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RESURRECTION OF THE SON OF GOD

A WEEK LATER

John chapter 20:26 to 31

The disciples remained in Jerusalem during the Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed the Passover, and ended with another Sabbath (Exodus 12:16), and a week after the day of resurrection they were still in Jerusalem.

They were together in a room with locked doors when the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared again in their midst, greeted them all and turned directly to Thomas, as if he had come expressly for his sake. He revealed He knew the doubt in the mind of Thomas and mentioned the very tests Thomas had said he required to carry out to believe in His resurrection (verse 25); He told him, literally, to stop becoming unbelieving.

The doubt of Thomas in the face of the witness of the others was not because of a superior intelligence (sceptics usually pose as persons of unusual mentality). Thomas had carried his incredulity too far and the Lord came to put an end to it. Whether Thomas ever reached forth his hand to touch Him or not, he was wholly convinced and did not hesitate to address the Risen Christ as Lord and God. And Christ accepted the words and praises of Thomas for so doing.

As in the case of Thomas, God will always meet an honest doubter. There is no higher testimony to the Lord Jesus than the one given by Thomas. It is one of the great confessions of Scripture. For a Jew to say "My Lord and my God" is the absolute climax. This comes from the lips of that doubter, Thomas.

There are people today who say, "If only I could see Him, if only I could touch Him, then I would believe." Generally, however, this is not so much because of a shortage of evidence but an excuse for not accepting Him as a personal Saviour, Lord and God. God will meet the honest doubt of a man, but we must not expect Him to help those who are incredulous because of such ulterior motives. Many people say they can't believe the Bible. They claim their problem is intellectual but it is more likely to be moral: they do not want to leave their life of sin.

There is a special blessing on us today who believe the evidence for the death and resurrection of Christ, contained in the Scriptures. Peter was reminded of this when he wrote his first epistle:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith: the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:4-9).

The deity of Jesus Christ is declared in many places in Scripture. Scofield has classified them as follows:

1. In the intimations and explicit predictions of the Old Testament:
   a) The theophanies intimate the appearance of God in human form, and His ministry thus to man (Genesis 16:7-13; 18:2-23; 18:17; 32:28 and Hosea 12:4-5; Exodus 3:2-14).
   (b) The Messiah is expressly declared to be the Son of God (Psalm 2:2-9) and God (Psalm 45:6, 7; 110:1,4; Zechariah 6:13; Matthew 22:44; Acts 2:34; Hebrews 1:8,9,13; 5:6; 6:20; 7:17-21).
   (c) His virgin birth was foretold as the means through which God could be "Immanuel," God with us (Isaiah 7:13, 14; Matthew 1:22, 23)
   (d) The Messiah is expressly invested with the divine names (Isaiah 9:6,7).
   (e) In a prophecy of His death He is called "fellow" of the LORD of Hosts (Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31).
   (f) His eternal being is declared (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6; John 7:42).

2. Christ Himself affirmed His deity:
   (a) He applied to Himself the Jehovistic I AM (John 8:24, 18:5 - the pronoun he is not in the Greek; John 8:56-58). The Jews correctly understood this to be our Lord's claim to full deity (John 8:59,10:33).
   (b) He claimed to be the Adonai (God the Master) of the Old Testament (Matthew 22:42-45)
   (c) He asserted His identity with the Father (Matthew 28:19; Mark 14:62; John 10:30); and the Jews so understood Him (John 10:31, 32; 14:8, 9; 17:5)
   (d) He exercised the chief prerogative of God (Mark 2:5-7; Luke 7:48-50)
   (e) He asserted omnipresence (Matthew 18:20; John 3:13); omniscience (John 11:11-14 when Jesus was fifty miles away; Mark 11:6-8); omnipotence (Matthew 28:18; Luke 7:14; John 5:21-23; 6:19); mastery over nature, and creative power (Luke 9:16, 17; John 2:9; 10:28)
   (f) He received and approved human worship (Matthew 14:33; 28:9; John 20:28, 29)

3. The New Testament writers ascribe divine titles to Christ (John 1:1; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Romans 1:4; 9:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:12; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8 1 John 5:20).

4. The New Testament writers ascribe divine perfection and attributes to Christ (Matthew 11:28; 18:20; 28:20; 28:20; John 1:2; 2:23-25; 3:13; 5:17; 21:17 Hebrews 1:3,11,12; 13:8; Revelation 1:8, 17, 18; Rev 2:23; Rev 11:17; Rev 22:13).

5. The New Testament writers ascribe divine works to Christ (John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16, 17; Hebrews 1:3)

6. The New Testament writers teach that supreme worship should be paid to Christ (Acts 7:59, 60; 1Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:9, 10; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 1:5, 6; 5:12, 13).

7. The holiness and resurrection of Christ prove His deity (John 8:46; Romans 1:4).

In this gospel there are only seven signs mentioned before the death and resurrection of Christ (water changed to wine, noble man's son healed, paralytic man healed, feeding of 5,000, walking on water, blind man healed, Lazarus raised from the dead). They were selected for the specific purpose of proving that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 5:20, 36; 10:25, 38).

We find many more in the other gospels, wrought by Jesus in the presence of His disciples, and no doubt many more went unmentioned. Being out of the common course of nature and beyond the power of man, they were suitable to validate the presence and power of God, and were His credentials to prove that he spoke with the authority of God. Peter boldly said later to the crowd in Jerusalem: "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know" (Acts 2:22).

The credibility of these signs was established by the evidence of the senses on the part of those who were witnesses of them, and to all others by the testimony of such witnesses. The witnesses were competent, and their testimony trustworthy. Those who claimed to have seen the risen Jesus went on to preach the Gospel to all the world: that just by believing in Jesus Christ new life is given by God in His name. Most of them also died for being followers of Christ. People rarely die for a half-hearted belief. These were the people who really saw beyond any doubt whatever their Master Jesus risen.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

26 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!"

27 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."

28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.