THOMAS

By Rev. Dr. Jerry Schmoyer  jerry@schmoyer.net 

 http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/

 

INTRODUCTION

Hello!  My name is THOMAS, better known as DOUBTING Thomas.

       I’m here to tell you about the resurrection of Jesus

       I want to pick up the story where Barabbas left

       After the light came back on, earthquake, veil torn and graves opened

       Spear in Jesus’ side proving He was dead

 

DEATH TO BURIAL (Friday, Day 1)

Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea (rich, influential Jews who lost it all by taking a stand for Jesus) got body and buried it

   Rest of Jeru sitting down to PASSOVER

 

SABBATH/PASSOVER  (sundown Fri –  Sat, Day 2)

WE stayed hidden, scattered throughout city

       no work, etc – grief & mourning

       confusion and fear

NO PEACE, lonely, turmoil

       FEAR opposite of PEACE (elaborate on this)

 

RELIGIOUS RULERS only ones remembered claim to rise in day 3

    -Roman seal on tomb

       NOT to hold shut (20 men to move)

       BUT Roman authority, show if moved

    -Roman soldiers stationed to guard

       Top fighting men in world, highly disciplined

              death penalty for failing assignment

SATURDAY EVENING  (start Day 3)

GATHER at last place were together – Upper Room

BUY spices, etc, for early start in morning

       Body decay, stink – cover with spices

NO  PEACE  look at circumstances

       FORGOT PROMISES  “With you always”

              “Never leave you ro forsake you”

              “Perfect love casts out all fear”

FORGOT prophecy to rise on 3rd day (7x said “on” not “after” 3rd day rise)

 

SUNDAY MORNING

 

BEFORE DAWN SUNDAY MORNING

       ANGELS appear, move stone so show empty   tomb (Jesus already gone)

            white, glory, power, purity – Gabriel!

            Why?      Let others in (not let Jesus out)

                     Moved stone Uphill – impossible!

              Deliver message to women

              Scare soldiers away (safe for Women) –     Local earthquake, remind of cruci!

       GUARDS panic, paralyzed to ground (Geth.)

              Flee, report what happened

              Bribed $.5 million to lie

              Executed by Rome if told truth

       RELIGIOUS RULERS have clear proof of res – no excuse

 

WOMEN START BEFORE SUNRISE, while still dark

       Mary Magd, Mary, mo of James Less, Salome

              I left, too – to mope, pity-party alone

       Women anxious, go as early as possible

              (told me about this LATER)

AT THE TOMB…

       Notice stone gone, rush in, body gone!

       Confused – thought body stolen

              First Jesus dead – now even body gone!

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESURRECTION

       1. Promise of more to come shown (above)

       2. Person of Christ settled (He is GOD)

       3. Preciousness of Jesus’ death signaled

              (seal of approval, showing it happened)

              death = greatest fear many people have, now gone

              PEACE available it believe

       4. Priority of live over death sealed

              (enemy, death, defeated)

       5. Proof of Word of God strengthened (Bi true)

       6. Preeminence of Jesus secured (Glory)

       7. Present work of Jesus started (HS, Int, Med

              Church, gifts, etc)  HS gives peace

 

ANGELS’ MESSAGE

       Women missed all this!

              eyes down, swollen from tears, numb

       2 angels inside, 1 outside tomb

              (Gabriel, Michael, etc.)

       Women startled, scared, confused

       “Don’t be Afraid.  He’s not here, He’s risen just as He said!”  gentle rebuke/reminder

       RESUSCITATION: back to old body/life die later

       RESURRECTION: new eternal glorified body

              Caterpillar to butterfly

              Bulb to flower

              Corn seed to plant

       The women at the tomb didn’t believe it, either

       Women confused, unsure, going by emotions

              Still think body stolen!

 

PETER & JOHN GO TO TOMB

Women go back to Upper Room,  Peter & John there

       “Someone stole the body!”

JOHN outran Peter (younger) stopped outside, looked

PETER rushed inside, confused, not know what think

JOHN entered, saw linen “cocoon” & head covering!

       didn’t remember res proph, but thought alive!

Back to Upper Room

 

 

MARY MAGDALENE TO TOMB

Leader of women, single, $, 7 demons

Followed Peter & John, but slower

Cried out of control, alone & all pours out

       Emotional, drained, exhausted, etc.

Saw 2 angels inside  “Why crying?”

       “Taken my Lord, don’t know where!”

Jesus: “Why crying?”

       Gardener: “I’ll get body – where?”

       “Mary” – fell on knees, hugged them

       “Don’t – tell brothers I’m returning”

Body: perfect res body

 

OTHER WOMEN ARRIVE

Concerned @ Mary

Same thing – see Jesus

Tell men – don’t believe

 

PETER SEES JESUS

Don’t know when, where, what said, etc – private

Jesus came to Peter to forgive, restore

 

CLEOPAS & MARY

Cleopas (bro of Joseph)

Mary (mo of James Less & Joseph)

       (cousin of Mary, at cross, etc.)

ROAD TO EMMAUS – confused, hurt, etc.

Man catches up, asks why sad, tell @ cruc.

