On the first day of the week, some followers of Jesus went to the tomb and found it empty. Later that day he appeared to the to show them he was alive.
Here is a link to the livestream video:
John 20 – Verse by Verse
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A Prayer Prompted by John 20
Dear Lord Jesus,
We have not seen you like these early disciples, nor do we expect you to appear personally to us, and yet we have taken that step to believe. With Thomas we proclaim that you are our Lord and our God.
We thank you for dying for our sins and rising from the grave. You truly have defeated sin and death.
As the Father sent you and as you sent those earliest disciples, we accept the mission you have given us. We are sent to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to all who believe, who put their faith and trust in Christ and Christ alone. Please empower us to carry out that mission.
Breathe your Holy Spirit onto us and fill us with his presence and power.
In your name we pray,
Amen
My Lord and my God – John 20:26-28
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!”
History has somehow given Thomas the nickname Doubting Thomas. Maybe it is at least a little bit deserved, since he wanted to not only see, but touch, the risen Jesus before he would believe. Then again, all his friends had already had a resurrection appearance of Christ. Nobody likes to be the only one left out.
When Jesus appears among them again eight days later, the Lord singles Thomas out asking him to touch his wounds. Thomas’s response is one of the clearest declarations of the deity of Christ anywhere in the Bible.
“My Lord and my God” is not just an exclamation pointed at a God who is only God knows where. It is an expression of worship directed at Jesus who is standing right before the previously doubting apostle. And, as he is prone to do, Christ accepts the worship of his follower.
In a society and religious culture that essentially defined monotheism for the world, Jesus is willing to be worshiped. Thomas is willing to worship him and proclaim him his Lord and God. We also may be aware that a similar designation, Dominus et Deus, was applied to the Roman emperor Domitian, who likely was on the throne at the time of John’s writing.
This is then a pointed statement. No one deserves the titles “My Lord and my God” other than Jesus. To worship him is not only appropriate, it is required.
The Resurrection
This Sunday we’re going to look at John 20, which records the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As I was going over the chapter, I was struck by the strength of this statement speaking of the disciples:
“For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9 (NKJV)
The resurrection is an essential doctrine of the faith. Without it there is no Christianity. Here are just a few more verses that come to mind:
“…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NKJV)
“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up…” – 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 (NKJV)
Not all “Christians” any longer believe the resurrection is such an essential doctrine. Consider the following 18 second clip from one of the Jesus Seminar scholars.
John Dominic Crossan on the Resurrection
It appears that John 20:9 is still just as true as ever, perhaps especially among certain scholars.
“For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” – John 20:9 (NKJV)