Calvary – Written Exposition

Reading: John 20:19-29

Introduction

Whenever we think of the group of disciples surrounding Jesus, some figures stand out prominently, while others linger in the background. Among the latter is Thomas, often remembered as the quintessential doubter, unwilling to accept anything without tangible proof. The well-known proverbial expression ‘Doubting Thomas’ refers to the story in chapter 20 of the Fourth Gospel. His experience, recorded in John 20:19-29, sheds light on the journey from doubt to deep faith.

Nothing is known about Thomas’ early life or of his call to follow Jesus as a full-time disciple. That he went fishing on the Sea of Galilee with six of the other disciples (Jn 21:2) has given rise to speculation that he was a fisherman by trade. The name Thomas means ‘twin’ in Aramaic and he was also called by the nickname ‘Didymus’ which in Greek also means ‘twin.’ We have no idea who his brother or sister was but it has been suggested that Matthew might have been his twin because their names appear together in the lists of Jesus’s disciples in the synoptic gospels (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15). Thomas is also mentioned in Acts 1:3 as one of the disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. However, it is the Gospel of John that documents Thomas’s encounters with Jesus (11:16; 14:5; 20:19-29). The words spoken by Thomas in all of these episodes are significant but it is the incident in John 20:19-29 that occupies our attention now.

Background to the event

This event unfolded on the first Sunday after Jesus’s crucifixion. The disciples, gripped by fear, gathered behind closed doors, reeling from the recent tumultuous events. There was much to discuss because not only had their master been taken away and executed but also several of their number maintained that Jesus had risen again from the dead and their friend Mary Magdalene had told them that she had already seen and spoken to Jesus (20:18). Two of their usual number were not there. None of the disciples expected Judas to be with them but Thomas was conspicuously absent. As a result he missed the transformative encounter with the resurrected Christ.

Then came Jesus (v.19)

Amidst the disciples’ discussions, Jesus appears, offering peace and revealing his wounds. They were delighted to see him alive. The narrator observes in v.20: ‘then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.’ This joyful comment, however, is soon followed by what seems to me one of the saddest and most poignant verses in the Bible:

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. (20:24)

Thomas was not with them when Jesus came

We are not told why Thomas was absent that Sunday evening. He may have been too frightened to come or perhaps had some other pressing business to attend to. Certainly he must have thought that he had a good reason for not attending but because he was not there that night he missed seeing the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. His absence had a cause but it also had a cost.

Thomas missed the Lord’s presence. – v.19 ‘then came Jesus and stood in the midst.’

Thomas missed the Lord’s power. – v.19 ‘when the doors were shut……came Jesus.’

Thomas missed the Lord’s peace. – v.19 ‘peace be unto you.’

Thomas missed the Lord’s provision. – v.22b-23 ‘receive ye the Holy Ghost…..’

He missed the tangible presence, power, peace and provision of the Lord; therefore relegating himself to a week of needless doubt and discouragement.

I will not believe

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. John 20:25

The other disciples were so joyful at seeing the risen Lord that they could not keep the good news to themselves. When they informed him about the sighting of Jesus, Thomas demanded empirical evidence to assuage his doubts – evidence that he would have seen had he gathered with the other disciples the previous Sunday evening – and remained adamant that without it he would not believe.

Then came Jesus (v.26)

A week later the disciples met once again, this time with Thomas present. Jesus appeared once more among them even though the doors were shut; thus displaying the ability of his resurrection body to transcend physical barriers. This second appearance seems to have been mainly for the benefit of Thomas. How compassionate of the Lord to understand Thomas’s doubt and encourage him to have faith! How comforting to realize that he extends this same patience to those of us today who might struggle with doubt, while simultaneously asking us to move beyond that into belief! Jesus addressed Thomas directly, inviting him to touch his wounds, thus bridging the chasm of doubt with tangible proof. He then challenged Thomas to ‘be not faithless, but believing.’

My Lord and my God.

There is no suggestion in the passage that Thomas actually took up this invitation to touch the healing wounds of Calvary. Note that the author’s focus on the wounds emphasizes to us how much Jesus loved us and was prepared to suffer on our behalf. Those wounds had been prophesied by the prophet Isaiah many centuries before they were inflicted:

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isa 53:3-5

Thomas did not need to touch the wounds. He had sight of the crucified and resurrected Saviour; all the evidence he needed was standing before him. Convinced and convicted by this encounter Thomas uttered a profound declaration of faith: ‘My Lord and my God!’ In one short exclamation he affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ and acknowledged his lordship. With his faith transcending scepticism to embrace divine truth and with his doubts forever settled Thomas committed himself to the service of his Lord.

