In Chapter 20 Thomas, who is labeled doubting Thomas because of the events in this chapter, would not believe unless he personally saw the hands with the nail prints. Jesus said this to Thomas after he got to touch and see the nail prints in Jesus’ hands. Let me stop for a minute; how cool would that have been. Here Thomas gets to see the risen Lord. Thomas gets to talk with and touch the risen Lord. One day for believers we will get that opportunity in glory to see, touch, and talk with our Lord face to face.
This is what Jesus said about this encounter in verse 29, “Thomas, because, you have seen me, you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Happy are the people that believe. God blesses our faith, not blind faith, but faith in John’s inspired historical records of Jesus. These things where not recorded as a keepsake or a scrapbook that became significant later. It was God’s Word written for us in the future so we could and would believe.
This was not written so we could have belief of understanding, but that we might have life through His name. Life in Jesus, as He said in John 10:10 “I come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This believing was a transformational belief that causes a repenting 180 in your life. When you turn towards God and follow Him you start to experience life, living. Before you believed and received Jesus as Lord and savior you experience life, dead. When we stop following and start living life again in the natural man, in our flesh we experience dead life. But when we follow Jesus and walk in His Spirit we experience life, living. There are things I decide not to do because I am alive in Jesus, and there is abundant life away from the cemetery of worldly things. God calls us all to experience real abundant life.
A religious Jesus or an educational Jesus will not bring us life, we have to experience Jesus. He has more for you and me than we can ever imagine.
Keep reading… Saturday and Sunday we will start in on 1 John chapter one. We will make that chapter cover both days.
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