Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”After eight days, again his disciples were inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
7 sermons cite this verse
… And the book lets us know Jesus shows up, offers them some peace, and then blows my mind. The book says that he breathed on them and told them, I'm sending you just like my daddy sent me. He breathed on them. And when he breathed on them, I love it. The text says they received the Holy Ghost. They received the Holy Spirit. It was a Pentecost preview. And all I came to say on Pentecost Sunday is I want a fresh God. I want God afresh to breathe on us. Because when God breathes on us, something happens. As a matter of fact, it's a breath. of fresh air. A breath of fresh air. I have to admit that this wasn't going to be my subject. I was getting ready to fly from L.A. here last night on the red. I got in 5 o'clock this morning, and I'm wrestling with this text, and I got everything worked out except the subject. And so Albany asked me, so what about this for a subject? …
… Because Jesus said so. In John chapter 21, Jesus is making those men the first priests and saying, no, you actually have my power. You have my ability to bring mercy to the world, to forgive sins. If you don't, they're retained. If you do, they're gone. That's why I'm going to say that today, your next confession is the exercise that your soul and my soul needs. that your next confession is the exercise that your soul and my soul needs. And I mean this for everyone. From the person who is convinced that they're beyond God's reach to the person who is absolutely convinced they're a genuinely, quote unquote, good person. Because that's maybe a lot of us. We're like, no, but I'm okay. Like, why would I have to go to confession? Like, I go to mass. Like, I help. Like, if you're back at your parish. Like, at Easter, I was back home for Easter and like, they knew I was there. So like, hey, get back up, you know. …
… They're in the house again. And Thomas was with them. And though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said peace be with you and the reason he said peace be with you is because he scared them to death it's like Jesus would you just use the door okay this is the second time you've done I don't know if they thought that or not but there I mean it's like it's just terrifying and Thomas is there and Thomas is stunned and Jesus looks at Thomas and I think he smiles I think this next interchange he's not shaming Thomas I think there's there's humor here Thomas I heard what you said so come here come here I want Thomas just I heard what you said put it right here put your finger right here put your finger here and see my hands Jesus is smiling Thomas ain't moving you know reach out to your hand and come on put it in my side Thomas just stares and there's no indication that Jesus that Thomas took Jesus up on this he did not need to And then what Jesus says to Thomas next is so powerful. …
Jump up to your feet. We're going to the Word of God, the Gospel of St. John, chapter 20, verse 25 through 28. There you will find my assignment for this morning. The text is brief and simple, but the message behind it is profound and prolific. it comes at a moment in history that Jesus has gone to the cross. Jerusalem is in total chaos and confusion. The Romans are trying to manage it. The temple is trying to diminish it. The disciples are trying to dodge it. because their leader is gone. Or so they thought. A lot of things that look gone on Friday. resurrect on Sunday morning. The devil will try to talk you into thinking it's over and this is somebody that the enemy in some area of your life has convinced you that it's over, but it's not over. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not over. Just because it's difficult doesn't mean it's not over. One of the disciples in particular had a hard time with it, and I'm going to focus on him today. …
… provider for us. You cannot depend on signs. Matter of fact, Jesus said on one occasion in John chapter 20, just jot down this verse, John 20 verses 26 through 29, he says, a wicked and An adulterous generation seeks a sign. Now, some of y'all are following after signs, and if you need a sign, God is saying that's a problem. And here's what I tell people. Stop. Don't be talking to me about your horoscope. thank all five of y'all for that clap right there don't clap now because some of y'all you base who you marry on a child he's a Sagittarius and I'm a Virgo shut up you're supposed to be a child of God the only sign we're under is the sign of the cross we're not following horoscopes that's what they are horror scopes. H-O-R-O-R-O-R-Scope. Don't be asking me what my sign is. Do y'all hear what I'm saying? Do y'all understand what I'm saying? Y'all tell me I won't do anything to you. …
… I will not believe. A week later Jesus's 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. Then Jesus 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 thomas answered him my lord and my god jesus said to thomas have you believed because you have seen me blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book but these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah the son of God and that through believing you may have life in Jesus's name this is the word of God for the people of God thanks be to God Lately, my friends, I've been trying to get around this giant city without a map. …
… put that back up in verse 25, please. I will never believe. The Bible says, eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. Y'all missed a great place to shout because although the doors were locked, Jesus came. How many are thankful that he came anyway? He came anyway through locked doors, through a broken heart, through a divorce that you went through last year. He came anyway, even though you were trying to push him back and tell him no, he came anyway. He came through locked doors and stood among them and said, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Hey, I heard you've been talking about me, so let's do this. Put your finger here and see my hands, and put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him with one of the greatest confessions in all of Scripture, my Lord and my God. …