Life Triumphs over Death
Series: THE TRIUMPHANT LIFE
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 21st April 2019
Passage: John 20:1-31
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Well, welcome to church tonight.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 If you haven't got a Bible in front of you, great.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Our helpers would love to get you one.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 So if you want to just stick your hand up,
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 if you haven't got one, John 20.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 And also there's some service outlines
00:00:12 --> 00:00:13 you can sort of follow along
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 where I'm up to in tonight's message.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:18 If I've not met you before,
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 my name's Stephen, the senior pastor at church.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 And it is a crack of a day to be at church with you
00:00:24 --> 00:00:29 as we look at the central meaning of Christianity.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 If you don't have a service outline,
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 you can use the St. Paul's app as well to follow along.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:36 It's really only got three points.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 So if you can't remember that, I can't help you.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 Let's pray and we'll launch into it.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 Gracious God, we thank you for the great news
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 of what we're looking at tonight,
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 And I pray that you help us to understand it,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 to be open to it.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 And I pray especially that you might help us
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 to see the transforming nature
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 of what Christ has achieved for us.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 Change our hearts wherever we are of this,
00:01:02 --> 00:01:06 whether we come in as doubters and skeptics
00:01:06 --> 00:01:07 or believers.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 We pray, Lord, that we would go out of here
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 changed, transformed by you,
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 embracing the Lord Jesus as God
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 and Lord over all things.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:16 And we pray for your glory.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:16 Amen.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 Benjamin Law, he's an Australian author and journalist,
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 wrote an opinion piece in the City Morning Herald
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 leading up to Easter a few years ago now.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 Benjamin describes himself as non-religious.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 He says,
00:01:31 --> 00:01:32 I'm not an atheist,
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 but I'm a happy agnostic,
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 a lifelong doubter.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:40 He wrote that if he was to adopt a religious symbol for his life,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:42 it would be a question mark.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 He goes on in the article
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 that he digs the Bible.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 I'm not sure exactly what that means.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:50 I think it's positive.
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 I dig the Bible.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 But he said,
00:01:53 --> 00:01:53 he also added,
00:01:53 --> 00:01:54 he said,
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 I love Jesus.
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 Not in the religious sense,
00:01:56 --> 00:01:57 obviously,
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 but I think everyone can agree
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 that he sounded like a decent fellow.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:04 Jesus distrusted the rich.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:05 He helped the poor
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 and embraced the most shunned
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 and vulnerable members of society.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 He was the first Marxist radical.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 Needless to say,
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 he says,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 I have no problem with celebrating
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 and honoring religious holidays.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 It respects the majority of Australians
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 who identify as Christians
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 and it educates the non-religious
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 about world beliefs.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:31 Then he made this point.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 But why stop at Easter and Christmas?
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 In our cities,
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 especially with their Muslim,
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu communities,
00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 wouldn't it make sense
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 to celebrate and learn
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 about these cultures too?
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 He goes on to suggest
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 that that would create
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 a much more tolerant Australia.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 The opinion piece overall was,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 it was positive,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 raised some questions
00:02:55 --> 00:02:56 in an authentic manner
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 and basically kept everyone happy.
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 He says,
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 Jesus is a nice bloke
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 and so therefore we should celebrate him
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 as a nice bloke
00:03:03 --> 00:03:04 and we should also look
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 at other nice things as well.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 His article raised two big questions
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 for me
00:03:13 --> 00:03:14 and two big questions
00:03:14 --> 00:03:14 about Christianity
00:03:14 --> 00:03:19 and especially the central events
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 of Easter.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:21 And the first question
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 is the truth question.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:24 The second is the meaning question.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 The truth question
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 and the meaning question
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 are both wrapped up together
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 in today on Resurrection Day.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 It's Easter Sunday.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 The truth question,
00:03:38 --> 00:03:39 the meaning question.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:40 Whenever you talk about
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 the resurrection of Jesus,
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 those two questions
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 are intertwined.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:45 Truth question,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 did it actually happen?
00:03:47 --> 00:03:48 The meaning question,
00:03:48 --> 00:03:48 well,
00:03:49 --> 00:03:49 who cares if it did?
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 What difference does it make
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 in my life
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 if he did rise from the dead?
00:03:56 --> 00:03:56 You see,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 there are people
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 who reject Christianity
00:03:58 --> 00:03:58 because they simply
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 just don't think it's true.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 But there are other people
00:04:02 --> 00:04:03 who reject Christianity
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 not because they're convinced
00:04:05 --> 00:04:06 it's not true,
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 but because they can't see
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 why it would make
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 any difference
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 at all in their life
00:04:12 --> 00:04:12 if it was true.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 The meaning of it
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 is insignificant
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 and irrelevant
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 to what really concerns them.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:22 So, for instance,
00:04:23 --> 00:04:23 things have changed
00:04:23 --> 00:04:24 in our world
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 in case you haven't realized that.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 Forty years ago,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:27 and the older you are,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 you realize how much
00:04:28 --> 00:04:29 things have changed.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:30 Forty years ago,
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 there was an assumption
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 in the Western world
00:04:33 --> 00:04:34 that there were fixed
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 natural laws
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 that make the world
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 understandable
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 and scientifically manageable.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 Unfortunately,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 these laws
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 did not allow
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 for the truth
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 of the claim
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 that someone
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 can come back
00:04:49 --> 00:04:49 from the dead
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 and to live forever.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 The world at that time
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 in its scientific understanding
00:04:54 --> 00:04:55 of natural laws
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 did not allow
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 for resurrections
00:04:57 --> 00:04:57 and so,
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 get rid of it.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:00 Unbelief
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 in the claims
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 of Christianity
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 were often connected
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 to that kind
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 of scientific assumption.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 Today, however,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 there's another assumption
00:05:10 --> 00:05:10 and this is for everyone
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 who's basically
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 less than 40,
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 which I'm not quite anymore,
00:05:15 --> 00:05:15 but nearly,
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 is a differing assumption
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 and today,
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 the assumption
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 is that there's
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 a personal law
00:05:23 --> 00:05:24 inside of me.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 It's called individualism.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 Us older people
00:05:27 --> 00:05:28 call it rampant individualism.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 One form of individualism
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 is a personal law
00:05:34 --> 00:05:35 that says,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 I don't have to conform
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 or adapt my life
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 to anything
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 that I don't find helpful.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:43 Truth for me
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 is what I find acceptable
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 and helpful
00:05:46 --> 00:05:46 and useful.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Now, this assumption says,
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 I don't care
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 whether Jesus
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 rose from the dead.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 Don't care
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 if the facts are there
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 because whether
00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 he did or not,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 my issue is,
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 I still don't care.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 The scientific facts
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 are irrelevant.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Even if it is true,
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 what difference
00:06:05 --> 00:06:05 does it make
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 to my life
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 day by day?
