‘THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE’ – John 20:19-31

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on August 13, 2014 under PM Bible Study |

PM Home Bible Study Group; August 13, 2014

John 20:19-31

Theme: The story of our resurrected Lord’s appearances to His disciples affirms the trustworthiness of faith in their testimony.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

The Bible does not ask us to believe anything that is somehow ‘irrational’ or ‘magical’. It does, of course, call us to believe in the miraculous work of a mighty God, and to place our faith in spiritual realities for our salvation. But it never asks us to do so in a way that is inconsistent with the real, time/space world in which we live and operate. Our God—who is the Creator of all, and who is above and sovereign over His creation—has graciously revealed Himself to us through His Son in the context of, and in a way that is consistent with, the created order of which we are a part and in which we exist.

This means that the claims of the gospel involve the ‘stuff’ of the real world, and were capable of being verified through the senses of those to whom they were first revealed. As the apostle John wrote in his first letter;

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full (1 John 1:1-4).

Likewise, the apostle Peter—speaking on behalf of the full apostolic witness—wrote;

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts . . . (2 Peter 1:16-19).

The Christian faith, in other words, is a faith that is firmly rooted in reality. It is a faith in a message that has been declared to us from heaven; but that is communicated to us through real, historically verifiable events that occurred before living human eyewitnesses within the context of the empirically testable time/space continuum of the creation in which we live. Because they are historical events in the past, we today—of course—cannot have them repeated before our own senses and thus experience them in the same way that the original witnesses did. But we can test, confirm and trust in the divinely-protected written record of those in the past who were witnesses of them. This is especially true of one of the most important and foundational events of our faith—the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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In this evening’s portion of John’s Gospel, we’re not only told of the encounter that the disciples had with the resurrected Lord Jesus; but also how it is that we are to believe their report to the salvation of our souls.

I. THE APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES (vv. 19-23).

A. John tells us that this appearance occurred “the same evening” of the day that Peter and John investigated the empty tomb (vv. 1-10), and that Mary Magdalene encountered the resurrected Lord (vv. 11-18). He tells us that this was “the first day of the week”; that is, Sunday. Some scholars believe that this is the historic basis for the practice of these Jewish disciples meeting together on the evening of the first day (rather than on the Sabbath)—a fact which can, itself, be considered a part of the evidence for the resurrection. John tells us, “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (v. 19). The greeting of peace was a common one; but it may have had a special significance in that the disciples were not expecting to ever see Him again and were terrified at His sudden appearance. Note that just how it was that the Lord came to be in their midst isn’t explained to us. But because the doors of the place in which they were had been securely locked for reasons of safety, it seems clear that His resurrected condition allowed Him to come to them in a way that was not limited to physical laws.

B. But it’s important to stress that this wasn’t because Jesus was not in a physical body. John next tells us, “When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord” (v. 20). This encounter was probably the same one that we find in Luke 24:36-43; where we read of the lengths Jesus went to in order to show that His truly was a physical body—in fact, the very same body that had been crucified. We read;

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence (Luke 24:36-43).

In John’s account, we’re told that Jesus showed them His hands (probably showing them the nail prints of His crucifixion; see John 19:18), and His side (where the spear had pierced Him; see John 19:34-37). Clearly, it was the identical body of the same Lord Jesus they saw beaten and crucified and buried—but now standing before them alive and well! The reports they heard of His resurrection from Mary Magdalene and the others were true! We’re told that they then had joy; which reminds us of what He Himself said to them before His crucifixion:

“Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:20-22).

C. It must have been profoundly traumatic for them to have gone so abruptly from extreme grief, to extreme fear, to extreme joy—and all in the matter of just a moment’s time. It must be, in fact, that they were completely beside themselves; and understandably so. John tells us, “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you!”—having to, as it were, repeat His greeting in such a way as to make it an appeal for calmness. He had something more to tell them—something, in fact, very important and for which they needed to be calmed down in order to hear properly. He said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (v. 21). In John 17:4, Jesus was able to pray to the Father and affirm that He had finished the work the Father sent Him to do; and in verse 18 of that passage, He prayed, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” These eyewitnesses to His resurrection would be His authorized witnesses to the world; and they were being sent by Him to preach everywhere the work of our redemption that He had now accomplished. But note that He would not send them to do this work in their own power. We’re told, “And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (v. 22). This reminds us of how God had breathed the breath of life into Adam at his creation (Genesis 2:7); and now—Jesus’ atoning sacrifice having made ‘new life’ possible—He breaths upon His redeemed witnesses the promise of the Holy Spirit that would come at Pentecost. Without this work of the Spirit, they would not be able to be His faithful witnesses; which is why, in Luke’s account of this meeting, He told them, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). (This, of course, happened on Pentecost; see Acts 2). Jesus then went on to tell them further, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (v. 23). This most likely had to do with their ministry of preaching—not that they themselves now had power to forgive or retain sins (that is, in a sense that is distinct from matters of church discipline; see Matthew 18:18); but rather that they would bring into effect the forgiveness or the condemnation of the people of this world by their faithfully preaching of the gospel. As Peter put it in Acts 10:42-43;

“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:42-43).

