Scripture – “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””
John 20:24-29 NIV
Observation – Jesus has been resurrected from the dead, he has appeared to all of his disciples except Thomas. Thomas doesn’t believe that he has been raised to life and says he won’t believe unless he can see the nail marks in Jesus’ hands and put his hand into Jesus’ side where he was pierced. Jesus appears to him, Thomas believes and calls Jesus, “My Lord and My God”.
Application – All of Christianity rests on Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and his resurrection from the dead as our hope that we too will be resurrected and have eternal life in his name. Why should you believe this? Hank Hanegraaf summarized why in the following acronym:
Hank Hanegraaff’s F.E.A.T. acronym for the resurrection stands for Fatal torment, Empty tomb, Appearances, and Transformation.This framework presents the four key pieces of evidence he uses to argue for the historical fact of Jesus’s resurrection: the certainty of his death by torment, the evidence of an empty tomb, the numerous appearances to witnesses, and the radical transformation of his followers.
- F – Fatal Torment: The crucifixion and death of Jesus were a historical reality, well-documented by early sources.
- E – Empty Tomb: The tomb where Jesus was buried was found empty, which is a critical fact for the resurrection to be considered credible.
- A – Appearances: After his death, Jesus appeared to many different people, including Peter, the apostles, and over 500 witnesses.
- T – Transformation: The disciples and early Christians underwent a radical transformation from fearful followers to bold witnesses willing to die for their faith, which is seen as evidence of the resurrection’s power.
All followers of Jesus believe this is true. If this is true, Jesus is who he says he is, and as scripture say’s, “Salvation is found in no one else for their is no other name under heaven, given to mankind, by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12
Prayer – Lord I pray everyone would learn this acronym and share it with people who are wondering if you are the way to heaven. Amen
What are you doing? Do it better 