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 And so both questions,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:09 the truth question
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 and the so what question
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 are important
00:06:12 --> 00:06:12 to address
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 at the same time,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 which is what we're going to do
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 in the rest of our time together.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:16 I want to tackle
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 three main things,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 truth question,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 so what question,
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 and how to move
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 from being a doubter,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 a skeptic,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 to a believer.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 So first of all,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:27 the truth question.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 The great C.S. Lewis,
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 Oxford Don,
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 once wrote
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 that in a world
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 that was making
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 such a rapid advancement
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 in scientific understanding,
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 he said there was a danger
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 of chronological snobbery.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 He said it's the assumption
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 that any conclusion
00:06:49 --> 00:06:49 that was made
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 in previous centuries
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 or frankly people before me,
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 anyone who,
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 before my assumption of things,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 was their assumptions
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 are always based
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 on ignorance.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 And especially
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 the further back you go,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 it's just ignorance.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:03 For instance,
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 chronological snobbery
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 might lead some
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 to conclude
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 that the people
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 who lived
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 around Jesus' time,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 because they didn't have
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 iPhones and internet,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 they were just
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 gullible peasants.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 They were just
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 ignorant of reality.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 And so they'll just
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 believe anything
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 that they've been told.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:25 And yet that's not
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 the picture
00:07:26 --> 00:07:26 that we have here.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 So if you've got your Bibles,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 turn to John 20,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:29 it's not the picture
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 we get here in John 20.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 Look at the first
00:07:32 --> 00:07:33 two verses with me.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 Early on the first
00:07:35 --> 00:07:35 day of the week,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:37 while it was still dark,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:38 Mary Magdalene
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 went to the tomb
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 and saw that the stone
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 had been removed
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 from the entrance.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 Now this is crucial
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 here in John 20.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 This is the first person
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 to notice the tombs empty,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:51 Mary Magdalene.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 in John 19,
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 which we saw on Friday,
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 the chapter before,
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 Mary Magdalene
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 is declared
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 to be the witness
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 of the death
00:08:03 --> 00:08:03 of Jesus.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:04 He's dead.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 She saw that he was
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 dead.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:07 And now she's the first
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 person of the tomb
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 to see
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 that the tomb
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 is empty.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 So verse 2,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 so she came running
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 to Simon Peter
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 and the other disciple,
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 the one whom Jesus loved,
00:08:17 --> 00:08:17 and said,
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 notice what she says here,
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 they have taken
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 the Lord
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 out of the tomb
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 and we don't know
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 where they've put him.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 Now,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 before he was executed,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 Jesus mentioned
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 a number of times
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 that he was
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 going to be executed,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 but that he would
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 come back to life.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 But that is not
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 what Mary is expecting
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 on this Sunday morning
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 as she goes
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 to the tomb.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 She's not thinking,
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 ah, that's right.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:49 Resurrection.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:51 She's not thinking
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 that at all.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 Her first assumption
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 was that the body
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 has been moved.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 And it's the same
00:09:01 --> 00:09:01 in verse 13.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 She was working
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 on the assumption
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 that the Jewish leaders
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 or potentially
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 the Roman dudes
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 had taken his body
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 and dumped it
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 somewhere outside
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 the city limits.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 Someone has stolen
00:09:13 --> 00:09:13 the body.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:15 So like us,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 Mary didn't just assume
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 that Jesus had come
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 back to life.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 Even Peter and John,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 two of his key followers,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 didn't automatically
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 jump to the conclusion
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 that Jesus had been
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 resurrected.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 Notice verses 8 and 9.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 Finally,
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 the other disciple
00:09:31 --> 00:09:31 who had reached
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 the tomb first
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 also went in,
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 he saw,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 and he believed.
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 And then it says,
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 they still did not
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 understand from Scripture
00:09:42 --> 00:09:42 that Jesus had to
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 rise from the dead.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 What did he believe in?
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 He believed what Mary
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 had just said.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 He believed that Mary
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 was right.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 The tomb is empty.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 But he didn't believe
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 in that moment
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 of the resurrection.
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 That tells me
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 these early followers
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 of Jesus
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 were not easily
00:10:02 --> 00:10:02 excitable,
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 gallible peasants
00:10:04 --> 00:10:04 who would just
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 believe anything.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 Even though Jesus
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 had told them repeatedly
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 that he would come
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 back to life,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 they weren't actually
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 looking for a resurrection.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 And yet what they
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 were confronted with
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 on that first
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 Easter Sunday
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 was a bodiless tomb.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 There was no body
00:10:26 --> 00:10:26 in the tomb.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 So you can't play around
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 with the resurrection
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 of Jesus,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 some have want to do,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 and just can see that
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 it was just a spiritual
00:10:35 --> 00:10:35 resurrection.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 It's kind of what
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 the disciples felt.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 They kind of felt
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 that he was risen again,
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 even though his body
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 didn't come back.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 He just felt he was
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 a spiritual resurrection.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 There was no body.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:51 And you can go
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 to Jewish historians,
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 you can go to
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 Roman historians
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 and Christian historians
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 in that time
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 that wrote in that time
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 and they all declare
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 that the tomb
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 where Jesus was laid
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 was empty.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:06 It's one of the
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 great historical facts
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 the tomb
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 was empty.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 There's no question
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 about that.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 Even the enemies
00:11:19 --> 00:11:19 of Jesus
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 could not
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 produce
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 a body.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 If they could have,
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 they would have
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 ended this Christianity
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 thing 2 years ago.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 All it would have
00:11:31 --> 00:11:31 required
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 is for a Roman
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 or a Jew
00:11:33 --> 00:11:33 to
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 put the body
00:11:36 --> 00:11:36 of Jesus
00:11:36 --> 00:11:37 at a wheelbarrow
00:11:37 --> 00:11:37 and take him
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 to Jerusalem
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 and there you go,
00:11:39 --> 00:11:39 there's your
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 saviour.
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 Right there.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 There he is.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:43 Dead.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 Now,
00:11:47 --> 00:11:47 some have come up
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 with other explanations
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 as to why the tomb
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 was empty.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 For instance,
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 some have suggested
00:11:52 --> 00:11:52 that Jesus,
00:11:53 --> 00:11:53 in fact,
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 didn't really die
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 put him in the tomb
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 and he revived
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 in the cool
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 of the tomb
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 and then moved
00:12:03 --> 00:12:03 the stone
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 that required
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 several soldiers
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 to put in place.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 He revived himself
00:12:10 --> 00:12:10 enough
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 and did a bit
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 of buff work
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 over for a couple
00:12:13 --> 00:12:13 of days
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 and was able
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 to move the stone
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 and walk out
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 and some have
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 suggested he married
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 Mary Magdalene
00:12:21 --> 00:12:22 and then went on
00:12:22 --> 00:12:22 a very long honeymoon
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 down to Egypt
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 and no one ever
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 saw him again.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 Because there's no
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 historical evidence
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 for that
00:12:28 --> 00:12:28 and it's not
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 really plausible.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 And it also goes
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 against the horrible
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 realities of the
00:12:35 --> 00:12:35 crucifixion.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 It goes against
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 the deliberate
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 steps that Pilate
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 took and the
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 leaders,
00:12:42 --> 00:12:43 the Jewish leaders
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 took to make
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 sure that he
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 was dead.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:51 Look at John 19.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 They declared,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 we want to make
00:12:54 --> 00:12:54 sure this man's
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 dead because we've
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 got to get to church
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 so can we please
00:12:57 --> 00:12:57 kill him?
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 And they went along
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 to break his legs
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 and they discovered
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 they, in their own
00:13:01 --> 00:13:01 testimony,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:02 said he's dead.
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 They also took
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 enormous steps
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 to make sure
00:13:12 --> 00:13:12 that no one
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 got in or out
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 of that tomb.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:14 They posted
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 their own guards
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 at the door
00:13:17 --> 00:13:17 of the tomb.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 Others have
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 suggested that
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 the disciples
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 stole the body.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 If they did,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:27 you've got to
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 ask yourself
00:13:28 --> 00:13:28 the question,
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 why did they
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 remove the
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 grave clothes?
00:13:34 --> 00:13:34 I mean,
00:13:34 --> 00:13:34 you've got
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 Roman soldiers
00:13:36 --> 00:13:36 at the entrance
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 of the tomb
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 so you get them
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 drunk and then
00:13:39 --> 00:13:39 you manage to
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 get the tomb
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 and then you
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 unwrap him
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 and fold up
00:13:43 --> 00:13:43 his clothes
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 and then take
00:13:44 --> 00:13:44 the naked body
00:13:44 --> 00:13:44 away.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 Why would you
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 do that?
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 Why take
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 off the linen?
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 And more
00:13:52 --> 00:13:52 significantly,
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 if they took
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 the body
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 away,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:55 it would
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 mean that
00:13:56 --> 00:13:56 the disciples
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 began to
00:13:57 --> 00:13:57 risk their
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 lives and
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 in fact gave
00:13:59 --> 00:13:59 up their
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 lives for
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 nothing more
00:14:02 --> 00:14:02 than an
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 April fool's
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 joke that
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 they themselves
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 had
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 perpetuated.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 God
00:14:09 --> 00:14:13 and how
00:14:13 --> 00:14:13 else do we
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 account for
00:14:14 --> 00:14:14 the dramatic
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 change in
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 the disciples
00:14:16 --> 00:14:16 after Good
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 Friday if it
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 wasn't for the
00:14:18 --> 00:14:18 resurrection?
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 The fact is
00:14:20 --> 00:14:20 these guys
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 were utterly
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 dejected and
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 terrified after
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 the death of
00:14:24 --> 00:14:24 Jesus.
