The sermon 'Many Infallible Proofs' by Jason Dohm explores John 20:19-29, emphasizing the importance of the resurrection of Jesus as the foundation of Christian faith. The speaker highlights the infallible proofs of Jesus' resurrection, focusing on Thomas' initial doubt and subsequent belief. By examining Thomas' demand for physical evidence and comparing it to the responses of other disciples, the sermon underscores the reliability of eyewitness testimony. The sermon also delves into the significance of Thomas' declaration 'My Lord and my God,' marking a unique and unqualified confession of Jesus' divinity. It further discusses Jesus' patience and tenderness towards those with weak faith, using Thomas as an example. The historical account of Thomas' missionary journey to India, where he evangelized and was eventually martyred, illustrates the transformative power of belief in the resurrection. The sermon encourages believers to embrace this faith and to be witnesses of the gospel, reflecting Jesus' disposition of peace and grace towards others.

Our sermon text is John chapter 20 starting in 24 through 29, but I'll be starting in verse 19. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you, as the Father has sent me, I also send you.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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." 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. 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. And Thomas answered and said to him, my Lord and my God, Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Let's pray. Oh, Lord, our God, we thank you for this day. God, we thank you for this passage. Lord, I pray that you would bless Jason as he comes and preaches.

Lord, help him to have confidence in the words that you've given him. Lord, pray that He would speak with full authority of Scripture. Oh God, I pray that You would help even some in this room to see, or to believe who have not seen. Oh God, open their eyes to see what is so evident to many of us. Oh Lord God please bless this time, bless the preaching of your word.

In Jesus name, Amen. The title of the sermon This morning is many infallible proofs. And I'm plucking language out of Acts chapter 1 verse 3 where Luke beginning that great book of church history, the book of Acts says that Jesus presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs being seen by the disciples during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. As Luke begins his book on church history, the book of Acts, he wants us to know that he is building on a sure foundation. The foundation for all of Christianity is that the tomb is empty, Jesus is alive, and he knows that because of the many infallible proofs of the resurrection.

Christianity falls apart without the resurrection. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then you're still in your sins and your faith is futile. That's what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5 and of course that's true. This is one wonderful installment of those many infallible proofs of the resurrection. So what we have before us in our text today in John chapter 20 is one of a series of the many infallible proofs that Jesus gave after his resurrection that he really had risen from the dead.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that actually there was one occasion where he presented himself alive to more than 500 people at one time and Paul says Most of them are alive today. In other words, I dare you to check me on it. This text also includes instruction pertaining to the kingdom. So He gives an infallible proof that he has risen from the dead and he provides instruction about his kingdom. So as we go to the text, let's pray and ask for God to help us.

Our God, I thank you that the foundation for our faith is so sure. Christ as the chief cornerstone is such a sure foundation. His resurrection being witnessed and attested to by so many infallible proofs. We thank you that you have not told us to believe against reason, but that you have given such solid evidence that our faith is sure. The object of our faith really has overcome sin and death and can cleanse us from our sins.

I pray that you would make us happy today as we consider the truths of your word in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, as usual, we'll be subdividing the text today. And so we'll begin by looking at verses 24 and 25. So if you still have your finger in John chapter 20, follow along as I reread John chapter 20 verses 24 and 25.

Now Thomas called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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. In these verses, Thomas rejects the eye witness testimony of his friends.

So If you happen to be taking notes on the handout, filling in blanks, eyewitness fills in the blank. Thomas rejects the eyewitness testimony of his friends. They're not passing along hearsay. They saw Jesus themselves. Not one of them, but ten of them.

Okay, who is Thomas? In Matthew, in Mark, in Luke, and in the book of Acts, Thomas is only a name on the list. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts are the four places where you can actually find a listing of Jesus' twelve disciples. In those places, he's just a name on the list. He doesn't appear anywhere else in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or acts other than in the list.

That's it. But in John, we get two other occasions where Thomas appears and speaks. So let's review those. In chapter 11, Jesus receives word that his dear friend Lazarus is sick. He waits on purpose to go so that Lazarus will die so that he can raise Lazarus from the dead.

The text is so clear that he knows exactly what is going to happen and he waits on purpose. Then in chapter 11 verse 16 we read this, Then Thomas, who was called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go that we may die with him. So Jesus hears, Lazarus is sick, he waits on purpose for him to die, then he says we are going to Jerusalem. They know the last time they were in Jerusalem, the leaders were seeking to kill him. They know what it means to go back to Jerusalem.

