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lege. Here is one of those dramatic pictures of the Bible, calculated to stagger belief. Can this be God manifested in the flesh? Condescending to the doubt of one poor follower and appealing to him with outstretched arms, “ Put your finger in these wounded hands— wounded for you—and thrust your hand into my side from which poured my life blood” ? And can we learn the lesson of His love and His desire for an unbounded faith in Him? Thomas never put his hand upon the wounds, but, broken down in the pres- ■ ence of his Lord ajid Master, made the first confession from human lips of Jesus as God. Thomas rose to the heights of faith in his confession, “ My Lord and my God.” “ Great is the mystery o f godliness; God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). That was the creed of the early church. There is a beautiful veiled rebuke by our Lord in the words which follow; words well meant for all of us, “ Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed,” who can say, (1 Pet. 1 :8 ): “Whom, having; not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet be lieving, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Seeing the invisible; seeing through God’s eyes, as God sees; and believing with simple faith all that God says; this is the faith of the believer. Many signs followed, and many will yet follow in the, lives of believers. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in giving this Gospel to John, the apostle, is set forth in the last verse of our lesson (v. 31). “These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the. Son of God, and that, believing, ye might have life through his name.” (NOTE: Thev,evangelistic workers, the Bible Institute; df Los Angeles are giving out hundreds 6f the Gospel of JohnJwith this verse (John 20*31) printed on a. slip and pasted at the top of the first chapter, so that the person to whom the Gospel is given w ill read it before he reads the Gospel, and thus understand the purpose
Lord had given him repeated warnings (Matt. 16:21). “Prom that time forth began Jesus to show to his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be hilled and he ralsçd again the third day.” ' 9 , TT. Mary had also home testimony to His resurrection (John 20:18). “Mary Magdalene came and told the dis ciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spohen these things unto her. The Emmaus disciples had also wit nessed to Him of the walk and home scene (Luke 24:33-35). “ In the mouth of two or three wit nesses every word shall be established.” There is no excuse for unbelief in any believer in Jesus Christ. We have God’s inerrant, unimpeachable Word— the Word which He will verify to us always. Unbelief is sin. Not a weak ness only, but absolute sin. Thomas loved the Lord for he had said, “ Let us go that we may die with him.” (John 11:16). But Thomas doubted His resurrection. Was it too good to be true? Are some of the precious promises given to us too much for our feeble faith? To doubt is to play into the hands of Satan and hurts the heart of ohr Lord. Hear Him say to Peter (Matt. 14:3Î). “O thou, of little faith, wherefore didst thon doubt?” , , • Is He saying this to any of us today? (4) THE CONFESSION OF DEITY, vs. 26-31. “ My Lord and my God.“ Eight days have passed. The scene is again in the upper room. The sacred room where doors are shut; where eyes are open to see Him; where doubt is dispelled; and where peace is bestowed. Thomas is there. Doubting Thomas, yet loving Thomas, who has a heart for his Lord. He has not been cast away, although he has lost much through un belief. None are to be lost of that little band save Judas, the traitor. Thomas had demanded the personal présence of the Lord and the privilege of handling Him with his own hands. Now, through grace, he has that privi
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