30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 24 9-12 MEETING THE RISEN LORD 10 17Mar2022 Luke 24 11 The Lord came searching for Thomas
📖 Luke 24:9-12
10 – 17Mar2022 – The Lord came searching for Thomas - Luke 24:09-12 - MEETING THE RISEN LORD - Bible reading: Isaiah 32:16-18
“Thank You, Jesus, that You came searching for Thomas. He had become hard-hearted but You did not give up on him. Thank You, that You do not allow us to remain in our state of unbelief but You reach out to us to move us from unbelief to belief. This is Your great love for us. Lord help us that we do not, foolishly, hold out against You but quickly surrender and submit to You. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.”
We continue to consider the response of unbelief of the disciples to the message of the women that Jesus had risen.
Luke 24:11 And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
We have begun focussing our attention on one of the disciples, who did not believe, and he was Thomas.
John 20:24-25 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. (25) The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he 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."
These were strong words from a man who had become hard-hearted because of unbelief. Thomas had been with Jesus from the very beginning. He had witnessed all the miracles, He had heard all the words that Jesus had spoken, including regarding His resurrection.
Now the other disciples were telling Thomas that the Lord had risen but it seems that Thomas had made up his mind that he would not believe in Jesus. Thomas felt totally let down. He was undergoing confusion, anger and disappointment, to the highest degree, at Jesus.
Notice, friends, how quickly a person can move from belief to unbelief.
Like all the others, Thomas had expected Jesus to set up His kingdom but Jesus had died a criminal’s death, had been buried. His friends, the other disciples of Jesus, were telling Him that Jesus had risen. Thomas decided not to believe and he decided that He did not want to care anymore. Thomas had withdrawn deeply into his cocoon of unbelief.
There are probably many in the church, who are in this state. We expected Jesus to meet a particular need, instead, things went contrary to what we expected. We have become deeply disappointed with what has happened.
We quickly move from belief to unbelief. Unbelief produces a hardness of the heart, which leads to further unbelief. We are now going through the motions of being part of the body of Christ but in our heart, there is anger, bitterness, disappointment. We have come to the ‘Thomas syndrome’, which is ‘I don’t care’ and ‘please, leave me alone. Allow me to wallow in my disappointment’.
The Lord comes looking for those of us who are in the ‘Thomas syndrome’. The Lord longs for us to be in a love relationship with Him. We have already seen that belief or faith is what makes us obey God and obedience is how we love God. It is this love relationship with God, which is the Shalom of God.
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."
The Lord longs to be in a love relationship with us. A love relationship that is based on obedience, which stems from belief. This is what makes us righteous before God. Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Here is how the Lord came searching for Thomas.
John 20:26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, " Peace to you !"
As Jesus came seeking for Thomas, He begins with the greeting of Shalom. The Shalom of God is the ethos of the kingdom of God. The Lord’s desire for mankind is His Shalom.
This was a message, very specially, for Thomas. The Lord was saying, “Thomas, I want you to have my Shalom. Right now, you are angry, heartbroken and unbelieving. You are going through everything that is opposite to Shalom and the person whom you are hurting is yourself. Don’t punish yourself like this, Thomas. I’m here to restore Shalom to you but it will happen when you believe. “
The expression of Shalom is explained in several places in the Old Testament. Here is one such expression of Shalom.
Isaiah 32:16-18 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. (17) The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. (18) My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,
The Lord was moving Thomas from unbelief to belief. Probably you are in the state where Thomas was? The Lord Jesus is inviting you into His Shalom. So, come. Why would you want to remain in your unbelief and keep hurting yourself?
Thought to ponder
Shalom is our heritage, in Jesus.