Dealing With Our Doubts
John 20:19-30
19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas
24Now Thomas (also known as Didymus24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
1. I have to see it to believe it…
- What doubts do you have about following Jesus?
- What do you do with your doubts?
- Has Jesus given you enough evidence to believe?
2. If I believe I will see…
- What do you already put your faith in every day?
- Are you living your life in gray scale or in the color of God’s grace?
- Where in your life do you need to take a leap of faith towards Jesus?
Going deeper:
- How does the promise Jesus gives us in Matthew 7:7-12 relate to our doubts?
- What does it mean to “live by faith not by sight”? (2 Cor. 5:7)
- What does it mean to be spiritually blind? (John 9:35-41)
TODAY'S PREACHER
Michael Pitzer is Director of Student Ministries at Calvary UMC