John 20:19-31; Romans 1:1-4

John’s account presents back-to-back Sundays when Jesus appeared to the men who would be His Apostles.  Judas of course was absent, having taken his own life.  Thomas was missing the first time.  The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were also there (Luke 24:36).  1 Cor. 15:5 also indicates that Jesus had appeared to Peter before the first appearance to the rest of the disciples.  Perhaps Peter could have been the unnamed of the Emmaus road disciples but it seems very unlikely that Luke would have mentioned Cleopas by name but not Peter.

When Jesus first appears in v19 the disciples were aware of the reports of His resurrection.  They are in fear of the Jews, perhaps because they are being sought as part of the investigation into the “missing body”.  It is to the Ten that Jesus appears and gives them the first of several recorded “commissions” for ministry.  It was decidedly for these special, chosen men (Acts 1:2).

·        They were being sent as Christ Himself was sent (v21).  This is fundamental whenever Christ speaks of our ministry in this age.  He made disciples; we are to make disciples (Mt. 28:16-20).  The Church continues what Jesus started (Acts 1:1); they would be the Body of Christ of which He was the Head.

·        Jesus breathed on them saying, Receive the Holy Spirit.  Later He would tell them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the promised Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). What He did here prepared them for Pentecost and their Apostolic ministry.

·        What Jesus said in v23 was for these chosen men.  He had promised them this earlier (Mt. 16:13-20).  Their use of the keys of the kingdom would lead to the inclusion in the Church of the Samaritans (Acts 8) and all Gentiles (Acts 10). 

The teaching for us (v29) has to do with the nature and focus of faith.  We ought not be hard on Thomas for his unbelief.  Note that the others were also affected by seeing Christ, being no longer fearful but glad (v20).  Jesus would soon ascend to heaven.  The witnesses left behind would testify to seeing the risen Lord and people would be called to believe them (Acts 10:40-43).  But those witnesses would also die and then people would be called to believe the record of their testimony.  As vs.30-31 indicate, the key will be the written record.  That record (the New Testament) will be completely sufficient in presenting the gospel, the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Trust in the written record will be the means by which you may have life in His name.

Today there is often seen in the visible Church a sad lack of trust in Scripture.  People who call themselves Christians feel a need for additional traditions, sacred books, stories of people who have been to heaven and back or who have seen Jesus in some form or another.  All of this is not only unreliable and unnecessary; it is a distraction from God’s own word to mankind and a great temptation to deny the sufficiency of that Word!

The proofs recorded in Scripture are infallible (Acts 1:1-3).  May we be those whose faith is that of people who, not having seen, yet have believed.  In that way may we have the blessing of Christ.