Turn with me now to the book of John. The book of John is the fourth gospel of the New Testament. We want to go towards the end of that book to chapter 20. And we want to look at the latter half of John 20. Verses 19 through 31. And in the bulletin, you see it says the doubter in the risen Lord. But I actually want to expand this a bit. We don't want to just simply focus on the doubter, but instead we want to focus on the struggling. So if you're taking notes and as you listen along to this passage, consider the different people and the struggles that they were having and what happened to those struggles as they interacted with the risen Lord. Begin with verse 19, let's give our attention to the reading and hearing of God's holy, inerrant, inspired, and infallible word. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 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. And after eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and he 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 believe. And Thomas answered and said to him, 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. And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name. Remember the grass withers and the flower falls, but God's word abides forever. Amen. There's a story of a little boy who was in a grocery store and out of the blue he cried out, Mom, where are you? He began walking back and forth, pacing, searching frantically in order to find his mom. She had disappeared. She was gone. All he could see were people with their shopping carts full of their various groceries trying to find their spot to get checked out. In a panic, the boy begins to do his search down each aisle. He comes to the aisle where he had left his mom only to find out that she wasn't there. But he did find a store worker. And as he approached this store worker, he was feeling sad, he was feeling scared, he was feeling angry because within his mind he had thought to himself, maybe my mom has just left me here. Maybe I'm just too much trouble to feed, and so she just headed home and forgot all about me. And so as he interacts with the representative of the store, he tells him, I think my mom left me at the store, got abducted by aliens or something. The worker asks, why do you feel this way? The boy responds, well I was just looking for snacks and then she was gone. I asked her if we could get some and then she just left. And so the clerk and the boy began to frantically look for the mom. But the boy all the while feels that his mom has just left. As the clerk interacts with the child, he asks her, so why do you think your mom left you? Because I don't see her. Well, has she ever accidentally left you anywhere before? No. So then the clerk asks, why do you doubt now? I'm sure she's here. We just need to find her. You ever felt like this child? Lost, abandoned, struggling, scared, afraid. You know the things that God has said in his word that he would never leave you nor forsake you. You know the promises that he's made to be your faithful shepherd who would care for you and watch over you and walk with you to the very end and yet sometimes it just feels like he's not there or he's absent. You're not alone in this. Great individuals throughout church history have struggled with doubt and despair. For example, there's accounts where Charles Spurgeon struggled with this. Others indicated that even Martin Luther himself had wrestled. The one who was willing to stand up regarding the doctrine of justification by faith alone and even put forth his 95 theses to condemn the sale of indulgences, yet had his own fears and his own struggles, even as a believer, feeling at times that his own sinfulness would separate him from God. and cause him to doubt and despair regarding his salvation. The disciples in our passage also wrestled and struggled. And what we want to see from these verses is that there were those disciples who were filled with despair There was one who was filled with doubt and yet as they interacted with the risen Lord, their despair went away and their doubts were overcome. And yet through it all, Jesus then gives encouragement not only to them and to us. And the encouragement that I want you to take away this morning is this, that the risen Lord assures you of the promise that he has made, which is, because he is risen from the grave, as you look to him by faith and believe, he assures you that he has conquered and secured all. And so let's see how we can consider this as we look firstly at the disciples in despair. Look again at our passage beginning with verse 19. The disciples had had a pretty busy day this first day of the week. Not as busy as Jesus, of course, but it was still pretty busy. I mean, after all, they had gotten news that at sunrise, Jesus had risen from the dead. The women were the first to observe this as they went then to further prepare the body of our Lord. And as they all saw the empty tomb, they were struck by this until angels came and spoke to them and said that the Lord wasn't there, that he had risen just as he had said. And as they went off, Mary Magdalene and some of the other women, had opportunity to interact with Jesus. Shortly after that, we hear of two disciples who are on the road to Emmaus, and as they're walking, Jesus came and also walked alongside of them and spoke with them about all the events that had transpired, not only on that Sunday, but even on the Thursday or Friday before regarding Jesus' betrayal and arrest and crucifixion. and the disappointment that these two men had had because they thought in Jesus all their hopes, all their aspirations, all their dreams would be fulfilled. Until finally they see and recognize Christ as their eyes are opened. He visited Peter as well and as the disciples had heard all of these things, they come together in the upper room in order to begin to process and to work through what? was occurring through the course of the day. John tells us that as they were assembled there, it was for fear of the Jews. I mean, what were they afraid of? Jesus had just been arrested, condemned, and killed. And they were associates of Jesus. Therefore, they're next. They