2. ‘the man who doubted!’ (John 20)
Encounter with Thomas
‘the man who doubted!’
(John 20)

3. The Bible says : - The disciples saw the risen Jesus
‘Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus came ‘
The disciples saw the risen Jesus
The disciples met the risen Jesus
The disciples heard the risen Jesus
The disciples worshipped the risen Jesus
The disciples told Thomas of the risen Jesus

4. In that upper room : One by one the disciples testified :
To seeing Jesus
To hearing Jesus
To touching Jesus
To the resurrection of Jesus
And yet Thomas doubted that Jesus was alive !

6. (1) JESUS CHOSE THOMAS Meet Thomas - the twin :
We know nothing of when it happened
We know nothing of how it happened
We know nothing of where it happened
But we know that Thomas was chosen to be a disciple of Jesus

7. (2)JESUS PREPARED THOMAS
Meet Thomas the thinker !
To the disciples (& Thomas) Jesus said :
John 12 : you will not always have me
John 13: I will be with you only a little longer
John 14 : I go to prepare a place for you
Jesus spoke to them about the cross , the tomb , the throne

8. (2) JESUS PREPARED THOMAS
To Thomas the thinker, Jesus had said :
John 14.6: I am the way - follow me
I am the truth - trust me
I am the life - put your hope in me
John As you have seen - I am God
As you have heard - I am God
As the evidence shows - I am God
Live a life of dependence on me
The emphisis – ‘trust!’

9. Jesus was doubted by Thomas
Unless I see him for myself
Unless I touch and know it happened
Unless I feel and know it’s real
Unless I hear him speak to me
I will not believe

10. Encounter Thomas – encounter doubt!
Doubt is natural
Doubt is spiritual
Doubt is personal
Doubt is real
Doubt is a danger
Doubt is a challenge
Doubt is a choice

11. Just as the Christian has his moments when the clamor of this visible and audible world is so persistent, and the whisper of the spiritual world so faint that faith and reason can hardly stick to their guns, so, as I well remember, the atheist also has his moments of shuddering misgiving, of an all but irresistible suspicion that old tales may, after all, be true, that something or someone from outside may at any moment break into his neat, explicable, mechanical universe. Believe in God, and you will have to face hours when it seems obvious that this material world is the only reality; disbelieve in Him, and you must face hours when this material world seems to shout at you that it is not all. No conviction religious or irreligious will, of itself, end once and for all this fifth-columnist in the soul. Only the practice of faith resulting in the habit of faith will gradually do that.
C S Lewis

12. (3) JESUS WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THOMAS
He spoke to him first
He invited him to touch his wounds
He challenged him to examine his scars
He called him to dismiss his doubts
He commanded him to believe the facts
He wanted him to trust the Master

13. The bible records : ‘ Jesus came and stood among them !’ This time :
Thomas heard the voice of Jesus
Thomas saw the wounds of Jesus
Thomas encountered the call of Jesus
Thomas believed the risen Jesus

14. Encounter Thomas He doubted – but he did not deny
He doubted – but he did not disobey
He doubted – but he did not disappoint
He doubted – but he did not turn away
He doubted – but still believed

15. .
Just now your doubtings give o’er Just now reject Him no more Just now, throw open the door Let Jesus come into your heart !