The Life Jesus Wants You To Have

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The Life Jesus Wants You To Have

Can you think of something you said or did that you wish you could take back because you didn’t like how it made you look to other people? I’m sure it’s not difficult to come up with something. None of us want to be remembered for one thing we said or did in not our finest moment.

Can you imagine if for all time someone attached a label to you that you could never shake? Dumb Doug, Rude Rita, Selfish Sam. That would stink wouldn’t it? We’d protest, “C’mon, I did some good things too; don’t stick me with that forever.” Unfortunately, that’s what happened to the apostle Thomas. People familiar with the Bible when they hear the name Thomas tend to think, “Doubting Thomas.”

Even commentators paint Thomas with this broad brush and hear his few other comments in the Gospel of John through the unflattering filter of doubt or pessimism. Thomas is remembered because he was slow to believe anything without sufficient evidence.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing to want evidence that’s convincing. You may feel the same way.

Outside of the lists of the names of the disciples, Thomas is mentioned four other times in the New Testament. In John 11, when Jesus says he’s going to Bethany, just outside Jerusalem, regardless of the danger to his life, to “wake up” his friend Lazarus (he wasn’t sleeping, Lazarus had died), Thomas is the one with the courage to say (John 11:16), “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

In John 14:1-6 when Jesus is explaining to the disciples that he was about to go to his Father’s house (meaning he was returning to heaven) and suggested they knew “the way” he was going, Thomas the patron saint of the puzzled, confused, and slow to understand asked honestly, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, how can we know the way?” Rather than criticizing Thomas for being a little slow, we should thank him for his willingness to ask questions when he doesn’t understand. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have Jesus’ statement, John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Unfortunately for him, Thomas isn’t remembered as Courageous Thomas or Inquisitive Thomas. Thomas is best known for what happened after Jesus’ resurrection. According to the fourth Gospel, Jesus appeared to the disciples Easter Sunday evening, but Thomas wasn’t with them. When they told Thomas they’d seen Jesus, he didn’t believe them. Thomas believed only when he had enough evidence to convince him of a miracle happened. Listen to John 20:19-31,

“19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 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 retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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 the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, 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. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt 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 come to believe.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”  

Are you like Thomas? Doubting is not unique to Thomas. None of the other disciples believed Mary Magdalene when she said she’d seen Jesus that first Easter morning. They were in the shock of grief. I’m sure the disciples had not wanted to consider what life would be like without Jesus.

Most of us don’t want to think about what life will be like without someone we love. Whenever you do think about it, or when it happens to you, you may be gripped by fear, anxiety, or loneliness. What will life be like for me without him or her?

Locked in a room perhaps the disciples were pondering what life would be like for them without Jesus and what did this empty tomb news mean?

They also were afraid wondering if they were next on the crucifixion hit list. All the gospels agree the male disciples abandoned Jesus at the end.

They didn’t expect to see him again regardless of everything he said to them. Note the sudden and surprising nature of these encounters with the disciples. Jesus intrudes into their midst.

They don’t make him present. They weren’t praying he’d show up. They didn’t have an extra place set at the table.

They’re frightened when Jesus appears. John says it’s only after Jesus showed them his wounds that the disciples believed and were overjoyed.

Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” The risen Christ gives them his peace three times, each time followed by a message. The first time Jesus says, “Peace be with you,” he shows them his hands and side. This tells us peace comes at a high price.

He shows his wounds so that his friends know that the one who lives is also the one who was slain. Have you ever wondered why Jesus in his resurrected body still has the wounds and marks of his crucifixion?

You might think his new resurrected body would be whole and perfect, but instead it bears the wounds of pain, vulnerability, and the abuse and violence he suffered. His wounds are an essential part of his life and his death and demonstrate the depth of His love to the end. They are not something to be embarrassed about or covered up. They are the ultimate mark of love. Bearing these wounds, his first words are, “Peace be with you.”

Peace describes the relationship we have with God through the obedience and death of Jesus for those who believe. Romans 5:1, says,

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Peace is a relationship not only with God but with other people. According to Hebrews 12:14, we are to “Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 13:11, encourages us to “live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

The first thing we need when we’re frightened, anxious, and grieving is peace. There are times when all of us are afraid, but how you respond in the face of fear distinguishes you as a Christian. Henry Ward Beecher a 19^th century pastor, wrote, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith.” Jesus enters a room locked by fear and the power of his risen life drives away fear and brings faith and peace. Jesus is present in a new resurrected body that still bears the wounds that resulted from the sacrifice of love.

Jesus says to the disciples a second time, “Peace be with you – as the Father has sent me so I send you.” The peace of Christ not only comes at a high price, but it also comes with an expectation of service.

God sent Jesus into the world. Jesus sends his followers into the world; into the same world that just killed him. Yet Jesus expects his followers to speak, teach, heal, love, and to forgive in his name and on his behalf. Jesus is trusting his church to carry on his work and the church is dependent on Jesus. Without Jesus the church has no message and no power.

