Without a Doubt
Zach Terry
John 20:24-31
INTRODUCTION: This year we are going to look at the Easter story through the eye of Thomas the Apostle. Or as you may know him - ''Doubting Thomas''. That really is an unfortunate adjective to attach to a person's name, is it not? Doubting Thomas.
All because of something he said in a moment of struggle, where he pushed back on the the seemingly impossible claim that a man had risen from the dead.
The other times where Thomas's story is chronicled in the Gospel record, he certainly wasn't marked by doubt, quiet the opposite - an overwhelming sense of courage and boldness.
On one occasion Jesus had determined to go to Jerusalem a place where the Pharisees were plotting to kill him. The disciples weren't sure if they wanted to go - but listen to what Thomas says, John 11:16 (ESV) 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ''Let us also go, and if we die, we die with Him.''
What a courageous statement - ready to walk into the mouth of the beast, the enemies territory, ready to pay the ultimate price. But he is not remembered as Thomas that BOLD, but Doubting Thomas. WHY?
Well the reason for the name, ''Doubting Thomas'' is because of what happened a few days after the resurrection. Jesus had already appeared to the Mary Magdalene. Now that fact in itself, that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the risen Christ, lends tremendous weight to the credibility of this easter story.
You see, no one would make up a story like this where the first eye witness is woman in first century Israel. A woman's testimony wasn't even admissible in a court of law. And IF you were to include a woman, well you certainly wouldn't make it Mary Magdalene. You see John told us earlier in the story that Mary had been delivered from the influence of 7 Demons. So just the fact that SHE is the first person Jesus appeared to says something about the credibility of the story - you'd never make it up that ...
Zach Terry
John 20:24-31
INTRODUCTION: This year we are going to look at the Easter story through the eye of Thomas the Apostle. Or as you may know him - ''Doubting Thomas''. That really is an unfortunate adjective to attach to a person's name, is it not? Doubting Thomas.
All because of something he said in a moment of struggle, where he pushed back on the the seemingly impossible claim that a man had risen from the dead.
The other times where Thomas's story is chronicled in the Gospel record, he certainly wasn't marked by doubt, quiet the opposite - an overwhelming sense of courage and boldness.
On one occasion Jesus had determined to go to Jerusalem a place where the Pharisees were plotting to kill him. The disciples weren't sure if they wanted to go - but listen to what Thomas says, John 11:16 (ESV) 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ''Let us also go, and if we die, we die with Him.''
What a courageous statement - ready to walk into the mouth of the beast, the enemies territory, ready to pay the ultimate price. But he is not remembered as Thomas that BOLD, but Doubting Thomas. WHY?
Well the reason for the name, ''Doubting Thomas'' is because of what happened a few days after the resurrection. Jesus had already appeared to the Mary Magdalene. Now that fact in itself, that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the risen Christ, lends tremendous weight to the credibility of this easter story.
You see, no one would make up a story like this where the first eye witness is woman in first century Israel. A woman's testimony wasn't even admissible in a court of law. And IF you were to include a woman, well you certainly wouldn't make it Mary Magdalene. You see John told us earlier in the story that Mary had been delivered from the influence of 7 Demons. So just the fact that SHE is the first person Jesus appeared to says something about the credibility of the story - you'd never make it up that ...
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