April
1, 2003
"MY
LORD AND MY GOD!"
"Then
He said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My
hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.
Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered
and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' " (John 20:27,
28, NKJV).
On the
evening of the resurrection day, the disciples were assembled
behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. The two men Jesus
had accompanied to Emmaus had returned to Jerusalem to report
on their encounter with Jesus (Luke 24:33).. The disciples,
and those with then, were comparing the evidences of Christ's
resurrection. The disciples were saying, "The Lord has
risen indeed and has appear to Simon" (Luke 24:34). Mary
had reported on Christ's' conversation with her (John 20:18).
As they were telling these stories, "Jesus Himself stood
in the midst of them and said to them, 'Peace
to you.' But they were terrified and frightened, and
supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, "Why
are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me
and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you
see I have" (Luke 24:36-39)..
It took
a little more convincing and Jesus asked for food and ate
it in their presence. Then "He opened their understanding,
that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to
them, "Thus it is written, and
thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission
of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning
at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things"
(Luke 24:45-48).
Thomas,
one of the twelve, was not present with the disciples at this
time. The disciples told Thomas of this encounter with Jesus.
Thomas said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print
of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails,
and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." After
eight days the disciple were again gathered together and Thomas
was with them. "Jesus came, the doors being shut, and
stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace
to you!' Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach
your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand
here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but
believing.' Thomas answered and said--, 'My Lord and
my God!'
"Jesus
said to him, 'Thomas, because you have
seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed' " (John 20:25-29).
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