couldn't handle that. Not to mention the fact that their beloved leader was gone. The doors were locked. They were huddled together. And in the middle of their assembly, here comes Jesus who stands in their midst and he greets them with these words, peace to you. Remember the doors were locked. Jesus initially has to give them this greeting of peace because they are scared. It's not an everyday occurrence that you lock your doors and you're secure and someone shows up, a real body with identifying marks in his hands and his feet and in his side, noting that this was Jesus himself. And thereby affirming the testimony that they had heard throughout the course of the day was true. How did Jesus get in there? We're not told. We're simply told that he appeared. There has been all sorts of speculation as to what Jesus did or did not do. Here's some things we know he didn't do. He didn't sneak in. He didn't wait until the room was empty as they were all out and about doing various things and just hide in the corner and then all of a sudden appear. He didn't climb through the window. He didn't climb through the roof. But what we do know is he appeared. The disciples were moved from their initial fear of the Jewish authorities to this one who is before them now. They're filled with terror, they're filled with trouble, and they are shocked. After all, this individual wasn't here before. Is this a ghost? Is this a phantom? Who is this? And so Jesus then speaks to them, peace, and he shows them his hands and his side. And they were glad to know that it was the Lord. Luke and Luke 24 tells us that even as this had occurred, they still weren't quite certain. And so Jesus looks at them and says, can I have something to eat? And so they feed him then broiled fish. Again, speaking and testifying to us of the legitimacy of what the scriptures have said regarding Jesus. That yes, Jesus did suffer and die. But on the third day in fulfillment of Holy Scripture, he rose again. And he testifies before these individuals, not only by being in their presence, but also by allowing them to see him, to see the markings, to know that it is truly him, and also eating in their midst that he is real, and that the things said about him, and even the things that he himself said, were legitimate. The disciples were in the context of despair. Despair because of those around them threatening them, despair because their beloved leader was gone, and yet their despair is now turned away and they're filled with joy. Why? Because notice what Jesus then tells them in verse 21. peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." The second declaration of peace is the reminder of what Jesus had testified some few nights prior in the upper room in John 14 when he says, my peace I leave you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid. The beautiful thing to see about our Savior in this passage is that in the context of the despair of the disciples, and Jesus having known the behaviors of the disciples from the days prior, does not show up and as he then wants to talk with them, begin to rebuke them, to begin to chastise them, to threaten them, or to challenge them. He doesn't look at them and say, oh, you good for nothing disciples, you did exactly what I thought you would do. How could you be so foolish? Why are you still sitting here in this room? Why don't you believe me? Why don't you trust me? Why don't you look to me? He didn't do any of that. Instead, Jesus greets them in a loving. Simple manner. To assure them peace. It's when we're in times of despair that we need to understand this promise of peace. Those of you this morning who may be struggling with certain questions and certain circumstances in your life that are causing you to look and to wonder where is God or causing you to question His plan or His purpose for you. Causing you to challenge the outworkings of His providence in your life and you then are filled with some sense of despair or lacking hope. Look at what Jesus says here to his disciples and to you. Peace to you. And yet, how could he make this promise of peace? Well, he recognizes that he has reconciled sinners to a holy God. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 8 verse 7 and 8, that we were at one time alienated from God. Romans 8 verse 7 and 8, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it's not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be, so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. He identifies that those who are in their sins are indifferent and hostile to God. They have isolated themselves and withdrawn themselves from him. And yet Christ has overcome this alienation. Paul, in just a couple of chapters prior, reminds us that having been justified by faith, implied through Christ, we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus. You see, Jesus is able to come before the disciples there with the imprint of the nails in His hands and on His feet and the spear having been thrust into His side and standing before them as the resurrected Lord. And He then holds out His hands and He says, look and see, peace is for you. And to you this morning, He notes the same declaration. If you look to him by faith, believing what Jesus has said, believing what has been written about him in God's word, trusting then that he is the only one who can bring this reconciliation between you and God. So you look and see what he says. And as a result, you say, Lord, I believe I come. I trust. And Jesus says, here is peace. In the context of offering this to his disciples, he then begins to commission them. He commissions them with a responsibility to go forth and to be sent as the father has sent the son, so the son sends them. And then he also breathes the Holy Spirit. Much ink has been spilled over beginning to write various statements about what is or isn't involved. To put it simply is first to simply note that Jesus has authority to send his church into the world to witness his resurrection and his life giving power. And as he commissions them, so he equips them with the Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit that is necessary in order for life