seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Where the disciples were assembled: It was good that the disciples stayed together. Jesus told them that when He departed they must love one another, which assumes that they would stay together (John 15:17). He also prayed for their unity after their departure (John 17:11). This command was fulfilled and prayer was answered, at least in the days immediately after His crucifixion.
When the doors were shut: The sense is not only that the doors were shut, but secured and locked against any unwelcome entry. The idea is that the room was secure when suddenly Jesus came and stood in the midst. We aren’t told how Jesus entered the room, but the sense is that it was not in any normal way and that He seemed to simply appear.
Peace be with you: After their desertion of Jesus on the day of His crucifixion, the disciples probably expected words of rebuke or blame. Instead, Jesus brought a word of peace, reconciling peace.
He showed them His hands and His side: Jesus assured them He was actually Jesus of Nazareth and that He was really raised from the dead. Jesus did this for more than the 10 disciples present; Luke mentioned this gathering as including not only the disciples but also those who were with them gathered together (Luke 24:33) and that Jesus invited them to actually touch His body to see that it was real (Luke 24:39-40).
Peace to you! Jesus just gave them the blessing of His peace (John 20:19). Perhaps the emphasis there was to calm their fear and shock at the moment (Luke 24:36). The repetition of this promise makes this gift of peace much larger and more significant. The resurrected Jesus brings peace.
“He had faced and defeated all the forces which destroy the peace of man. As He said, ‘Peace be unto you,’ He was doing infinitely more than expressing a wish. He was making a declaration. He was bestowing a benediction. He was imparting a blessing.” (Morgan)
Receive the Holy Spirit: Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Spirit, bringing new life and the ability to carry out their mission. It seems John noted a deliberate connection between this breathing on the disciples and when at creation God breathed life into man. This was a work of re-creation, even as God breathed life into the first man. This is where the disciples were born again.
Thomas… was not with them when Jesus came: We are not told why Thomas was not with them and Thomas was not criticized for his absence.
We have seen the Lord: Thomas was not criticized for his absence, but he still missed out. There was a blessing for those present that Thomas did not receive.
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: Thomas is often known as Doubting Thomas, a title that misstates his error and ignores what became of him. Here we could say that Thomas didn’t doubt; he plainly and strongly refused to believe.
After eight days: The idea is that Jesus had this meeting with the disciples now including Thomas on the following Sunday. Jesus entered the room in the same mysterious and remarkable way (the doors being shut, and stood in the midst). Jesus also gave the same greeting (Peace to you!).
Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side: Jesus granted Thomas the evidence he demanded. We suppose that Jesus was not obligated to do this; He could have rightly demanded faith from Thomas on the basis of the reliable evidence from others. Yet in mercy and kindness, Jesus gave Thomas what he asked for.
Do not be unbelieving, but believing: Jesus clearly commanded Thomas to stop his unbelief and to start believing. Jesus was generous and merciful to Thomas and his unbelief, but Jesus did not praise his unbelief. Jesus wanted to move him from doubt and unbelief to faith.
My Lord and my God: Thomas made an immediate transition from declared unbelief (John 20:25) to radical belief. He addressed Jesus with titles of deity, calling Him Lord and God. It is also significant that Jesus accepted these titles, and did not tell Thomas, “Don’t call Me that.”
Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed: Commentators divide over whether or not Thomas actually did as Jesus invited him, to actually touch the wounds of Jesus. That Jesus said, because you have seen Me and not because you have seen and touched Me gives some evidence to the idea that Thomas did not actually touch the wounds of Jesus.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed: There is a special promise blessing given to those who believe. Thomas demanded to see and touch before he would believe in the resurrected Jesus. Jesus understood that the testimony of reliable witnesses was evidence enough, and there was a blessing for those who accepted that sufficient evidence.
These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: Though there were many other signs, John selected the signs presented in His Gospel to explain Jesus and bring readers to faith in Jesus as Messiah and God. This really isn’t a book about signs — it is a book about Jesus. The signs are helpful as they reveal Jesus.
And that believing you may have life in His name: John understood that faith in Jesus as Messiah and God had value beyond the honorable recognition of truth. It also carried the promise of life in His name. This was life that transformed John himself, and he wanted that same life and transformation for all through his Gospel account.
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There are two topics I would like to write about this morning.
The first is the locked door. These people, not just the Apostles but all the disciples, were still being hunted. They were with Jesus. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were still trying to wipe away the existence of Jesus. It would not be good for business if people thought the Pharisees and the Sadducees had the Messiah hung on a Cross. They had to protect the Temple.
How ignorant were they... the Pharisees and the Sadducees probably told themselves they were protecting God.
So, the disciples in the room that night would have had the doors locked. The windows would have been secured. It would have been "safe" for the disciples. A Hide Out!!!
The second topic is Thomas, of course. Thomas was called "Didymus". Didymus means twin.
The Bible doesn't say that Thomas was Jesus' identical twin. The Bible doesn't discuss cell division. I've never heard a preacher expound on it. But why on earth would John mention the fact that Thomas was a "twin" unless Thomas looked just like Jesus.
On top of that, no one ever mentions the fact that Thomas isn't around a lot since Jesus was hunted down and crucified. John doesn't report that Judas kissed Jesus on the cheek to identify Him. According to Matthew, that was the deal Judas made with the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Wouldn't it make sense that the reason Judas had to kiss Jesus on the cheek was because there were two men that matched the description. What would have happened if the wrong man went to the Cross and Jesus went on drawing disciples?
Thomas had to have been in hiding!!! That has to be why Thomas was missing meetings and no one was calling Thomas out for it. The others saw Jesus appear out of nowhere in verses 19-22. Thomas wasn't there. They must have told Thomas about the event. Did Thomas think they were just exaggerating the truth?
So, when Jesus showed up out of thin air in verse 26, Thomas must have nearly passed out!
For your consideration... If Jesus had just knocked on the door and entered like a human, would Thomas have taken longer to Believe?
Jesus showed up out of nowhere with horrible scars on His feet and hands. I guess Jesus materializing out of thin air was a big clue that Jesus was not just another Didymus.
I wonder... would more humans have believed if Jesus had just materialized out of thin air when He gave the Sermon on the Mount? I figure they would have either called Him a magician or figured there had been a hypnosis of the masses. Walking rather than materializing was a smart choice, right?
Jesus could materialize!
