THE SALVATION OF THOMAS. Thomas means twin. But it is uncertain who his twin was.

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1 THE SALVATION OF THOMAS Some history: Thomas was the 8 th disciple of Jesus He was a fisherman from Galilee He followed Jesus for 3 ½ years, and was there from the beginning of His ministry Thomas is responsible for spreading the gospel to India in 52AD. He started in Kerala where he established the Mar Thomas church. He was martyred by a Brahmin in 72AD, with a lance in his side while he was in a pit in Mylapore now known as Madras Thomas means twin. But it is uncertain who his twin was. The other gospels don t talk much about Thomas But John does. Why? John was the beloved disciple of Jesus. He wrote the gospel and the book of Revelation. The main theme is faith + belief in the divine nature of Jesus. He talks about eternal life. He insists that in encounter with Jesus demands a response. The only places where Thomas is mentioned is: 1. Listed in the 4 gospels among the John 11:16 3. John 14:5 4. John 20:25 5. John 21:2 6. Acts 1:13-14 JOHN 11: Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Him: Lord, the one You love is sick. 4 When Jesus heard it, He said, This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after that, He said to the disciples, Lets go to Judea again. 8 Rabbi, the disciples told Him, just now the Jews tried to stone You, and Youre going there again? 9 Arent there 12 hours in a day? Jesus answered. If anyone walks during the day, he doesnt stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 If anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him. 11 He said this, and then He told them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but Im on My way to wake him up. 12 Then the disciples said to Him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well. 13 Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought He was speaking about natural sleep. 14 So Jesus then told them plainly, Lazarus has died. 15 Im glad for you that I wasnt there so that you may believe. But lets go to him. 16 Then Thomas (called Twin) said to his fellow disciples, Lets go so that we may die with Him. Jesus gets word that Lazarus was sick. The disciples must have heard this news. They heard Jesus say that they sickness was not unto death, and they saw the his delayed response. He does not consult with His disciples about this decision. When Lazarus dies, Jesus says to them that they are going to Judea. But the disciples remind Jesus of the danger of stoning.

2 Jesus: There are 12 hours in the day. If you walk in the day, you wont stumble. You stumble at night, in the dark. But this is because the light in NOT IN you, it is around you Jesus says I am the light. I have the knowledge. I know when I m going to die. They can t kill me before my time is up. My steps have be outlined before I was born, and I walk in my destiny. Then He says- Lazarus our friend is asleep and I m going to wake him up. Disciples: If he is asleep, then he ll be fine and we don t have to go. They heard Jesus say that he s not going to die. Jesus: Lazarus is dead. But I m glad for your sakes that I was not there. Jesus is saying I deliberately delaying my trip because my pain purpose was (vs4) that the Son of God maybe glorified. But now I have another reason to add your belief. It was very important for these men to believe and trust Jesus decisions. Jesus said that he was not going to die yet, because it was not the appointed time but they could only believe the strength of the government. Jesus says: Never The Less.. despite your lack of belief, even though you are still far from the mark. Lets just go. Thomas: Let us go that we may die with Him. Thomas says to the 11 Fellow = means they had the same feelings as him. They were in the same boat had the same position, they were equals. He implies that they don t really have a choice. Jesus doesn t listen to them anyway. I can sense irritation and annoyance in his voice. Lets just all go die with Him. He just didn t believe that they would come out alive. The man follows orders. He doesn t have the right attitude. He has a voice amongst the twelve. But he ll never be no.1 or in the inner core. He ll always doubt and instil disbelief. JOHN 14: Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 You know the way to where I am going. 5 Lord, Thomas said, we don t know where You re going. How can we know the way? 6 Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

3 Jesus is comforting them about His impending death He says that He is going and will come back Vs4 where I go you know.. the way you know Thomas: Lord we don t know where you going? How can we know the way? Everything that Jesus was saying was going over his head. He was thoroughly confused. Jesus says: I m the way, the truth, the life. Question: Where are you going? Answer: To the Father Question: Way to the place? Answer: Me Everything I have said is truth. In me you have the life. But they were all confused. Vs8 Philip says show us the Father. Still hasn t come to maturity. 3 ½ years with Jesus and he still didn t understand the way that Jesus spoke. Jesus says, you know where I m going and the way. Thomas response No, we don t Is he calling Jesus a liar? Essentially, yes. He is questioning Jesus. He is immature JOHN 20:19 19 In the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews. Then Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, Peace to you! 20 Having said this, He showed them His hands and His side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. In this appearance to the disciples only 10 of them were there. Thomas was absent Where was he???? This I Easter Sunday the day that Jesus fulfilled everything. The greatest day in the history of our existence. All the disciples were hiding WHY WASN T THOMAS HIDING WITH THEM? Jesus has done what he had set out to do. Jesus has finished the work. Jesus is just tying up the lose ends before his complete departure.

