistent report of the church 
throughout the centuries since the resurrection. You can't escape 
it. You may place conditions upon 
God. You may set forth your stipulations. You may say with Thomas, and 
less, and less, and less, and less. But deny the fact of the 
resurrection. You cannot do. You cannot do 
it. It's much better to embrace it, 
to see the truth of it, and to confess with Thomas, this disciple, 
Jesus is in fact my Lord and my God. Believe on him, as John 
the Apostle says, and you will have life in his name. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for the Word of God and we thank you for the fact that he 
is indeed risen, just like he said, just like the Old Testament 
scripture declared, just like the apostolic testimony has rehearsed. and the church throughout its 
many, many centuries of existence has proclaimed. God, we pray 
that all over the earth today the empty tomb would be preached, 
the death of Christ would be preached, the gospel facts that 
he lived, he died, he rose again, and that all those who by your 
grace look to him will in fact live. We thank you for your mercy 
and your grace to us. God, several of us, so many of 
us, set conditions down. We tried to make you conform 
to our particular understandings. Thank you for the grace that 
taught our hearts to fear. And thank you that Jesus is our 
Lord and our God. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.