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 They were
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 scared that
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 they were
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 going to be
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 treated in
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 exactly the
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 same way
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 that Jesus
00:14:28 --> 00:14:28 had been
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 treated.
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 They feared
00:14:30 --> 00:14:30 for their
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 lives.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 They did
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 not have
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 hope for
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 a resurrection
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 and they
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 were basically
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 ready to go
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 back fishing
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 when everything
00:14:37 --> 00:14:37 died down a
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 little bit.
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39 They were
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 hiding in a
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 secluded room
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 and were
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 unwilling to
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 believe the
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 first reports
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 of Jesus'
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 appearance three
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 days after he
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 was executed.
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 And yet in a
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 matter of
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 weeks,
00:14:52 --> 00:14:53 these men
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 were filled
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 overflowing
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 with joy and
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 courage and
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 not only ready
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 to die for
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 Jesus but in
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 fact did die
00:15:02 --> 00:15:02 for Jesus.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 What happened?
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 Their own
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 explanation as
00:15:09 --> 00:15:09 to what
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 happened is
00:15:11 --> 00:15:11 that we saw
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 Jesus alive
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 after we saw
00:15:13 --> 00:15:13 him dead.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 Now there
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 is, quite
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 frankly, far
00:15:21 --> 00:15:21 more historical
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 evidence than
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 just that.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 But doubting the
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 resurrection of
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 Jesus is common
00:15:26 --> 00:15:26 and strangely
00:15:26 --> 00:15:26 enough the
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 first person to
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 doubt the
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 resurrection is
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 not someone
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 opposed to
00:15:30 --> 00:15:30 Jesus.
00:15:30 --> 00:15:30 It's one of
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 his close
00:15:31 --> 00:15:31 followers.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 It's a guy
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 named Thomas.
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 As we saw
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 in John 20,
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 Thomas is the
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 most famous
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 of doubters.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:40 And we've got
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 this saying in
00:15:41 --> 00:15:41 our own culture
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 about skeptics
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 and doubters.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 We call them
00:15:44 --> 00:15:44 doubting
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 Thomases.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:45 And so this
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 poor bloke
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 has had a
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 pretty bad
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 rap for
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 2 years.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 That's what he's
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 known for.
00:15:51 --> 00:15:51 He's known for
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 being a doubter.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 And so for
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 those of us
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 struggling to
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 understand or
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 accept the
00:15:57 --> 00:15:57 resurrection,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 you've got to
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 ask yourself the
00:15:59 --> 00:15:59 question tonight,
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 if Thomas can
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 help you here.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 Is he someone
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 who can help
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 you in
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 doubts?
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 Now we are
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 told that
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 Thomas wasn't
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 there when
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 Jesus first
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 appeared to
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 his disciples
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 soon after he
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 rose from the
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 dead.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 So have a look
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 at verse 24.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 It says,
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 Now Thomas
00:16:15 --> 00:16:15 called Didymus,
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 one of the
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 twelve,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 was not with
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 the disciples
00:16:18 --> 00:16:18 when Jesus
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 came and so
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 the other
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 disciples told
00:16:20 --> 00:16:20 him,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:21 we have seen
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 the Lord.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 But he said
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 to them,
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 unless I see
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 the nail marks
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 in his hands
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 and put my
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 finger where
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 the nails
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 were and put
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 my hand in
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 his side,
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 I will not
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 believe it.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 Unless I
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 see it for
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 myself,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 I'm not going
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 to believe it.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 I will believe
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 it if God
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 shows himself.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 If Jesus
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 comes and
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 shows himself
00:16:43 --> 00:16:43 to me,
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 that's the
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 condition of
00:16:45 --> 00:16:45 my belief.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 Now,
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 there's a
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 little strange
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 here because
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 Thomas is an
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 orthodox Jew
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 and so the
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 idea of a
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 resurrection
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 is not
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 unusual for
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 him.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 He believed
00:17:00 --> 00:17:03 that all
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 people would
00:17:04 --> 00:17:04 be resurrected
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 in the end
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 when God
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 calls this
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 world to an
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 end.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 And yet he
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 doubts the
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 resurrection here.
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 And his
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 response
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 to his
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 mates is
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 in absolute
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 terms.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 He makes
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 his demands
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 in absolute
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 terms.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 Unless I
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 see and I
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 place my
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 hands, I
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 will not
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 believe.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 He demands
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 exhaustive
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 proof rather
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 than sufficient
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 evidence.
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 So,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 believing Jesus,
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 believing the
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 resurrection comes
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 down to a
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 battle of the
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 will.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 Thomas rejects
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 witness of
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 ten or
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 more of his
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 trusted
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 friends.
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 He dictates
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 absolute terms
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 to God about
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 believing.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 Now, we're
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 not told
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 specifically
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 why Thomas
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 was so
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 skeptical.
00:17:54 --> 00:17:54 So,
00:17:54 --> 00:17:54 anything I
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 say as to
00:17:56 --> 00:17:56 why he was
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 skeptical is
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 speculation.
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 But I'm
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 going to
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 speculate anyway
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 because it
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 might be helpful
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 for us.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 maybe it
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 was his
00:18:07 --> 00:18:07 personality.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 Maybe he
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 was what
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 some
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 personality
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 tests call
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 a sensing
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 person.
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 Myers-Briggs
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 personality
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 tests weren't
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 around in the
00:18:18 --> 00:18:18 first century as
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 far as I'm
00:18:19 --> 00:18:19 aware.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 But sensing
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 people are
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 people who
00:18:26 --> 00:18:26 pay more
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 attention to
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 physical reality,
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 to facts,
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 to hard
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 evidence.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 And I'm
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 one of those
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 sensing people.
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 The opposite
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 is an
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 intuitive
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 person who
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 goes on
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 perceptions and
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 gut instincts
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 and that kind
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 of stuff.
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 Another
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 alternative is
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 that he was
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 skeptical of
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 everything
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 supernatural or
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 anything
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 supernatural.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:47 Dead people
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 don't come
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 alive and
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 that's it.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 It's probably
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 unlikely for
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 Thomas, but
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 it's common in
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 our modern
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 world.
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 Modern secular
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 people have
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 a worldview
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 which is not
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 a pervasive
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 worldview, I
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 might add,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 across this
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 world.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 that says
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 miracles don't
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 happen.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 Now, it
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 might not be
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 his problem,
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 but when we
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 look at
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 Thomas in
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 John 20, we
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 project our
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 worldview onto
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 him, is what
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 we do.
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 We read
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 Thomas and we
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 go, ah, he's
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 got some
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 intellectual
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 problems with
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 the resurrection.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 resurrection.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:31 You know,
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 Thomas's
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 problem with
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 the resurrection
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 of Jesus is
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 an intellectual
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 one.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:35 It's about
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 facts.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 But
00:19:38 --> 00:19:40 skepticism is
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 never just an
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 intellectual issue.
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 Imagine, for
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 instance, that
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 someone very
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 close to you is
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 dying.
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 Some of us
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 might not have to
00:19:52 --> 00:19:52 imagine too hard
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 on that one.
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 you've finally
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 accepted that the
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 hope of a recovery
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 for your loved
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 one is gone,
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 it's lost, and
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 your loved one is
00:20:06 --> 00:20:06 going to die.
00:20:06 --> 00:20:10 And in fact, I've
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 got someone who
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 was in my year at
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 college going
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 through that right
00:20:14 --> 00:20:14 now with his
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 family.
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 Then all of a
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 sudden, someone
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 says to you as
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 your loved one is
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 there, clearly
00:20:23 --> 00:20:25 dying, terminal
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 illness, someone
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 says to you,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 I've just heard
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 there's a
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 possible cure.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 It's on the
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 other side of
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 the world.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 Possible cure in
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 this clinic.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:40 And you had
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 once upon a
00:20:40 --> 00:20:42 time hoped for
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 recovery.
00:20:44 --> 00:20:46 And then you
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 went through the
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 process of your
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 hopes being
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 dashed and you
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 realized that your
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 loved one is going
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 to die.
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 And all of a
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 sudden, someone
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 comes in with
00:20:58 --> 00:21:00 this 50-50
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 chance that it
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 might not be
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 over.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 Most people in
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 that moment,
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 don't go
00:21:07 --> 00:21:11 awesome and
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 all of a sudden
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 their hopes go
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 skyrocketing
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 again.
