19. JESUS LOVES THE DOUBTER - MEETING THOMAS
Read John 20:24-29
Sometimes it's hard to BELIEVE. We dont want to DOUBT but "life's pains often catch us off guard". When we deal with GRIEF or DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, DOUBT GETS IN!
Thomas was a "great thinker" and also was often filled with doubts - which is why he had the nickname: "Doubting Thomas". Yet he never lacked committment - he just never had all the answers, and this often troubled him.
This is what keeps me at wake at night sometimes. I know the Lord is always with me, and he has our lives in our hands, but there are times, I just can't get these thoughts and worries off my mind. Mark is also a "great thinker" who wants to have all the answers, but he doesn't. He wants to be in control, but he isn't always, and he finds it hard, not so much to "doubt", but just to put his life in God's hands.
Thomas had watched JESUS DIE, and the scene was "permanently seared in His mind". When he heard the "rumours" that Jesus was alive, he couldn't "believe it". He had "SERIOUS DOUBTS". He needed to SEE JESUS FOR HIMSELF!
"Unless I see His hands, the marks of His nails, and place my hand into His side, I WILL NEVER BELIEVE." John 20:25b (NCV)
When Jesus entered Thomas presence, he didn't need too see these things, for all he needed was Jesus.
"Thomas: "My Lord and My God".
"Jesus: "You believe because you see me. THOSE WHO BELIEVE WITHOUT SEEING WILL BE TRULY BLESSED." John 20:28&29 (NCV)
Jesus still loved Thomas even though he still had doubts, and he LOVES US. We are truly BLESSED when we BELIEVE even when we haven't seen great miracles. We were not physical witnesses of Jesus's resurrection, but our FAITH AND COMMITTMENT in strong.
Many people still have doubts and wants to prove that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. Jesus was a mythological figure, just a man, his followers made it up, his witnesses were unreliable, the resurrection is not only important but untrue. We know that there are so many prophecies, miracles, appearances in the Gospels, but the the best claim is from JESUS HIMSELF: "he died for the sins of the world, and we can can receive eternal life by BELIEVING IN HIM". Hugh Claycombe
"But these are written so that YOU MAY BELIEVE that JESUS IS THE SON of GOD, and BY BELIEVING, YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME." John 20:31 (NCV)
"Thank you Lord for guiding us into a deeper relationship with you. When we go through difficult time, thank you that we can run into your arms and be secure in your LOVE and PRESENCE." Max Lucado.
20. CATCHING FISH - A NEW PETER
Read John 21
"Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the followers did not know it was Jesus. Then He said to them: "Friends, did you catch any fish?"
They answered: "No".
He said: "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and yiu will find some."
So they did and they caught so many fish they could not pull the net back into the boat.
Then the follower whom Jesus loved said to Peter: "It is the Lord." John 21:4-7 (NCV)
Peter followed Jesus onto the shore, and they brought some fish so they could share them with Jesus. This was the third time he had spent time with his disciples after his resurrection, but this was a special time for he wanted to spend some special time with Peter.
Jesus told Peter he would LEAD THE EARLY CHURCH and He would die as a martyr. Jje would feed "HIS LAMBS and HIS SHEEP", and TAKE CARE of them. Yet he could only do this if he was PASSIONATE and LOVED JESUS. He would have to serve His people and minister to them the same way that Jesus did. Most of all he would need to feel confident and free from any faiulure he felt.
This is something Mark and I have had to work on over the years: failures and rejection we felt as parents, in the workplace, grief, family relationships. If it wasn't for our FAITH AND TRUST in Jesus Christ and His Father God, we would never have made it. If God hadn't given us the opportunity to "feed His lambs" in His Church - His children, and to reach out into the world to "take care of his sheep", we would have been "worthless".
"Yes, all the things I once thought were most important are gone from my life. Compared to the HIGH PRIVILEDGE OF KNOWING CHRIST AS MY MASTER, firshand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant.... I have dumped it in the trash so I CAN EMBRACE CHRIST AND BE EMBRACED BY HIM." Philippians 3:8 (MSG)
"Lord, help us to LOVE YOU as Peter did. Help is to "feed your lambs", and "take care of his sheep", and be willing to pay the price in FOLLOWING YOU." Nicky Gumbel
"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW CENTURY VERSION' - 2005, Thomas Nelson
"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW LIVING TRANSLATION" - 2015, Tyndale House Publishing
'THE MESSAGE - THE BIBLE IN CONTEMPORARY LANGUAGE" - 2018, Eugene.H.Peterson, Tyndale House Publishing
"I Walk By Faith", 2028, Diether Aquino (Performer) Risen Tune/YouTube
"Feed My Sheep", 2018, Heavens Call - Crossroads (Performance), VCR, Home of Gospel Music.
CLAYCOMBE, Hugh, "Evidence for the Resurrection" - "Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps and Time Charts - 10th Anniversary", 2015, Rose Publishing
LUCADO, Max, "Life Lessons from John - Peter's Second Chance: John 21:1-19", 2018, Thomas Nelson
GUMBEL, Nicky, "Bible in One Year" - "Crazy Love for Jesus" (2009/2026) Alpha International/You Version
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