John says the power which enables the disciples to carry on the mission of Jesus in the world, comes from the Holy Spirit, given by Jesus himself. The giving of the Spirit in John resembles Genesis 2:7 where God breathed into humanity and Ezekiel 37 where the Spirit of God moved over dry and lifeless bones. God’s Spirit makes new life possible. God sent Jesus to love, heal, and forgive. In John 20, Jesus sends the disciples to love, heal, and forgive in his name by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This has been quite a day for the disciples. It began with the report of an empty tomb and word that Mary had seen the Lord. Now the rest of the disciples appear to be freed from the fear and doubt that had caused them to lock themselves up. They have seen the risen Lord. Thanks to the peace and forgiveness of Christ they’ve changed from a defeated group to an excited team with a purpose to pursue. Rather than sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, Jesus himself has given them work to do. They’re to carry on his mission of reconciling human beings to God and to one another. What a day! This would seem like a happy ending to the Gospel of John. The only problem is… Thomas missed it all. Has that ever happened to you? Everyone else has a great or unbelievable experience and you missed it? Then they all tell you, “It was awesome, you should have been there!”

Thomas loved Jesus and maybe he wasn’t with the other disciples Easter evening the first time Jesus appeared because he wanted some time alone with his grief. Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys.”

Thomas has experienced a tragedy, he is about to experience a sudden, startling joy because Jesus returns a week later and says for the third time (John 20:26b-27), “Peace be with you.”27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

The peace of Christ comes at a high price, it comes with an expectation of service, and thirdly, the peace of Christ calls us to believe and not doubt. John says the doors of the room were shut, but they are no longer locked in fear. For Thomas and for you, without believing there’s a lack of peace. Thomas opens the door for you and me, and for all of us who were not there the first time to see, hear, and touch Jesus after he rose from the dead.

The Gospel of John is the last of the Gospels to be written and the words spoken by Jesus in John 20 provide the transition from the life of Jesus to the story being lived out by the community of faith toward the end of the first century. Like us, they did not personally see Jesus, yet they came to believe and were blessed. Like the first disciples, rather than doubting or being fearful, we’re to live in confidence and faith thanks to the peace of Christ and the gift of the Spirit.

Even when our worst fears are realized as they were for the disciples when Jesus was crucified, there is a peace that Christ can give to those who believe. Jesus is the key that unlocks doors of fear and despair. Blaise Pascal wrote, “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t.” That doesn’t necessarily mean Christ will change your circumstances, but his presence can change your attitude and perspective on your circumstances. Martin Luther King, Jr said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

The life Jesus wants you to have is one filled with the Spirit, peace, purpose, forgiveness, and faith. Do not doubt but believe. Thomas’s response to Jesus is, “My Lord and my God.” This is the conclusion that John’s Gospel hopes you will make when you consider all that Jesus said and did. Christ brings peace and he gives the Holy Spirit for power and guidance to those who believe, and He sends you and me out into the world to carry on his work of loving, healing, and forgiving.

The purpose of the Gospel of John is expressed in verses 30-31. It is written so that you, (insert your own name here), may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing ___________ may have life in his name. Hebrews 11:6 says, “Whoever would approach God must believe that God exists and that God rewards those who seek him.”

Prayer: Faithful Christ, we confess that our faith waivers and falls short. We allow doubts and fears to shape our choices. We doubt the goodness of our brothers and sisters. We doubt our ability to be of any help or hope to the world. We doubt the basics of our faith, that forgiveness is available, and that through Christ we have the power and grace to forgive others. May Christ forgive us for our doubts and fears. We thank you for returning to us and offering us your peace even when we’ve locked ourselves up in fear. Forgive us when we hold back instead of letting go. Draw us away from the path of sin into your path of hope, reconciliation, and faithfulness. We praise and thank you for the victory we have in Jesus and the peace we have knowing You love us, and we will rise with Him. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Blessing: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15.

Questions for Discussion or Reflection

1. What do you find most difficult to believe about the resurrection of Jesus?
2. If the resurrection of Jesus is true, how does that change your life?
3. Why do you think the body of the resurrected Jesus in John 20 still bears the wounds of what he suffered? Why might that be significant?
4. How do you think the disciples felt about the peace of Christ coming with an expectation of service in a challenging culture? How do you feel about being called to the same thing?
5. How does the peace of Christ help to take away, or at least diminish our fear?
6. Why is the power of belief critically important not only to faith and the peace of Christ, but in life in general?
7. Based on John 20:19-31, how would you describe the life Jesus wants you to have?

Message from Richard Foster for the Christian Community at Brewster Baptist Church

I am delighted in the good work for the Kingdom of God I hear about at Brewster Baptist Church.  And I hope your recent study in Celebration of Discipline has been helpful to you in some small way.  May you experience day by day, “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).  With Christ as your guide, I encourage you to walk cheerfully over the earth. —Richard J. Foster