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 Most people
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 don't do
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 that.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 Most people
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 in that moment
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 cannot bear to
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 get their hopes
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 up again only to
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 have their hopes
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 dashed again.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 They can't bear to
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 get their hopes
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 up and then to
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 lose the person
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 again.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 Maybe that's
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 what's happening
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 here for
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 Thomas.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 There's no
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 indication in
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 the Bible
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 anywhere that
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 Thomas was a
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 perpetual doubter
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 on all things.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 There's no
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 indication that he
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 didn't love Jesus
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 like any of the
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 other disciples
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 loved him.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 No reason to
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 believe that he
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 wasn't as
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 devastated as
00:21:57 --> 00:21:59 everyone else
00:21:59 --> 00:21:59 about the
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 execution of
00:22:00 --> 00:22:00 Jesus.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:02 And now
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 these guys
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 come along
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 and they say,
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 hey Thomas,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 great news,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 he's alive.
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 Maybe he's
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 simply saying
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 here,
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 don't you
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 dare get my
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 hopes up.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 Don't you
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 dare get my
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 hopes up.
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 Thomas is a
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 disciple who
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 had all his
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 hopes pinned
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 on Jesus.
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 and then
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 Jesus dies.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 And now
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 he's hearing
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 he's alive?
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 You're
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 kidding.
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 Don't do
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 that to me.
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 Maybe he's
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 afraid to
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 hope.
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 In the same
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 way that
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 many people
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 today are
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 afraid to
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 hope.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 It may be
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 that your
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 worldview says
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 this can't
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 happen.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 It may be
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 your personality
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 that says,
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 I need more
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 evidence.
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 It might,
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 on the other
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 hand,
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 be a heart
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 that is
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 afraid to
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 be drawn
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 into something
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 and getting
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 disappointed.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 I suspect
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 that's what's
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 going on for
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 Thomas.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 And I'll
00:23:12 --> 00:23:12 tell you why
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 in a moment.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 What we need
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 to see is
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 Thomas,
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 the first and
00:23:17 --> 00:23:19 most famous
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 of doubters,
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 in the end
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 believed with
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 joy.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 He's the
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 biggest doubter
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 and yet his
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 confession
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 of faith
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 is also
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 the greatest.
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 I want to
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 emphasize that
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 point.
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 There is no
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 greater confession
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 of faith in
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 the entire
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 Bible than
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 this one.
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 Verse 26.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 A week later,
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 his disciples
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 were in the
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 house again
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 and Thomas
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 was with
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 them.
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 Though the
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 doors were
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 locked,
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 Jesus came
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 and stood
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 among them
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 and said,
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 peace be
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 with you.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 And then
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 he said to
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 Thomas,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 put your
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 finger here,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 see my
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 hands,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 reach out
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 your hand
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 and put it
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 in my
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 side,
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 stop
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 doubting
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 and believe.
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 And then
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 Thomas said
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 to him,
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 my Lord
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 and my
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 God.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 That's a
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 remarkable
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 statement.
00:24:04 --> 00:24:07 for a
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 Jewish man
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 to call
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 another
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 human
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 being,
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 not just
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 Lord,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 but God
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 is culturally
00:24:15 --> 00:24:17 incomprehensible.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 His religion
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 did not
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 allow it.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 There is
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 no higher
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 confession
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 of faith
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 in all
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 of the
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 Bible.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 Thomas
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 goes from
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 zero to
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 hero,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 super
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 quick.
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 Super
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 quick.
00:24:34 --> 00:24:38 So that
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 brings me
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 to the
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 so what
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 question.
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 Of course
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 for some
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 their doubts
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 is not a
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 matter of
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 having
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 significant
00:24:44 --> 00:24:44 evidence,
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 it's a
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 matter of
00:24:46 --> 00:24:48 the claims
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 that Jesus
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 has made
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 about himself
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 and his
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 mission and
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 this is the
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 so what
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 question.
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 That is,
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 it's not
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 just about
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 intellectual
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 stuff,
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 it's about
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 the heart
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 and the
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 will.
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 That's a
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 comfortable
00:25:01 --> 00:25:03 place of
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 happy
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 ignorance
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 for
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 many.
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 Thomas'
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 declaration
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 of faith
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 in verse
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 28
00:25:09 --> 00:25:11 addresses the
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 so what
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 question.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 This is
00:25:13 --> 00:25:15 broadly the
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 meaning of
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 the resurrection.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 My
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 Lord
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 and my
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 God.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 So
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 Thomas
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 apparently
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 doubts the
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 resurrection
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 and the
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28 first words
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 that come
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 out of his
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 mouth in
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 seeing Jesus
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 is not
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 about the
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 resurrection
00:25:32 --> 00:25:35 but what
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 the
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 resurrection
00:25:36 --> 00:25:36 meant.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 My
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 Lord and
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 my God.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 You see,
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 the whole
00:25:41 --> 00:25:41 issue
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 Thomas had
00:25:42 --> 00:25:46 was I
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 want to
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 see Jesus
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 for myself
00:25:48 --> 00:25:50 and I
00:25:50 --> 00:25:50 won't
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 believe
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 unless I
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 touch the
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 wounds.
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 Jesus
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 shows up
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 to Thomas
00:25:58 --> 00:26:03 touching the
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 wounds.
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 At all.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 That is,
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 the wounds
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 on Jesus
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 were so
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 much more
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 than evidence
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 that someone
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 can come
00:26:15 --> 00:26:15 back to
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 life.
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 They were
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 evidence of
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 something
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 significantly
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 more powerful
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 and that
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 is the
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 hope that
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 Thomas had
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 placed in
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 Jesus in
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 the first
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 place.
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 What he's
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 saying here
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 in this
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 moment is
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 that everything
00:26:30 --> 00:26:30 that Jesus
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 said about
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 himself is
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 true.
00:26:32 --> 00:26:32 He is
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 God.
00:26:33 --> 00:26:33 He is
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 the king
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 of the
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 universe.
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 He is
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 my Lord.
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 He is
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 my king.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 He is
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 my boss.
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 He is
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 my ruler.
00:26:39 --> 00:26:39 He is
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 my God.
00:26:40 --> 00:26:40 He is
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 my creator.
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 The
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 resurrection
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 means that
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 what Jesus
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 promised must
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 have been
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 delivered.
00:26:47 --> 00:26:50 Thomas has
00:26:50 --> 00:26:52 just joyfully
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 discovered that
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 the wounds of
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 the cross of
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 Jesus that
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 he thought
00:26:57 --> 00:26:57 two days
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 earlier had
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 ruined his
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 life had
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 in fact saved
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 his life.
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 That's the
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 answer to
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 the so what
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 question.
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 The resurrection
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 means everything
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 Jesus said
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 about himself
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 is right and
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 true.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 He is the
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 way.
00:27:15 --> 00:27:15 He is the
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 truth.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 He is the
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 life.
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 He is the
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 way for
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 humanity to
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 be reunited
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 with their
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 creator.
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 Jesus did
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 everything
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 possible,
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 everything
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 possible for
00:27:30 --> 00:27:32 us not to
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 conclude what
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 Benjamin Law
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 concluded.
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 He's a
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 decent
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 fellow.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 God.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:42 How dare we
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 say he's a
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 decent bloke?
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 How dare we
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 say Jesus is
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 to be
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 admired?
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 He
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 polarized
00:27:55 --> 00:27:57 people when
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 he walked the
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 face of the
00:27:58 --> 00:28:00 earth between
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 those who
00:28:01 --> 00:28:01 worshipped him
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 and those who
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 hated him and
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 desired his
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 crucifixion.
00:28:05 --> 00:28:07 how dare we
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 domesticate him
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 into a nice
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 bloke to be
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 admired a
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 couple of
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 times a
00:28:12 --> 00:28:12 year.
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 He worked
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 hard to make
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 sure we never
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 come to the
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 conclusion that
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 he's a good
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 bloke.
00:28:20 --> 00:28:22 To leave him
00:28:22 --> 00:28:24 there as just
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 a bloke to be
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 admired means
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 that we have not
00:28:27 --> 00:28:29 seen him for
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 who he is and
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 we need to
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 actually look
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 harder at who
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 he is.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:34 The
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 resurrection
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 means he
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 is who he
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 says he is.
