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by Sandy Shaw
We are in John Chapter 20 and we have been reading of the risen and living Jesus meeting with His disciples in the Upper Room on Resurrection Evening. To begin with there were various confusions and conflicting emotions and Jesus appears to deal with the crucial spiritual situation.
One of the disciples was missing. Thomas was not with them. We do not know why. Did he have something else to do – or somewhere else to go – or something on his mind which was troubling him following the trauma of Calvary?
When he did come back the others said, “We have seen the Lord”. Thomas had a real problem believing it. He should have been in his place alongside the rest of the disciples.
If you are a disciple, don’t be missing at the time of worship.
Don’t miss out on being with the other disciples.
The Bible teaches us in various places regarding the neglecting of, or the forsaking of, meeting together.
Thomas missed out on that resurrection evening appearance of the risen and living Jesus, and he missed out on the blessing.
This man missed much because he was missing. Would what happened ever happen again?
A week later Jesus came again and this time Thomas was there and he was moved in his heart. It must have been a long week.
Jesus speaks especially and specifically to Thomas. Reach out your hand. Stop doubting and believe.
Thomas saw the risen and living Jesus and he believed. He answered and confessed and proclaimed – “My Lord and my God”.
Jesus goes on to speak about those who in later generations would not physically see the risen and living Jesus.
Whenever possible you make sure you are present with all the other disciples in the local fellowship when it is the hour to meet together and gather together, whether it be for worship and praise and prayer and the study of the Word. You be there. Be reliable and dependable in this vital area. One significant sign which many have observed over these past few years has been the decline or falling away from our commitment to the local church.
Some people can become so involved in para-church activities that the local Church of Jesus Christ can become neglected. The early Church of Jesus Christ recognised the importance of the local fellowship.
We are taught to come together, to worship together, to pray together, to encourage one another and to minister to one another.
And finally in this Chapter, John explains the reason for the writing of this book. John writes this account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, after having some sixty years in the front line of the Kingdom of God, so that we may believe, and so that we may believe aright, and by believing have life in his name. John’s Gospel is really all about life and having real vibrant life in Christ Jesus.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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