So Thomas says, okay, he is bent on going to Jerusalem. Let's go with him. Let's die with Him. So at least in chapter 11 we get a picture of a disciple that has deep devotion to the Lord Jesus. He knows what's at stake, he knows what the likely outcome of Jesus going back to Jerusalem is, but he doesn't shrink back.

He says, let's go with him and die with him. Like our text in chapter 11, he's called the twin. Now in both places, the New American Standard Version renders it didymus. Why do they do that? Well, they're not translating, they're transliterating, meaning they're not bringing over the meaning of the word into English.

They're bringing over letter by letter the word didymus, called didymus, both in chapter 11 and in our text. Why do they do that? Well, Thomas is an Aramaic name that means twin. And didymus is a Greek word that means twin. So two different languages, both meaning exactly the same thing.

He was given an Aramaic name, Aramaic being sort of close to Hebrew, and what Jews in that day would have normally spoken during everyday life. They of course would have known Hebrew, but day to day they'd be speaking Aramaic. He was given an Aramaic name Thomas, it means twin, but people called him by the Greek word that means the same thing. Didymus or the twin. We also see Thomas in chapter 14.

Flip back to John chapter 14. This one is a little more substantial so I want you to see it yourself. John 14, I will read 2-6. Jesus says, just to his disciples, this is the last supper. In my Father's house are many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also, and where I go you know, and the way you know." Thomas said to him, Lord we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way? Thomas is A disciple of Jesus seeking to understand, that's good, but he does contradict Jesus, that's not good. Jesus has just said, where I go you know, and the way you know, Thomas says, Lord we don't know. So he's seeking to understand, but he actually contradicts Jesus.

So we get our first glimpse that Thomas is not one to just nod and smile. Jesus says something, he has no idea what Jesus means, so he just nods and smiles. Probably the rest of the disciples are doing that. It's sort of an argument of silence. But Thomas is the only one to speak up when Jesus says, you know where I'm going, you know the way, Thomas says no.

No, he's not one to just not understand but to play along. We see that definitely again in chapter 20. He doesn't have the confidence of what they are saying is true. He is not about to just nod and smile like we see in chapter 14 and just play along. That's not Thomas.

Not in chapter 14 and not here in our text. In chapter 20. He's not going to just nod and smile and see how things work out. Okay, back to chapter 20. In verses 19 through 23, last week's text, Jesus appeared to his disciples, but now we're learning there was an exception.

Not everyone was there. Thomas wasn't there. So the others, the other ten, the twelve, minus Judas who betrayed Jesus and killed himself, and minus Thomas who simply wasn't present, the other ten say to Thomas, we have seen the Lord. The verb tense, which doesn't come across into English, but it's in the Greek, the verb tense indicates that they continuously said, or they repeatedly said, we have seen the Lord. So multiple known eye witnesses make multiple assertions, we've seen the Lord.

Meaning, it's not just one person, it's ten, and it's not just one time, it's multiple assertions that they have seen Jesus. Look back at verse 20. This is from last week's text. When Jesus had said this, He showed them His hands in His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

So Jesus appeared to them, He showed them His hands in His side, and then they were glad. So this is how they spent their week. They spent their week happy, having seen the Lord and believed because He presented Himself to them. They were made glad. That's not how Thomas spent his week.

They spent their week believing and rejoicing. He spent his week pushing back against known eyewitness testimony repeated and probably miserable. I'm guessing I know they believed, the rest of the disciples believed and were glad they spent their week rejoicing. We know he spent his week unbelieving and probably miserable. Thomas rejects the repeated eyewitness testimony of these multiple eyewitnesses who are not just strangers to him.

He spent three and a half years with them. These are his friends, his brethren. Here's what he tells these multiple eyewitnesses. Look at the second half of verse 25. Unless I see in his hands the prints of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not Believe.

Now this is a very strong double negative in the Greek. So they don't render it that way into English because it breaks our rules. We don't allow for double negatives, but it would be like saying, I will not never believe. That's how it would come across if you transliterated it, if you brought it across. It breaks our rules so we don't translate it that way.