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 He is our
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41 God and he
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 is our
00:28:42 --> 00:28:42 Lord.
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 But it
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 also graciously
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 means that
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 human guilt and
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 shame has been
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 dealt with
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 finally and
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 fully through
00:28:50 --> 00:28:52 Jesus satisfying
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 God's justice on
00:28:53 --> 00:28:53 the cross on our
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 behalf.
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 It means that
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 death has been
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 confronted by
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 him and has
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 been conquered
00:28:59 --> 00:28:59 by him.
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 It means that
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 new and true
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 life can be
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 experienced before
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 death and
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 eternal life
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 after death.
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 It means that
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 hope for better
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 things has gone
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 from the category
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 of a maybe to
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 an absolute
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 certainty, a
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 definitive
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 certainty.
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 It means that
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 the new heavens
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 and a new
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 earth where
00:29:17 --> 00:29:17 those who
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 trust in Christ
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 will live
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 forever like
00:29:20 --> 00:29:20 he lives forever
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 is coming.
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 This is what
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 Jesus offers
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 everyone who
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 trusts him.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 A number of
00:29:28 --> 00:29:28 chapters earlier
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 in John's
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 gospel.
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 The good
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 news, Jesus
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 talks about
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 the good
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 news and
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 he declares
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 the life
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 changing news
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 of Easter
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 when he
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 says, I
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 am the
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 resurrection
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 and the
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 life and
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 the one
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 who believes
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 in me will
00:29:43 --> 00:29:45 live even
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 though they
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 die and
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 whoever lives
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 by believing
00:29:48 --> 00:29:48 in me will
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 never die.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 He says, do
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 you believe
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 this?
00:29:52 --> 00:29:56 the
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 resurrection
00:29:57 --> 00:29:57 means that
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 Jesus is not
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 just one
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 option.
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 Something
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 incredible,
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 unique and
00:30:06 --> 00:30:07 life changing
00:30:07 --> 00:30:09 and worldview
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 shaping has
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 happened with
00:30:11 --> 00:30:11 the resurrection
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 of Jesus.
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 And that
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 is what
00:30:15 --> 00:30:17 Thomas has
00:30:17 --> 00:30:17 discovered.
00:30:17 --> 00:30:20 So how
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 do we
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 move from
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 doubt to
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 belief?
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 A number
00:30:25 --> 00:30:25 of years
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 ago, I
00:30:26 --> 00:30:29 was in
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 Canada, an
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 airport moving
00:30:31 --> 00:30:33 from Canada to
00:30:33 --> 00:30:35 the US and
00:30:35 --> 00:30:35 you go to
00:30:35 --> 00:30:37 customs and
00:30:37 --> 00:30:37 the guy at
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 customs said,
00:30:38 --> 00:30:38 you know,
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 where are you
00:30:39 --> 00:30:39 going?
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 I'm going
00:30:40 --> 00:30:40 home.
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 He says,
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 what do you,
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 you know,
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 they ask you
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 the questions,
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 what do you
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 do?
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 What's your
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 nature, your
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 business,
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 that sort of
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 stuff?
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 And he
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 said, so
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 what do you
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 do?
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 And I
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 said, well,
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 I'm pastor
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 of a
00:30:47 --> 00:30:47 church.
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 All right,
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 you're one
00:30:49 --> 00:30:49 of those
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 God-botherer
00:30:50 --> 00:30:50 guys.
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 Yes, you
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 know, let's
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 not elevate
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 the situation
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 too much.
00:30:56 --> 00:30:58 And he
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 said to
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 me, okay
00:30:59 --> 00:31:01 then, if
00:31:01 --> 00:31:01 that's the
00:31:01 --> 00:31:01 case, what
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 would you
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 say to a
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 person who
00:31:03 --> 00:31:04 says to
00:31:04 --> 00:31:04 you, show
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 me God
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 and I'll
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 believe in
00:31:07 --> 00:31:07 him?
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 I'm like,
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 is this a
00:31:10 --> 00:31:12 pass the
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 test category?
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 Like, what's
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 going on
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 here?
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 You know,
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 is he
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 actually
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 seriously
00:31:16 --> 00:31:16 asking the
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 question for
00:31:17 --> 00:31:17 himself or
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 for a
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 friend?
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 Or is
00:31:19 --> 00:31:19 this like
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 the guy
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 was actually
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 secretly a
00:31:21 --> 00:31:21 theologian?
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 He's trying
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 to call me
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 out here.
00:31:24 --> 00:31:26 And I
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 thought, okay,
00:31:28 --> 00:31:28 let's have a
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 crack at this.
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 And I
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 said to him,
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 well, it's
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 interesting you
00:31:31 --> 00:31:31 could ask that
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 question.
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 Jesus said,
00:31:33 --> 00:31:35 Jesus said, you
00:31:35 --> 00:31:37 see me and
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 you see the
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 Father, you
00:31:39 --> 00:31:39 see God.
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 And what
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 Jesus did is
00:31:41 --> 00:31:43 he revealed the
00:31:43 --> 00:31:43 character and
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 the nature of
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 God for three
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 years on the
00:31:46 --> 00:31:46 earth.
00:31:46 --> 00:31:47 He did
00:31:47 --> 00:31:47 countless
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 miracles.
00:31:48 --> 00:31:48 He raised
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 the dead.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:49 He healed
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 people.
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 He showed
00:31:51 --> 00:31:51 his power
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 over nature.
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 Plenty of
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 people saw
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 him do that.
00:31:55 --> 00:31:55 And I
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 said, plenty
00:31:56 --> 00:31:56 of people
00:31:56 --> 00:31:57 saw him do
00:31:57 --> 00:31:58 this most
00:31:58 --> 00:31:59 amazing
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 miracle where
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 he called
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 Lazarus, a
00:32:02 --> 00:32:03 guy being dead
00:32:03 --> 00:32:03 in the tomb
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 for four days,
00:32:04 --> 00:32:04 called him
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 out of a
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 tomb and
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 they saw
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 him walk
00:32:07 --> 00:32:07 out of the
00:32:07 --> 00:32:08 tomb at
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 the command
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 of Jesus.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 He had
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 power over
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 life and
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 death.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:12 And yet in
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 that moment
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 when people
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 saw Jesus
00:32:15 --> 00:32:15 do that,
00:32:16 --> 00:32:16 half of the
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 crowd went,
00:32:17 --> 00:32:17 well, that's
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 amazing, let's
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 worship him.
00:32:19 --> 00:32:19 And half the
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 crowd said,
00:32:20 --> 00:32:21 let's call him.
00:32:21 --> 00:32:22 He's messing
00:32:22 --> 00:32:23 things up for
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 us.
00:32:24 --> 00:32:24 So I said
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 to him, the
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 reality is, even
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 if God was to
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 present himself
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 to you right
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 now, seeing
00:32:29 --> 00:32:29 doesn't equal
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 believing.
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 Got to know
00:32:30 --> 00:32:31 that from a
00:32:31 --> 00:32:31 start.
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 John chapter
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 20, Jesus
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 himself says,
00:32:34 --> 00:32:34 blessed are
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 those who
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 don't physically
00:32:35 --> 00:32:37 see me and
00:32:37 --> 00:32:37 yet believe.
00:32:38 --> 00:32:38 And so there
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 is sufficient
00:32:39 --> 00:32:40 evidence that's
00:32:40 --> 00:32:41 been written
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 down by those
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 who did see
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 Jesus and
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 come to
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 believe in
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 him.
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 But in the
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 end, you
00:32:47 --> 00:32:47 can look at
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 that evidence
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49 and discard it.
00:32:49 --> 00:32:49 It's a matter
00:32:49 --> 00:32:50 of the will.
00:32:51 --> 00:32:51 And I said, I
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 could be God
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 right here, right
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 now in front of
00:32:54 --> 00:32:56 you and just
00:32:56 --> 00:32:56 happen to have
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 a passport.
00:32:57 --> 00:32:58 And I
00:32:58 --> 00:32:59 could say to
00:32:59 --> 00:32:59 you, I
00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 am God and
00:33:00 --> 00:33:00 I could do
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 all of the
00:33:01 --> 00:33:01 miracles of
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 Jesus.
00:33:02 --> 00:33:04 But frankly, you
00:33:04 --> 00:33:04 if you don't
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 want to believe
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 are going to
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 keep changing
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 the goalposts.
