SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/22/2021 9:43 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-3 “Thomas”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
10:3b
Message of the
verse: “Thomas
and Matthew the tax collector;”
We want to explore the third text in
which John tells us about Thomas, and I believe that this by far is the best known. This happens after the crucifixion and
resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It
is evident that all of Thomas’s fears had seemed to come true as Jesus had been
killed, however as Jesus prophesied all the disciples were spared. However their Master was gone, the One that
had put their hopes and dreams of having the Kingdom of God restored to
Israel. MacArthur writes “For Thomas it
was worse than death, which he had been perfectly willing to accept. He felt forsaken, rejected, and probably even
betrayed. From his perspective, his
worst pessimism had been vindicated.
Jesus’ promises had been empty—sincere and well meaning, no doubt, but
nevertheless empty. Because he loved
Jesus so much, the feeling of rejection was all the more deep and painful. The deepest hurt is potentiated by the
greatest love.”
I think after reading this quote
that we can better understand the feelings that Thomas went through and so
when the disciples had told him that they had seen the Lord it was like having
salt being poured into his wound, and he wanted nothing to do with their
fantasies about His departed Lord. Thomas
did not want to hear about Jesus being raised from the dead for his pain was too
difficult for him to bear at this time.
Thomas then stated “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the
nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His
side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).
I suppose that we have all been
around depressed people and one thing we know is that being depressed naturally
causes pessimism, as people who are depressed have little hope in anything, and
so we see this true in the case of Thomas.
When the other disciples had heard
that Jesus had risen from the dead as seen in John 20:9 they two did not
believe this story, for as that verse says “as yet they did not understand the
Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” The point that I am making here is that the
other disciples were doubting in a similar way, and yet we don’t hear of them
being called doubting like in the case of Thomas. The two disciples seen on the road to Emmaus
did not believe this story either even though that had heard it. There are many people today that don’t
believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and just as in the same case of the
apostles after they believed this truth it changed their lives. It changed my life and I desire for it to be
clear to others who read this that really don’t believe in the resurrection of
Jesus to believe it, to believe that He died for your sins and was in the grave
for three days and then rose from the dead.
To confess the fact that you are a sinner because you were born a sinner
and accept the truth that Jesus Christ died for you and receive the risen Lord into your heart and He will change you like
He changed those disciples.
It is Sunday and therefore that is
all that I am going to write at this time, but for those of you who read this true
story of Thomas, and how the Lord changed His life because of His resurrection
think about how He can do the same for you today.
8/22/2021 10:06
AM
No comments:
Post a Comment