But just understand, in the Greek it's as strong as you can make it. I will not never believe unless I see and touch. What is Thomas requiring? To be able to see and to touch the proofs that there is physical continuity between his Lord who died on the cross, pierced in hands and feet and side, and the one appearing to the disciples. So he has to be satisfied that there is not just an apparition, but that there is physical continuity between his Lord who died on the cross who has real marks in his hands and his feet and his side and the one appearing.

To think rightly about Thomas and to think rightly about the rest of the disciples, it helps to look at Luke 24. So turn back to Luke 24. We were here last week, but we need to come back here this week as well. Luke 24 is the road to Emmaus. Jesus appears to disciples the same day He was resurrected.

He appears and then reveals Himself. And then these two disciples, whoever they were, go back to Jerusalem and tell The apostles that they've seen Jesus. So that's where we'll pick it up in Luke 24 verses 36 through 39. Luke 24, 36 through 39. As they said these things, these witnesses, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, Peace to you.

But they were terrified and frightened and supposed they had seen a spirit. So they are thinking in Luke 24, sort of what Thomas is articulating in John chapter 20 in our text, this isn't the physical Jesus. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold, my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

Handle me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." So who is Thomas? He's doubting Thomas. You almost never hear him called just by his name. We call him doubting Thomas. He got another first name.

But if you thought of him as fundamentally different than the rest of the disciples, Luke 24 sets us straight on that. They thought, we're not seeing the physical Jesus either. They were terrified thinking that they were seeing an apparition at all. Jesus says, examine me, touch me. You will see that I have flesh and bones.

The spirit doesn't have flesh and bones. Jesus says, why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Handle me. So Thomas is demanding to have the same opportunity that the other ten have already had and nothing more.

Thomas is demanding, it isn't good that he is demanding. I'm not saying that it's good what we see in John chapter 20 is good. It isn't good. But just understand and concede the point. He is only demanding what the others have had the opportunity for.

And all of the disciples are plagued with doubt and unbelief prior to having this experience. All of them. So if it's doubting Thomas, then it's doubting Peter, and it's doubting John, and it's doubting Nathaniel, and on and on. In Mark chapter 16, Mark chapter 16 is the last chapter of Mark, and Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and she goes and tells the disciples that she's seen Jesus alive. Listen to Mark chapter 16 verse 11.

And when they, the disciples heard that he, Jesus, was alive and had been seen by her, Mary Magdalene, they did not believe. They too had rejected known eyewitness testimony. Then again just a couple of verses later in Mark 16, and Mark 16 verse 14 says, later he appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table, and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had risen." So, when you pull the Gospel accounts together, what you find is that the disciples were just like Thomas in very many ways. We could perhaps argue that Thomas had a higher degree of doubt, was more stubborn in persisting in his doubt because there were ten fellow disciple eye witnesses who had had the opportunity to see and handle the resurrected Lord. So maybe he's a little more stubborn in his unbelief.

I'm not confident of that, but maybe you could argue that. But all the disciples doubted before they actually saw the resurrected Lord Jesus. There's no debate to be had there. Now back to John 20. Let's look at the next two verses which are verses 26 and 27.

John chapter 20, 26 and 27. Follow along. 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. Then he said to Thomas reach your finger here Look at my hands reach your hand here put it into my side Do not be unbelieving But believing In these verses Jesus makes Thomas an amazing offer.

If you're taking notes by filling in the blanks on the handout, offer fills in the blank. Jesus makes Thomas an amazing offer. I wouldn't have made him that offer. You probably wouldn't have either. Jesus is not like us.

He makes him this offer. It's eight days later. We are in the same circumstances as last week's text. The disciples are assembled together behind shut doors. Some of the good translations actually render it as they did in last week's text.

So in this week's text, behind locked doors. It can be either shut or locked. The Greek word would bear either meaning. In either case, the point is the same. They are secluding themselves.

They are out of sight. They are inaccessible and have made themselves so on purpose. In verse nineteen it says, for fear of the Jews. That's why they have secluded themselves. In Matthew 28, the last chapter of Matthew, in verses 12 and 13, we find out that the Jewish leaders paid off the guards of the tomb and instructed them to say that his disciples stole Jesus' body.

So it's eight days later, but the risk and danger to the disciples is no less than it was a week ago. The word is out, the disciples stole the body. So you can imagine that they want to be secluded. They want to be behind closed doors, maybe behind locked doors. Jesus demonstrates again that his resurrected body is different from his old body.