00:33:08 --> 00:33:08 It's going to
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 be perform that
00:33:09 --> 00:33:09 miracle.
00:33:09 --> 00:33:09 Okay.
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 And eventually
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 I'm going to
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 be at your
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 beck and
00:33:13 --> 00:33:13 calling and
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 the God that
00:33:14 --> 00:33:15 you have in
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 your mind is
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 someone that
00:33:16 --> 00:33:17 you've formed.
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 So believing
00:33:19 --> 00:33:20 in Jesus is not
00:33:20 --> 00:33:20 just a matter of
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 seeing him.
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 It's a matter of
00:33:22 --> 00:33:22 the will and
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 surrendering your
00:33:23 --> 00:33:23 heart to him.
00:33:23 --> 00:33:26 That's roughly
00:33:26 --> 00:33:26 what I'd say.
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 And the
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 guy just
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 stamped my
00:33:31 --> 00:33:31 passport and
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 let me go.
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 Seeing is not
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 necessarily
00:33:38 --> 00:33:38 believing.
00:33:40 --> 00:33:40 As I said,
00:33:41 --> 00:33:41 many people saw
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 the miracles of
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 Jesus and yet
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 they didn't
00:33:44 --> 00:33:44 believe.
00:33:44 --> 00:33:47 there are way
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 deeper dimensions
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 to believing
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 than just
00:33:50 --> 00:33:50 seeing.
00:33:53 --> 00:33:53 How then do
00:33:53 --> 00:33:55 we move from
00:33:55 --> 00:33:55 doubt to
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 belief?
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 Firstly, two
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 points I want to
00:33:59 --> 00:33:59 make on this.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:00 Firstly, it's
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 important to
00:34:01 --> 00:34:01 listen to the
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 eyewitness
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 accounts.
00:34:03 --> 00:34:03 That's the
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 first step.
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 We are told
00:34:05 --> 00:34:05 that Thomas
00:34:05 --> 00:34:06 was there when
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 Jesus first
00:34:07 --> 00:34:08 appeared to the
00:34:08 --> 00:34:08 disciples.
00:34:09 --> 00:34:09 One week
00:34:09 --> 00:34:10 later, Jesus
00:34:10 --> 00:34:11 shows up again
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 with Thomas
00:34:12 --> 00:34:12 present.
00:34:12 --> 00:34:14 During the
00:34:14 --> 00:34:14 week in
00:34:14 --> 00:34:16 between, we
00:34:16 --> 00:34:16 are told in
00:34:16 --> 00:34:17 verse 25,
00:34:18 --> 00:34:19 that the
00:34:19 --> 00:34:19 other disciples
00:34:19 --> 00:34:20 kept telling
00:34:20 --> 00:34:21 Thomas that
00:34:21 --> 00:34:22 they'd seen
00:34:22 --> 00:34:23 Jesus risen.
00:34:23 --> 00:34:24 In fact, the
00:34:24 --> 00:34:25 original language
00:34:25 --> 00:34:25 is really clear.
00:34:26 --> 00:34:27 It kept
00:34:27 --> 00:34:28 telling him,
00:34:28 --> 00:34:29 telling him,
00:34:29 --> 00:34:29 telling him,
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 telling him,
00:34:30 --> 00:34:30 telling him,
00:34:30 --> 00:34:31 telling him that
00:34:31 --> 00:34:32 Jesus has
00:34:32 --> 00:34:33 risen.
00:34:34 --> 00:34:35 And so
00:34:35 --> 00:34:35 during that
00:34:35 --> 00:34:37 week, before
00:34:37 --> 00:34:38 Jesus appeared
00:34:38 --> 00:34:38 to Thomas,
00:34:39 --> 00:34:39 Thomas is in
00:34:39 --> 00:34:40 exactly the
00:34:40 --> 00:34:41 same spot that
00:34:41 --> 00:34:42 you and I are
00:34:42 --> 00:34:42 in.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:46 Like him, we
00:34:46 --> 00:34:47 have access to
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48 people who saw
00:34:48 --> 00:34:49 Jesus raised
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 from the dead.
00:34:50 --> 00:34:52 In fact, they
00:34:52 --> 00:34:53 are the exact
00:34:53 --> 00:34:54 same people that
00:34:54 --> 00:34:55 Thomas had
00:34:55 --> 00:34:56 access to.
00:34:56 --> 00:34:57 Their eyewitness
00:34:57 --> 00:34:58 accounts are
00:34:58 --> 00:34:59 written down in
00:34:59 --> 00:35:00 the New Testament
00:35:00 --> 00:35:01 and especially
00:35:01 --> 00:35:02 the Gospels, one
00:35:02 --> 00:35:02 of which we're
00:35:02 --> 00:35:03 looking at here
00:35:03 --> 00:35:03 tonight in
00:35:03 --> 00:35:04 John's Gospel.
00:35:05 --> 00:35:05 A number of
00:35:05 --> 00:35:06 years ago,
00:35:07 --> 00:35:07 several decades
00:35:07 --> 00:35:09 ago, it was a
00:35:09 --> 00:35:10 common accusation
00:35:10 --> 00:35:11 that the Gospel
00:35:11 --> 00:35:12 accounts of
00:35:12 --> 00:35:13 Jesus are
00:35:13 --> 00:35:14 fables that
00:35:14 --> 00:35:14 are written
00:35:14 --> 00:35:15 down long
00:35:15 --> 00:35:15 after the
00:35:15 --> 00:35:16 events, way,
00:35:16 --> 00:35:17 way after the
00:35:17 --> 00:35:17 events, and
00:35:17 --> 00:35:17 therefore they're
00:35:17 --> 00:35:18 not trustworthy.
00:35:19 --> 00:35:20 The reality
00:35:20 --> 00:35:22 is that
00:35:22 --> 00:35:23 there is
00:35:23 --> 00:35:25 enormous amount
00:35:25 --> 00:35:26 of scholarship,
00:35:26 --> 00:35:27 both Christian
00:35:27 --> 00:35:27 and secular,
00:35:28 --> 00:35:29 that actually
00:35:29 --> 00:35:31 argues that
00:35:31 --> 00:35:32 the Gospels
00:35:32 --> 00:35:32 in the New
00:35:32 --> 00:35:34 Testament do
00:35:34 --> 00:35:35 not have any
00:35:35 --> 00:35:36 marks of
00:35:36 --> 00:35:36 fiction in them
00:35:36 --> 00:35:37 at all.
00:35:39 --> 00:35:41 They have the
00:35:41 --> 00:35:42 marks of oral
00:35:42 --> 00:35:43 history and
00:35:43 --> 00:35:44 eyewitness
00:35:44 --> 00:35:45 testimony.
00:35:47 --> 00:35:48 When these
00:35:48 --> 00:35:48 events were
00:35:48 --> 00:35:49 written down,
00:35:50 --> 00:35:50 nearly all of
00:35:50 --> 00:35:52 the eyewitnesses
00:35:52 --> 00:35:53 were still alive
00:35:53 --> 00:35:54 and could vouch
00:35:54 --> 00:35:55 for them.
00:35:55 --> 00:35:56 That is
00:35:56 --> 00:35:57 essential piece
00:35:57 --> 00:35:58 of information
00:35:58 --> 00:36:00 as we read
00:36:00 --> 00:36:00 in 1
00:36:00 --> 00:36:01 Corinthians 15.
00:36:02 --> 00:36:03 I could come
00:36:03 --> 00:36:03 up with a
00:36:03 --> 00:36:04 fable right now,
00:36:04 --> 00:36:04 I could write it
00:36:04 --> 00:36:05 down, send it
00:36:05 --> 00:36:05 off the City
00:36:05 --> 00:36:06 Morning Herald
00:36:06 --> 00:36:08 and tell
00:36:08 --> 00:36:09 everyone, I
00:36:09 --> 00:36:09 just saw
00:36:09 --> 00:36:10 last night
00:36:10 --> 00:36:11 a UFO
00:36:11 --> 00:36:13 land in
00:36:13 --> 00:36:13 Chatswood,
00:36:13 --> 00:36:14 believe me.
00:36:15 --> 00:36:16 Angels came
00:36:16 --> 00:36:17 down and I
00:36:17 --> 00:36:18 could start
00:36:18 --> 00:36:18 that going.