EXPLAINED OT PROPH @ MESSIAH

Invited home to eat, then recognized & disappeared

 

MANY DISCIPLES IN UPPER ROOM

10 disc (no Thomas), Nic & Jo Arim, Marys, Laz/Marth/Mary, Mark & fam, Cleop/Mary,

All disciples  

       fearful – afraid arrested and killed, too

              ME hiding so not arrested (& self-pity)

       doubting – heard Jesus alive, disbelieve

       emotional – sad, hopeless, depressed, helpless

thought Jesus Messiah, set up kingdom,

       confused about circumstances

              Jesus dead, awful death, why allow it?

              now not even have body!

 

JESUS – All of a sudden there! 

All fearful – ghost!

“Peace be with you.”

PROOF:  look, think (see marks in hands, feet)

            touch (remove doubt, no ghost)

    more proof: eat with them (not need food)

 

PEACE: “Peace be with you!”

       Believe Jesus in control = PEACE!

COMMISSIONED:  “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  (work to do for Him)

BREATHED ON DISC “Receive Holy Spirit”

       only way have POWER to have peace – by HS

       PEACE – fruit of HS, can’t counterfeit, make own!

 

DISCIPLES REJOICED   Jesus is alive!

Superior, eternal body of Glory

See, touch, talk with Him

Reunited, eat & talk together

Commissioned to spread good news!  HS given to enable/power for all this

… but for those not there – all that missing!

 

THOMAS’ DOUBTS

Handled fear, depression, confusion  WITHDRAWAL

       self pity, pity party – NO PEACE!

Always miss a blessing when not with God’s people!

       “Do NOT forsake the assembling of yourselves”

Thomas STILL like they were BEFORE

       no more doubting, they all doubted

One week (7 days) pass –       JOY for others

       MISERY for Thomas               (no peace without presence of Jesus!)

       hate seeing others in peace, tried to spoil theirs

 

THOMAS SEES, BELIEVES

One week later, over self-pity

       Mind open, not emotions controlling

Jesus appeared again! – same as before – GRACE

“Peace be unto you!” – for Thomas!

PROOF: see, touch, fingers in hand/side

       “Stop doubting & believe!”

              Life-time advice for me & all, then & now!

“MY LORD & MY GOD”

       LORD:  master, deliverer, provider

       GOD: sovereign ruler of universe

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

    THOMAS’ FAITH is great –   Others, who believe without touching, greater! YOU!

 

We saw Him about a dozen times over the next 40 days, -individually or in group (500)   -mainly in Galilee, as He said

 

Then back in Jerusalem, Mt of Olives, farewell & ASCENDED

 

Never – only to believers and followers

       Rel Rulers had enough evidence (Roman soldiers) but chose to reject

       Nothing would change their mind

Made up some wild stories to explain away Res!

       EXCUSES SO NOT HAVE TO BELIEVE!

 

PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION

1. EVIDENCE OF THE EMPTY TOMB

       None of the false theories explains it

2. ROMAN GUARDS TESTIFY TO RESURRECTION

       Tell rel rulers the truth, so must be bribed

3. APPEARANCES OF CHRIST

       10 appearances, 40 days, 500+ people

4. CHARACTER OF THE WITNESSES

       Very reluctant to believe

5. ASCENSION OF CHRIST shows alive again

6. APPEARANCES AFTER ASCENSION

       Stephen as being martyred

       Paul: Damascus Rd, Arabia, Temple, prison

       John: Patmos

7. CHANGE IN DISCIPLES, Peter, etc.

8. GOD’S POWER SHOWN THRU DISCIPLES

       miracles, tongues, healing, sp gifts

9. DAY OF PENTECOST – HS, 3000+ saved

10. PAUL’S CONVERSION – sudden, complete change

11. SUNDAY REPLACES SABBATH – why Jews do it?

12. LORD’S SUPPER – why start in memory of living S

13. BAPTISM – show death & RES

14. RESURRECTION OBSERVANCE (Easter)

       based on new life of Jesus

15. TESTIMONY OF ANCIENT WRITERS

       Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, Thallus, Josephus

       Clement of Rome, Ignatius, etc.

16. EARLY CHURCH GROWTH despite martyrdom

17. MARTYRDOM faced triumphantly, willingly

18. CONVINCING & CONVERTING power OF GOSPEL – faith

in dead man NO save

19. TESTIMONY OF CHRISTIANS for 2,000 yrs

20. WITNESS OF HS WITHIN each of us

       Is it true?  What says HS within?

 


RESURRECTION shows GOD’S POWER

       Knowing HE is in control brings peace

       Trusting sovereign God = nothing to fear!

Followed rest of life, never doubted (but tempted often)

       Persia, martyred (sword in Edessa)

Lessons I learned to keep His peace instead of fear, panic, hopelessness:

 

PEACE COMES FROM THE PRESENCE OF JESUS

       -by knowing He is alive (and we will live forever)

       -by remembering He keeps His promises

       -by not going by emotions (fear, hopelessness,

       -by being in HIS PRESENCE – reading Bible

              =relying on power of Holy Spirit

 

CONCLUSION

 

Do YOU have that peace?

 

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

John 16:33  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

PEACE COMES FROM JESUS – being in His presence – then, and now

Peace STILL comes from His Presence!

       He IS alive . . .

That’s right, its up to each of us to decide.

       I had my decision to make and believed?

What about you?

       Do you believe Jesus came back to life?

       Have you accepted Him as Savior?

       Do you find peace in His presence/Word?

       If no peace – don’t believe He is alive/soverign

 

CLOSING PRAYER . . .

 

(OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHERS TO STAND, SHARE WHAT JESUS MEANS TO THEM)

 

C t O Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
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