4 WHERE IS THOMAS He s a runner. He leaves his brothers and the fold. Perhaps he was overcome with grief perhaps he got separated. For whatever reason he doesn t stay the course with the rest of his brothers/ sons. They were all scared. They all didn t believe but he left. Vs 24 But one of the Twelve, Thomas (called Twin), was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, If I don t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe! 26 After eight days His disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, Peace to you! 27 Then He said to Thomas, Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don t be an unbeliever, but a believer. 28 Thomas responded to Him, My Lord and my God! 29 Jesus said, Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed. Thomas is back. He comes back to the 11. This time with more vengeance. The disciples give him a full report. They try to make him believe. He says: absolutely not!!! Unless I see and touch twice over, I will not believe. And he stays there a few days in stubborn disbelief. The disciples say have touched and see. We have the report à but he refuses. On the 8 th day after his resurrection, Jesus reappears to his DISCIPLES, in the same way He did before. Jesus didn t go looking for Thomas. He came to see all His sons, in one place. Thomas is there. Jesus looks directly at him Jesus gives him the opportunity to do whatever he needed in order to believe. Thomas finally accepts à he says YES You are my Lord and my God. Jesus was not Lord and God to him all this time! Thomas had not respect for his brothers. His unbelief had pushed Him out of the fold. If he never came back he would have never seen Jesus and believed that Jesus was alive.

5 Had he never come back he would have missed his encounter with God. Had he not be positioned and in the company of the 10, he would have missed Jesus. This is the importance of the coporate gathering you never know when God will show up and change your heart. He came back to the sons. He came back even more stubborn and fixed in his unbelief than before.. but by staying in the fold and constantly listening to the current and proceeding word from the disciples that JESUS IS ALIVE He finally saw Jesus. Up until this moment Thomas was NOT really saved. It was only now that he confesses Jesus as LORD and SAVIOUR. He was called. He was called in the same way as the others. He was numbered amongst the 12. He stayed for the full length of Jesus ministry. He was there from the beginning. He constantly plagued and annoyed Jesus with his unbelief. He gives up. He back slides. He comes back but is unrepentant and firm in his disbelief. He misses his first most significant encounter with Jesus. Jesus has to redo what he already did with the 10. Why does Jesus do this? Jesus was going to come back on the 8 th day anyway. (New beginning). If Thomas was not there he would have been lost. Because Thomas was there - Jesus gave him one last chance of salvation Finally Thomas was saved. JOHN 21 1 After this, Jesus revealed Himself again to His disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed Himself in this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Twin), Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, Zebedees sons, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Im going fishing, Simon Peter said to them. Were coming with you, they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 12 Come and have breakfast, Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask Him, Who are You? because they knew it was the Lord. 15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?.. etc Yes, Lord, he said to Him, You know that I love You. 20 So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. That disciple was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, Lord, who is the one

6 thats going to betray You? 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord what about him? 22 If I want him to remain until I come, Jesus answered, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me. 23 So this report spread to the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not tell him that he would not die, but, If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? After he was saved he never left Peter s side. Peter was the leader. He was part of the inner core along with John and James. He attached himself to the grace that was in the set man. Vs12 no one dared ask Its funny that John says this I think that he was inferring about Thomas- Thomas could have been the natural one to ask who is this? But he didn t, because he had changed. Vs15 onwards we see the restoration of Peter NOTICE Jesus didn t restore Thomas. Thomas had to be found in the presence of the sons. Jesus said Thomas because you see and believe. It would have been better had you believed. He received his answer because of being in the right location, even though his mind set was off. But the immediate repentance and salvation brought him to a place of understanding. And he followed Peter. But Jesus restored Peter the leader. John the beloved, never betrayed Jesus. John was there from the beginning to the end right up until the new beginning. John had the grace and favour to write the gospel and the book of revelation. John saw the deity of Jesus. John had unsurpassable faith and belief. James was in the inner core. Jesus met him intimately and privately. James had the gift of practical religion manifesting itself in goodworks. He is known as the Lord s brother Gal 1:19 12 disciples all equally called but Jesus had the 12 the 3 and the 1 Was this favouritism? No. It was based on the heart attitude and level of commitment to Jesus. Faith, hope and love. Obedience, sacrifice, staying the course, migrating daily. Jesus is attracted to Himself in us. The greater measure if Him that we manifest, is the one that He pours grace and favour into.

7 PETER Now look at Peter Leader but. He was envious of John. Jesus has just restored Peter, and tells him his future. And he looks at John and says what about him. Jesus says don t worry about him, FOLLOW ME In the end, all we can do is follow Him. Don t look at your brother. Put your emotions, hurts, grievances etc aside. Go about doing what you re supposed to do. Fulfil your purpose. Stay in the fold. FORGET YOUR SELF and GAIN the full inheritance of heaven.