00:36:20 --> 00:36:21 Anyone who
00:36:21 --> 00:36:21 was in
00:36:21 --> 00:36:22 Chatswood at
00:36:22 --> 00:36:22 the time
00:36:22 --> 00:36:23 could say,
00:36:23 --> 00:36:23 well, that's
00:36:23 --> 00:36:24 a load of
00:36:24 --> 00:36:24 rubbish.
00:36:25 --> 00:36:25 That didn't
00:36:25 --> 00:36:26 happen, that's
00:36:26 --> 00:36:27 a fable, that's
00:36:27 --> 00:36:28 not true.
00:36:33 --> 00:36:34 It was
00:36:34 --> 00:36:34 absolutely
00:36:34 --> 00:36:35 essential that
00:36:35 --> 00:36:35 there was
00:36:35 --> 00:36:36 lots of
00:36:36 --> 00:36:37 people that
00:36:37 --> 00:36:37 you could
00:36:37 --> 00:36:37 go to in
00:36:37 --> 00:36:38 the first
00:36:38 --> 00:36:39 century when
00:36:39 --> 00:36:39 these guys
00:36:39 --> 00:36:40 wrote their
00:36:40 --> 00:36:42 accounts and
00:36:42 --> 00:36:42 no one was
00:36:42 --> 00:36:43 coming back at
00:36:43 --> 00:36:44 them saying,
00:36:44 --> 00:36:44 well, that
00:36:44 --> 00:36:44 didn't happen.
00:36:46 --> 00:36:47 Jesus didn't
00:36:47 --> 00:36:48 exist.
00:36:49 --> 00:36:49 The sort of
00:36:49 --> 00:36:50 fables that
00:36:50 --> 00:36:51 modern secular
00:36:51 --> 00:36:51 people come up
00:36:51 --> 00:36:52 with.
00:36:52 --> 00:36:53 He wasn't
00:36:53 --> 00:36:53 crucified.
00:36:56 --> 00:36:56 John, who
00:36:56 --> 00:36:57 wrote this
00:36:57 --> 00:36:58 biography, was
00:36:58 --> 00:36:58 one of the
00:36:58 --> 00:36:59 eyewitnesses and
00:36:59 --> 00:36:59 this is what he
00:36:59 --> 00:37:01 says about how
00:37:01 --> 00:37:01 we come to see
00:37:01 --> 00:37:02 and believe in
00:37:02 --> 00:37:02 verse 30.
00:37:02 --> 00:37:04 Jesus did
00:37:04 --> 00:37:05 many other
00:37:05 --> 00:37:06 miraculous signs
00:37:06 --> 00:37:06 in the presence
00:37:06 --> 00:37:07 of his disciples
00:37:07 --> 00:37:08 which are not
00:37:08 --> 00:37:08 recorded in
00:37:08 --> 00:37:10 this book, but
00:37:10 --> 00:37:11 these are
00:37:11 --> 00:37:12 written, that
00:37:12 --> 00:37:13 is the ones he
00:37:13 --> 00:37:13 has written,
00:37:14 --> 00:37:15 that you might
00:37:15 --> 00:37:15 believe that
00:37:15 --> 00:37:16 Jesus is the
00:37:16 --> 00:37:17 Christ, the
00:37:17 --> 00:37:17 Son of God, and
00:37:17 --> 00:37:18 that by believing
00:37:18 --> 00:37:18 you may have
00:37:18 --> 00:37:19 life in his
00:37:19 --> 00:37:19 name.
00:37:20 --> 00:37:20 What he is
00:37:20 --> 00:37:21 saying is that
00:37:21 --> 00:37:22 what he has
00:37:22 --> 00:37:23 written in
00:37:23 --> 00:37:23 this biography
00:37:23 --> 00:37:24 of Jesus'
00:37:24 --> 00:37:25 life, his
00:37:25 --> 00:37:26 ministry, his
00:37:26 --> 00:37:26 death and his
00:37:26 --> 00:37:27 resurrection, is
00:37:27 --> 00:37:28 by an eyewitness
00:37:28 --> 00:37:29 and that's
00:37:29 --> 00:37:30 all you need
00:37:30 --> 00:37:31 to believe.
00:37:32 --> 00:37:36 And frankly, it
00:37:36 --> 00:37:36 makes pure
00:37:36 --> 00:37:39 sense because
00:37:39 --> 00:37:40 it's how we
00:37:40 --> 00:37:41 operate in
00:37:41 --> 00:37:42 every area the
00:37:42 --> 00:37:43 rest of our
00:37:43 --> 00:37:43 life.
00:37:44 --> 00:37:45 What I mean is
00:37:45 --> 00:37:47 this, how many
00:37:47 --> 00:37:47 of the things
00:37:47 --> 00:37:48 that you believe
00:37:48 --> 00:37:49 happened in
00:37:49 --> 00:37:50 history did you
00:37:50 --> 00:37:50 actually see?
00:37:50 --> 00:37:55 How many of
00:37:55 --> 00:37:56 the things that
00:37:56 --> 00:37:57 you believe
00:37:57 --> 00:37:57 happened in
00:37:57 --> 00:37:58 history did
00:37:58 --> 00:37:59 you actually
00:37:59 --> 00:37:59 see?
00:38:02 --> 00:38:03 We actually
00:38:03 --> 00:38:04 believe eyewitness
00:38:04 --> 00:38:06 testimony that's
00:38:06 --> 00:38:07 been written down
00:38:07 --> 00:38:08 by historically
00:38:08 --> 00:38:09 reliable authors.
00:38:10 --> 00:38:11 And so why do
00:38:11 --> 00:38:11 we not do it
00:38:11 --> 00:38:12 when it comes to
00:38:12 --> 00:38:12 the person of
00:38:12 --> 00:38:13 Jesus?
00:38:14 --> 00:38:15 Because it's
00:38:15 --> 00:38:16 not a historical
00:38:16 --> 00:38:16 fact.
00:38:17 --> 00:38:18 It's got to do
00:38:18 --> 00:38:19 with his claims.
00:38:19 --> 00:38:20 It's got to do
00:38:20 --> 00:38:20 with who he
00:38:20 --> 00:38:21 is and his
00:38:21 --> 00:38:22 demands in our
00:38:22 --> 00:38:22 life.
00:38:25 --> 00:38:26 We don't need
00:38:26 --> 00:38:27 to know anything
00:38:27 --> 00:38:28 more than what
00:38:28 --> 00:38:28 John's written in
00:38:28 --> 00:38:29 this gospel or
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 any of the other
00:38:30 --> 00:38:31 biographies to see
00:38:31 --> 00:38:31 and to believe.
00:38:32 --> 00:38:33 It's a matter of
00:38:33 --> 00:38:33 the will.
00:38:35 --> 00:38:36 So can I
00:38:36 --> 00:38:36 encourage you to
00:38:36 --> 00:38:37 give one a read?
00:38:37 --> 00:38:38 Get yourself
00:38:38 --> 00:38:39 immersed in it.
00:38:39 --> 00:38:39 If you've not
00:38:39 --> 00:38:40 done that, read
00:38:40 --> 00:38:40 them as eyewitness
00:38:40 --> 00:38:41 accounts and
00:38:41 --> 00:38:42 think.
00:38:43 --> 00:38:43 Think.
00:38:44 --> 00:38:45 Grab one.
00:38:45 --> 00:38:45 You know,
00:38:45 --> 00:38:47 there's Bibles at
00:38:47 --> 00:38:47 the entrances.
00:38:48 --> 00:38:48 You know, we
00:38:48 --> 00:38:49 won't even call it
00:38:49 --> 00:38:49 stealing.
00:38:50 --> 00:38:50 We'll just
00:38:50 --> 00:38:51 take one home.
00:38:51 --> 00:38:52 We'll call it a
00:38:52 --> 00:38:52 gift.
00:38:53 --> 00:38:54 Just take one.
00:38:54 --> 00:38:54 In fact, we've
00:38:54 --> 00:38:55 even got some
00:38:55 --> 00:38:56 Chinese versions
00:38:56 --> 00:38:56 here as well
00:38:56 --> 00:38:57 floating around.
00:38:58 --> 00:38:59 Just take them
00:38:59 --> 00:39:00 and read them.
