The Disciple From Missouri
Sermon
From Dusk To Dawn
Sermons For Lent And Easter
The disciple from Missouri, "Didymus" which in the Greek
language means "Twin," the Doubter. The founder of Christianity
in India. He is known by many nicknames. We know him as Thomas,
one of the 12 disciples Jesus called to follow him from the
Galilean Sea to the cobbled streets of the holy city of
Jerusalem. In this chapter we meet the man Peter Marshall called
the disciple from Missouri.
The three synoptic gospels simply list Thomas as one of the 12
disciples. We get no insights into the heart of this Galilean
fisherman. In John's gospel, though, we see several scenes in
which the character of Thomas is revealed. We see him with Jesus
when the Lord went to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from
the dead. The disciples knew the Lord's enemies would be in
Bethany. It took courage to go with Jesus. Thomas alone spoke
when he said, "Let us also go that we may die with him." (John
11:16)
The next scene in which we meet Thomas is on the night when
Jesus was betrayed by Judas. When Jesus told the disciples at the
last supper, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling
places, if it were not so, would I have told you so?" Thomas
asked Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can
we know the way?" In response to Thomas' question, Jesus told the
dirty dozen and each of us, "I am the way, and the truth, and the
life."
It is the third scene in the portrait of Thomas that has led
to his being labelled "Doubting Thomas." It happened in the upper
room a week after Easter Sunday. Thomas had not been in the upper
room on Easter Sunday night when Jesus first appeared to the 10
disciples who had gathered there to mourn their fallen leader. He
had not been there when the risen Lord appeared to them,
declared, "Peace be to you." He had not been there when Jesus
showed the disciples his hands and his sides. He had not been
there when the disciples rejoiced in seeing and touching, hearing
and listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd who had returned
to be Immanuel to his disciples.
Thomas was not with the disciples that Easter night. They
excitedly told Thomas they had seen Jesus. Thomas doubted their
report. The disciple of doubt said, "Unless I see the marks of
the nails in his hands and put my fingers on the mark of the
nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week passed. We are again in the upper room. This time
Thomas is with the others. Jesus came and stood among them.
Thomas touched the nail-scarred hands of the crucified suffering
servant. He touched the side where the spear of the Roman
legionnaire had been thrust into our Savior's side. Thomas saw
and knew in his heart that Jesus was alive. He no longer doubted.
He believed. He cried out, "My Lord and my God." (John 11:28)
The poet Tennyson wrote, "There lives more faith in honest
doubt than in half the creeds." Give Thomas his due. He wasn't a
hypocrite. He wouldn't believe in the risen Jesus unless he was
convinced.
A friend in the ministry told me that one day he walked into a
Sunday school room wearing his long black robe. A new girl in the
class saw him and said, "Look teacher, God has come into our
room!"
Like the little girl many people are looking for God. Often
these seekers and searchers seek out a Savior far from the spires
of their local Christian church. They may even attend church, say
the creeds, recite the prayers, take the communion cup. Yet in
their hearts there is a canker of doubt. They wonder
if the gospel is real. They fret over faith in a God who heals
and makes whole. They distrust a Lord who performs miracles. They
shy away from a trust in a Savior who conquers death upon an old
rugged cross.
All of us have at times in our lives doubted Jesus. The famous
attorney Clarence Darrow said, "They tell me there is a God; but
I have never seen him, I have never touched him, I have no
personal acquaintance with him." To which a Christian replied,
"It is ... reported that Mr. Darrow has a mind, but I have never
seen it ..."
Doubts come to us in the black watches of the night. Doubts
when someone we love dies. Doubts when divorce breaks up a
family. Doubts when disease bites into the flesh of someone we
love with all the fury of an acre of serpents.
Doubts can be conquered. Doubt is not the final word God has
written across the heavens. God answers doubt with faith. Jesus
is God with a human face. Jesus is man with the face of God.
Jesus conquers doubt. Jesus is victor over death. Jesus is the
answer to the questions raised in the doubting Thomas part of our
minds.
Another disciple named Peter later wrote to all of the
doubting Thomases when he said,
Although you have not seen him, you love him and even though you
do not see him now you believe in him and rejoice with a ...
glorious joy.
(1 Peter 1:8-9)
Thomas doubted that we might have no doubts. That Sunday night
in the upper room, one week after Easter, Thomas had his eyes
opened. He knew Jesus was his Lord and God. Thomas exclaimed, "My
Lord and my God." His eyes had seen the glory of the Lord. He
lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
Legend has it that Thomas became a missionary. He brought
Christianity to the shores of India. He became an apostle,
spreading the news of his Lord's resurrection. Thomas no longer
doubted. Thomas believed. In our lives and discipleship, may we
also believe in him who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
language means "Twin," the Doubter. The founder of Christianity
in India. He is known by many nicknames. We know him as Thomas,
one of the 12 disciples Jesus called to follow him from the
Galilean Sea to the cobbled streets of the holy city of
Jerusalem. In this chapter we meet the man Peter Marshall called
the disciple from Missouri.