He didn't just appear in rooms that had shut and maybe locked doors before his resurrection, but he does now in Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus When these two witnesses finally realize exactly who Jesus is, it says that he vanished from their sight. He just vanished. His resurrected body is not like his old body. In last week's text, he appeared in their midst. In this week's text, he appears in their midst, even though they are behind closed doors, maybe behind locked doors.

Jesus addresses his disciples, but they have a doubter in their midst. They have a rejecter in their midst. What will Jesus say? Peace to you. Again, like twice in last week's text, Jesus speaks peace.

Again, when I said last week, this is not just a throw away greeting, peace to you. The Jews do use that as a common greeting. Jesus said it twice in last week's text. He says it again in this week's text. It's the furthest thing from a throw away greeting.

He's actually speaking peace to men who have turmoil, who are in tumultuous times. Now Jesus addresses Thomas. He addresses the doubter. He addresses the rejector. What will Jesus say to the doubter and the rejector?

Verse 27. Reach your finger here and look at my hands and reach your hand here and put it into my side. You missed the glory of this. If you don't compare it side by side with what Thomas demanded in verse 25. So Look back at verse 25 at exactly what Thomas demanded and then look at Jesus's offer in 27 Here's what he demanded Unless I seen his hand 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 never believe. Okay, now here's Jesus' offer. Reach your finger here. Look at my hands. Reach your hand here.

Put it into my side. He's essentially quoting the demand in the offer. Thomas has to be thinking, he heard me. He was here. I didn't see him, but he heard me.

And he was here with Jesus making an invitation, an offer that essentially quotes the demand. Jesus is proving, I heard that. I was here for that. And I will have to just say as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is equal parts terrifying and comforting. He hears me.

Oh no, he hears me. It is terrifying to know that Jesus knows every thought. He's there, present, for every thought. My not vocalizing it or acting on it doesn't hold him back from knowing what's happening in my mind, the meditations in my heart. But it's comforting at the same time.

It's good to know Jesus knows everything and He died for me anyway. He shed his blood for me anyway. He knows it all. It's not like he's going to discover something later and then reject me on that basis. Before he ever went to the cross, he knew all those thoughts that I would be ashamed of.

In words that I would be ashamed of, in deeds that I would be ashamed of. He went to the cross knowing all those things about me. Don't ever think that Jesus never heard or Jesus never saw. He always does. Jesus as God knows and hears it all.

You can shut and lock all the doors you want to shut and lock. He knows and hears. You can go into the dark, the psalmist says, it's like noon day to him. Jesus as God knows and hears. Now, let's ask and answer a question.

Does Jesus owe this to Thomas? Don't you just revolt at the question. Don't your sensibilities revolt at Jesus owing anyone anything. You know what? You can actually trust your instincts on this one.

Of course he doesn't owe this to Thomas. In fact, while Jesus did many signs so that we might believe in him, Jesus often rebuked those who demanded signs. Listen to Matthew chapter 16 verse 4. This is what Jesus says to Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 16 verse 4. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

What's the sign of the prophet Jonah? That Jesus would rise again on the third day like Jonah was three days and then was vomited up on land. That's ironic. Jesus often called people who demanded signs, sought after signs, wicked and adulterous. Two things for me to say here.

Number one, Jesus is so patient and tender, especially with the weakest of His people. When I was writing this out the first time, I wrote it out, Jesus is so patient and tender even with the weakest of his people. Even is the wrong word, especially with the weakest of his people, is he patient and tender. He doesn't break bruised reeds and he doesn't quench smoking flax. That's Matthew 12 quoting Isaiah 42 about Jesus.

Listen to what J.C. Ryle says, Let us take care that we drink into our Lord's Spirit and copy His example. Let us never set down men in a low place as graceless and godless because their faith is feeble and their love is cold. Let us remember the case of Thomas and be very pitiful and of tender mercy. Our Lord has many weak children in his family, many dull pupils in his school, many raw soldiers in his army, and many lame sheep in his flock, yet he bears with them all and casts none away." Isn't that true?

Have you never been the weak child in his family? Have you never been the dull pupil in his school? Have you never been the raw soldier in his army? Have you never been the lame sheep in his flock? Christians who have any sort of semblance of self-awareness would say, yes, I've been all those things.

But I found that Jesus hasn't despised me and cast me away. He has borne with me. Even sometimes granting things that I demanded that I had no right to demand and He never owed it to me and He did it anyway. That's happened to me many times. So that's number one.