D. Note in all this, then, how Jesus had demonstrated to His disciples that He truly was raised—and in a way that is consistent with the time/space realities in which they lived. He appeared to their sight. He spoke audibly to them. He stood in their midst. He showed them His hands and His side—and perhaps in a way that the could touch Him. He breathed on them. He even ate fish before them—and perhaps even handed them the bones afterward! Their commission to preach was, therefore, a commission to proclaim—as eyewitnesses—a verifiably resurrected Savior!

II. THE INVITATION TO THOMAS (vv. 24-29).

A. When Jesus appeared to His disciples and commissioned them, one of them was not in their midst. John tells us, “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came” (v. 24). (This is a good reminder to be sure to come to church! You never know what you may miss!) Why it was that He wasn’t in their midst at the time isn’t told us. But when we see how he is mentioned elsewhere in this Gospel, we can suspect that he might have been a man who was inclined to—in his time of grief—brood deeply and alone. He seems to have been a man of deep resolve. When Jesus went to raise Lazarus, and the others thought that this would put Him in danger, Thomas was the one who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). He also seems to have been a very intelligent man with a skeptical bent. When Jesus taught His disciples that He was returning to the Father, and that they knew the way, it was Thomas who said, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). John here tells us, “The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe’” (vv. 24-25). We often call him “Doubting Thomas”; but perhaps it would be better if we called him “Reasonable Thomas”. He was, as it were, ‘from Missouri’. He had to see it for himself.

B. And so he did. Thomas was given a privilege that no one else has received. John tells us, “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!’ 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’” (vv. 26-27). In other words, Thomas was allowed the opportunity to obtain the empirical experience of the resurrected Lord that the others had already been given. He wouldn’t have to rely on their say-so alone; but (and this is important in that he was among the apostles) he would be allowed to testify that he too saw the resurrected Lord in the same way as the others. Did Thomas actually reach out and touch the Lord? We’re not told. But whether he did or not, the evidence was clearly convincing to him. John tells us, “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!” (v. 28).

C. Jesus then went on to say something very important to Thomas—something that was meant to be, as it were, overheard by everyone who has ever been born into the world in the successive centuries after him; but who would not have the empirical experience that Thomas and the others were given. “Jesus said to him, ‘Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’” (v. 29). Jesus’ resurrection occurred in real, time/space creation. Only a relatively few from among humanity would be allowed to see and hear and touch Him in His resurrected body. The rest of humanity would depend on their historic testimony. But that testimony would be sufficient to save all of God’s elect. As Peter, who was among that number, would write later;

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, honor, 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 1:3-9).

III. THE APPEAL TO THE READER (vv. 30-31).

A. That brings us to John’s appeal to the reader—and to what we have been saying, throughout our study, is the great ‘purpose statement’ of this Gospel. John writes; “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book . . .” (v. 30). Luke wrote that many other eyewitnesses had taken it in hand to record the things that Jesus did and taught; and many of those things are not written in John’s Gospel (Luke 1:1-2). And in a remarkable closing statement, John himself said, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25). But of the limited things that he wrote in his Gospel, John writes, “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” (v. 31).

B. Because we cannot repeat the events of history—specifically the event of the physical appearances of the resurrected Lord Jesus to His disciples, and because we cannot expect to have done for us what was done for Thomas, then we must be content to be among those that the Lord Jesus mentioned who would be blessed for not seeing and yet believing. The events that occurred in real time/space reality have been recorded in real time/space history for those of us who live in a real time/space experience. And the record of these things is every bit as capable of validation as any other recorded event in history would be. We can have a valid faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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In closing, consider this story:

In the 19th Century, Simon Greenleaf was one of the most noted authorities on law in the world. He was a founding professor of law at Harvard School of Law; and wrote the standard textbook, “Treatise on The Law of Evidence”. He taught one inviolable principle in his classrooms at Harvard, and that was that a conclusion about a significant matter should not be made without first considering the evidence. But he was not a Christian. When one of his students challenged him about the claims of the Christian faith with respect to his inviolable principle, the professor admitted that he had not considered the evidence from the testimony of the apostles. When he did so—using the very same principles he taught in the classroom—this brilliant legal scholar became a Christian.

He later wrote a book that is considered one of the greatest examinations of the reliability of the Gospel writers that has ever been produced. In it, he wrote:

“All that Christianity asks of men on this subject is, that they would be consistent with themselves; that they would treat its evidences as they treat the evidence of other things; and that they would try and judge its actors and witnesses, as they deal with their fellow men, when testifying to human affairs and actions, in human tribunals. Let the witnesses be compared with themselves, with each other, and with surrounding facts and circumstances; and let their testimony be sifted, as if it were given in a court of justice, on the side of the adverse party, the witnesses being subjected to a rigorous cross-examination. The result, it is confidently believed, will be an undoubting conviction of their integrity, ability, and truth.” (Simon Greenleaf, The Testimony of The Evangelists Examined by The Rules of Evidence Administered in Courts of Justice [Newark, N.J.: Soney & Sage, 1903], p. 46).

They faithfully affirmed, “We have seen the Lord.” And Jesus has promised, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”