00:39:01 --> 00:39:02 The second thing
00:39:02 --> 00:39:03 to do, to move
00:39:03 --> 00:39:04 from doubt to
00:39:04 --> 00:39:05 belief, is to
00:39:05 --> 00:39:05 drop your
00:39:05 --> 00:39:05 conditions.
00:39:07 --> 00:39:08 Every single
00:39:08 --> 00:39:08 one of us
00:39:08 --> 00:39:09 moves towards
00:39:09 --> 00:39:11 Jesus with a
00:39:11 --> 00:39:11 set of conditions.
00:39:12 --> 00:39:13 No one ever
00:39:13 --> 00:39:14 goes to Jesus
00:39:14 --> 00:39:15 because he's
00:39:15 --> 00:39:16 great and he's
00:39:16 --> 00:39:17 God and he's
00:39:17 --> 00:39:18 Lord for his own
00:39:18 --> 00:39:18 sake.
00:39:19 --> 00:39:20 We always
00:39:20 --> 00:39:21 move towards
00:39:21 --> 00:39:21 him because
00:39:21 --> 00:39:22 we want
00:39:22 --> 00:39:23 something which
00:39:23 --> 00:39:24 means we have
00:39:24 --> 00:39:24 conditions.
00:39:27 --> 00:39:28 I've known
00:39:28 --> 00:39:29 of people who
00:39:29 --> 00:39:30 have refused
00:39:30 --> 00:39:31 to become
00:39:31 --> 00:39:33 Christian because
00:39:33 --> 00:39:34 it would mean
00:39:34 --> 00:39:34 that they would
00:39:34 --> 00:39:35 need to repair
00:39:35 --> 00:39:36 a relationship or
00:39:36 --> 00:39:37 to change a
00:39:37 --> 00:39:38 habit.
00:39:39 --> 00:39:39 You know,
00:39:39 --> 00:39:39 like people,
00:39:40 --> 00:39:41 Steve, you mean
00:39:41 --> 00:39:41 Jesus offers me
00:39:41 --> 00:39:42 eternal life but
00:39:42 --> 00:39:43 if I want to take
00:39:43 --> 00:39:43 up eternal life,
00:39:43 --> 00:39:44 you mean I've got
00:39:44 --> 00:39:44 to forgive my
00:39:44 --> 00:39:45 mother-in-law?
00:39:46 --> 00:39:47 Deal off.
00:39:48 --> 00:39:49 That ain't gonna
00:39:49 --> 00:39:49 happen.
00:39:51 --> 00:39:52 And that's all
00:39:52 --> 00:39:52 of us.
00:39:53 --> 00:39:54 It's like he
00:39:54 --> 00:39:55 offers us
00:39:55 --> 00:39:57 eternal life,
00:39:58 --> 00:40:00 sounds fantastic
00:40:00 --> 00:40:03 but I don't
00:40:03 --> 00:40:03 really want him
00:40:03 --> 00:40:04 to disrupt my
00:40:04 --> 00:40:04 family.
00:40:07 --> 00:40:08 I really don't
00:40:08 --> 00:40:09 want him to
00:40:09 --> 00:40:10 interfere with my
00:40:10 --> 00:40:10 career.
00:40:10 --> 00:40:13 don't want him
00:40:13 --> 00:40:16 to start
00:40:16 --> 00:40:17 dominating my
00:40:17 --> 00:40:17 weekend,
00:40:19 --> 00:40:20 eternal life
00:40:20 --> 00:40:21 or the
00:40:21 --> 00:40:22 beach.
00:40:26 --> 00:40:27 We need to
00:40:27 --> 00:40:28 drop our
00:40:28 --> 00:40:29 conditions because
00:40:29 --> 00:40:29 they say,
00:40:30 --> 00:40:30 Jesus, you
00:40:30 --> 00:40:31 might be Lord,
00:40:31 --> 00:40:31 you might be
00:40:31 --> 00:40:32 God but I'll
00:40:32 --> 00:40:33 only come to
00:40:33 --> 00:40:33 you if.
00:40:37 --> 00:40:38 And yet
00:40:38 --> 00:40:38 Jesus didn't do
00:40:38 --> 00:40:39 that for us.
00:40:39 --> 00:40:40 He loved us
00:40:40 --> 00:40:40 unconditionally.
00:40:41 --> 00:40:42 If you were
00:40:42 --> 00:40:42 here on
00:40:42 --> 00:40:42 Friday,
00:40:44 --> 00:40:45 you would have
00:40:45 --> 00:40:45 heard it
00:40:45 --> 00:40:46 declared that
00:40:46 --> 00:40:46 his death was
00:40:46 --> 00:40:47 no accident
00:40:47 --> 00:40:48 of history.
00:40:49 --> 00:40:50 Jesus died
00:40:50 --> 00:40:50 and rose to
00:40:50 --> 00:40:51 redeem us and
00:40:51 --> 00:40:52 to reclaim us
00:40:52 --> 00:40:53 to God.
00:40:53 --> 00:40:54 It was all
00:40:54 --> 00:40:55 God's plan.
00:40:55 --> 00:40:55 The Bible
00:40:55 --> 00:40:57 says that
00:40:57 --> 00:40:58 while we were
00:40:58 --> 00:40:59 still his
00:40:59 --> 00:41:00 enemies,
00:41:00 --> 00:41:01 Jesus chose
00:41:01 --> 00:41:02 to die for
00:41:02 --> 00:41:02 us.
00:41:03 --> 00:41:03 He sees
00:41:03 --> 00:41:04 all of our
00:41:04 --> 00:41:04 flaws.
00:41:05 --> 00:41:05 He sees
00:41:05 --> 00:41:06 all of our
00:41:06 --> 00:41:06 failures.
00:41:07 --> 00:41:07 He knows
00:41:07 --> 00:41:08 the evil
00:41:08 --> 00:41:09 which lies
00:41:09 --> 00:41:09 in the
00:41:09 --> 00:41:10 depths of
00:41:10 --> 00:41:10 our
00:41:10 --> 00:41:10 heart that
00:41:10 --> 00:41:11 virtually no
00:41:11 --> 00:41:11 one else
00:41:11 --> 00:41:12 knows.
00:41:13 --> 00:41:14 And yet
00:41:14 --> 00:41:14 he still
00:41:14 --> 00:41:15 loves us
00:41:15 --> 00:41:15 unconditionally.
00:41:18 --> 00:41:19 So can I
00:41:19 --> 00:41:21 just say
00:41:21 --> 00:41:22 God has
00:41:22 --> 00:41:23 brought you
00:41:23 --> 00:41:24 here this
00:41:24 --> 00:41:25 Easter Sunday
00:41:25 --> 00:41:27 afternoon
00:41:27 --> 00:41:29 for this
00:41:29 --> 00:41:30 message,
00:41:30 --> 00:41:31 for this
00:41:31 --> 00:41:32 bit of the
00:41:32 --> 00:41:32 Bible,
00:41:33 --> 00:41:34 for this
00:41:34 --> 00:41:34 story of
00:41:34 --> 00:41:34 the
00:41:34 --> 00:41:35 resurrection,
00:41:35 --> 00:41:36 for this
00:41:36 --> 00:41:36 eyewitness
00:41:36 --> 00:41:37 account,
00:41:38 --> 00:41:38 so that you
00:41:38 --> 00:41:39 might see
00:41:39 --> 00:41:40 Jesus and
00:41:40 --> 00:41:41 believe in
00:41:41 --> 00:41:42 Jesus as
00:41:42 --> 00:41:43 Thomas did,
00:41:44 --> 00:41:44 and that you
00:41:44 --> 00:41:45 might have
00:41:45 --> 00:41:46 life in
00:41:46 --> 00:41:46 Jesus that
00:41:46 --> 00:41:47 triumphs over
00:41:47 --> 00:41:48 death.
00:41:51 --> 00:41:52 So drop
00:41:52 --> 00:41:52 your conditions
00:41:52 --> 00:41:53 emiys and
00:41:53 --> 00:41:54 believe in
00:41:54 --> 00:41:54 him.
00:41:59 --> 00:42:00 ...
00:42:00 --> 00:42:00 ...
00:42:00 --> 00:42:05 ...
00:42:05 --> 00:42:07 ...
00:42:07 --> 00:42:07 ...