The three synoptic gospels simply list Thomas as one of the 12
disciples. We get no insights into the heart of this Galilean
fisherman. In John's gospel, though, we see several scenes in
which the character of Thomas is revealed. We see him with Jesus
when the Lord went to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from
the dead. The disciples knew the Lord's enemies would be in
Bethany. It took courage to go with Jesus. Thomas alone spoke
when he said, "Let us also go that we may die with him." (John
11:16)
The next scene in which we meet Thomas is on the night when
Jesus was betrayed by Judas. When Jesus told the disciples at the
last supper, "In my Father's house there are many dwelling
places, if it were not so, would I have told you so?" Thomas
asked Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can
we know the way?" In response to Thomas' question, Jesus told the
dirty dozen and each of us, "I am the way, and the truth, and the
life."
It is the third scene in the portrait of Thomas that has led
to his being labelled "Doubting Thomas." It happened in the upper
room a week after Easter Sunday. Thomas had not been in the upper
room on Easter Sunday night when Jesus first appeared to the 10
disciples who had gathered there to mourn their fallen leader. He
had not been there when the risen Lord appeared to them,
declared, "Peace be to you." He had not been there when Jesus
showed the disciples his hands and his sides. He had not been
there when the disciples rejoiced in seeing and touching, hearing
and listening to the voice of the Good Shepherd who had returned
to be Immanuel to his disciples.
Thomas was not with the disciples that Easter night. They
excitedly told Thomas they had seen Jesus. Thomas doubted their
report. The disciple of doubt said, "Unless I see the marks of
the nails in his hands and put my fingers on the mark of the
nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week passed. We are again in the upper room. This time
Thomas is with the others. Jesus came and stood among them.
Thomas touched the nail-scarred hands of the crucified suffering
servant. He touched the side where the spear of the Roman
legionnaire had been thrust into our Savior's side. Thomas saw
and knew in his heart that Jesus was alive. He no longer doubted.
He believed. He cried out, "My Lord and my God." (John 11:28)
The poet Tennyson wrote, "There lives more faith in honest
doubt than in half the creeds." Give Thomas his due. He wasn't a
hypocrite. He wouldn't believe in the risen Jesus unless he was
convinced.
A friend in the ministry told me that one day he walked into a
Sunday school room wearing his long black robe. A new girl in the
class saw him and said, "Look teacher, God has come into our
room!"
Like the little girl many people are looking for God. Often
these seekers and searchers seek out a Savior far from the spires
of their local Christian church. They may even attend church, say
the creeds, recite the prayers, take the communion cup. Yet in
their hearts there is a canker of doubt. They wonder
if the gospel is real. They fret over faith in a God who heals
and makes whole. They distrust a Lord who performs miracles. They
shy away from a trust in a Savior who conquers death upon an old
rugged cross.
All of us have at times in our lives doubted Jesus. The famous
attorney Clarence Darrow said, "They tell me there is a God; but
I have never seen him, I have never touched him, I have no
personal acquaintance with him." To which a Christian replied,
"It is ... reported that Mr. Darrow has a mind, but I have never
seen it ..."
Doubts come to us in the black watches of the night. Doubts
when someone we love dies. Doubts when divorce breaks up a
family. Doubts when disease bites into the flesh of someone we
love with all the fury of an acre of serpents.
Doubts can be conquered. Doubt is not the final word God has
written across the heavens. God answers doubt with faith. Jesus
is God with a human face. Jesus is man with the face of God.
Jesus conquers doubt. Jesus is victor over death. Jesus is the
answer to the questions raised in the doubting Thomas part of our
minds.
Another disciple named Peter later wrote to all of the
doubting Thomases when he said,
Although you have not seen him, you love him and even though you
do not see him now you believe in him and rejoice with a ...
glorious joy.
(1 Peter 1:8-9)
Thomas doubted that we might have no doubts. That Sunday night
in the upper room, one week after Easter, Thomas had his eyes
opened. He knew Jesus was his Lord and God. Thomas exclaimed, "My
Lord and my God." His eyes had seen the glory of the Lord. He
lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
Legend has it that Thomas became a missionary. He brought
Christianity to the shores of India. He became an apostle,
spreading the news of his Lord's resurrection. Thomas no longer
doubted. Thomas believed. In our lives and discipleship, may we
also believe in him who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
