Word of Salvation – Vol. 14 No.23 – June 1968

 

Doubt Turned Into Certainty

 

Sermon by Rev. J. Vander Reest, Th.Grad. on John 20:24-29

SCRIPTURE READING: John 20:19-31

PSALTER-HYMNAL: 37; 399; 446; 394; 310

 

Congregation of Jesus Christ,

One of the mightiest weapons of satan, one of the greatest enemies of the Church, and one of the things that continually troubles the Christian is …DOUBT!  It is sometimes like a contagious sickness.  It spreads.  It jumps from one to another.  It is like a pest, a garden pest; but in this case there is no insecticide, no cheap pressure-pack, that can give quick relief or remedy.

DOUBT is the arch-enemy of every believer.  DOUBT comes in many ways and forms, and can have various causes.  DOUBT, if left untouched, can cause havoc!  DOUBT, if it is not resisted or expelled, can break all vital communications between God and the Christian.  DOUBT can mean spiritual death!

Therefore it is important to learn to recognize this enemy, this sickness which can come to every believer.  Doubt is the opposite of certainty.  Yet doubt can be turned into certainty.  And that is what we see in our text.  Our text shows us how doubt was turned into certainty when Jesus appeared to Thomas.  And we will have a look at three points:

1.  Thomas’ condition of doubt.

2.  Jesus’ appearance and command.

3.  Jesus’ promise to all believers.

1.  Thomas’ condition of doubt.

The news that Jesus had risen from the grave had spread quickly.  All the disciples of Jesus soon had heard of Jesus’ resurrection.  All the friends and followers of Christ had heard the good news: “Jesus lives!”  They had ALSO told Thomas!

Then the Lord made his appearances.  First to Mary.  Then to the Emmaus-goers, Then to all the disciples.  And very quickly the news had gone far and wide: “Jesus is with us!”  They had ALSO told Thomas!

But Thomas could not believe it.  Thomas the natural pessimist, was unable to accept it.  Oh, he really loved the Lord.  He had been willing to die for his Master.  But he had expected that something would go wrong.  He had seen it coming – “a mile away” by way of speaking.  According to Thomas, this was not going to work out right at all; it would be a fiasco!  And now Thomas knew.  He had been RIGHT!  They had caught the Lord.  They had whipped Him.  Crucified Him.  And now he was DEAD!  Just plain DEAD!  He no longer existed!

And then those women began to talk.  They began to spread the story: that the grave was empty.  NONSENSE!  Women’s talk!  Someone must have taken Him away!  And then they said: they had seen Him; they had seen the Lord!  IMPOSSIBLE!  They must have seen a ghost.

And Thomas told them.  I don’t believe it.  I don’t believe a word of it!  Yes, Thomas had grown very arrogant.  His pessimism had grown into doubt.  A doubt which no longer accepted as true even what his own friends told him.  Often they had asked him to come along.  They said to him: don’t stay away, Thomas.  Don’t stay away from the fellowship.  Come and join us.  But Thomas had separated himself; his arrogance had led him to disobedience.  And when they asked him again, he had told them.  He had told them once and for all.  “Now stop your nagging!  I won’t believe it!  I won’t believe: Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

Well, that was telling them!  That would stop them from asking him again to the worship services.  Thomas had laid down his condition.  Yes, a CONDITION.  You see, brothers and sisters, what doubt can do?  Doubt changes the roles.  In doubt WE lay down the conditions.  First I have to see and feel, said Thomas, and then I will believe.

And there are thousands who follow the example of Thomas.  They are arrogant; they lay down conditions for God.  First I must see; first I must feel; first I must understand and then, and then… I believe.

They are the pessimists, the sceptics, the rationalists, the emotionalists, the intellectuals, the humanists and the straight-out stubborn ones, that say: “Unless I have proof, unless I see, unless I feel, unless there is visible and concrete evidence – I will not believe!”  They are laying down the conditions, under which they will agree to come to faith.  This is pride, arrogance, disobedience and rebellion.  And on top of that, many withdraw themselves from the Church and its worship services, because they cannot believe.  Which in actual fact is the same thing as saying: “I am not going to the doctor, because I cannot believe that he can make me better.”  It is like throwing the prescribed medicine in the rubbish-bin, because one is sure that it is not going to help anyway.

That is what many are doing; they are not going to Church, for they have made up their minds that this cannot help them.  In their doubt they have laid down a condition.  Their doubt has grown into unbelief. 

2.  Jesus’ appearance and command:

But let us return to our text.  Something has happened.  Again on the first day of the week the disciples are together, and Thomas is with them.  How it came about and why it was that Thomas was with them we are not told.  It is not important either.  What is important is that Thomas was WITH THEM.