What is the relevance of this story to us today? It is that Jesus acknowledged Thomas’s faith but he also pronounced a blessing on those who, without the benefit of first-hand evidence, would transfer from doubt to belief by faith; that is, taking God at his word and relying on his promises; hence us.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

Summation

The narrative of Thomas’s faith journey resonates with contemporary seekers grappling with doubts and uncertainties. Jesus’s response to Thomas exemplifies patience and understanding, encouraging faith amidst scepticism. If you are plagued with doubts, fears or sin I trust that you will be able to overcome your problems by getting a sight of the risen Christ. Like Thomas, may you move beyond doubt to embrace the profound truth of Christ’s divinity and lordship and experience the peace that only he can bestow. Be not faithless, but believing!

Perhaps at times you see something of yourself in Thomas; feeling alone, troubled, doubting and no longer active in the service of the Lord. You may have neglected attendance at the regular meetings of the church, even on a Sunday, as Thomas did. If so, there is much that you have missed; including Jesus, – for he is there:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Ancient tradition holds that Thomas became a missionary, spreading the Gospel to distant lands. He went east, first evangelizing Parthia and then on to India where eventually he was martyred (see; Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 3, 1; Acts of Thomas 1-2 and 17ff). Thomas willingly died for that which he once doubted.

Thomas’s journey from doubt to faith serves as a beacon for us today, convincing us to draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, to relinquish our issues, fears and doubts in his presence and receive his peace.

Doubt sees the obstacles…..Faith sees the way,

Doubt sees the darkest night…….Faith sees the day,

Doubt dreads to take a step…….Faith soars on high,

Doubt questions ‘Who believes?’……Faith answers ‘I’.

Let us boldly declare that we believe; echoing Thomas’s resounding affirmation of faith in the risen Christ: ‘my Lord and my God!’

Matthew 28:5-7

5 ‘And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;’

In these verses from Matthew’s gospel there are four verbs which, for me, sum up the message of Easter. The four words are imperatives, i.e. they give an order or instruction. They are commands. COME, SEE, GO, TELL.

The Lord Jesus had been betrayed by Judas Iscariot, forsaken by his disciples, denied by Peter, tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, crucified at Calvary, and buried in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Afterwards, on the morning of the first day of the week, some women came to the garden tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. Would they be able to gain access?

When they arrived they were surprised to find that there had been a great earthquake and a large stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb had been rolled back by an angel. He said that they were not to fear and that he knew that they were seeking Jesus. So he told them to ‘come.’

COME!

The Bible contains many invitations! The word “come” occurs often in the Bible. The first mention is in Gen. 7:1 when God called Noah and his family to come into the ark so that they might be saved from the flood. For Noah and his family to be saved they had accept the Lord’s invitation. This is still true today.

Jesus issued that same invitation in Matthew 11:28. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ That invitation still goes out to all who labour under the heavy burden of sin and guilt. Come, by faith, to the one who is no longer in the tomb! He has risen from the dead and is now in heaven! Come to Jesus who offers forgiveness, support and relief!

SEE!

The words ‘look’ and ‘see’ are similar but not exactly the same in meaning. When we casually look at something, we may not fully grasp what we are looking at. We may not comprehend the significance. By contrast, when we truly ‘see’ something we understand it. The angel wanted the women to ‘see’ (grasp and understand) that the tomb was empty; that Christ had risen from the dead and is alive forever.

GO!

The women were told to go. There was no suggestion or intention that from then on they should just stare into the empty tomb. As soon as we reach the point of seeing the empty tomb and trusting the living Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, we must ‘go’. We ought to go and learn more about him. We should go to him in prayer. We need to go and fellowship with like-minded believers (Acts 2:42).

TELL!

The women were instructed to tell the disciples about the resurrection. We too ought to tell the good news to those who are lost and dying. It is neither necessary nor practical for everyone to be involved in missionary activity abroad. You can do it wherever you are. In Mark 5 a demon-possessed man who was healed by Jesus wanted to journey with the Lord but was told instead to go home to his friends and tell the great things the Lord had done for him (Mk 5:19).

Have you COME? Do you SEE? If so, GO and live for him and TELL others about what he has done for you.

‘He is not here: for he is risen!’

The message of Easter is COME, SEE, GO, TELL

Tag: Calvary

THE APOSTLE THOMAS: A JOURNEY FROM DOUBT TO FAITH

COME, SEE, GO, TELL