to be imparted into an individual. It is only by the Spirit that we might rightly know and understand the word of God. And so Jesus, like the prophets of old, is giving a picture to his disciples to show them how he is equipping them, how he will do so on the day of Pentecost. with his spirit. And so this then encourages them and strengthens them to go forward knowing that Jesus has risen and to see that their despair has been removed. Dear child of God, as you may wrestle, as you may struggle, as you may find that there are frustrations or discouragements in your life, don't allow those things to overwhelm or overtake your sight. Instead, with the eye of faith, look to the Lord Jesus who was risen and victorious and promises you his peace. But not only do we have those who despair, we also have those who doubt. Here we have the statement about Thomas. If much eek has been spilled over what is meant by the commissioning and the giving of the Holy Spirit, then even more has been put forth to describe all kinds of things about Thomas. Thomas gets a bad rap. Thomas is simply identified as the doubter. There have been some who've written the following statements about him, that he's a gloomy spirit who sees the dark side of everything, that he's not ready to believe good news, that he's a negative person or a worrywart or a pessimist, anxious and even angst-ridden. One author went so far as to say that because he's identified as a twin that he has an inferiority complex, and hence he behaves the way that he does. Poor Thomas. The testimony of Thomas, at least through the Gospels, is not one that is perfect, but at least one that may show courage and devotion. After all, in John 11, when Jesus said that he was gonna go to Bethany in order to interact in the life of Martha and Mary after the passing of Lazarus, and Thomas, having observed the challenges and difficulties that were before Jesus in that region, noted, well, if Jesus is gonna go, so we will go with him, and may we die with him. In John 14, when Jesus makes the statement, I am the way, the truth, and the life, it is Thomas who asks, Lord, show us the way. How can we know the way? He's identifying a love for Christ and an acknowledgement that he doesn't want to lose him based on the pain of it. And so I think it's important that we not beat up too hardly on Thomas. And yet we see that he's unwilling to embrace the testimony of the disciples. In the passage, it is noted that as Thomas was absent, so then the 12 or the disciples then said to him, we have seen the Lord. And this wasn't just simply a speaking of a one and done type of deal. Hey, Thomas, just want to let you know, the other day when you were absent, Jesus was there. Okay, next. They kept telling him, they kept sharing, they kept wanting to make sure that he understood the amazing thing that was before them. And just as an aside, Thomas misses church, and look at what he misses out on. Now think about that. Thomas misses church and of all the days that he misses, Jesus shows up. And yet, what is he wrestling with? Doubts. Discouragement. He's downcast. There are many times over in which people who are working through their doubts of unbelief and discouragement, they end up pulling away from God and His people and it's the last thing that they need to do. Now the church needs to understand that as individuals show up and they begin to talk about their questions and they're not understanding things and they're trying to work through things and wrestle through things and yet they're in this quandary that the church then doesn't push them away. That's the time to bring them in, to walk alongside of them, to answer their questions and encourage them. But if you wanna overcome your struggle of doubt and despair, Be with the people of God because it is with them and through them in the context of worship and study that God meets with you and He encourages you and He assures you of His presence and He speaks to you of His work and His love for you through Christ. And He gives you the occasion to be wrapped around the arms of fellow believers who are praying for you and who are speaking life into you. And if you then are down, don't allow that to cause you to pull away. Be present. Thomas, when he missed, He initially missed out on the very presence of the Lord and to hear of his power and to hear the declaration of peace and to see the provisions that he would make. And yet Jesus didn't leave his person alone. And I think that's the second encouragement with Thomas. that if you're doubting and you belong to the Savior, He's not going to let you go. He's not going to allow you to just simply continue to flounder and to continue to struggle and to continue to wonder and to continue to remain there. At some point, He will come and He will speak peace. Look at what He does for Thomas. Thomas is there noting that he insists, I will only believe when Jesus shows up, when he puts forth his hand, when he lets me slide my finger into the nail print, when he lets me put my hand into his side, and until then, I won't believe. I think there's an aspect in which Thomas is also telling the disciples, I think you guys are a little nuts. After all, we all saw that he had died. If he had truly died and we have the women who worked with his body in order to prepare it, would know the various impressions that were there and so forth, it would all be set forth there. And yet, Jesus meets with him. He calls him to do the very things that he said that he wanted to do. And John doesn't tell us if Thomas actually did those things, but as he was called out to be believing, Thomas responds with the highest confession of faith that he could make, whereby he acknowledged Jesus as his Lord and his God. The declaration here by Thomas wasn't simply one of, you're the teacher, you're the master, Not even the Messiah, but rather you are my Lord and my God. Thomas had personally connected his faith to Jesus Christ. And he saw that he was the living witness of the one who had secured peace with God. John here at the end of his gospel takes us back to the very beginning when he introduces Jesus and he says, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And then verse 14, he became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And of his fullness we have all received grace. for grace. Thomas makes this confession to acknowledge his living God. And he sees this one in the person of Jesus Christ. I was struck this past week while on Facebook of a meme I had saw, and it said there's over 4,200 religions in the world, but only one of them professes of a living God with an empty tomb. And that's the point that Thomas is affirming here. Jesus, by having conquered over the grave, by standing in his very midst, by having spoken to him the very things that he desired to do in order to have all of his doubts overcome, all he can do is look at this one who is before him and say, he is my Lord and he is my God. And dear Christian, you can have the same. You confess this each and every Lord's Day when you come for worship. and you gather before the presence of your God and he reach you with the witness of his blessing and his favor. And he speaks this same greeting to you as he speaks to you through his word and then at the end as you leave he also extends unto you grace and peace. And yet we struggle to know those things when we're filled with uncertainty. when we're questioning things that are true or that are right or that are in accordance with God's word. And yet, what about us? I mean, after all, we're not going to have visions of Jesus that would happen in our lives or in our context. If we say that we actually saw the risen Lord in our living rooms or elsewhere in our homes, people would want to send us elsewhere. So now what? Look at what Jesus says in terms of he and the distinction that he makes. Verse 29, Thomas, because you've seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Jesus notes a particular favor for us. And he says this favor for us is found in the fact that he has made his will known, he has revealed his truth through his written word. And so he calls us then to look at the highest source of truth, which is the written word of God, to hear the things that are written, to reflect on those things that have been revealed, to consider them. But as we consider them, to see the very legitimacy and the truth of all that comes before us in God's word. And as a result, to embrace Jesus with a believing heart. And to acknowledge. who He truly is. Jesus says that God's Word is enough, it is sufficient. One of the individuals who was a close friend to Jesus, known as the disciple whom Jesus loved, said, I could have written so much more, but this is enough, because what is here is that you might be able to see that Jesus is the promised one, that he is truly God, and that if you look to him by a living faith, you may have life forevermore in his name. And yet, isn't that an important challenge to us? Because it's really easy to look ahead or to look within or to look around. It's easy to look ahead and get distracted by who's doing what or what's happening elsewhere, to look within and just see the fear that fills us, or to look around and see everything that is falling apart. But if we look up to God and see what he has set forth in his word, the certainty and the validity of it becomes a key and important foundation for us to direct us to know His favor through Christ. This favor is a deeper joy and happiness than one could ever know or embrace simply on earth. It's the favor of knowing that God is pleased with us because of Christ and therefore he assures us that we are welcomed and received. And so what do we do with this? Firstly, we recognize who we are and we embrace Christ. For Christ, throughout our passage this morning, as the risen Lord has been identified as the Son of God, as well as the one made like unto us. Secondly, we recognize the blessing that we have of what God has noted in His Word, that He has put forth His will, that it is without error, that it cannot make any mistakes, that it comes from the living God Himself in order to testify to us of the fundamental things that we need to know. First of which is that we have offended a holy God through our sins, and as a result, He has overcome this through His Son. But it is only by Jesus that we can be reconciled to this God. But thirdly, listen to the voice of your Savior. The voice of your savior who calls out to those who are doubting or to those who are despairing. And this one says you may be restless, you may be struggling, you may be hurting, you may be full of of all sorts of things causing you to wonder and to question and to be frustrated. And yet he says, come to me. Know of me. Learn of me. I will walk with you, I'll care for you, I'll never leave you nor forsake you, for I've secured everything that you need. We had heard at the beginning of a little boy who got separated from his mom in the store. Well, the associate found another individual, they put the announcement over the loudspeaker, boy who was lost 10 years of age. And almost immediately after this announcement came up, here his mom appears from a different aisle. And as the boy sees her some 10 aisles away, he begins to run to her in order to meet her and to embrace her. And he says, mom, I thought you left without me. The mom said, honey, I asked you to follow me to the bathroom so I could change your sister. I thought you heard me. I looked around after I changed her and didn't see you. I went to the fruit snack aisle and you weren't there. And the little boy said, I forgot. And then he said, this man over here in the blue vest said there was no reason that I needed to doubt that you were here and that all is well. And the mom said, I've never left you anywhere before, have I? No. Well, then I hope you learn I'll never do so. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the beauty and blessing of our Savior, who addresses us in all of our weaknesses to encourage us and strengthen us with His perfect finished work. Encourage our hearts even now as we by faith have opportunity to remember what he did in his night of suffering and his death on the cross and thereby has gained life forevermore. Encourage our hearts with this truth we ask in Jesus' name, amen.