2010-2-28
“My Lord And My God”
John 20:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."
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Jesus has risen from the dead. He has shown Himself to most of the disciples but Thomas was not with them when Jesus appeared. Thomas reaction was I will believe it when I see it. Because of this passage many have dubbed Thomas with the nickname “doubting Thomas”. I believe it to be a bit harsh because it is a snap shot of a moment of doubt but it is not the story!
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In much the same way there may be a snap shot or two of moments of unbelief. You don’t have to live with the name tag of “doubting Thomas” any more than Thomas should!
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John 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
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In your moment of discouragement and uncertainty Jesus wants to speak peace to you! Remember Thomas has spent three years with Jesus; yet this encounter with Jesus was different than all the rest! Post resurrection Jesus speaking peace was an impartation, yes a supernatural encounter with Jesus. Think of it, Jesus appeared in the midst of them and the door was shut!
Even when the door is shut Jesus has the ability to appear in your presence in the very midst of your circumstances. Anybody hungry for an Jesus encounter? I know I am! Post resurrection whenever Jesus was there He spoke peace to the believer.
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John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."
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Post resurrection Jesus did not condemn Thomas for unbelief but moved him from his unbelief to believing! Jesus knew what Thomas was thinking and believing. The Priesthood of Jesus was already in play! Jesus showed up and gave Thomas a reason to hang on to the confession that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah!
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Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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Post resurrection gives us an assurance that our High Priest Jesus Christ can sympathize with our weaknesses and infirmities. Post resurrection allows us to hear “peace be unto you”! Jesus our High Priest gives us the ability to come into the throne room of God in our weakness and in our greatest hour of need! However, it is not just the ability to come, it is the ability to come boldly! What Christ has done to gain us access into the presence of God is great grace abounding! Hold on to the object of your faith being in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It has great reward!
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John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Our High Priest, Jesus, moved Thomas from unbelieving to believing! We can call Him “believing Thomas”. What a statement of faith Thomas made! “My Lord and my God!” Never forget that consummation of salvation is when we receive Jesus as our Messiah and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God!
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1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
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True salvation brings boldness to come into the throne room of God and boldness in the day of judgment! As Christ is, so are we in this world! Not just knowing the love of God but believing the love that God has for us! God is a covenant keeping God! Keeping our confession of faith in Jesus alone allows us to walk and experience all this covenant provides through Jesus Christ blood.
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John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
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There is an exclusiveness in salvation! It is all in Jesus Christ! Jesus is the exclusive life giver. There is no other way to eternal life. Those who leave this exclusiveness have left the way of Jesus Christ and Him crucified and are preaching a false gospel!
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1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
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Oh that the object of our faith is ever in believing that Jesus is the Son of God. What is the victory that overcomes the world?
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1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
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May we never be removed from the truth of who Jesus is! Enduring faith is the faith that is in the exclusive work Jesus has done at the cross. Can we believe like believing Thomas? When you come into the presence of Jesus do you worship and say “My Lord and my God!”?
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1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
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John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
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When the object of your faith is in Jesus Christ the crucified one you too can declare to Jesus “My Lord and my God”.
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