Jesus is so patient and tender, especially with the weakest of His people. We see this in how He deals with Thomas here. Number two, as the sermon title quoting Acts chapter one verse three says, Jesus is giving many infallible proofs to eye witnesses who are being sent out to turn the world upside down. Thomas didn't know this, but there was a sovereign God in heaven who was arranging all things so that another infallible proof would be given to eyewitnesses. Because he was making these men ready to send them out into an unbelieving, God-hating world with many infallible proofs.

Do You know they died for their testimony. You could never, after these many infallible proofs, even death would not part these men from their testimony that Jesus saved sinners by shedding his blood. They went to a lost, unbelieving world and said, bet your life on this! You can bet your life on this! We saw him with our own eyes, We heard Him with our own ears.

We handled Him with our own hands. Bet your life on it. Finally, in this section, Jesus instructs Thomas, don't be unbelieving, but believing. What is Jesus saying? Repent.

What does it mean to repent? It literally means a change of mind. But not a fake change of mind that never leads to anything. A lot of people talk about having their minds changed, but it never has any impact on your life. That's called fraud.

A real change of mind results in a turnaround. It results in you were going one way, now you go another way. That's repentance. You change your mind and so you change your direction as a result. Changing how you think about something.

Thomas don't be unbelieving, be believing, change your mind and turn around. And he does it. He does it. So that brings us to the last two verses. That brings us to the last two verses.

So if you are back in John chapter 20, follow along as I re-read verses 28 and 29. And Thomas answered and said to him, to Jesus, my Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. In these verses we have Thomas' profession and Jesus' instruction on faith.

So if you're taking notes by filling in blanks on the handout, profession and faith fill in the two blanks. Thomas' profession, he confesses or professes something, and Jesus' instruction on faith. Jesus teaches us about faith. Thomas does repent. He does change his mind.

He does change his direction. He says, My Lord and my God. Now, a few things. One, there is not another totally unqualified confession of Jesus as God in the Gospels. This is a full on embrace of Jesus as God.

In other places in the gospels, is Jesus confessed to be Messiah or Christ? Yes, of course. In other places in other gospels, is Jesus confessed to be the Son of God, yes of course. But nowhere are any of the disciples quoted in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John in other places saying, Jesus you are God, Messiah, yes, Son of God, yes. And is there a sense that they understand that by that they're saying that Jesus is God?

Yes. But I'm saying in terms of raw confession there's not another place where any qualifier, any and every qualifier is stripped away and it's just said, Jesus you are God. This is where you find it in the Gospel accounts. And of course, John begins John that way, but in John chapter 1 when John says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, speaking of Jesus, he's not quoting something he said during the lifetime of Jesus, he is framing the gospel. So did John get with stunning clarity that Jesus is God, you betcha, and he starts his gospel that way.

What is the implication of this? The worst doubter became the most unqualified believer. The most steadfast skeptic in Jesus' resurrection became the most unqualified believer that the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive bodily. This is one of many infallible proofs these men went to their death because of their confidence. Thomas understood that the resurrection proves all of Jesus' self claims.

Don't miss this. This is exactly what Paul says in Romans chapter 1 that the resurrection is God declaring Jesus to be his Son with power by the resurrection from the dead. Thomas understood that if the grave is empty, that if Jesus has really conquered sin and death, rising from the dead bodily, that everything He said about Himself is true, He is God. God. Two.

Listen to the Expositors Bible commentary. It's one of the commentaries I read every week. The commentator here is talking about the Septuagint. What's the Septuagint? In Jesus' time, they had the Old Testament Scriptures in Hebrew, But like us, they wanted to translate it into modern usage language, so they translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek.

That's what the Septuagint is, and that's what the Expositors Bible commentary is speaking of here. When they say the combination of Lord and God, Thomas saying my Lord and my God, the combination of Lord and God would be familiar to any reader of the Greek Old Testament where it regularly translates the Hebrew Yahweh Elohim. Now what does all that mean? That means if you look at the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, They are always translating over from God these two Hebrew words that mean Lord God. We do this today.

We pray this way. Lord God Help us to honor you today. That's what you find in the Hebrew and it's been brought over into the Greek, in the Greek translation. And Thomas is just using that language. He's using the Old Testament language for God.

