Have you seen one of those “Before and After” ads for some type of dieting product in a magazine or on TV? They’re everywhere. The ads really work their magic on our emotions and desire to be different and better. I admit I have found myself wondering about taking those ‘magic diet pills’ if I could just become one of those Before and After miracle-models. Wake-up John, snap out of it!
In the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John after the crucifixion of Jesus, the Disciples were together in a room presumably, hiding because they were afraid of the Jews. After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to them and came in with them in spite of the doors being locked. When Jesus came in, He said ‘Peace be unto you’.
The Disciples were so glad to see Him and as they looked at his hands and side, obviously they were gazing at the evidence of the cross and his death and the proof that He was again alive. He assured them and said another time, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
In verse 24 thru 26 the passage says that Thomas was not with them when Jesus showed up on that occasion. Later, the other Disciples evidently told Thomas and his reaction was true to his nature- he said I don’t believe it. Unless I can see Him for myself, and see where the nails were in his body, I won’t believe it was Jesus.
Over a week later (8 days) Thomas was in the same room with the other Disciples with the doors once again locked. Jesus again came into the room, except this time Thomas was there. Jesus came up to Thomas and said: “Reach your finger here, and look and my hands; and reach your hands 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.”
A couple of things happened here. First, Thomas was invited to examine Jesus, and second, Thomas was led to worship Jesus. Thomas’ response of proclaiming that Jesus was His God was because he had examined him up close and personal and finding the evidence he was looking for, he did what was natural, he proclaimed that Jesus was God, and even more than that, Thomas accepted Jesus as his God.
We are invited to do the same; to examine the Christ. We can study Him by reading His Word and let Him prove to us who He is. As we make this incredible discovery, we will do what only comes natural -we worship Him. There is only one difference between us and Thomas; our conclusions must be based on faith.
Have you noticed lately that our church “order of service’ includes essentially three main sections: First, we come in rejoicing in a ‘Call to Worship’ of one or two songs, scripture reading, offering and prayer which leads secondly to Pastor Paul sharing from the Word, an examination of "The Word" (Jesus) -‘The Sermon’. Finally, we then move into a time of response to that discovery -'Worship'. This makes so much sense Biblically. Our corporate worship is a response to Jesus’ revealing to us. It’s natural!
No doubt when we are face to face with Him, in His presence in Heaven, we will fall before Him in ultimate unrestricted unabashed worship. Oh, that will be Glory.
Hmmm?
One reaction may be to say that ‘when I see him I will worship Him, until then I will be like Thomas and bide my time’. The Word’s response to us is “Blessed is he who believes and yet has not seen.”
Unfortunately, never again on this side of Glory will there be an opportunity to examine Jesus like Thomas did. We just will not have that afforded to us. Yet we are still faced with the same choice as Thomas -making Him our God. The act of worship for us, as it was for Thomas, is exactly the same. It’s our response to what has been revealed to us.
What’s been revealed to you? How has He proved Himself to you? How about naming off a few ways right now…. God is my Jehovah Jireh -my provider, He is my Jehovah Rapha -my healer, and I can create a list a mile long under just those two names. He is worthy of my worship and so I will be unashamed to call Him, as Thomas did, ‘my Lord and my God’. Examine Him for yourself……
-John
The Family that Worships Together
10 years ago
2 comments:
I've been in the process of organizing my devotional journal I've kept since last July. It is a blessing, yet quite hard to see where I was and what God has shown me through the past 11 months. August 16th Oswald Chambers talked about Thomas. I guess I'd never given much thought to him. Here are just a few of the things I wrote down about him.
"One other thing I noticed in John 20 was Christ's timing. Verses 19-25 tell of Jesus showing himself to His disciples. The disciples then tell Thomas they have seen the Lord, which he doubts. I'd never noticed this before, but verses 26-28 say it was a week later when Christ came back to Thomas. I wonder what Thomas was thinking during that week? I wonder if Jesus was waiting that long to teach Thomas something? And I wonder if, when Jesus did come to Thomas, how he felt about his reaction a week earlier? (something to talk with Thomas about when we meet him, isn't it.)"
Yes, Thomas had his doubts. I don't think those doubts were necessarily wrong - humanly speaking - given the fact that he knew Christ was dead. This was a real test of Thomas' faith. In another devotional Chambers writes, "Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict...the test will either prove your faith is right, or it will kill it. The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus." Without a doubt Thomas, upon seeing the risen Lord, has that kind of faith.
God is so good to always show us new things from His word!
Have fun studying,
Shanna~
Shanna,
You nailed it. (so did Chambers) Faith has to be tested. And usually not just once.
The testing is really for our benefit aren't they....
I hadn't noticed that aspect of a week until recently either.
I am sure the weeks time was for Thomas' benefit but it is also works out for us too. It's really cool how we can learn lessons from these guys in the Bible.
You're right, Thomas gets a bum rap on the doubting issue, because its what all of us do quite naturally.
-John
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