This week in the devotional we are going to recap the last 3 sermons that I gave surrounding the tough topics conference. We will start with the sermon from yesterday then work our way backwards and dig into a theme or a text from the sermon that we kinda just glossed over the last 3 weeks.
In the sermon from yesterday I talked about simply hearing each other's stories and how important that is. The main text I drew from was John 20:24-29. As you read this again consider how offensive Thomas's response was to the other disciples. He is essentially telling them, "You're lying. I don't believe you."
John 20:24–29
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
*I color-coded the text so you can see more clearly how Jesus tells Thomas to do the exact things he said he needed to see in order to believe.
Jesus in his mercy shows up and reveals all the proofs Thomas needed to see in order to believe. In witnessing this Thomas confesses, "My Lord and my God!" Not only is this evidence sufficient to confirm Jesus rising from the dead but it confirms somehow Jesus heard and knew of Thomas's demands for faith. Thomas is left with no other solution. Jesus is Lord and God.
In the conversation of Jesus divinity, this text is huge. Note that Jesus doesn't correct Thomas when he calls him God. If it were not true and Jesus were not God this would be blasphemy of the highest order. This would be a violation of the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Ex. 20:3) But Jesus accepts his worship. It is texts like this that led C.S. Lewis to say that Jesus is either a liar, lunatic or he is the Lord. There is no fourth option available to us.
Again, the gospel is a story of spectacular events that was transmitted through individuals telling of their experiences with Jesus (ie. the gospels), as exemplified here in the disciples telling Thomas of their experience with Jesus. In a way, our whole life, our eternal destiny, is based on our response to hearing these stories and whether we respond with faith or disbelief. Jesus' benediction in v. 29 is a pronouncement of blessing on those who believe the witness of the apostles and yet have not seen. Jesus doesn't show up and reveal all the proofs of his resurrection to everyone. Therefore, hearing this story and believing is central to the Christian faith.
If this is the case we as Christians ought to be more willing to simply hear one another's stories without dismissing them out of hand. Think of the tragedy if you were to have heard the gospel and simply dismissed it. I'm certainly not comparing the significance of the stories we hear from one another to the story of the gospel. The gospel is the greatest story that has ever been told. I'm simply encouraging us to explore the means by which this gospel is transmitted and how we ourselves came to believe.
Romans 10:14–17
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
The rest of this week we will dive into this further as we explore how these stories can encourage us and challenge us, and how we need to discern and learn from them.