THE KING ’S BUSINESS
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would have taken pains to have been absent on the next Lord’s day. As it was, Thomas took pains to be present. I f the Lord really had risen he wished to know it. The trouble with most of the modern skeptics is they d 6 not wish to believe it and so keep out o f the place where evidence o f the resur rection might be brought to them. Again Jesus stands in Jhe midst, and again He brings the same message o f peace. And now note the wonderful grace and pity and long suffering o f our risen Lord- He turns from the other disciples to the one remain ing unbeliever in the apostolic company. He gives him the very evidence he had demanded. He says, “Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and see my hands; and reach hither thy hand and put it into my side: and be not faithless but believing.” How vivid and graphic the story is, and now listen: Thomas is fully convinced at last, and his faith rushes to a higher point than that that has yet been reached by any o f the apostolic company. He falls on his knees, looks up into the face o f Jesus and cries to Him, “ My Lord and m y G od ." This is one o f most remarkable ascriptions to Jesus o f Deity to be found in the whole Bible, and note again, Jesus accepted these titles. I f this Jesus is not God He is the most arrant imposter and blasphemer this world ever saw. But Jesus is God and we too do well to fall before Him and look up into His face, and cry, “ M y L ord and m y ’G od .” But Jesus is not done with Thomas even yet. He gives Thomas a very gentle but suggestive rebuke for his per sistent unbelief. He pronounces an especial blessing upon the one who does not ask to see, but believes upon the naked testimony o f the W ord o f God (cf. Luke 1:38, 45, R. V.'; Heb. 11:8, 17-19, 30). This is not a demand for faith without evidence, but faith upon the very best o f evidence, the W ord o f God. Friday, September 15 . John 20 : 30 , 31 . None o f the gospel stories are intended to give a full account o f the life o f our Lord. They do not even give a full account o f all the miracles that He performed, He
on his better side, which we shall see later. Thomas had no grounds for disbelieving but his own notions. Many today are will ing to set up their own notions against the testimony of prophets, apostles, Jesus Christ Himself, and the whole W ord of God. Conceit and self-will lay at' the bot tom o f it all (Ps. 78:21, 22, 31, 32; 106:23, 24). Thomas’ wilfulness comes out in his words, “I will not believe.” The only kind o f evidence Thomas was open to was that which comes through his senses. Poor man! What we are told o f Thomas here is in perfect keeping with what we are told about him elsewhere (ch. 11:16; 14:5). If the gospel is a fabrication, certainly the man who is the author o f the fabrication is a most skillful artist. But it is not fabrication. It could not be a fabrication. It is a most trustworthy record of facts. A more consistent and trustworthy history was never written than that which we find in the gospel o f John. It is evident that Thomas was. not the kind o f a man to believe upon insufficient evidence in a resurrection that did not really take place, and the very fact that he doubted so per sistently as he did gives additional weight to his testimony when he was at last con vinced. The character and conduct of .Thomas, and the ultimate outcome in his case is one o f the many evidences that the mythical or legendary theories regarding the resurrection o f Jesus Christ cannot by any possibility be true. Thursday, September 14 . John 20 : 26 - 29 . Thomas had a whole week o f unbelief and darkness and misery; It might have been a week o f faith and joy. Jesus had bidden the disciples to go into Galilee (Matt. 28:10), but they seem to have waited a week rather than leave Thomas behind. Their testimony after all had made some impression upon Thomas, for on the next Lord’s day he took pains to be with them. So after all there was on his part some readiness to believe. If Thomas had been like some o f our modern skeptics who say they cannot believe, or will not believe, he
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