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May 14, 2023

John - The Faithful One (click for resources)

Passage: John 20:19-29

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: John: Come and See

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: faith, doubt, glorified

The post-resurrection Jesus walked through the upper room door, ate dinner with his disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. Jesus has conquered the grave and has now been “glorified”, now living in a glorified body. He is about to ascend to the Father, so he begins the process of giving the Holy Spirit to the believers, who will empower and encourage them to life and faith. But Thomas wasn’t there. When his disciple-friends told him what happened, he wouldn’t believe until he saw it for himself. Doubt is a regular (and important) part of faith. It can be debilitating and frustrating; and it can lead to deeper and stronger faith moving forward because Jesus meets us in our doubts not as the “reliever of all doubts” but as our resurrected Lord who gives us the faith of a mustard seed, which will grow into a glorious tree.

Theme: The post-resurrection Jesus walked through the upper room door, ate dinner with his disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. Jesus has conquered the grave and has now been “glorified”, now living in a glorified body. He is about to ascend to the Father, so he begins the process of giving the Holy Spirit to the believers, who will empower and encourage them to life and faith. But Thomas wasn’t there. When his disciple-friends told him what happened, he wouldn’t believe until he saw it for himself. Doubt is a regular (and important) part of faith. It can be debilitating and frustrating; and it can lead to deeper and stronger faith moving forward because Jesus meets us in our doubts not as the “reliever of all doubts” but as our resurrected Lord who gives us the faith of a mustard seed, which will grow into a glorious tree.

CENTRAL PASSAGE:

John 20:19-29

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1) When have you found yourself in an impossible situation? 

2) ...same question...but regarding your faith and Jesus "abandoning" you.

3) How did you deal with that?

     What kind of doubts have you faced in your faith-life?

     How did you (do you) deal with them?

          Deal with them honestly...ask for help...but actually listen for an answer

          Deal with them in community

         "Doubt Your Doubts" -- don't just assume your doubts are valid.

     Talk about how doubt is actually two competing beliefs.

         (belief that God is good vs. the competing belief that God....) 

4) Talk about the ways Jesus revealed himself to the incredibly discouraged people.

     He was in a "glorified" body -- what was that like?

     He could walk through walls, still had scars, still ate and hung out with his friends

5) Is there a way Jesus has revealed himself to you when you were in a terrible place?

6) How did they respond? How did you (do you) respond?

7) Talk about the 3 commands Jesus gives here:

       "Peace" "Believe" "I Send You"

8) One day we'll have bodies like Jesus' -- eternally -- talk about that
(1 Cor 15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.)