When he says, My Lord and My God, he is pulling forward the Old Testament language for the Lord God of heaven and earth. Anyone who knew the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament would hear Thomas's confession here in John chapter 20 and say, he's pulling out the Old Testament for God. Three, Jesus' non-reaction is very significant. I'm saying Jesus non-reacts. He doesn't react here.

Now what do I mean? In Acts chapter 10 verse 26, Peter has come to Cornelius' house. Cornelius is a Gentile, a Roman. Cornelius falls down to worship Peter and here's what Peter says immediately, stand up, I myself am also a man. You cannot bow down to me.

You cannot worship me. Immediately out of his mouth when Cornelius falls down to worship him. In Acts chapter 14 verses 14 and 15, Paul and Barnabas have healed a man who has never walked and the people of Lystra bring oxen to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas because of the healing of this man. They are convinced that they are God so they bring oxen to sacrifice and Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes and run in among the multitude and cry out saying, men why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you and we preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God.

They rebuke people who are going to sacrifice to them as gods. Thomas says my Lord and my God, what does Jesus say and do? Nothing. Nothing to contradict him. Nothing to set him back as if anything that he's saying is inappropriate.

Why? Because Jesus is God. He's always claimed to be God. He is God. If he was anything like Peter or Paul or Barnabas, when Thomas said, My Lord and my God, he would say, Don't say that!

He doesn't say anything of the sort. He accepts his worship because Jesus is God. How does Jesus respond? Verse 29, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

This is a gentle rebuke for Thomas. And an expression of acceptance and approval for those whose faith did not require seeing. That's us if you believe in the Lord Jesus. That's us. There's actually a blessing pronounced here for you.

If you have forsaken every other hope to only hope on Jesus, you are blessed here in these verses. I have not seen the resurrected Lord Jesus with my eyes. I believed trustworthy eyewitness testimony. Let's end our exposition in Romans chapter 10. Turn to Romans chapter 10.

Romans chapter 10, I'm going to read 5 through 15, and then we'll close. Romans chapter 10, 5 through 15. Paul writes this, Romans chapter 10 verse 5, Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, The man who does those things shall live by them. If you want to be righteous by law keeping, you have to do the law all the time and from the heart, not just externally. If you want to be righteous by the law, you can never transgress it ever once, not only just in outward things, but not even in your heart.

So good luck with that. That's what Paul is setting up. Good luck with righteousness by law keeping. Verse 6, but the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above, or who will descend into the abyss, That is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say?

The Word is near you in your mouth and in your heart. That is the Word of faith which we preach. Now what is all that? Don't say salvation is far away. We'd have to bring down Christ from heaven or bring up Christ from the depths.

No, no, no. Salvation is right here. It's in your mouth. It's believing. It is at hand.

It is at hand. Now verse 9. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, whoever believes on him will not be put to shame.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. The plan was never for Jesus to remain and go around proving individually to every sign-demander that He's risen from the dead. That was never the plan. I will just stay here on earth and then when somebody demands that I prove that I am raised from the dead, I will show up with the nail prints in my hands and the opening in my side and I will prove it to him.

That was never the plan. The plan was for Jesus to ascend into heaven where he would intercede for his people, pray for his people, provide strength for his people, who he's sending to declare this eyewitness testimony that He has given through the apostles. Look again at verse 9, if you are still in Romans chapter 10, verse 9, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So Believing in the resurrection is fundamental to saving faith, according to Paul. If you don't believe in the resurrection, you've not met the criteria of confessing the Lord Jesus and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

I should say at this point there is a fundamental difference between Thomas and the modern skeptic who is a materialist, doesn't believe in anything spiritual or supernatural and who is hardened against Jesus' resurrection. In other words, a modern day denier, rejecter of the resurrection of Jesus Christ should not read John chapter 20 and take comfort from that as if they're in this they occupy the same territory they are fundamentally different one Thomas changed his mind he didn't stay unbelieving and two Thomas was not rejecting well-established New Testament teaching on the resurrection. It was being well established in his presence. So a modern day materialistic skeptic who says, there's nothing supernatural, there's nothing spiritual, and I reject on that basis the resurrection of Jesus Christ is doing something that Thomas wasn't doing. Finally, there's a wonderful old man.

I assume he was an old man. He had an old man's voice. He was on the radio all the time. Paul Harvey. If you're younger than 30, you definitely don't know who Paul Harvey is unless you just have parents who brought you into that world.