And then Jesus appears to them all including Thomas.  Thomas must have had the fright of his life.  But Jesus says to them: “Peace be with you!”  And then Jesus begins to speak to Thomas.  And now note, congregation, the attitude of Jesus.  He does not begin to lecture Thomas.  He does not tell him off, and say: “You foolish DOUBTER, why did you not accept the witness of the others?”  Nor does Jesus begin a discussion with: “Yes, Thomas, I know how difficult it all is; I know that you are such a pessimist and very often depressed.”  Jesus does not excuse Thomas and say: “Yes, Thomas, you were quite right, you know, in laying down your condition.  Of course you want to see first and feel first; you are the honest and intellectual type; you don’t want to commit yourself too soon.”

No, Jesus does not accuse him or excuse him.  What Jesus does is to issue a command, a double command: you made a condition; now fulfil that condition, now keep your word.  Jesus says to Thomas: “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side… do not be faithless, but believing!!”

Do you see the attitude of Jesus, brothers and sisters?  Jesus is full of patience, and yet he is firm.  Jesus does not call him a traitor, or a back-slider.  Jesus does not call him any names.  Neither does Jesus turn himself away from Thomas – as if to say: “Better figure it out yourself now!  Jesus does not discuss, or lecture.  Jesus makes a command!  The proof you wanted is here, Thomas.  See the evidence!  Do believe!  Whether Thomas did run his fingers over the scars on Jesus’ hands and side, is hard to say.  And it is futile to speculate.  What is necessary to see is: that Thomas did believe and that he did make a very spontaneous confession: “MY LORD AND MY GOD!”

Perhaps you say: Yes, but that was Thomas – that is not US!  We are in a different position.  Thomas saw the Lord.  The Lord appeared to him.  The Lord talked with him; he was fortunate.  But we…?  We don’t see Him.  No?  Don’t we see Him?  Have you never seen Jesus in the world in which we live?  Never seen Jesus in your brothers and sisters?  Never seen the mighty acts of God in history?  Never seen His beauty, His majesty and greatness in nature?  Or never seen the power of God in man?

Have you never spoken with Him, your Father?  Have you never walked with Him, your Lord?  Have you never met Him?  Never felt His nearness?  Never experienced His comfort?  Really?  You never have?  You poor…. poor Christian!!

For Christ does appear in our world.  No; no longer in flesh and blood; but he does make himself manifest in all true Christians.  You can see Christ in your Christian brother and sister.  You can see Him in the world around you.  And even more important: He reveals himself in His Spirit and Word.  He reveals Himself in the pages of the Bible – there you can read about Him.  And Christ comes to us in the sacraments and in the Church.

Our Lord and our God does manifest himself.  He makes him- self known in many ways EVEN to-day.  Often we hear: But I have never seen God!  How tragic!  May God open their eyes and show Himself to them in His majesty and glory – in which he can even be seen in this terrible, sinful world of our making.  Jesus appears to US as He appeared to Thomas, only in a different way.  And as He said to Thomas, so He says to US: “DO BELIEVE!”

3.  Jesus’ Promise to all believers:

After Thomas has made his spontaneous confession, Jesus again speaks to him.  First he asks a question, and then He adds a promise.  No, it is even more than a promise.  In vs.29: “Jesus said to him: ‘Have you believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who e not seen and yet believe!’”

Brothers and sisters, young people; the Lord and Master of the Church is aware of the problems of the Church and the believer.  And He does not ridicule them; He does not brush them away, nor does He accuse or excuse the believer and the Church.  He HELPS the believer and the Church.  He gives a promise that all those who will believe – despite the lack of visible evidence – will be blessed eternally.  The Lord not only commands faith, but He also gives the promise of the blessings of faith.  And with this promise and encouragement we will be able to overcome the enemy of doubt.

Many will say: Yes, but that is a fickle help, a very weak comfort!  This is like clinging to a straw.  Maybe that is what it seems without faith, but not in faith.  The Lord commanded us to have faith, for in faith we have so many proofs; and without faith there are no proofs.  No proofs without faith!  It is possible to bring many accusations against the Church and against Christians.  It is possible to make many, many problems and ask hundreds of difficult questions; but we must come back to that same position: in faith we have certainty and confidence; without faith there are no proofs.

Of course if one demands proofs, then it is still possible to maintain one’s arrogance and pessimism; one’s scepticism and demand for visible evidence.  One can continue to argue and ask; continue to analyse and make conditions.  Yes, one can continue to demand proofs.  And… one day it will come!  It will!  One day we will have proof.  When Jesus comes!  When Jesus comes again!  But… then Jesus’ words will no longer apply to those demanding proofs.  Then Jesus will NOT say: “Blessed are you, for you have not seen and yet believed”.  But He will say: “You were like Thomas; you made your own conditions; you were stubborn; you were disobedient.  You said: “First I must see and first I must feel and then – then only – I will believe!  You made a barricade around yourself, so that you did not have to commit yourself.  You demanded proof – and now you have it.  But now it is too late!”

Congregation, Jesus said: “Do not be faithless, but believing.”

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Amen.