But he was on the radio and he would give you the rest of the story. And it was to tell you about either circumstances or people in history, something about them that you probably didn't know that just shed amazing insight on the rest of the things that you did know. So he would tell a story and then he would say it was actually this person and you would almost never know And he would say, and that's the rest. Now you know the rest of the story. This is Paul Harvey.

Here's the rest of the story. External historical sources, meaning if you go outside of the Bible to history sources, they say that Thomas reached India in 52 AD. About twenty years after the resurrection, About twenty years after John chapter twenty, Thomas reached India and he evangelized and planted seven churches over the next twenty years. Over the next 20 years and he was martyred in 72 AD after converting many to Christ and planting seven churches. The historical sources say he was pierced with a lance in 72 AD in Chennai, India.

Chennai, India is 3126 miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies. It's more than 4, 700 miles because you have to go around the Persian Gulf. So if you're taking roads today from Jerusalem to Chennai, India, you have a road trip of about 4, 700 miles ahead of you. You go from Israel through Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, and then through all of India because Chennai is on the southeastern coast, 4700 miles away. Doubting Thomas indeed.

John chapter 20 is a snapshot of a man who was weak, who wasn't what he should be, but that's just a snapshot. That was not the end of the story. The end of the story, if historians are to be trusted, ends 40 years later in Chennai, India after evangelizing Much of the known world, planting seven churches. You should be so lucky to be as fruitful as doubting Thomas. Applications, I'll give you three.

Number one, Don't be unbelieving, be believing. That's what Jesus said to Thomas, that's what I'll say to you. Claim the blessing of those who haven't seen and touched the risen Lord Jesus, but believe the trustworthy eye testimony of the people who lived with him and went to their graves, allowed themselves to be martyred rather than to be parted from their first hand knowledge that the grave is empty and Jesus rose from the dead to save sinners. You are not being asked to believe against reason. You are being asked to believe trustworthy eye witnesses.

Ten of them, eleven of them, we will put Thomas in there. He belongs in there. Eleven of them. And Paul, twelve of them. Jesus appeared to Paul.

Not being asked to check your reason at the door, to trust only in Christ. What should you believe? That Jesus is Lord and God. And to claim Him as your Lord and your God. Notice that Thomas does this.

It's not the Lord and the God. It is my Lord and my God. You are mine." Sweet to see Thomas lay claim to the Lord Jesus, knowing that he belongs to Jesus and Jesus belongs to him. This is what it means to believe. There is more behind that, but on the surface, taking Jesus as what He said He is.

The Lord and God is saving faith. You can't just believe anything. It's not just belief that saves. It's not just sincere belief that saves. Do you know many people believe things sincerely who will not be saved?

Believing that Jesus is who He says He is and that He shed His blood for sinners is the faith that saves. Number two, if you've already done that, if you've already repented from unbelieving by believing, be glad and accept your sin. We saw that in last week's text. Jesus shows himself to his disciples and they are glad. You know we have every right to be glad.

We should be a happy people. But it shouldn't end there. We should accept our sending. Jesus has sent us into the world as gospel preachers to offer hope to the other people who were just made of the same stuff as us. Equally deserving of condemnation for their thoughts and their words and their deeds as I am now I'm saved brought in by grace and sent to proclaim the same hope the same offer of peace with this God who will judge the living and the dead be glad accept your sending number three if you're a believer have you drunk deeply This is a question.

Application number three, our last application, is a question. If you're a believer, have you drunk deeply of Jesus' disposition towards the rest of his people. And what is that? He comes in the midst of doubters and rejecters and says what? Peace.

If you drunk deeply of that spirit, His disposition towards His people is so patient and so tender. Is that your disposition? You want to have a harder disposition towards His people than Jesus does? We are to be a community of grace. Sometimes that means we should actually confront each other for lack of holiness and sin.

Sometimes it is grace to do that. But if that's your default and you have no patience and tender heartedness that you see displayed in the actions of Jesus towards Thomas in this text, you have to know you're off track. To drink deeply of Jesus' disposition is to have the same patience, the same tenderness, so that we are together cultivating a community of grace. God, I thank you for this text. Pray that you would bless it to our understanding and that you would move us.

Don't let us come and then go away like a man who looks in the mirror and then goes away and forget what he looks like. Let us be moved forward, compelled to be different by the preaching of your word. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.